Bad tippers run rampant during pandemic: 'How is anyone ok with doing less?'

At the beginning of May, a local Chicago pizzeria owner shared the cost breakdown of customers ordering through third-party sites, like Grubhub. The screenshot he provided showed that despite the restaurant making over $1,000 in online orders for the month of March, processing fees and commission fees from Grubhub left them with only $376.

With shelter-in-place, employees at restaurants, grocery stores and pharmacies are considered “essential,” but a lot of these local spots are struggling to stay afloat financially — especially the workers.

Low on supplies? We’re regularly updating our list of retailers that are still selling household essentials, including toilet paper and hand sanitizer.

On May 12, Eater posted an account by an employee who works with online orders and pickup at a Vietnamese restaurant in Los Angeles.

The story explains that as quarantine goes on, customers are reverting to old habits of barely tipping.

“During a rainstorm, a customer called and asked that we bring her order out to the car. When I handed her the receipt, she wrote ‘0.00’ and signed her name with a flourish. She was wearing a T-shirt that said ‘Wild Feminist,'” the article read.

The Onion even commented on the clash between praising essential workers as “heroes” but not actually treating them that way at all.

‘God Bless Our Heroes!’ Written Where Tip Should Be https://t.co/jxN5lR8CRI pic.twitter.com/PRAINt7cg1
— The Onion (@TheOnion) May 11, 2020

People on Twitter responded to the story sharing their accounts of tipping workers as best they can — even though some of them are also suffering under the circumstances.

I'm on SSI & have no aid bc of lockdown. I can't cook or shop for myself so get delivery 4-6 x month. Since the end of Feb I've tipped a flat $10 for every delivery & am wracked with guilt that I can't do more. How is anyone ok with doing less?
— Geek Dreams (@Geek_Dreams) May 13, 2020

I've been giving my Instacart shoppers $60-100 tip each trip from the $1200 the government sent. One of them sent me a handwritten thank you note. Made my day.
— Mary Michel Green (@marymichelgreen) May 13, 2020

Seriously. You are literally paying someone for taking on some of your risk OF DEATH. We can't afford to tip this way, so we aren't doing takeout.
— niknak (@nibnikk) May 13, 2020

Others seemed outraged by the idea of tipping more — claiming that ordering food for pickup did not warrant any extra cash.

40%???!! So if I order takeout for my house and the bill comes to $60 you want me to tip $24 on top of the fee I'm paying the app provider?
— Johnny Mots (@akaJohnnyMots) May 13, 2020

...I’ve never even thought to tip on takeout before. I’m walking to the place, picking it up, bringing it home... you’re not even interacting w wait staff most of the time.
— 🏳️‍🌈¯\_😡_/¯🏳️‍🌈 (@oztots88) May 14, 2020