Gratuity Transparency

[SCDVC2000]

Apparently there’s a new bill being proposed in Florida that would require restaurants, including those in Disney World, to be transparent with their gratuities (how much of a service fee, automatic gratuities, what percent goes to each weight staff/kitchen, etc.)
Thoughts on gratuity transparency?

 

[DaviVascaino]

that is actually great. I don't mind tipping more if I know the server is getting the tip and not being shared among others or destined to the owner.

 

[crazy4wdw]

Apparently there’s a new bill being proposed in Florida that would require restaurants, including those in Disney World, to be transparent with their gratuities (how much of a service fee, automatic gratuities, what percent goes to each weight staff/kitchen, etc.)
Thoughts on gratuity transparency?

There is also an amendment to this new bill which indicates that an automatic gratuity can only be applied to a table with 6 or more guests, which WDW already follows. This amendment also indicates that a guest is not required to pay an automatic gratuity or service charge if there is a complaint regarding the quality of the service.

 

[RedHead0186]

There is also an amendment to this new bill which indicates that an automatic gratuity can only be applied to a table with 6 or more guests, which WDW already follows. This amendment also indicates that a guest is not required to pay an automatic gratuity or service charge if there is a complaint regarding the quality of the service.

Wow, that sounds like a recipe for disaster. Some people are going to complain about the littlest thing to get out of paying that automatic gratuity . . .

ETA: not necessarily at Disney, just in general.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

The auto gratuity for larger groups has always been at the discretion of the guest. That's not new. Only once over the years did we have service so bad that it ruined our meal, and we had the manager take off the set auto gratuity and added back in something much less (not at Disney, btw).

 

[SteveH]

I appreciate they are trying to make things clearer, but depending on how it's implemented it could be a mess. The Feds tried to fix the tip pooling issue back in 2018, but seems like it made things worse. They did define better which managers can get tips though. But many restaurants are charging a portion of the credit card fees that come through on tops, which again seems fair. All this is why I think it could be mess, but I'm curious what they come up with.

 

[reddog21]

It's Florida what could possibly go wrong?

 

[Judique]

There is also an amendment to this new bill which indicates that an automatic gratuity can only be applied to a table with 6 or more guests, which WDW already follows. This amendment also indicates that a guest is not required to pay an automatic gratuity or service charge if there is a complaint regarding the quality of the service.

I'm just back from a Florida vacation where I was charged an auto gratuity for a table of 5 at a restaurant offsite. I was happy to see it as it saved me from my usual 20-25%. It was 18%. If you tell me what to tip I'll often give you what you want. Leave it up to me and I usually go higher. Especially on smaller checks, as I often don't eat a lot.

 

[TheDailyMoo]

I'm just back from a Florida vacation where I was charged an auto gratuity for a table of 5 at a restaurant offsite. I was happy to see it as it saved me from my usual 20-25%. It was 18%. If you tell me what to tip I'll often give you what you want. Leave it up to me and I usually go higher. Especially on smaller checks, as I often don't eat a lot.

Funny I was just going to type the exact same thing. I always tend to go 22-25% at Disney especially and we were with a larger group at Woodys Round Up BBQ and they added the gratuity and I was so relieved I got to leave less without feeling guilty!

 

[eandt]

Wow, that sounds like a recipe for disaster. Some people are going to complain about the littlest thing to get out of paying that automatic gratuity . . .

ETA: not necessarily at Disney, just in general.

An ‘Automatic Gratuity’ is neither given freely nor voluntarily by definition. When it’s forced it ceases to become a gratuity it becomes a tax … the whole waitstaff compensation situation should be addressed ..

 

[Deb]

I'm just back from a Florida vacation where I was charged an auto gratuity for a table of 5 at a restaurant offsite. I was happy to see it as it saved me from my usual 20-25%. It was 18%. If you tell me what to tip I'll often give you what you want. Leave it up to me and I usually go higher. Especially on smaller checks, as I often don't eat a lot.

which is why servers will sometimes not apply the auto grat if it is up to them. They know they generally make more if the amount is left up to the guest.

I used to work (not as a server) somewhere (not in FL) that had an auto grat on all checks. It was well posted on the menus and checks. Our policy was to remove it if asked. Whether a service issue was brought up or not

 

[Judique]

which is why servers will sometimes not apply the auto grat if it is up to them. They know they generally make more if the amount is left up to the guest.

I used to work (not as a server) somewhere (not in FL) that had an auto grat on all checks. It was well posted on the menus and checks. Our policy was to remove it if asked. Whether a service issue was brought up or not

I've worked as a server during both high school and early college years. The 18% tip came to $120. We were there for an hour and a half so the table could have been turned over at least once more, possibly twice. Service was decent. Prices were up there.

 

[elvispursley]

that is actually great. I don't mind tipping more if I know the server is getting the tip and not being shared among others or destined to the owner.

I’m just the opposite. My son worked as a dishwasher and he received a portion of the tips. I’m glad that he did. I can see not wanting tips to go to the owner, but knowing what portion of tips go to which staff would make me tip more than our standard 25%.

 

[rdaky]

I’m just the opposite. My son worked as a dishwasher and he received a portion of the tips. I’m glad that he did. I can see not wanting tips to go to the owner, but knowing what portion of tips go to which staff would make me tip more than our standard 25%.

I don't agree, at least not at Disney and a lot of places around Disney. The server is making Florida tipped minimum wage at 9.98/hour and the dish washer is making 18.50 an hour.

We're local, and I have a family member who works at a non-disney restaurant where a lot of tourists visit, but they don't have the mandatory tip. The number of people who don't tip at all is shocking. There is definitely a reason why restaurants implement the minimum 18% tip. I do agree with transparency, though. We also know of a different restaurant where the manager takes a cut of the tips and that's not ok.

 

[SL6827]

Restaurants would love to share the tips with as many employees as possible. That way, it takes less of thier dollars to pay employees who position shouldn't be tipped at all, just raise the tip percentage. Let the customer foot the entire overhead cost for all employees.

 

[eticketplease]

We're local, and I have a family member who works at a non-disney restaurant where a lot of tourists visit, but they don't have the mandatory tip. The number of people who don't tip at all is shocking.

Considering you are local to the theme parks I don’t find that shocking at all. There are so many international guests that visit the area and back home tipping is not a thing.

Now if you said that the restaurant was just serving Americans and you still had the no tipping issue then it would be more shocking imo.

 

[NYCgrrl]

There are so many international guests that visit the area and back home tipping is not a thing.

Just to clarify: it’s not that tipping isn’t the norm it’s just that it’s already included in the bill.

 

[eticketplease]

Just to clarify: it’s not that tipping isn’t the norm it’s just that it’s already included in the bill.

The servers overseas are paid a liveable wage and don't rely on tips. When I have dined there is no section where it states a tip is included. If you are saying that the built in prices are including part of their wages that is one thing but there is no marking of gratuity being included in my experience when out of the United States.

 

[Mirabell Rose]

I’d support a law that says everyone makes a living wage and tips are included in prices on menu. I don’t agree leaving a poor tip leads to better service. So many things go into the quality of service beyond the server. Any bill besides that just continues to support a system I think should be eliminated.

 

[rdaky]

Considering you are local to the theme parks I don’t find that shocking at all. There are so many international guests that visit the area and back home tipping is not a thing.

Now if you said that the restaurant was just serving Americans and you still had the no tipping issue then it would be more shocking imo.

She tells me that there are definitely international tourists who don't tip, but the majority of non tippers at their restaurant are Americans. With the worst ones being snow birds and locals stopping after church on Sundays.