Speaking of Rachael Ray/HORRIBLE TIPPER

[DisneyLoverUSA]

Google "Rachael Ray bad tipper" and read all about it. It's all over the internet.

 

[thomas998]

Just to clarify, a tip is not mandatory, it is something you leave as a sign you appreciated the service and meal... Why would anyone think it is their business to see how much someone else tipped or didn't?

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

The going rate now is 20%.. not even 15.... like I said, I got 15% back in 1987... my DD's both have and are servers.. and they average 20%

Then why are automatic gratuities only 18%?

 

[okeydokey]

Didn't she used to add a 15% tip to the cost of the meal on $40 a day? I always thought she did. If so, she is not a bad tipper, she is an average tipper.

 

[happygirl]

I'd like to see how much the server got after the filming was done before I form any opinions

 

[drcmk]

I'd like to see how much the server got after the filming was done before I form any opinions

I think the primary point is that the point of the show is fraudulent, since an ordinary person could NOT (even if they went to the restaurants the same day as R.R.) purchase the same amount of food for the same money because a real person would have to leave a real tip--not a couples-of-cents-TV-tip, like Rachael does.

The tip thing has always bothered me about this show. The other thing that bothers me is that this lady LOVES to eat just about anything. No matter what someone puts in front of her, it is THE BEST one of those she has ever had and she thinks it is delicious.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Just for fun, I did some figgerin' .

When she was in Boston, the tax on restaurant food was only 10% (ah, the good old days - when we could afford to dine out... ). Food Network lists the places she ate, but not what she ordered.
Breakfast was at a "local farmers' market" also known as Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market (obviously I have some comments on their designation, but I'll reserve those unless someone asks). If I remember correctly, and based on the recipe on the FN site, she had a muffin and coffee. The place she ate is a bakery counter - no tip.

Lunch was (again, apparently based on the website recipe) a clam roll from the world-famous Kelly's Roast Beef stand, which she shared with a seagull. No, that's not on. The site. I saw the episode. Again, not a tipping situation. Between the two meals, I don't think she spent $15 with tax.

Now, dinner was at a sit-down restaurant, Giacomo's. She had, i think, just a (meatless) entree; I don't recall what she drank, but for some reason water with lemon comes to mind. Whatever it was, no alcohol. Later she went to a bar for a drink (beer?) where, yeah, she probably tipped a dollar.

Now the money*:

• Start with $40
• Subtract $1.90, because $38.10 is 95% of $40, leaving 5% for tax.
• Subtract $4.97, because $33.13 is 85% of $38.10, leaving 15% for tipping.
• Subtract $13 because that's what I recall was spent on the first two meals.

That leaves just over $20 for an entree and a drink - it sounds plausible.

*I know different locales and even different items ordered would produce different results.

 

[arminnie]

10% was the norm not that many years ago.

Not in my lifetime, and I'm 65 years old. And in Arkansas which has historically been a very poor state so not a lot of big time spenders here.

I even remember when it was rude not to leave at least a quarter as a tip. Back when the bill might be 75 cents.

I tend to tip 20% on the total and round up to an even dollar amount. Like an extra 50 cents is going to break me.

People here seem to complain a lot about how they are not tipping for bad service. I can't remember the last time I got bad service - like back in the 70s??? Now sometimes I get FABULOUS service like at Commander's Palace in New Orleans - but they know me there. So I do know the difference between good and bad service.

 

[DisDr.]

Just to clarify, a tip is not mandatory, it is something you leave as a sign you appreciated the service and meal... Why would anyone think it is their business to see how much someone else tipped or didn't?

This.

 

[disykat]

Just for fun, when dh and I were at a restaurant (a diner) this afternoon I sat and figured out what the guy made if everyone tipped 20%.

