Automatic Gratuity with the DDP

[JamieD]

We got back from the World a few weeks ago, and sorry if this has been discussed in a previous thread. Our party of 8 (two rooms) used the DDP. Before I state my displeasure with the auto-grat, know that I have delivered pizzas and waited tables, so I understand tipping. I do however think that it's my decision as a consumer. Tipping is a voluntary gift to show appreciation. When did we start letting businesses dictate how much? Why is the tip tied to how much you spent? When does the percentage of the check quit going up? Does the waiter at a fine dining restaurant (or Disney TS) work 5 or 10 times harder than the guy at Friday's?

On to my experience, our party, using two plans, ate at two character buffets. The breakfast buffet tip was just shy on $20, while the dinner buffet was nearly $40. A $40 tip at a buffet? I think that's crazy! I know someone is going to say not to eat there if you can't afford the tip. Both servers removed our dining credits and then stated that we owed the tip. When questioned, one server said the company mandated that we pay the 18% gratuity.

When we returned, I researched the rules/laws of tipping. Some states allows the auto-grat. Others say it's voluntary and must be removed if requested. A few even state that it's OK if it's called at "service charge" or posted in plain sight. I called Disney to comment about our trip...both goods and not-so-goods. I received a call from Guest Services, stating that the tipping system is in place to keep up with the norms in the Orlando area. Disney doesn't want their employees to feel like they got cheated. Understandable. She then said that while it's the standard practice, it's up to the guest to decide. Wow, that's not what I heard from the servers, who obviously would want the auto-grat. Just thought you should know that you're entitled to leave the tip that you feel is appropriate, no matter what the server says. Thank you for your time and feel free to call me cheap.

 

[Monty]

Just so you know, it had nothing to do with the DDP. You were charged a gratuity based on the size of your party. DDP does not include the gratuity and it is not mandatory for parties of less than six. Any party of six or more has the gratuity charged, but you can ask a Manager to remove it.

 

[Master Yoda]

Monty is correct. Your party size triggered the auto gratuity. It would have been added even if you were paying for meals out of pocket. I do not agree with either it but it is allowed under Florida state law and many restaurants will employ it. Even restaurants like Outback will have an auto gratuity.

 

[pluto1964]

A few years back, the tip was included in the DDP.

 

[RiversideBunny]

I don't think they should automatically add it at a buffet regardless of the party size.

The guest does all the work at a buffet except for beverages.

 

[mickey7879]

If I saw I was getting charged a $40 tip on a buffet, I'd surely want to talk with a manager to get it removed and leave what I felt was appropriate. I don't think anyone getting me drinks and removing dirty plates deserves that much of a tip unless they were extremely friendly, chatting with my child and making it easier for me to eat my meal....but $40! Seems a bit much! Usually we don't leave anything under 15% if the service was just ok and up to 30% for places that go above and beyond. (Like our favorite restaurant here in town.)

 

[disneytopdog]

I don't think they should automatically add it at a buffet regardless of the party size.

The guest does all the work at a buffet except for beverages.

They could really do away with the number of servers needed if they set up drink stations at the buffets.

An auto gratuity should not be allowed at a buffet, anywhere on property or off.

 

[JamieD]

I'm sorry, I really didn't explain that very well. I understand that the auto-grat was due to the party and not the DDP. I was just making the connection to using Plan and therefore having a $0.00 balance and still being told that I OWE the gratuity. It was just the way they stated it, with one server even using the term "mandate". It's one thing to have the auto-grat added to your bill and you decide what to do. It's a whole other thing to have the meal zeroed out with the Plan and being told to pay the rest.

 

[DisneyJoe]

Did you not know that gratuity was not included in the plan? or was it just the fact that it wasn't and they were telling you about it, or how they told you?

 

[Paul G.]

I agree completely! Tipping is a gratuity not a mandatory surcharge.I mentioned it before and took alot of heat for it.Why would a server give great service if he or she is going to get an 18% tip no matter the service? I don't think it's fair,I should be the one to decide the amount that i tip.If i get good food and good service i always leave a generous tip but it should be up to me!

