Start tipping Sonic carhops-- in cash
I just learned Sonic, apparently in an effort to avoid the minimum wage increase, will start paying newly-hired carhops (the folks who bring your food to the car) a meager $3.15 an hour, or whatever your typical server gets. You know, at places like P.F. Chang's or Nama, where they rely on tips to make a living wage. Although that is also arguable.
What isn't arguable is that Sonic is about to skirt the system and grossly underpay American citizens trying to work. When's the last time you tipped a Sonic carhop? Better yet, Sonic doesn't yet support tipping on the computers at their stores. So you'll have to bring some cash if you're going to tip. That is, if they had told you you're supposed to. From what I'm hearing, they aren't going to change the machines, either.
All this while we fret and worry about Belgium buying Budweiser.
posted by Victor Agreda, Jr. at
10:10 AM
13 Comments:
Thanks for the tip! :) I have never tipped a Sonic carhop.
What is a "living wage"? Is it $7.50/hr? Why not make it $15/hr? I'll tell you what, let's make it $25/hr. Is that a "living wage"? What if someone requires $35/hr to live? Then $25 doesn't look so good, does it? The truth is there are very, very few people in this country who actually work for minimum wage, and they're mostly part-time workers, retired seniors, and high school kids.
Why don't we just guarantee each Sonic employee $30,000 a year. Or $80,000. Who makes the decision about what they're going to work for?
Oh, yeah, it's the employee and the employer! They both willingly enter into a contract deciding before employment begins on what one will make and what one will pay. No one is being forced to work at Sonic or anywhere else.
That's called a "free market," my friend. That's what makes this country great. That Sonic employee can go start his or her own business and make $100k, $500k, $1million, or $0. It's up to them.
Just for the record, I always tip Sonic employees in cash.
Sorry, Victor, but the "douchebag" is exactly right. If Sonic wishes to restructure their pay to try to skirt the new minimum wage, they can. In turn, the carhops are also free to go find other places to work.
However, Sonic is going to find that no matter what base wages they pay, they are required to make up the difference between that + (declared) tips and minimum wage. So, if they have no system in place to allow for tipping on the ticket, the 'hops will probably under-report, so they get more pay.
Having had 3 kids work a variety of restaurant and food service jobs over the years, I have learned some of the ins, outs and tricks both sides play. The biggest one is that if the restaurant treats their employees like crap, they will leave in a heartbeat to go somewhere they are treated better. The vast majority of these employees are NOT dependent on these jobs to survive, as "douchebag" said, they are young kids, part-timers, retirees, etc. The leverage they have just by the ability to walk out when they want, is mighty.
Sonic will pay, one way or another. The kids? They'll be just fine, either there, or at a different and better job.
Lissakay is right, and this is the end of the discussion.
Stop whining and start relying on yourself instead of the government to make your life better.
It's called "personal responsibility." You should look it up when you get a moment.
I don't work at Sonic, but thanks for the tip I already knew.
I don't work at Sonic, but thanks for the tip I already knew.
Hey, no problem, Victor. Glad to help. But if you already knew it, then why all the talk about Sonic "skirting the law," and "arguably paying a living wage"?
Maybe next time you can skip the "corporations are eeevil and out to screw the worker" speech, realize there is such a thing as a free market,
and simply post a "Hey, remember to tip Sonic employees in cash because they could use it" post.
That would make much more sense than railing against capitalism and the workers' freedom to choose the place of employment.
Just a thought.
*shrug*
fair enough. One question, however: why wouldn't Sonic post a notice indicating the change in policy? That would be fair, and it would be cheap. Just a thought.
A supposedly free market doesn't excuse everything. It is absolutely an ideal that A. Has never existed and B. Assumes behaviors in people and business that may or may not be true.
Read "the Jungle" by Upton Sinclair for one example.
Um, I've read "The Jungle," and I don't know that I'd take my cues about employment from a socialist/communist like Sinclair. I mean, the man ran for Congress under the Socialist Party of America, for Pete's sake! I don't know if you know this or not, but Socialism/Communism caused the death of roughly, oh, 100 million people in the 20th century alone! That's more than all the so-called "mainstream religious" wars in the history of humanity combined.
Hey, if you think Cuba, North Korea, the former Soviet Union, and Communist China are great examples of what life could be like, by all means, keep your point of view. Let me guess, you'd love to see Barack Hussein Obama as president, right?
That's cool, but the rest of us who understand that people yearn to be free, have the right to decide the course of their lives, believe in personal responsibility and the opportunity to succeed or fail based on their own freedom to choose will decide differently.
And maybe a free market hasn't ever existed in a 100 percent pure form, but I'd prefer what we have than the socialist/communist market you seem to be advocating. Personally, I think every individual should be able to choose where, why, and for how much they will work rather than being subject to what someone like you dictates.
And speaking of "behaviors in businesses or people that may or may not be true," I'd love it if you could point out for me the place in which the economic/governmental system you advocate, socialism, has ever actually improved the quality of life for anyone.
The function that a Sonic carhop performs is exactly the same as that of a drive thru attendant at McDonalds. Only real difference is one has to walk ouside and one has to walk to a window. Other than that.. EXACT SAME. And nobody tips the McDonalds drive-thru attendant. Does the Sonic carhop come back to your car and ask if you need anything else? Do they offer to refill your drink? NO! Sonic is not a restaurant, and the carhops are not waitresses. No tipping required. Period.
that is an excellent point!
I work at a sonic as a carhop/fountain girl. We make your beverages, ice cream, shakes, help with the making of your meals, take you the order, and we ARE required to check back with you after we have given you the order to make sure you don't need anything else like napkins or another drink. Our job is a little bit different from that of a waitress due to the fact that we aren't supposed to give free refills, that we don't roll silverware, and we obviously don't have that many tables, opting instead for car service. My Sonic is about to go to the waitress wages as did one of the Sonic drive ins close to us. I can understand those wages in the summer, when you can make a decent amount of money (IF you get to carhop), but in the winter we are DEAD. No orders mean no money which means no tips and no way to support ourselves ESPECIALLY when a limited amount of people know you can tip carhops anyway.
These girls walk outside to bring your food when it's 90 plus degrees outside as well as when its below freezing. They deliver your food with a smile and if they are not even able to make minimum wage TIPPING should be required by all patrons. How can anyone even live on waitress pay without getting tips? I know plenty of Car hops that are graduated from school, struggling to make car payments and rely on the tips the GOOD customers give them. I can't believe some of you don't tip a car hop, i always have. carhops are a world different than McDonald's employees and i am astounded by the attitudes some of you have.
Do any of you even realize how difficult it is to get a new job in this current economy? YOU KEEP WHAT YOU HAVE UNTIL YOU FIND SOMETHING BETTER.
Again if you don't tip a car hop which is busting their ass for you in the dead of winter it only means you're a greedy person who doesn't care what others have to go through to make sure you get your food conveniently delivered to your car.
All it takes is a dollar, and you'll make some of these girls day.
okay let me clear things up. AS a Sonic Carhop we greatly appreciate when customers tip us, or let us "keep the change." Our pay is lower than the minimum wage, due to the fact that the company is aware with the fact we get tips. But the wage is not set in stone. At the end of our shift, we must put in, to a computer, how many dollars in tips we made that day. This is for taxing purposes and to adjust our pay check accordingly. I enjoy the pay at Sonic, I make roughly $25 dollars a day in tips, and make a nice paycheck every other Friday.
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