Please help a Brit with Tips!

[noodlesmum]

Hi,

My family and I are off to WDW for the 1st time in 7 weeks and I need some help with tipping!

So in the UK say if a bill came to £15 and I left a £20 the server would bring back the change and we would then leave a tip or if we just got up and left it would be assumed that the rest is the tip (no one would come chasing after us!)

In Paris in the same situation the tip would be assumed and say if I actually wanted the change I would prob end up needing to ask for it or the server wouldn't actually take the money for the bill untill we had left the table for fear of looking rude or pushy.

In both situations I would feel comfortable just leaving the money on the table and leaving _ I know the server would whip it off the table before anyone else might!

So what I need to know - In Florida:

Is it assumed that if I *over* pay the bill that the difference is a tip? As in is it okay to just leave the money and get up to leave? Or do I have to wait for change and hand the tip to the server directly? Or do I wait for the change and *then* leave the tip on the table??

Sorry if this seem like a really picky question but I know sometimes us Brits get bad press for not tipping properly so I want to make sure I do it right

 

[PudgetteD]

Yay for your first trip to WDW, you are going to have so much fun!! It is not customary in the US to leave money for payment of the check on the table. Usually the server will take your payment and return with change or credit card statement. If you pay with cash you have the option of receiving change back or telling the server to keep it for a tip. If you're on the dining plan it is especially important to wait for your receipt to make sure that the remaining dining plan credits are correct. There are table service places off property where you take your bill to the register to pay. I definately would not leave the money to pay the bill on the table and leave. There are some small local "Mom and Pop" type places where leaving check money on the table is acceptable, however, you will not encounter this often, if at all. Hope your visit is magical!!

 

[DonaldTDuck]

Tipping discussions get closed quickly on here. There's a sticky at the top of the page and all discussion is supposed to be there. I will tell you that when they bring the bill, there will be 18% and 20% calculated on the bill. They are recommendations only. On parties of 6 or more, there is a required 18%.

 

[Advokaat]

It is perfectly acceptable to leave payment on the table and walk out. The server will know that you left the extra as a tip.

Should the server come with the bill and you have the cash out, you can just give it to them and tell them, "I'm all set" which means, "I dont need change".

Or, they might ask if you need change. Should the bill be $10 and you only have a $20, it is perfectly acceptable to ask for change and then leave an appropriate tip on the table.

I usually start at 15% for a tip and I'll leave 20% if the service was exceptional or if the server distinguished themselves by being personable and fun. Often, for parties of 8 or more, the restaurant will simply add a gratuity to the bill - usually 15% or 18%. There is no need for you to add any more than that unless you want to.

If paying with a credit card, you give the card to the server who will ring up the sale on a credit card slip. When they return with your card and the slip, you fill in the tip amount on the designated line, put the total on the bottom and sign where indicated. You may then leave the slip on the table and leave without waiting for the server to come back.

If I'm paying with a credit card, I will usually have the card ready when they come with the bill so they can just go and ring it up. But, if you would like to sit for a while, it is perfectly fine to put the card in the "wallet" and lay it down on the table as a sign to the server that they may take the card and go ring it up.

I hope you enjoy your visit to our country as much as my family and I enjoyed our visit to yours last summer.

 

[kimpup]

I'm a waitress in NY and I don't think Florida is Different (and Disney for that matter) When they pay me in cash I say I will be right back with your change. Usually they will say nothing and I will return with their change or they will tell me no change needed. Some people leave money on the table and just leave, then I know the remainder is for me. Nothing is assumed here.

 

[TDC Nala]

Sorry to have to close this thread.

Because of the consistently contentious nature of tipping discussions on this board, all of this discussion has been limited to the Tipping Information sticky thread, which you will see at the top of this board. Read the first post for an FAQ but I don't think it will answer your question. You can always repost on that thread.

It is not considered rude to ask for change if you want it, and servers should not assume that you do not want change. In general the server will ask if you require change, or if they don't, you may state that you require change. If you leave the money on the table and walk out, then it should be assumed that that is the tip, although I can't guarantee that no one will come chasing after you if they think there should be more. It shouldn't happen but there are reports that it does once in a very long while. I hope that answers the question but it is the most that I think will fly on this topic under the tipping discussion rules we have.