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Tipping Envelope Etiquette
- Thread starter ntoeman
- Start date
Mouse_Trap
Well-Known Member
Yup, I worked in a restaurant for a number of years when I was younger.
Our target was always 75% gross profit on food.
5thGenTexan
Well-Known Member
Wow!! I am thankful we had a different experience. I could not have asked for better table service on our first cruise. On our second cruise we saw our head waiter, main waiter, and asst waiter at Topsiders for breakfast as well as around Deck 9 throughout. They recognized us from the previous cruise and made sure we had everything we needed and generally went above what they had to do in that situation.
Mouse_Trap
Well-Known Member
No, sorry, I think you misinterpreted what I meant.
We had a wonderful service team on the Disney cruise. They literally would do anything for you. I loved they way they knew your name from the word go and remembered any dislikes etc from the first day. The Busboy in particular was the sweetest guy I think I have ever met, we got to find out lots about him and his family back in his home in Bali. He even brought some photos to show us.
I did find the Purser slightly creepy, but even he on even surprised us by the end of the week. He asked us where we were from, saying that he recognised our accent. As he was Argentinian (iirc) and us being from the UK we were quite surprised but told him and thought nothing more about it.
The following night he told us he wanted to introduce us to the Executive Chief, whom after dinner he promptly lead to our table. Turns out he was from the same very small village as my Father and had played Rugby with my Uncle. A bit of a shock when you are half the world away from home.
Regarding the poor service, this I meant I had encountered in a number of restaurants in many places in the US. Don't get me wrong, you get this all over. Service is generally so much better in the US than the UK. But when you encounter some who hardly can say a word to you, literally just plonk your plates in front of you, make no effort with refills etc and then at the end of the night take the time to point out a information card explaining that a 20% tip is customary......well that really irritates me.
sweetpee_1993
Well-Known Member
I may be a bit antiquated but as I recall, 15%-18% is customary. 20% is, for me, when service was really good and/or I don't feel like thinking about the math. If service is truly amazing I will tip more but that's extremely rare in our daily lives. We don't eat out all that much. Now, the girl who does my hair I tip prob'ly the most percentage-wise of any service I receive. She's that good and has gone out of her way to just be good to me. Well beyond just fixing my hair. Someone like her I would gladly go to the nines for. I usually give her 40%+.
5thGenTexan
Well-Known Member
I really really gotta start behaving on forums as I do in real life. Keep my mouth shut and just watch. It does me no good to participate in conversations.
Sans Souci
Well-Known Member
I really really gotta start behaving on forums as I do in real life. Keep my mouth shut and just watch. It does me no good to participate in conversations.
No, you shouldn't. It's easy to misinterpret written word on a message board at times, don't let it deter you from making contributions.
sweetpee_1993
Well-Known Member
I really really gotta start behaving on forums as I do in real life. Keep my mouth shut and just watch. It does me no good to participate in conversations.
No, you shouldn't. It's easy to misinterpret written word on a message board at times, don't let it deter you from making contributions.
Absolutely agree. The written word is often misinterpreted. It's okay. It happens. It's all good. If you stop posting I will hunt you down!
5thGenTexan
Well-Known Member
No, I am a stay at home dad and I talk to my two kids in addition to two cats and a dog all day. I pretty much have no adult conversations other than when my wife comes home. Most of the time my comments here, on my FB account, and other forums sound like a moron. What's more, I am not even sure why I try to contribute on this forum. I have been on two whole cruise and have not spent more than 5 hours at WDW since 1992.
Sorry to derail the thread.
Sorry to derail the thread.
sweetpee_1993
Well-Known Member
No apologies needed.
I was going to private convo you but thought better of it because more people than just you may benefit from what I have to say.
I completely feel you on the stay-home parent thing. That's my full time job, too. I'm family coordinator and support. I make the household run like a machine because I do all the leg-work and management of such. That IS a legit full-time job. Believe me, I work a lot harder now than I ever did when I held a full-time job. Tell me when our work day ends? Tell me when our off days are? Yeah. They don't exist.
It is kinda weird on the brain when your life becomes very limited. I spend all day with teenagers and a schnauzer. Sometimes I think I forget how to be a functioning intelligent woman. Thank goodness immaturity and goofing are appreciated by the guys in my house. LOL!
