Do you remember a time when people used to dine out at places called restaurants? They were either located among a cluster of other business establishments at something called a shopping mall, in the downtown districts of incorporated municipal centers called towns or cities, or stood alone at or near popular locations — such as stadiums, arenas, amusement theme parks, or movie theaters.
Ah…those were the days…
Most Restaurants Now Offer Free Delivery. What About the Gratuity?
…but in the arguably not-so-brave new world in which we now live, the best one can hope for a distant vestige of what life used to be like is to either take meals ordered from those dining establishments out — or have the food delivered free of charge to where you and I are located.
Dining establishments worldwide have either voluntarily shut down or were ordered to close as mandated by the governments of the jurisdictions in which they are located due to a pandemic of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus — which is also known as COVID-19 or 2019-nCoV.
Many restaurant companies — regardless of the number of locations or the size, fine dining or fast food — are now profusely advertising free delivery using multiple media in a desperate attempt to grasp onto that fragile thread which could mean the difference between staying alive for the future and emerging from the pandemic once it will have abated…
…or simply giving up and shutting their doors permanently — forever.
Almost everybody has been — or will be — going through some sort of hardship as a result of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus pandemic. Some people will become ill. And yes, some people will die…
…but in this case — which is obviously a shadow of a microcosm of other far more substantial issues and problems associated with the pandemic — “free” delivery is usually not free of charge at all, as the person who delivers the food usually expects a gratuity for the service based on such factors as the total cost of the order or the distance traveled to deliver it.
Summary
Now that the circumstances have changed considerably with the 2019 Novel Coronavirus pandemic, I am wondering if those people who were vehemently against tipping in general have altered their thinking towards the practice — especially as the delivery person has no idea whether he or she will remain employed due to layoffs and furloughs…
…and if a delivery person does receive a gratuity, should that person be given more money than usual in this fragile economy?
What are your thoughts? Would you participate in free delivery of food from restaurants and other dining establishments to support them and their employees — and provide a gratuity for the delivery person — or are you vehemently against the practice regardless of the ongoing situation worldwide?
Past Articles Pertaining to Gratuities and Tips
Gratuities and tips have long been controversial with regards to travel and dining — to the point of contentiousness from all sides of the issue, as evidenced by the following articles which I wrote for The Gate over the years…
- Don’t Do This When Leaving a Gratuity at a Restaurant
- 25 Percent Gratuity: The New Default Tip at Restaurants?
- Do You Leave a Tip or Gratuity for Taking Out Food From a Restaurant?
- Should Breakfast Attendants at Hotels Receive Tips and Gratuities From Guests?
- Should Flight Attendants Receive Tips and Gratuities From Passengers?
- Should Customers Pay Servers By the Hour as a New Concept Pertaining to Tipping and Gratuities?
- Should Gratuities and Tips in Restaurants Be Discontinued?
- Tips and Gratuities: Your Thoughts, Please
- How Much Should You Tip Around The World?
- No Tipping Policy Pared Down at One Restaurant Chain
- Comparing Tipping to Paying Taxes? Get Real…
- When Is a Tip Not a Tip? When It is Mandatory
- Hey, Marriott: I Will Tip When I Darn Well Feel Like It
- Should the Practice of Tipping Be Abolished?
- Tipping the Hotel Maid: Yes or No?
- Tip: Charge the Charge to Tip the Tip Separately From Charging the Tip as a Charge
- Bad Service at a Restaurant: Should You Leave a Tip?
Past Articles Pertaining to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Pandemic
This article is the latest in a series pertaining to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus in an effort to get the facts out with information derived from reliable sources — as well as attempt to maintain a reasoned and sensible ongoing discussion towards how to resolve this pandemic.
Other articles at The Gate which pertain to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus include:
- Most Trusted Traveler Programs Enrollment Temporarily Suspended Due to 2019 Novel Coronavirus
- Where Can You Find Gasoline for 99 Cents Per Gallon in the United States?
- Have We Become a Society of Wimps Addicted to Drama?
- Four Overused Terms of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Era
- Several Rental Car Companies Waive Young Adult Fees Due to 2019 Novel Coronavirus
- National Park Service Suspends All Entrance Fees Due To Coronavirus Pandemic
- Passport Services Delayed Beyond 8 Weeks; Expedited Passport Services Suspended Indefinitely
- Global Level 4 Health Advisory Issued by Department of State of the United States
- What is Wrong With This Photograph? Part 30: Coronavirus Edition
- Countries With Travel Entry Restrictions Due to 2019 Novel Coronavirus: An Updated Comprehensive List
- 2019 Novel Coronavirus: Should You Travel Within the United States?
- $250 Billion Bailout Requested by Lodging Companies
- Countries With Travel Entry Restrictions Due to 2019 Novel Coronavirus: A Comprehensive List
- $50 Billion Bailout Requested by Airlines; Trump to “Back the Airlines 100%”
- Global Level 3 Health Advisory Issued by Department of State of the United States
- All Domestic Travel Banned For Personnel of Department of Defense of the United States
- March 15 2020: Checking Back In on 2019 Novel Coronavirus — My Opinions, If Anyone Cares
- Hotel Deploys Robots to Sanitize and Disinfect Rooms
- Ireland and the United Kingdom Added to Suspension for Most Foreign Nationals For 30 Days From Europe to the United States
- Change Fee and Cancellation Fee Policies and Waivers of 46 Airlines Due To 2019 Novel Coronavirus
- Up to 12 Ounces of Hand Sanitizer is Permitted Through Airport Security Checkpoints
- I Swear, If I Receive One More Message About How My Health and Safety are Their Top Priority…
- Four Reliable Resources For Travel and the 2019 Novel Coronavirus
- Just Shut Down the Entire Planet. Problem Solved?
- Stop the Hyperbole: Travel is NOT Banned Between the United States and Europe…
- Travel From Europe to the United States Suspended for Most Foreign Nationals For 30 Days
- My Unproven Secret to Not Contracting a Virus in Years
- Pandemic of 2019 Novel Coronavirus Declared by World Health Organization
- Official Warning Issued Against Travel by Cruise Ship Due to 2019 Novel Coronavirus by the Department of State of the United States
- Now the Entire Country of Italy is Under Quarantine
- 16 Million People Quarantined in Northern Italy
- Are Masks Effective Against 2019 Novel Coronavirus That People are Stealing Them?
- As Many as 46,000 People May Have Died in the United States Alone From…
- Lodging Companies Issue Travel Waivers and Elite Status Extensions 2020 Due to 2019 Novel Coronavirus
- Update: More Airlines Suspended Change and Cancellation Fees 2020 Due To Coronavirus
- Airlines Which Suspended Change and Cancellation Fees 2020 Due To Coronavirus
- Should You Be Concerned About Coronavirus?
- Travel Alert February 2020: Italy Now Affected by 2019 Novel Coronavirus
- Travel Alert February 2020: Northern Italy Now Affected by 2019 Novel Coronavirus
- Travel Alert February 2020: South Korea Now Affected by 2019 Novel Coronavirus
- A Deal to Antarctica Because of 2019 Novel Coronavirus — But Hurry
- Update: Do Not Travel to China Due to 2019 Novel Coronavirus, Says United States Department of State
- Travel Alert January 2020: Hong Kong Now Affected by 2019 Novel Coronavirus
- Update January 2020: Additional Airlines Issue Travel Waivers for 2019 Novel Coronavirus
- Travel Alert January 2020: 2019 Novel Coronavirus Affecting Air Travel
Photograph ©2019 by Brian Cohen.
