I missed the memo as well Kevin...

[baby1disney]

I knew I shouldn't have posted because I had a feeling you guys would think I have an attitude and I don't. All I was simply saying is that if/when you go out and you run into great service and you wanna spend all of this money... Then tip accordingly to your bill/service you received.

The "attitude" that some of you think I have it's not an attitude. A lot of servers will feel the same way. We would never tell you to your face and the sane great service we give/gave to you we will give to our next customers. Now some people generally don't know how to tip accordingly and some people tip a certain percent no matter what. Depending on those customers...I don't mind serving them because they're nice and make me laugh!! It's the people that have me running around like I'm in a marathon and then leave only a $1-3 tip after spending $40 on dinner and drinks.

I apologize if I came off as attitudy..but it wasn't meant to be that way. And I really do believe and feel that until you've been a server/bartender...it's hard for some of you to understand what we have to put up with and what we go thru on a daily basis. Oh and Kevin..I didn't get a chance to listen to the podcast yet. I just seen the thread and commented on it..

 

[*NikkiBell*]

I knew I shouldn't have posted because I had a feeling you guys would think I have an attitude and I don't. All I was simply saying is that if/when you go out and you run into great service and you wanna spend all of this money... Then tip accordingly to your bill/service you received.

The "attitude" that some of you think I have it's not an attitude. A lot of servers will feel the same way. We would never tell you to your face and the sane great service we give/gave to you we will give to our next customers. Now some people generally don't know how to tip accordingly and some people tip a certain percent no matter what. Depending on those customers...I don't mind serving them because they're nice and make me laugh!! It's the people that have me running around like I'm in a marathon and then leave only a $1-3 tip after spending $40 on dinner and drinks.

I apologize if I came off as attitudy..but it wasn't meant to be that way. And I really do believe and feel that until you've been a server/bartender...it's hard for some of you to understand what we have to put up with and what we go thru on a daily basis. Oh and Kevin..I didn't get a chance to listen to the podcast yet. I just seen the thread and commented on it..

Hi Terri,

I don't think anyone was saying you have an "attitude," just your comment could come across that way. Having disagreeing opinions is a great part of our discussion board so you should not feel as if you can't post how you feel. With this being said, remember that just as you can feel one way, another individual can feel a different way. It's what makes conversation so interesting. I love hearing multiple points of view on a topic.

I can understand your thinking that unless you walk in someone's shoes, it may be difficult to understand where they are coming from. I feel this way often when it comes to teaching, but that doesn't mean I can't receive input from non-educators. Similarly, I disagree with your comment stating that if you don't have the money for a 20-25% tip, you should not go out to eat. Once again, I am paying for the product and if I am only able to leave a 15% tip, that is more than adequate. If the service is poor, then I have the right to tip lower than that or not at all. There is no rule book when it comes to tipping for a service nor is there a required amount to tip.

The original post is asking questions about amounts a server makes at Walt Disney World, or Disneyland, for that matter. I think it's time we get back on topic. Here are the original questions up for discussion. Let's get back on track everyone.

Here is what I would love to know. Can any current or past cast members out there give an estimate of a table service server's average daily sales? Also, what is Disney's tip share policy? Meaning, as a server, how much do you tip the hosts, bus boys, bartenders, food runners, etc.


I don't want to start an argument, believe me I know cast members in food service can work very hard and deserve what they take home. And yes, there is peak season and off season and they probably balance out. But I'm curious if a server's sales can reach $1,000 per shift.

 

[BriarRosie]

I knew I shouldn't have posted because I had a feeling you guys would think I have an attitude and I don't. All I was simply saying is that if/when you go out and you run into great service and you wanna spend all of this money... Then tip accordingly to your bill/service you received.

The "attitude" that some of you think I have it's not an attitude. A lot of servers will feel the same way. We would never tell you to your face and the sane great service we give/gave to you we will give to our next customers. Now some people generally don't know how to tip accordingly and some people tip a certain percent no matter what. Depending on those customers...I don't mind serving them because they're nice and make me laugh!! It's the people that have me running around like I'm in a marathon and then leave only a $1-3 tip after spending $40 on dinner and drinks.

I apologize if I came off as attitudy..but it wasn't meant to be that way. And I really do believe and feel that until you've been a server/bartender...it's hard for some of you to understand what we have to put up with and what we go thru on a daily basis. Oh and Kevin..I didn't get a chance to listen to the podcast yet. I just seen the thread and commented on it..

You did comment about my choice to reduce tip if I had to remind a server twice that I wanted another drink. I think it's valid to a point. If I see my server has a full area with a lot of people, I will cut him/her some slack.

At my favorite sushi place that my coworkers and I go to at lunchtime, there are only two women there who are serving tables and running the register. There might be a handful of occupied tables, but the place isn't so busy that they won't top off my water glass without my asking.

Conversely, I had a 7pm dinner at Sanaa a couple Decembers ago. The server was what I consider "flaky". She spent time talking with us at our table, and her area was not busy. She never once came by to refill my water, and I actually waited to see if she would when it was empty. She didn't. I did give her a decent tip anyway because she was friendly and did serve our dinners at a good pace. But that water thing just irks me on a personal level. I just don't think it's too much to expect if the server does not have a lot of tables.

