Do you think buffett location servers deserve 18% grat

[tdpolo26]

I have been a banquet server for years. I didnt all through college and now as i work as a professional i still do it. I love doing it. its alot of fun and you meet some great people, it has also made me a great tipper for great service. However i find at most buffets there is a lack of great service.

I also go out to eat once in a while at buffets, when we go to pizza hut buffet, a china buffet or places like that we normally tip a buck or two a person, Mainly due to the fact that they bring maybe a glass or two of water and then clear your dishes at some point. They also handle 4 times what a normal server does because they are a busser that brings drinks. On the drinks note i would rather get my own (at least then i dont need to wait 10 min for one)

I am not trying to be mean but it seems to be the only place i have ever seen where you leave over 5 bucks a person on average.

we actually had our server complain that she had half the restaurant almost and it was going to be a few min... we look around that had to be at least 35 to 40 people i am thinking to myself you are complaing about making 100 to 150 dollars an hour....

 

[plaz10]

I think it depends if they do the job of a buffet server to the best of their ability. Taking away dirty plates quickly, re filling my drinks quickly, etc...

At Cape May Cafe last year - our drinks were empty the whole time and we were stacking plates because she didn't come for over half an hour. So she did not get a good tip.

Our Ohana server brought over food in timely manner, filled drinks quickly and asked if we had any questions about the types of sauces, etc...very friendly. So he got a good tip.

Just like any other wait staff - depends on how good or bad they do - regardless of buffet.

 

[tdpolo26]

I think it depends if they do the job of a buffet server to the best of their ability. Taking away dirty plates quickly, re filling my drinks quickly, etc...

At Cape May Cafe last year - our drinks were empty the whole time and we were stacking plates because she didn't come for over half an hour. So she did not get a good tip.

Our Ohana server brought over food in timely manner, filled drinks quickly and asked if we had any questions about the types of sauces, etc...very friendly. So he got a good tip.

Just like any other wait staff - depends on how good or bad they do - regardless of buffet.

ohana is not a buffet it is a family service.... buffet you go up to get... ohana they bring food to the table. There is a big difference in the eyes of a server. Its a two way job. They also take you order for certain things and a good server guides your meal and makes sure you want for little
we also have had amazing luck at ohana and left some very very large tips

 

[wolf359]

In short; yes I do. Tips shouldn't be based on the range of services provided, just the quality of the service provided.

I don't think it is fair to penalize the server because I chose to eat at a buffet. They're still doing their job and working just as hard, buffet or not. Even if I did think they should earn less of a tip for not bringing me my plate of food, exactly how much of that 18% should be subtracted? How much is that one act worth?

While I'm planning ways to shave a couple bucks off of my tip giving, could I tip less at a restaurant where my servers "just" serve me and don't put on a show like Whispering Canyon or 50s Prime Time Cafe?

 

[tdpolo26]

In short; yes I do. Tips shouldn't be based on the range of services provided, just the quality of the service provided.

I don't think it is fair to penalize the server because I chose to eat at a buffet. They're still doing their job and working just as hard, buffet or not. Even if I did think they should earn less of a tip for not bringing me my plate of food, exactly how much of that 18% should be subtracted? How much is that one act worth?

While I'm planning ways to shave a couple bucks off of my tip giving, could I tip less at a restaurant where my servers "just" serve me and don't put on a show like Whispering Canyon or 50s Prime Time Cafe?

but they can handle 40 people where a server who serves a whole meal maybe 20 so the real server does 2 times the work to earn half the amount of money. I would say in disney 2 or 3 dollars a person is pretty good for a buffet server. I mean that means if they are doing 40 covers an hour they are making 120 dollars and hour before taxes and minimum 4.15 an hour. i dont make 120+ an hour and i do alot more then bring a water and clear a plate. plus we have yet to have a buffet server that interacts they huddle in the back and then pop out to clear the mountain of plates we have.

