Should You Tip For Take-Out?

Last night I used my debit card to pay for a take out meal from an area restaurant.  The bill was a few cents over $27.00, so I rounded it out to an even $30.00.   That amounts to a tip of almost 3 dollars for the server who went into the kitchen and grabbed my order.   When I mentioned this on the show this morning, Michael Rock and Larry echoed my wife and asked "why?"   Michael even insisted if the server had not been a young women, I would not have left a tip at all.  That is so far from the truth.

I look at it as a form of courtesy for someone who takes care of my order.   The tip is much less than I would have left had we eaten the meal at the restaurant.  We heard from a couple of callers, both waitresses.  They reminded everyone that they only earn about $2.65 an hour, and one said they are charged taxes on every order they sell.  That includes take-out, at a rate of 15 percent.  If that is the case, I guess I under-tipped with the 10 percent I left.

It's all a matter of personal discretion.  I certainly don't have money to toss around, but I considered the tip a positive gesture for prompt service.   I know if I had been the server, I would have appreciated it.