 

[BriarRosie]

I completely understand your questioning the change and I apologize if my response came off sounding accusing or otherwise. I was just putting some facts out there about what a server's actual pay is before a gratuity is considered. I suppose my point got lost in my ramblings. You can see now why I lurk instead of posting. My point was it doesn't really matter when it was changed or why because in my experience those recommendations don't come into play when most guests are deciding on a gratuity. In general the why or when or should it have changed debate is a pretty comical to me. I don't believe most people us those guidelines anyway. I am personally very lucky that I have the income I do and a husband with a full time job and rarely complain. Believe me another profession with better hours, easier work and a higher pay scale would be lovely but this is what I'm qualified to do at this point in my life and I do it well so it is what it is.

I'd be interested in knowing if the Dining Plan guests vs. Out of Pocket guests tip differently. Because tips are expected to be added on, I would think many guests who use the DDP either don't think they need to tip well, or they think, "We prepaid for meals, why do I have to tip extra?" Granted, I realize not everyone thinks this way, but I think that might play into the lower tips.

I only used the DDP once, last July. I didn't care for it other than making sharing expenses in group dining easier to handle. But we did tip a decent amount. I much prefer Tables in Wonderland and order the way I want.

 

[mytripsandraces]

My point was that if you are working harder than anyone you know and making $79 take home every two weeks.....than any retail / clerical / entry level position will probably be easier work and guarantee at least minimum wage. My actual point was that you might be able to find easier work at a higher rate of pay. The downside of that is that you make the same rate if performance is just acceptable or if your performance is stellar.

Hi Kevin - I could be mistaken, but I believe the $79 paycheck does not include tips. That $79 represents the hourly wages, minus taxes (including taxes on expected tips, not necessarily actual tips).

 

[WaltD4Me]

Tipping is a funny thing. My sister gets mad at me because she thinks I tip too much and I get just as mad at her because I think she tips too little. She actually gets out a pen and paper and figures out 15%, (sometimes 10%) to the penny, if the bill is 58.93, she'd never just leave $9 (15% of $60)
She rarely has cash, so she writes the tip in on the charge slip and I always make sure to have a few singles with me when we go out to eat so I can slip them in with the charge receipt.

 

[k5jm]

Tipping is a funny thing. My sister gets mad at me because she thinks I tip too much and I get just as mad at her because I think she tips too little. She actually gets out a pen and paper and figures out 15%, (sometimes 10%) to the penny, if the bill is 58.93, she'd never just leave $9 (15% of $60)
She rarely has cash, so she writes the tip in on the charge slip and I always make sure to have a few singles with me when we go out to eat so I can slip them in with the charge receipt.

I was always told that is was "bad form" to leave change (coins).

 

[doconeill]

I was always told that is was "bad form" to leave change (coins).

I don't know about not leaving coins (other than the inconvenience of carrying it, but I want to get rid of it as much as the server might not want them...), but I remember that according to my father, leaving a penny per person was meant to send a message to the server that the service was wholly unacceptable. It was better than leaving no tip, as it showed you didn't just "forget".

 

[DisneyKevin]

I knew I shouldn't have posted because I had a feeling you guys would think I have an attitude and I don't. All I was simply saying is that if/when you go out and you run into great service and you wanna spend all of this money... Then tip accordingly to your bill/service you received.

The "attitude" that some of you think I have it's not an attitude. A lot of servers will feel the same way. We would never tell you to your face and the sane great service we give/gave to you we will give to our next customers. Now some people generally don't know how to tip accordingly and some people tip a certain percent no matter what. Depending on those customers...I don't mind serving them because they're nice and make me laugh!! It's the people that have me running around like I'm in a marathon and then leave only a $1-3 tip after spending $40 on dinner and drinks.

I apologize if I came off as attitudy..but it wasn't meant to be that way. And I really do believe and feel that until you've been a server/bartender...it's hard for some of you to understand what we have to put up with and what we go thru on a daily basis. Oh and Kevin..I didn't get a chance to listen to the podcast yet. I just seen the thread and commented on it..

Please dont stop posting. Sharing ideas is what makes our boards interesting.

I just have an issue with the idea that if I cant or dont want to tip 20 - 25%, then I shouldnt go out.

I work with a lot of travel agents...who make no salary at all. They only make a commission after you travel. They can work for months with a guest who, for whatever reason, decides not to travel and all of that work is lost.

Imagine saving your hard earned money to take a trip to WDW and contacting a travel agent who told you...."Your trip isnt expensive enough. I wont make alot of commission. I'm dont want to to help you."

Or going to the hairdresser, who rents his/her booth and being told "you didnt tip enough last time and that you should get your haircut elsewhere".

In my mind...it's a similar scenario.

 

[*NikkiBell*]

I don't know about not leaving coins (other than the inconvenience of carrying it, but I want to get rid of it as much as the server might not want them...), but I remember that according to my father, leaving a penny per person was meant to send a message to the server that the service was wholly unacceptable. It was better than leaving no tip, as it showed you didn't just "forget".