 

[Mukta]

I tip at a buffet the same way I do anywhere. As long as they are refilling drinks in a timely manner and clearing plates before I bring a full plate back to the table, I am happy to leave 15-20%.

 

[tdpolo26]

BTW FWIW there is not right or wrong answer to my question i am not slamming buffet servers and i would think most people that have worked at a ponderosa or a old country buffet would know they barely get 2 dollars a person at those places if they get anything at all by some people.

I am into tipping well i just hate tipping people who have little service industry expierence and make a poor effort at there job.

I had a server drop a full steak, up until that point he had been great making excellent recommendations refilling glasses, having food brought out promptly and in the end made a small mistake, however he had a great disposition, excellent customer service raport, and did everything he could to fix the situation. In the end i still left him 25 percent because he had earned it. I dont condone people for one bad mistake but if you dont even try to begin with why should i part with my money for someone who does not want to earn it

 

[tdpolo26]

I tip at a buffet the same way I do anywhere. As long as they are refilling drinks in a timely manner and clearing plates before I bring a full plate back to the table, I am happy to leave 15-20%.

for good service i am inclined to tip 15 percent any day of the week at a buffet even more, i guess i just dont like the forced tipping with that situaiton. we like the food and characters at the buffet only reason why we go back (we arent going back to hollywood and vine....we opted for 50's prime time it was much better there) but we just have had very poor slow service. At one point we had no room left on are table so we asked our server if she could take a few things she told us she was busy with a new table and would be back in a bit.... i stacked them all up and placed them on the table next to us that was empty... she rolled her eyes at us and then scolded us for messing up a clean table lol... i was like oh jeez you def have no marriott training.

We had this server one time that neglected the head table of a wedding and the best man carried his plate off the head table and placed it on a tray jack... the server rather then appologizing for not clearing the plate and providing further assistance said thanks and then continued to lean against the wall... within 5 min the captain server pulled him off the floor and he was never placed on the schedule again (his resume stated he was classically trained-he lied.. or was just poor at what he did).

whats interesting is i have only had bad service at the buffets everything else has been amazing, interactive, prompt servers.

 

[flynnibus]

I have a hard time tipping servers more just because the prices are inflated or the format means they do much less (like buffet).

When the plate is $55 for a character meal.. is the server's quality that much better than a $25 plate? Or did they work any harder to justify the delta?

No IMO..

 

[tdpolo26]

I have a hard time tipping servers more just because the prices are inflated or the format means they do much less (like buffet).

When the plate is $55 for a character meal.. is the server's quality that much better than a $25 plate? Or did they work any harder to justify the delta?

No IMO..

I can see where you are comming from on this. I particularly dont like tipping on the total all the time some deserve more some deserve alot less

 

[flynnibus]

I just don't understand any scenario that says the server needs to spend less time on you.. and that means they deserve the same as another scenario where they are more dedicated to you.

In the second scenario they are more dedicated to me, so less time elsewhere, that makes sense they should get more to average out. Which is why I don't mind large parties tipping more. But if all you need to do is bring me drinks and take away trash.. why do you deserve full price tips?

 

[stevehousse]

As a restaurant manager, you should always leave at least a 15-20 percent tip no matter what kind of experience you have with them. Most restaurant servers are paid below minimum wage plus tips. It's not like they make 10 bucks an hour plus tips it's usually less that 5 an hour plus tips! Remember that the next time you tip someone!
Obviously if u don't have a great experience yes tip less but don't screw someone over!

 

[Scuttle]

As a restaurant manager, you should always leave at least a 15-20 percent tip no matter what kind of experience you have with them. Most restaurant servers are paid below minimum wage plus tips. It's not like they make 10 bucks an hour plus tips it's usually less that 5 an hour plus tips! Remember that the next time you tip someone!
Obviously if u don't have a great experience yes tip less but don't screw someone over!

This! Just remember when you tip these people are getting paid 4.23 an hour.

 

[tdpolo26]

This! Just remember when you tip these people are getting paid 4.23 an hour.

