Sonic - "tipping is not part of the Sonic business model...."
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Do NOT tip at Sonic. It won't be reimbursed, and the car hops don't get any of it anyway.
Regardless of whether I'm there for "work" or not, I don't. What makes you think the carhop doesn't see any of that money?
If your path dictates you walk through hell, do it as though you own the place. -unknown
Dr. Because there is no legal responsibility for the owners to give it to them. They are not employed as tipped servers for lower than minimum wage, so the company has no obligation to give that money to them. And my son is friends with a manager at one of the Sonics near here, they don't get any of that money.
The same could be said for Pizza Hut, Starbucks, and the thousands of other companies that are minimum wage or higher employers but include a line for tips on their receipts or allow jars on the counter. Maybe those companies are raking in a lot more than we all think they are.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/09/2023 01:40AM by drdoggie00.
@Morledzep wrote:
Dr. Because there is no legal responsibility for the owners to give it to them. They are not employed as tipped servers for lower than minimum wage, so the company has no obligation to give that money to them. And my son is friends with a manager at one of the Sonics near here, they don't get any of that money.
If your path dictates you walk through hell, do it as though you own the place. -unknown
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/09/2023 01:40AM by drdoggie00.
@Morledzep wrote:
Dr. Because there is no legal responsibility for the owners to give it to them. They are not employed as tipped servers for lower than minimum wage, so the company has no obligation to give that money to them. And my son is friends with a manager at one of the Sonics near here, they don't get any of that money.
In my state, there sure is a legal responsibility to give it to them. The law states very specifically that tips belong to the employee or employees for whom it was left and even codifies how credit card tips should be handled: "An employer that permits patrons to pay gratuities by credit card shall pay the employees the full amount of the gratuity that the patron indicated on the credit card slip, without any deductions for any credit card payment processing fees or costs that may be charged to the employer by the credit card company. Payment of gratuities made by patrons using credit cards shall be made to the employees not later than the next regular payday following the date the patron authorized the credit card payment."
If not legally, then morally and ethically, those monies should go to the employees, in this instance, the carhop.
But it still doesn't answer the question of why the MSC would put such an odd phrase in the guidelines rather than just say tips wouldn't be reimbursed.
But it still doesn't answer the question of why the MSC would put such an odd phrase in the guidelines rather than just say tips wouldn't be reimbursed.
If your path dictates you walk through hell, do it as though you own the place. -unknown
"Because we are the good guys. It's our client who is evil."
Aye. -sighs-
@BusyBeeBuzzBuzzBuzz wrote:
"Because we are the good guys. It's our client who is evil."
If your path dictates you walk through hell, do it as though you own the place. -unknown
Because they want to make sure we understand they are not going to reimburse and money given as tips!
@barbage wrote:
Because they want to make sure we understand they are not going to reimburse and money given as tips!
If your path dictates you walk through hell, do it as though you own the place. -unknown
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/09/2023 04:11PM by drdoggie00.
I can’t speak for anyone else, but I understand “you won’t be reimbursed for tips” just fine. 
Y’all have a good morning.
Y’all have a good morning.If your path dictates you walk through hell, do it as though you own the place. -unknown
I tip cash. It goes directly in the carhop's pocket.
I also tip cash, but I really wish the inclusion of tipping is not part of Sonic's business model would be removed. In light of the fact that I have to reply to a tipping screen in order to make a credit card payment, it is part of their business model as far as what they present to their customer.
This!
My point exactly. Thank you!
"In light of the fact that I have to reply to a tipping screen in order to make a credit card payment, it is part of their business model as far as what they present to their customer."
My point exactly. Thank you!
"In light of the fact that I have to reply to a tipping screen in order to make a credit card payment, it is part of their business model as far as what they present to their customer."
If your path dictates you walk through hell, do it as though you own the place. -unknown
It may vary by state, but my understanding is that employers are required by law to pay *every* tipped employee the standard minimum wage if their tips don't get them to that level. So normally the tipped worker gets the tipped worker minimum, as low as $2.37 in a lot of place. If their tips don't bring them up to the regular minimum wage, the employer is supposed to make up the difference.
In many places this allows tipped workers to make well above minimum wage. But at a place like Sonic where not a lot of big tipping is taking place, it might be just subsidizing the employer as Morledzep says, allowing them to chip in less. Cash tips are different, but only if the employee doesn't report them.
And on top of that, if the Sonic actually pays servers regular minimum wage, they can take ALL of the tips and distribute them to all the workers, even the non-server employees such as cooks. That might sound good, but it is really just a way for a restaurant to avoid giving actual raises from their own pockets. (Some states have stricter rules.)
In many places this allows tipped workers to make well above minimum wage. But at a place like Sonic where not a lot of big tipping is taking place, it might be just subsidizing the employer as Morledzep says, allowing them to chip in less. Cash tips are different, but only if the employee doesn't report them.
And on top of that, if the Sonic actually pays servers regular minimum wage, they can take ALL of the tips and distribute them to all the workers, even the non-server employees such as cooks. That might sound good, but it is really just a way for a restaurant to avoid giving actual raises from their own pockets. (Some states have stricter rules.)
@drdoggie00 wrote:
Regardless of whether I'm there for "work" or not, I don't. What makes you think the carhop doesn't see any of that money?
I've always felt like crap doing a "round it up to a buck", I've tipped 15% plus rounding it up. Next time i order in the app, I'm doing the tip in cash and asking the carhop if they actually are receiving them.
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