I have heard this (and done it) as well.

 

[disneydreamgirl]

I was always told that is was "bad form" to leave change (coins).

Interesting, we would leave the exact change on the bill plus tip in full dollars because that was considered polite in that the tip wasn't just a round up on the final bill. I don't know if that is a Canadian notion or perhaps just some idea my parents or my grandparents came up with.

 

[disneydreamgirl]

Slightly OT - I was thinking about tipping this morning again and the issue of credit card charges...it caused us to start bringing cash for a tip, when we plan to pay by CC so that the staff get the full tip we intended for them. In our area, and I'm sure others as well, some establishments are offering to reduce the bill accordingly when cash is paid (saves charges, admin costs, delay in banking transactions).

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

Slightly OT - I was thinking about tipping this morning again and the issue of credit card charges...it caused us to start bringing cash for a tip, when we plan to pay by CC so that the staff get the full tip we intended for them. In our area, and I'm sure others as well, some establishments are offering to reduce the bill accordingly when cash is paid (saves charges, admin costs, delay in banking transactions).

I've never heard of that. I don't carry cash, so I put everything on the card.

 

[doconeill]

Do the employers take the CC transaction charge out of the tips as well?

I know at DW's spa, they actually don't allow putting tips on a credit card, but I believe their transaction fees are pretty high as the volume is low. Unfortunately it occasionally results in some stiffed tips...

Despite the fact that it really costs the credit companies the same to process a $10 transaction as a $1000 transaction, they charge a percentage of the transaction - because they can. That's why a lot of gas stations, at least around here, have raised the costs on gas if paying by credit cards because they are generally not permitted to charge more than a fixed cents amount per gallon over what they paid wholesale (at least for the cash price), but the percentage transaction fee has resulted in them losing money on credit card transactions when the cost of gas goes so far up.

Sure, the credit card is "loaning" $1000 vs. $10, but they make that back on the finance charges. They are essentially charging both sides.

The credit card companies have made themselves indispensable for easy cashless transactions - and now are making everyone pay for it...

 

[kaligal]

I tip. I agree that if you want someone to wait on you, you should tip them. If you don't want to shell out the extra dollars, order your food to go and serve yourself.

I don't think they need to raise their percentage. I'm sure they'd love it. Who wouldn't? We'd all like more money. But it isn't necessary. They get a raise every time the menu prices increase.

 

[disneydreamgirl]

Do the employers take the CC transaction charge out of the tips as well?

Yes, however I'm not sure if it is at a different rate than the regular charges. The credit card machines I've seen recently give you a 'tip' option; I'm not sure who that is for the benefit of exactly: the employer who would be able to readily total tips per employee per shift and/or the credit card company who could then charge a different amount for tips. That stated, I don't know that they would charge less for tips just out of the goodness of their hearts!

 

[clomahony]

As a former server in various restaurants, I generally tip at 20% and will adjust based on the level of service (or how baddly my kids have messed up the area). I too can remember running my feet off for a table just to have lost money based on the tip sharing I would have to do for the bartenders, hosts and buspeople. I wonder if the 18% came into play when you have some tables who tip baddly or don't even tip at all because I remember all to well how grateful I was when a table would tip well to make up for the tables that did not. I know it doesn't seem fair that other customers should have to make up the difference but I've worked places where tips were really poor and it was really hard to keep staff and the level of service was quite low. Sadlly, I don't think we'll ever have a pay structure that will not require tipping because people will worry that they will only get bad service.

 

[mainegal]

I don't think they need to raise their percentage. They get a raise every time the menu prices increase.

True!


In "my perfect world", restaurant staff would be paid to serve me food and it would be included in the cost of eating there.

Basing the servers wage on what someone orders never really made sense to me.

One person at the table orders an inexpensive chicken dish and a glass of water. The other orders an expensive steak and big mug of beer. It probably takes the same effort to serve both people, yet the tips from each person (based on cost of their meal) would be different.

 

[mytripsandraces]

Yes, however I'm not sure if it is at a different rate than the regular charges. The credit card machines I've seen recently give you a 'tip' option; I'm not sure who that is for the benefit of exactly: the employer who would be able to readily total tips per employee per shift and/or the credit card company who could then charge a different amount for tips. That stated, I don't know that they would charge less for tips just out of the goodness of their hearts!

I had a roommate who was a server and the way she explained it, any tips charged on the card are taxed. If there is no tip on the charge, the server is taxed as if they received a tip of 8%. She recommended always tipping in cash, even if you pay by credit card. When I asked about rounding up to the next full dollar amount, she told me that servers don't care how they get their tips, as long as they get them! She's a teacher now, so I don't know if things have changed since then.

 

[dpuck1998]

I had a roommate who was a server and the way she explained it, any tips charged on the card are taxed. If there is no tip on the charge, the server is taxed as if they received a tip of 8%. She recommended always tipping in cash, even if you pay by credit card. When I asked about rounding up to the next full dollar amount, she told me that servers don't care how they get their tips, as long as they get them! She's a teacher now, so I don't know if things have changed since then.

While true, that is just what they must "claim", legally they are suppose to report ALL the tips not just 8 percent.