 

[AZDISNEYDVL]

I both agree and disagree with everyone. Automatic gratuities and tip jars are popping up everywhere these days and it seems as if everyone but the cashiers at discount stores expect a tip. I disagree with the tipping of buffet staff, especially at Disney. Have you noticed the food is almost always full, that staff seems to always be around, and that your tables are cleared in a timely manner even with the large amounts of guests at these buffets? It is hard for any company to pay large amounts of staff such as this a living wage and be able to keep all of them in order to provide you with such good service. This is where the gratuity comes in. Most servers do not get paid wages over 2 or 3 dollars (except California) and rely on tips for pay. This also includes buffet staff. Disney knows large parties frequent their buffets so they make sure they have an overabundance of staff to meet their needs knowing the automatic gratuities will pay for the staff. This is the same thing with banquet functions. Please give the staff a break and know that whether you are at Victoria and Alberts or Akershus, the staff are all working for tips.

P.S. I am not a CM and never have been, I just think we are getting dismissive of Hospitality and Service Industry workers.

 

[BiggerTigger]

I know that automatic gratuity on large parties is controversial topic. Yes, $40.00 for a tip at a buffet is a lot of money for someone that fills drinks and clears dishes. Now remember that when a waiter takes a table of 8 or more that is less tables this waiter is able to service. Most restaraunts limit waiters to a certain number of tables/people to make for a happier experience for the customer. When they are only servicing one to two tables as opposed to four or five tables, that is a cut in their tip they could potentially receive. Their focus is also spent on the limited table making (hopefully) for a better experience.
Would you be willing to do the same amount of work at half the price because your company decided to combine "projects"?

 

[danstephg]

Folks, the whole reason tipping exists is because these people are being paid barely anything per hour. Don't think for a second they're getting even minimum wage. I'm willing to bet it's a similar scenario with the buffet servers, although they may be paid a little more per hour than the waiters at TS restaurants.

Not necessarily disagreeing with what you're saying, I'm just saying that the automatic gratuity for parties of six or more exists because it's a heck of a lot of work to serve six or more people and you could very well stiff them any tip whatsoever (as I'm sure you know, being an ex-server). I can only imagine whatever method they use, or whatever they say to you, is based on their past experiences with guests. It sounds like there's a little bitterness there on the servers end.

So are you cheap? No. Are you not experiencing the same things as these waiters do day in and day out? Probably.

 

[spaceghost]

The automatic gratuity for larger parties "rule" is pretty standard in my experiences where I live. I really don't think that Disney did anything out of the ordinary here. I do agree that such a large tip for a buffet is kinda lame. I generally tip less at a buffet, for obvious reasons.

 

[JamieD]

Folks, the whole reason tipping exists is because these people are being paid barely anything per hour. Don't think for a second they're getting even minimum wage. I'm willing to bet it's a similar scenario with the buffet servers, although they may be paid a little more per hour than the waiters at TS restaurants.

Not necessarily disagreeing with what you're saying, I'm just saying that the automatic gratuity for parties of six or more exists because it's a heck of a lot of work to serve six or more people and you could very well stiff them any tip whatsoever (as I'm sure you know, being an ex-server). I can only imagine whatever method they use, or whatever they say to you, is based on their past experiences with guests. It sounds like there's a little bitterness there on the servers end.

So are you cheap? No. Are you not experiencing the same things as these waiters do day in and day out? Probably.

Aside from Disney, it's that idea...that our society lets servers make so little per hour, assuming that we'll make up for it. And then, that idea of "he only makes $2.50 per hour" creeps into our heads as we're leaving the tip. Social convention has made us look beyond their level of service and include personal or empathetic feelings. I understand that if servers made a higher wage that my $15 steak might end up being $22, but at least I could actually give someone a tip to genuinely show my appreciation for their service, and not because they only make $2.50 an hour. Or they report a percentage of their sales as tips whether they make them or not, so I'm costing them money if I don't tip. Or they have to tip out the bus boy...for doing his job. Or they others at my table will think I'm an outcast. All of these societal pressures that feed into the process, keep me (and maybe you) from offering a gratuity out of pure appreciation, instead of because you're supposed to.

