DABIGCHEEZ
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the popcorn Figment... I am waiting....
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buffet question about tipping
- Thread starter jonesenon4
- Start date
unkadug
Follower of "Saget"The Cult
If I have to carry my food to the table, the waiter is not doing what would normally be their job, sorry but buffet does not constitute full service and therefore tips will be adjusted accordingly.
Rob562
Well-Known Member
My mindset on buffets is probably pretty close to unkadug's.
On a Table Service meal, I usually tip somewhere between 15-20% to start. Excellent service goes higher, horrible service goes lower.
On a buffet, it depends on the amount/style of service. If I go up and serve myself most of the meal in the buffet line, the starting point is somewhere between 10-15%. If the server is attentive, keeps plates cleared and drinks refilled, that obviously will go up.
But, if it's more of a "family style" place like Ohana where the server is walking around with the food and delivering it to the table, then I tip according to regular Table Service standards.
I've also run this past my sister, who has been both a server and a bartender at least part-time since college, and she agrees with me. If the server's sole function is plate-clearing and drink filling, their tip shouldn't be at the same level as a full-service server. (Though as another poster mentioned, I agree that there *is* kind of a minimum of $2 per diner if it's a cheap meal)
-Rob
BRER DAD
New Member
Thanks for the popcorn Figment... I am waiting....
Lets see if this works..........I say forget the tip, I paid enough to be at WDW!!! The food is overpriced anyway! Hows that!!!!:ROFLOL:
unkadug
Follower of "Saget"The Cult
While I wont argue the pricing structure, why penalize the server for something they have no control over?
The "Pro"
Member
DABIGCHEEZ
Well-Known Member
WI DISNEY FAN
Member
I still dont understand why the union did not fight harder to retain the tip with the dining plan. It seems like the union let the workers down on this one.
DznyGrlSD
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- Yes
I HAVE worked in food service in a tipped position many times during high school and college...that's why I'm sitting back to watch the fireworks...
mikeb1967
Member
Gratutity RANT!
You are right, Disney Fan, It is the servers' very own union who negotiated the contract which led to the removal of the GUARANTEED 18% grat from the dining plan. The DDP 18% grat which was included was taxed as a bonus at a much higher rate plus the servers only received the gratuity check once a month if i remember the former thread correctly, so the union saw it a better situation to see it's servers get, perhaps a lesser amount amount of grat in cash up front instead of having the 18% mostly taxed away. Say 50% of the servers tip is taxed, that leaves them with 9% tip left, in my opinion the union figured the most people leave 10%, so the server is better off in the long run getting the 10% up front with no tax than having the guaranteed 18 % taxed by nearly 50%.
If the server cannot survive with that situation they should take it up with the union or find a new profession. WDW is trying to help the servers by doing the math for ya'll and providing the suggested 18% amount right on your bill, but in the end it comes down to not only service but expectation. If you had the dining plan from its' beginning or even FREE dining for the past 4 years during the promotion period and the gratuity was included, why should you feel obligated to leave a tip. After all, when i finish a service call in my profession and the customer pays the bill when i have provided goods and a service, they NEVER feel obligated to give me an additional 10-18% of the bill in a gracious and benevolent gesture. And most people who either buy the DDP or get it for free will probably get up and walk out without ever realizing that the gratuity was not included, just because it always was in the past and...they are on frakin vacation in the most magical place on earth and the last thing on there minds is leaving a tip for a server who's union bargained it out of the DDP. Most people spend enough money at WDW and really aren't gonna care about such things, much less lose sleep over it. IMHO, MikeB
PS. And to all you table service workers... some people are jerks, of this i'm sure, and you can make great tips if your service is great, but if you can't make a living waiting and busing tables... change professions. I don't wanna hear how hard it is, WDW has over 3000 job classifications, make a career change, and you won't have to worry about a 10-18% gratuity, because almost every other person on the planet DOES'NT get extra money for doing their job. After you pay your bill at the front desk you don't give the desk worker a tip, you don't tip the photopass people for taking your picture, you don't tip counter service workers at blizzard beach for taking your order and placing food on a tray for you, you don't tip the WDW bus drivers for picking you up and taking you to EPCOT Center, and you sure don't slip a couple bucks to Mickey for standing still while you take you kids pic with him.