You are absolutely fine to come here and participate. Who cares if you've only been on 2 cruises and very limited time in the parks? You still have something to contribute! In fact, your opinions and experiences have a special validity to them IMO because your eyes are fresh vs. people who've done this stuff over and over and over. Believe me, sometimes I wish I could go back to the fresh eyeballs sometimes. It's just like anything else, the longer you look the more mundane things can become. Or, you start to see flaws you didn't notice before. You're not likely to be tainted that way so I think you absolutely have something valuable to contribute.
I think it's important for people to know that whether they've been on no cruises or 50, they are welcome to discuss their impressions, feelings, and experiences. Newer folks are important. We were all new once. It wasn't that long ago for me! And the "old-timers" (per se, I'm not calling anyone OLD) should never forget that they were new once, too. That's kinda a repeating theme in our house in recent years teaching teenagers to drive. They're so nervous they are ing off other impatient drivers if they hesitate, don't drive fast, or make little mistakes. I have to constantly remind them that nobody was born behind the wheel of a car. We all had to learn. People who can't remember that are jerks. Let jerks be jerks. You can't change other people.
So whether it was someone here in the cruise section or someone over in the news section (that can be a tough crowd over there, I know) or whether you just had a bad day, you are fine. We need and welcome most everyone here. Do not be put off by things lost in the written word or whatever.
And at the end of the day, what you do aside from talking to us....being the dad and household manager....that's the most important job there is. Family IS the most important thing. Keep that chin up! Someday you're gonna miss all the little things you do now. I recently sang songs from the boys' favorite kiddie shows to them: Barney hits, Bear in the Big Blue House, Out of the Box, PB&J Otters, Blues Clues, etc. They LOVED it! Our jobs, really, are never done. Even my 18 yro comes home from a 10 hr work day and needs some momma. What we do IS the most important thing. We're here.
wogwog
Well-Known Member
"And the "old-timers" (per se, I'm not calling anyone OLD)" Good save @sweetpee_1993
sweetpee_1993
Well-Known Member
Hahaha! Ask my boys! I'm OLD! But then I love when we go places together and people think I'm the big sister. Yeeeaaaaah!!!!
Phonedave
Well-Known Member
Just for those who don't realize, that is GROSS profit.
If your food cost for a dish is $5, then you charge $15.
Then out of that extra $10 you have to pay rent, utilities, linen service, make payroll, repairs, and cover shrink - and still try to make a profit.
-dave
wdwstateofmind
Well-Known Member
I mean they charge big bucks compared to other lines and in my book the minute you auto charge gratuity you closed my wallet to whatever generosity may have occurred. I once even called and asked before the cruise to tip more; they told me I had to deal with the on the ship (last thing I'm doing). So don't feel bad, if a bartender makes a good drink or you have a phenomenal experience with your host leave them some extra cash if you REALLY want to, but their policies make it what it is.
flynnibus
Premium Member
Why is it the 'last thing I'm doing'?? It's simply a matter of setting the value you want to tip... just like you would have done before!
Think of the DCL tips up front as a simpley 'pre-paying'. You still control exactly what to tip, plus or minus, just as you did before. And changing the tip value is exactly as you would have done before when you had to set what to tip to start with.
ChuckElias
Well-Known Member
In the immortal words of Michael Keaton: "My brain is like oatmeal. I yelled at Kenny today for coloring outside the lines! Megan and I are watching the same TV shows. . . and I'm likin' them. I'm losin' it!"
Hang in there, buddy. From one Mr. Mom to another!
wdwstateofmind
Well-Known Member
You don't control what you tip until you board that ship technically. As I said, they will not allow you to tip anything over their suggested amount before your disembarkation if you pre-pay gratuities. I was told this twice on the phone when I asked to round most of the numbers up.
flynnibus
Premium Member
Who cares? The pre-pay does not limit you in ANYWAY - up OR down.
The old tip system... was you wrote down what you wanted to tip.. get tickets.. and hand them out.
The new tip system... you pre-pay into your ship account... you get a ticket with the suggested amounts. You either use that (and your life is much easier than it was before)... or you go and get new tickets (same as the old system) and hand them out.
If you want to customize your tips, the old system is exactly like the new system. The new system just eliminates a trip to guest services if you want to pay the suggested amount.
You pay for it all the exact same way.. just now you are required to pre-pay the suggested amount. It does not force you to pay that amount in anyway. I think it is more just for those that DON'T do their tip stuff. And if you just tip the suggested amount, your effort is reduced.