Do you tip at the fast food place?

Of course you don’t tip at McDonald’s. There, you don’t even have to sign the credit card slip, nor is there one of those awkward blank tip lines above the “total” line. That might be the one good thing about eating at McDonald’s.

But in other fast food places, they have those tip lines on the bill. The blank sits there staring at you: it begs you to write something or put a line through it or something. You wonder whether you’re obligated to tip when you’re already standing in line knowing you’re going to have to grab your food when they call out your number. What’s the point of a tip when you have to bus your own table and gather your own plastic silverware? Tip? You’re kidding, right?

The tip becomes an issue in places like Panera, coffee shops, and my personal favorite place: Greek Fiesta. These fast casual restaurants are everywhere, and it’s fairly common for many of us to have lunch or dinner in these places today.

What Impression Do You Want to Make?

How did you end up in Panera or some other fast foodish place? You’re here with a prospective referral source. You’re here because it’s where she wanted to go, and your policy is to take prospects anywhere they like. Stop whining; the place she picked could have been much more expensive.

So now you’re standing there staring at the tip line on the receipt. She’s standing next to you, watching you.

What do you do? Should you write in a tip and total up the bill?

The answer is simple. Yes, yes, yes: leave a tip. Make it a good one.

You need to worry about what she’ll think if you leave it blank or cross it off. Leave a tip. Don’t hesitate. If you want to be cheap, then do it next time when you’re alone.

Think about what she might be thinking.

• What if her kid works in a Panera?
• What if she’s a “livable wage” fanatic (no disrespect intended)?
• What if she used to work in a restaurant and hates people who don’t tip?

Your bill at Panera is $17. The tip is going to be like $4 max, and that’s generous. Are you willing to die on a $4 hill?

Keep the End Goal in Mind

This lunch is costing you hundreds of dollars in billable time. It’s an investment intended to start a relationship worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue. Is there a world in which saving $4 makes sense when this much is at stake?

You need to make a good impression. You need to start this relationship off on the right foot. Don’t be penny wise and pound foolish. Don’t overthink the $4 tip.

It’s funny how I find myself twisted in intellectual knots over trivial decisions. I’ll stand there staring at the tip line wondering what to do. Don’t let that happen to you. Don’t be me. Just leave a tip.