I'm really not trying to be insensitive, but these are the simple facts. Tip what you want, don't feel pressured for any amount, IT"S NOT A LAW to leave a tip. I am staying at WDW in sept. for 10 days. With my family of 4 (3 adult-1 child) i figure our bill will be around $100 for dinner each night. So i plan to have an envelope with 10 $10 bills in it. The buffets will get $10 and the other will get the same unless the service is frakin spectacular, then i will graciously hand out more of my hard earned money in the form of a tip. This is much more than i had to spend in the past 3 years of free dining. I did'nt create this situation, but this is how i will handle it, like it or not.
MikeB
You are right, Disney Fan, It is the servers' very own union who negotiated the contract which led to the removal of the GUARANTEED 18% grat from the dining plan. The DDP 18% grat which was included was taxed as a bonus at a much higher rate plus the servers only received the gratuity check once a month if i remember the former thread correctly, so the union saw it a better situation to see it's servers get, perhaps a lesser amount amount of grat in cash up front instead of having the 18% mostly taxed away. Say 50% of the servers tip is taxed, that leaves them with 9% tip left, in my opinion the union figured the most people leave 10%, so the server is better off in the long run getting the 10% up front with no tax than having the guaranteed 18 % taxed by nearly 50%.
If the server cannot survive with that situation they should take it up with the union or find a new profession. WDW is trying to help the servers by doing the math for ya'll and providing the suggested 18% amount right on your bill, but in the end it comes down to not only service but expectation. If you had the dining plan from its' beginning or even FREE dining for the past 4 years during the promotion period and the gratuity was included, why should you feel obligated to leave a tip. After all, when i finish a service call in my profession and the customer pays the bill when i have provided goods and a service, they NEVER feel obligated to give me an additional 10-18% of the bill in a gracious and benevolent gesture. And most people who either buy the DDP or get it for free will probably get up and walk out without ever realizing that the gratuity was not included, just because it always was in the past and...they are on frakin vacation in the most magical place on earth and the last thing on there minds is leaving a tip for a server who's union bargained it out of the DDP. Most people spend enough money at WDW and really aren't gonna care about such things, much less lose sleep over it. IMHO, MikeB
PS. And to all you table service workers... some people are jerks, of this i'm sure, and you can make great tips if your service is great, but if you can't make a living waiting and busing tables... change professions. I don't wanna hear how hard it is, WDW has over 3000 job classifications, make a career change, and you won't have to worry about a 10-18% gratuity, because almost every other person on the planet DOES'NT get extra money for doing their job. After you pay your bill at the front desk you don't give the desk worker a tip, you don't tip the photopass people for taking your picture, you don't tip counter service workers at blizzard beach for taking your order and placing food on a tray for you, you don't tip the WDW bus drivers for picking you up and taking you to EPCOT Center, and you sure don't slip a couple bucks to Mickey for standing still while you take you kids pic with him.
I'm really not trying to be insensitive, but these are the simple facts. Tip what you want, don't feel pressured for any amount, IT"S NOT A LAW to leave a tip. I am staying at WDW in sept. for 10 days. With my family of 4 (3 adult-1 child) i figure our bill will be around $100 for dinner each night. So i plan to have an envelope with 10 $10 bills in it. The buffets will get $10 and the other will get the same unless the service is frakin spectacular, then i will graciously hand out more of my hard earned money in the form of a tip. This is much more than i had to spend in the past 3 years of free dining. I did'nt create this situation, but this is how i will handle it, like it or not.
MikeB
yankspy
Well-Known Member
I was enjoying my popcorn but inevitably I had to get involved. I will not bash anyone for their tipping philosophy because it is up to you to do what you feel is right. I will address your bolded statements first.
Federal law requires that a server reports at least 12% of their sales, as tips, regardless of tips. This is what a server is taxed on. Anything below that and you run the risk of an audit. (I have seen it happen) Anything below 8% and it is only a matter of time before you get caught. Some restaurants will play fast and loose with those numbers but I doubt that is going on in Disney.
Second, if you did not want to hear it why get involved? Also, every other job on the planet does not pay 2.13 an hour.
As far as the buffet thing goes. At a full service restaurant A server does these things.
1. greets and takes bev. order
2. takes food order.
3. sometimes they will bring the food out.(In many instances a food runner is responsible for this.
4. checks back and attends to guest needs.
