Behavior

Do You Tip At Sonic?

On our recent family road trip to Florida my son tapped me repeatedly on the shoulder and excitedly pointed out the window towards a Sonic fast-food restaurant. Since we don’t have Sonic in our area, and we had heard the ice cream was very good, we decided to stop for lunch.  We skipped the drive through and parked in one of the car-hop spots with a menu board and microphone.  Not knowing exactly how the process worked, we ordered our food and was told someone would bring the food out to us shortly.  A few minutes later a Sonic employee delivered the food to our car.  I had already paid for the food using the credit card reader, but the thought crossed my mind, “Do you tip at Sonic?”

Do You Tip At Sonic?  “Yes!”

• Providing A Service : One measuring stick used to determine if tipping is appropriate Is to ask yourself if someone has provided a service.  Sonic food deliverers deliver food to the comfort of your own vehicle.
• Food Service Industry : Many people in the food service industry rely on tips as a significant part of their income.
• Weather Factor : Sonic employees may have to deliver food to your vehicle in a variety of weather conditions.

Do You Tip At Sonic? “No!”

• No Separation Of Service :  The amount a person is tipped depends upon the quality of service.  In the case of a Sonic food deliverer, either the food gets there or it doesn’t.
• Fast Food :  Although Sonic is a throw back to the carhops of decades past, it still a fast food restaurant with drive through.  Tipping is not usually required at fast food restaurants.

Final Analysis

There are valid points both for and against tipping at Sonic.   Internet searches appear to suggest that the food delivery employees at Sonic do not expect tips, but certainly appreciate them.  When in doubt, one could always ask if they accept tips.  There are some instances where I have wanted to tip, but the employee told me they were not allowed to accept them (this was not at Sonic).

How Much Should You Tip?

If you do tip at Sonic, the typical amount is either a couple of dollars or about 10%.  After all, it is fast food, and not a full service restaurant.

The answer to the question, “Do you tip at Sonic?” seems to be, “If you would like to.”   Tips are not expected,  but if you feel a tip is warranted, a couple of dollars or 10% would be greatly appreciated.

How about you, Clever Friends, have you ever eaten at Sonic?  Did you tip the person who delivered your food?

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Brock Kernin

Brock is a software engineer by day and personal finance blogger at night. He is a fitness junkie and enjoys grilling and smoking meat. Married with two children,  Brock strives to improve his skills as a husband and father, and is always on the lookout to stretch his family’s budget as far as he can.