Things I have Learned...Tip Your Sonic Carhop.

[ScreamingMeemie]

My daughter held a "winter" job at Sonic, before heading back up to the Point for the summer. I was stunned to learn that Sonic Carhops are paid server wages, and rely on tips to make up the difference. Now, if the carhop does not make at least minimum wage in tips that day, Sonic will cover the difference...for 2 weeks (in the store my daughter worked at). After 2 weeks, management assumes something is wrong with carhop and they are placed on probation...and so on. I have since learned that many people do not tip their carhop (at least here in Texas) because they liken it to fast food-even though the server is on skates, brings the food to the car (instead of passing it through the window) and returns (if you choose to stay in a stall) to see if you need anything else.

So-

Tip your Sonic carhop. :)

[petronius]

1. Good to know. I think I would assume that, but I'm not sure, so now if

I'm ever at a Sonic I'll do the right thing... Thanks!

[freshwest]

2. Texans used to be more generous. Times have changed. But I'm old and old fashioned.

[davsand]

3. I ALWAYS tip when somebody brings me my food.

I suppose the exception to that rule is when the drive thru line at McRonnies is running slow and they make me pull up until my order is ready, otherwise, I always tip a server. I tip the people who clear plates at a buffet too.

BTDT, and they probably need the bucks. The work is not usually too much fun, and lord knows they never pay enough for all the hard work you end up doing.


:shrug:



Laura

[DiverDave]

4. I tip everyone

I take showers, during the week, at truck stops, I ALWAYS tip the shower cleaner, what a disgusting job.
I couldnt do it, I have heard stories about blood, feces, and pee all over.

So, If I couldnt do it, I tip.

My Ma raised 4 kids with the grands help and tips from a truck stop in Goshen Or.

Then she got a job at a fine dining place, we lived better after that, not much, but better.

[Bunny]

5. Thanks for telling me that.

I've stopped at Sonic a few times and it never occurred to me to tip the server. I assumed it was like a fast food place. I'll know better the next time.

[rainbow4321]

6. My daughter was a Sonic carhop one summer!

In Texas :)

She much preferred doing the carhopping than being indoors because she made more money thru tips and her base pay combined than if she worked indoors (preparing the food). And the best part was that the nightly tips were **tax free** so while her base pay had taxes taken out, the rest of her pay didn't cuz it consisted of tips. And those tips added up, especially in the summer when they were really busy. There were nights where her tip money added up to more than the base pay she had earned.
Apparently, the carhops who chose to wear skates got paid a little bit more in their base pay than the one who didn't. She never did wear the skates.
She could always tell when someone would not tip or tip crappy--they were usually the ones with fancy/new/expensive cars.

The one thing I didn't agree with was that they made their carhops buy their own portable change holder--those things that they had to carry around their waist. I think it was $25 bucks that they had to pay for it.

[xmas74]

7. I think it depends on the Sonic.

I worked for one years ago as a carhop and actually made a dollar over minimum wage and kept my tips. On cruise nights if we dressed in fifties attire we received a dollar an hour bonus plus an additional dollar an hour for wearing skates.

As you can guess, I always worked the old cruise nights!