5. clears plates.
6. presents check.
At a buffet a server is required to do all but steps 2 and 3. Also, at a buffet, a server is generally doing twice the amount of cleanup due to the multiple trips most people take to the buffet line. The argument that many are making here is that they are not doing as much work. I can tell you from experience that this simply is not true. Furthermore, a server is taxed that same 12% whether it is a buffet or not.
I say this with confidence because I have been in the restaurant business for over 20 years in every capacity from manager to bus boy. I have worked in high end restaurants in Manhattan and D.C. and I have worked in family owned restaurants in Florida.:wave:
P.S. I am of the opinion that a server must earn his/her money. I do not condone the expectation of a tip regardless of the level of service.
tip what you think is fair. don't worry about tipping on top of what is already overpriced food. and no it's not being cheap, its called paying for what you get. i've never had a waiter/waitress at a buffet ask me how the food was, the only thing i've ever had done was my plates removed/drinks refilled. its people calling me cheap for wanting to tip what i think a service is worth that make me want to tip even less.
Rob562
Well-Known Member
From what I've heard and read, Disney entered the last contract negotiation with the stand that the tip from the DDP would be removed, period. The union's response was "OK, what do we get in exchange?".
So, in exchange, the union got the party size lowered from 8 to 6 whereby an automatic 18% gratuity is added to a bill. Also, they got the automatic 18% gratuity added onto all Disney Dining Experience meals, regardless of number of Guests in the party. (Which I've heard was a pretty good decision for the servers... Some DDE Guests were leaving the original price of their meal before discount which meant a 20% tip, but many more were calculating their tips based on the post-discount meal price...)
-Rob
unkadug
Follower of "Saget"The Cult
And since the busboy clears the plates, basically all the server does is say "Hi how you doing. Please sit here", then "Give me money".
NewfieFan
Well-Known Member
This is just a general question and I'm not getting involved or expressing any opinions here...
How can "they" get away with paying their employees so little an hour? Here in NL, Canada you have to get paid minimum wage per hour regardless of where you work (restaurants included). We tip here in NL as well but the "unspoken rule" around here is 15% not 18% and a lot of people tip lower than that - most people just throw a couple dollars on the table (dispite the cost of the meal).
These employers that pay so little an hour are basically forcing customers to pay their employees salary - how can they get away with this!?!
And btw, I have worked in restaurants and retail - so I do know what these jobs are like!
How can "they" get away with paying their employees so little an hour? Here in NL, Canada you have to get paid minimum wage per hour regardless of where you work (restaurants included). We tip here in NL as well but the "unspoken rule" around here is 15% not 18% and a lot of people tip lower than that - most people just throw a couple dollars on the table (dispite the cost of the meal).
These employers that pay so little an hour are basically forcing customers to pay their employees salary - how can they get away with this!?!
And btw, I have worked in restaurants and retail - so I do know what these jobs are like!
CanadianMegan
New Member
I think it is ridiculous that in the US they allow employers to pay servers less than minimum wage.
As mentioned previously, in all Canadian provinces you must be paid minimum wage. And then you may collect your gratuities which must be documented for taxation purposes. Servers and other restaurant staff who would recieve gratuities MUST report them on their tax return. And as it should, the gratuities are taken as wages and are taxed accordingly.
As for buffet servers VS table servers: I don't thin kthat they should be tipped the same. Obviously the server is doing a lot less work working the buffet establishment.
Also, do these servers have to pay out to any form of 'tip pool' for their support staff? Hosts etc.
I would tip 10-15% for buffet servers
15-20+ for table servers depending on the establishment and service. If I have a fantastic server I am more than willing to over-tip them.
As mentioned previously, in all Canadian provinces you must be paid minimum wage. And then you may collect your gratuities which must be documented for taxation purposes. Servers and other restaurant staff who would recieve gratuities MUST report them on their tax return. And as it should, the gratuities are taken as wages and are taxed accordingly.
As for buffet servers VS table servers: I don't thin kthat they should be tipped the same. Obviously the server is doing a lot less work working the buffet establishment.
Also, do these servers have to pay out to any form of 'tip pool' for their support staff? Hosts etc.
I would tip 10-15% for buffet servers
15-20+ for table servers depending on the establishment and service. If I have a fantastic server I am more than willing to over-tip them.
