a word about gratuities

[Laurichi]

hi..we come from a culture where tipping is not the norm...and it is not expected unless at really formal restaurants ..
We have the disney dining plan but i have read gratuities are not inxluded...how do we go about this?
How much are we expected to pay and when??
Sorry this is very foreign to us

 

[Monty]

hi..we come from a culture where tipping is not the norm...and it is not expected unless at really formal restaurants ..
We have the disney dining plan but i have read gratuities are not inxluded...how do we go about this?
How much are we expected to pay and when??
Sorry this is very foreign to us

Generally, if service is acceptable, 15-18% of the bill. Exceptional service 20-25%.

Servers are paid on the assumption that they'll be getting tips, so not tipping at all is only done if the service is genuinely unacceptable.

 

[Bob]

I B T L

 

[Laurichi]

Sorry what's i B T L???
Thanks monty...what if the service is just ok??

 

[Bob]

Sorry what's i B T L???
Thanks monty...what if the service is just ok??

"In Before the Lock". Unfortunately all threads about gratuities end up devolving into name calling and insults, with the threads ending up being locked by the moderators.

 

[Monty]

Sorry what's i B T L???
Thanks monty...what if the service is just ok??

15-18% is the OK range.

 

[Laurichi]

Wow sorry abour that but i had to ask...

 

[Monty]

Wow sorry abour that but i had to ask...

No need to apologize, it's not your fault others get silly.

 

[jaklgreen]

They will give you a bill at the end of your meal stating what the total would have been out of pocket. You can pay the tip (between 15-20% ) in a number of ways. You can charge it back to your room or put it on a credit card or leave cash. People have different ways that they calculate the tip, some tip on the meal before tax, some after. Our family tips 20% off the total with tax. We figure that the servers work their butts off for little money and if they do a decent job of serving us then we have no problem giving 20%. We just think of it as the price of the meal.

 

[Hakunamatata]

Wow sorry abour that but i had to ask...

And usually someone chimes in and says "you could have used the search function first".

 

[jaklgreen]

Sorry what's i B T L???
Thanks monty...what if the service is just ok??

I have travelled to countries where tipping is not the normal and I would say that consistently the service was just OK. I think you get better service in the USA because they are working for tips.

 

[xdan0920]

Glad you asked @Laurichi

Too many people don't bother trying to find out about the customs of the land they are traveling to. You had the decency and intelligence to at least ask, good on you.

15-20% is normal. 15% is considered a poor tip, given for poor service. 20% a good tip given for good service. So budget accordingly.

Have fun!

 

[Laurichi]

mmmm I did use the search function and nothing came out .... only something about a cruise but it turns our the search engine wasn't working right because today i can see many post about this

Do you usually tip at buffets too?

Thank you!

 

[Figgy1]

mmmm I did use the search function and nothing came out .... only something about a cruise but it turns our the search engine wasn't working right because today i can see many post about this

Do you usually tip at buffets too?

Thank you!

Yes because their pay is based on the assumption they will be tipped. I tip in the 15-20% range depending on if they remove old plates and offer drink refills. A server is taxed on the assumption they have been tipped over here. I have tipped more than that even at buffets for exceptional service.

 

[harryk]

Pay attention to the attentiveness of the server. If you have to wait a long time (you determine the 'long' time) for the check or if the server takes a long time to return with the check for you to sign the tab you may decide to reduce the amount of the tip. Attentiveness is very important. The server should be aware of the status of the tables he/she is assigned. Fast turnovers = more tips. Slow turnovers = less tips. Being rushed = less tips. Servers in the U.S. tend to be paid less than 1/2 of the federal minimum wage.

 

[danyoung56]

15% is considered a poor tip, given for poor service.

I don't agree with this. 15% is on the low side of the acceptable range. ZERO is the tip to give for poor service. If a waitperson isn't doing his/her job, why should I then cough up anything for poor service?

 

[DisneyJoe]

I don't agree with this. 15% is on the low side of the acceptable range. ZERO is the tip to give for poor service. If a waitperson isn't doing his/her job, why should I then cough up anything for poor service?

Because it is not only that one person that benefits from that tip - tips are shared among the kitchen staff/dishwashers, the hostess, those that clear the tables, etc, it depends on the location.

If you have a major issue with service, I would tip 5-10%, but I would also let the manager know so that corrective action can be taken.

 

[NCO91590]

I think last time I was there, they had tip amounts at the bottom based on the check total. 15%, 18% and 20%. That should help you determine the appropriate tip. Basically, I just take the total check number, calculate 10% and double it. Sometimes I round it, which could make the tip slightly more or less than 20%.

 

[danyoung56]

Basically, I just take the total check number, calculate 10% and double it.

While this works at the average restaurant, it can be a little more complicated at WDW. Many people use discounts like AP or the Tables in Wonderland card. So you need to look at the non-discounted total, add the tax to it, and then tip on that amount. And then some folks don't want to tip on the tax. It gets a little crazy. . . . .

 

[xdan0920]

I don't agree with this. 15% is on the low side of the acceptable range. ZERO is the tip to give for poor service. If a waitperson isn't doing his/her job, why should I then cough up anything for poor service?

Cripes. This is why these threads never last.