Oh i agree they are paid poorly, i find that the less you do for the customer the more you should do to interact with them. I always tip a minimum of 15 percent unless its terrible service

 

[Tinkerkell]

Yes, I think buffet servers should get paid the same as any other servers. The only thing they don't do is bring the food, but they keep drinks refilled and they clear off A LOT of plates on each table throughout the meal.
They likely visit your table more often than servers in full service restaurants do.

 

[tdpolo26]

Yes, I think buffet servers should get paid the same as any other servers. The only thing they don't do is bring the food, but they keep drinks refilled and they clear off A LOT of plates on each table throughout the meal.
They likely visit your table more often than servers in full service restaurants do.

yes...well kinda... bring the food is what makes a real server... they take the order..... schedule your meal... pace it to make it enjoyable... there is actually a huge difference. Bussers typically get a 15 percent of a servers take which is a few dollars generally, they are pretty much bussers who pass out a coke or two (if you are really really lucky to get two)
I am not saying its wrong to tip them well for great service just there is a difference between a buffet server and a full service server

 

[DisneyAubs]

For me it is not an issue of buffet vs non-buffet. It is, as it always should be, good service vs. bad service. If a buffet server is doing a good job, then he or she is doing a lot of running around to clear plates, refill drinks, etc... I understand that this is not what always happens though.

Even with service that is not spectacular remember that servers pretty much only get paid in tips. Here servers get paid $2.13 an hour. That usually gets cancelled out by the time you pay taxes. Actually, I always ended up having to pay taxes every year because my paycheck wasn't actually big enough to cover what had to be taken out.

Also, in most restaurants the servers have to "tip out" to other staff members. When I was a server I had to tip out 3% of my sales every night. and that is my SALES, not my tips. (1% to hostesses, 1% to busboys, 1% to bartender). Some tip out high percentages or to even more people. So if my sales for the night was $500 (i just picked this for easy math) and I only avereaged about %15 tips, that is $75. But then I have to tip out $15, so I'm only walking with $60.

Not trying to start a debate. Just adding food for though (pun intended).

 

[KCKAS]

i have waited tables in both settings and a waitress at a buffet does not compare to a "real" waitress. they do not expect to get the same tip percentage, either. a lot of times, a server chooses the buffet setting because it is less work.
my husband and i talk about retiring and working at disney world. he keeps telling me he thinks i should work at the crystal palace because it is a "gold mine". less work than a typical restaurant but a high percentage of a tip is recommended by disney. i hear it is a coveted job for this reason.

 

[tdpolo26]

For me it is not an issue of buffet vs non-buffet. It is, as it always should be, good service vs. bad service. If a buffet server is doing a good job, then he or she is doing a lot of running around to clear plates, refill drinks, etc... I understand that this is not what always happens though.

Even with service that is not spectacular remember that servers pretty much only get paid in tips. Here servers get paid $2.13 an hour. That usually gets cancelled out by the time you pay taxes. Actually, I always ended up having to pay taxes every year because my paycheck wasn't actually big enough to cover what had to be taken out.

Also, in most restaurants the servers have to "tip out" to other staff members. When I was a server I had to tip out 3% of my sales every night. and that is my SALES, not my tips. (1% to hostesses, 1% to busboys, 1% to bartender). Some tip out high percentages or to even more people. So if my sales for the night was $500 (i just picked this for easy math) and I only avereaged about %15 tips, that is $75. But then I have to tip out $15, so I'm only walking with $60.

Not trying to start a debate. Just adding food for though (pun intended).

yeah but this is disney 500 dollars is what a server does every 45 min because of the over inflated prices.

 

[ratherbeinwdw]

I'm sure you've noticed that the only two "choices" they give for a tip are 18% and 20%. This way, people feel like that's what everyone else is doing, or what is expected. I have always done the 20% as we've had really good service, but after reading this thread, I may only do 15% if the service isn't that good at a buffet.