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Behavior

Do You Tip At Sonic?

April 17, 2017
By Brock Kernin
- Leave a Comment

tipping advice, tipping tips, tipping talk

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?

More of My Favorite Articles:

Every Loan Application Needs These 5 Things
National Consumer Panel Review
A Look At Blue Apron Food Delivery Service
High Water Bill Because Of Your Pool?  You NEED To Read This!
Which is Cheaper: Keg or Canned beer?

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.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mike says

    April 18, 2017 at 9:56 am

    I don’t generally tip at fast food restaurants but I’ve never been to a Sonic before. Maybe if the weather was horrid and they did an outstanding job I might be tempted.

    Reply
    • Brock says

      April 23, 2017 at 9:09 pm

      It’s a little different than your typical fast food restaurant, but in the end it IS fast food. I would guess that’s why it’s “not expected, but appreciated.”

  2. Dude The Mac says

    April 19, 2017 at 2:34 pm

    Sonic has fatty greasy food, I like burgers, but Sonic has serious issues,

    Reply
    • Brock says

      April 23, 2017 at 9:10 pm

      I don’t find them any more or less greasy than any other fast food place, but who knows, maybe the one you got was off the charts.

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