 

[DisneyJoe]

Just pondering: If servers were paid minimum wage or higher, and no tips were given or even expected, wouldn't the total cost of your meal need to increase to cover these higher wages?

 

[BuzzComplexCM]

They could really do away with the number of servers needed if they set up drink stations at the buffets.

Wouldn't that turn it into a quick serve type of place then?

Anyway, I do not mind the auto gratuity. The way I see it is like this, I am going to tip the server 18 - 20% no matter what. Since it is already added, the server knows that they will indeed get their tip. However, if the server is a great person, good personality, friendly, all that jazz, etc., then I will throw on an additional tip. When I do this, I usually take the server off to the side and tip them cash this way they do not need to report it or share it out with the rest of the staff. The staff will already have their share of that inital 18 -20% that is auto added, I just feel that since the server does a good job serving me and my family and friends, they deserve a little extra.

I understand that the servers would not have tables without the busboys to clean them, However, I always pre-bus my tables when I eat at restaurants so when we leave the most that needs to be picked up is a couple of empty glasses and a quick wipe down. I cherish Disney servers, only had one bad experience with a server and that was my own fault (I mentioned at the start of the meal that I was a CM and from there the server gave me the worse service I ever experienced). The servers do a great job of answering questions and making small talk with me and my guests. They put up with a lot sometimes, it doesn't matter if it is full service or a buffet, throwing in a little extra is never a problem.

 

[yankspy]

I agree completely! Tipping is a gratuity not a mandatory surcharge.I mentioned it before and took alot of heat for it.Why would a server give great service if he or she is going to get an 18% tip no matter the service? I don't think it's fair,I should be the one to decide the amount that i tip.If i get good food and good service i always leave a generous tip but it should be up to me!

For the same reason that a mechanic is going to fix your car even though he knows that you are going to pay him. If the server is worth their salt, they will still try and go above and beyond so that they might get a little extra.

The automatic gratuity for larger parties "rule" is pretty standard in my experiences where I live. I really don't think that Disney did anything out of the ordinary here. I do agree that such a large tip for a buffet is kinda lame. I generally tip less at a buffet, for obvious reasons.

Just out of curiousity, what are the obvious reasons. I know I will probably get flamed on this one but hear me out. I have a unique perspective in this thread having worked as a buffet server as well as a regular TS one in the past. Honestly, the buffet servers work twice as hard. In many cases, the servers are clearing a lot more plates than at a regular TS meal since many people tend eat a lot at buffets. Since people are eating more, they are most likely drinking more as well. Buffet diners also tend to drink more refillable drinks than at TS restaurants. This means that a server is constantly refilling drinks. Just my two cents.

Just pondering: If servers were paid minimum wage or higher, and no tips were given or even expected, wouldn't the total cost of your meal need to increase to cover these higher wages?

Yep.

Honestly, the auto-grat thing is a very touchy situation. If a restaurant chooses to do it, the server should be discreet about it and not use words like mandate, etc. If the guest is not satisfied with the level of service, they should make it known to the manager so that it can be removed.

 

[Paul G.]

I am a mechanic and i work as quickly and accuratly as i can to ensure that the customer gets his/her car back as soon as possible and repaired properly.The amount of money i make on that car makes no difference.Servers aren't the only people who work hard and should do so for pride in what they do then the tip situation will take of itself!

 

[Monty]

I am a mechanic and i work as quickly and accuratly as i can to ensure that the customer gets his/her car back as soon as possible and repaired properly.The amount of money i make on that car makes no difference.Servers aren't the only people who work hard and should do so for pride in what they do then the tip situation will take of itself!

Sadly, the tip situation doesn't take care of itself. I've seen many servers get stiffed with no tip at all since they removed the gratuity from the DDP. Many people are just too cheap to leave a tip even when they've had exemplary service because "It's free with DDP!". The concept that because you pre-paid for your meals means you're not paying now, doesn't equate to it being "free", but people psych themselves into the mindset that their meal is free and it becomes almost offensive that they should be expected to tip.

If people actually used logic... Tips might take care of themselves.