First he made at least minimum wage (as I said, our state requires this) so 8.67. During the hour we were there, it wasn't that busy because it was not yet dinner hour. He had 16 people in his section. So, if he was turning over approx. $160 an hour (a very low estimate for what I saw people ordering - I know we spent more than $10 apiece) at 20% that would mean $32. He was bussing his own tables but there was a host, so he might have to tip share. I'll assume he's tip sharing and deduct $10. For the hour we were there he would have earned at least $30. There was a steady flow of people coming as people were leaving. As I said - it wasn't even dinner hour yet.

He did not give very good service. I had to catch his eye to get him to take our order and again to get our check. We tipped 15% with absolutely no guilt whatsoever. Generally I double the tax and round up, which ends up slightly less than 20% but we went a little lower because of the poor service.

 

[tasha99]

The going rate now is 20%.. not even 15.... like I said, I got 15% back in 1987... my DD's both have and are servers.. and they average 20%

I think the going rate is still 15%. 10% for lousy service and 20% for great service, but usually 15. Servers make more than they did in the 80's because prices have gone up. Maybe your DD gets 20% because she's really good at her job.

 

[Gmouse]

What Country are you from.. not here in the United States.. I see your tag says "Washington".. and that is here I use to wait tables in a small place to help out a friend of mine when he first opened up.. that was in 1987.. and I was getting 15% then, that was in NY... 24 years ago is many years ago.

I am from SC and here....10% is all your gonna get!! 15% at a really nice place-if you have 6 or more...and that's IF you're any good. The Disney's typical 18% tip is UNHEARD OF around here. That's a meal by itself. My husband has a VERRRRY hard time with this when we are at Dis. I have to say- we never leave 18%. The food is so outrageously expensive, we make it to Disney by the skin of our teeth! There really should be way to help out those families that really want to go, and can't because it's so expensive. The average person these days can't do it without getting a LOAN or just breaking the bank. The food always costs us more than the room or anything. And the food is not the greatest I've ever had and we've never had service that was even worth 15%...just "here's your dinner, would you like more tea and have a good night............" Nothing really outstanding. But...we don't go to Dis for the food we go for the FUN
Up north, people make a whole lot more money and Disney seems to think we all do. I LOVE YOU DISNEY, but the tipping fee is rediculous. I used to wait tables and I know it's alot of work (we did not even get 10%- "$1 per person" was the norm. And alot of folks here still think it! It was tuff... especially on busy nights with rude, hungry, tired people. But 18%... is just too much. When we are treated good, we tip accordingly. But to tell me I HAVE to leave 18%....nope. I would have flipped if anyone EVER gave me 18%!! NOBODY gets it in our town!

 

[Janepod]

I am really surprised by these regional differences. Here (CT and NYC) we always tip 20 percent. If I ever left 15 percent I'd be afraid to show my face again.

 

[Judique]

Okay... I have a scenario.

If you and your friend go to a restaurant such as the Old Hickory steak house at Gaylord and the entree costs $56 - the kobe beef filet, and you have appetizers and desserts and a glass of wine each and the bill comes to about $250 and you've been there about 1 hour total, do you think that warrants a $50 tip (20%) for two customers for 1 hour for the waiter? And - he's doing 5-6 tables at the same time - not all evening - all evening he may do 15 tables - and tip sharing.

I should add that this was a real situation - real check - I was one of the 2 dining and the food was excellent.

 

[TinkPirateMom]

Okay... I have a scenario.

If you and your friend go to a restaurant such as the Old Hickory steak house at Gaylord and the entree costs $56 - the kobe beef filet, and you have appetizers and desserts and a glass of wine each and the bill comes to about $250 and you've been there about 1 hour total, do you think that warrants a $50 tip (20%) for two customers for 1 hour for the waiter? And - he's doing 5-6 tables at the same time - not all evening - all evening he may do 15 tables - and tip sharing.

I should add that this was a real situation - real check - I was one of the 2 dining and the food was excellent.

Yes, on a $250.00 check I would tip $50.00 unless there were any huge mistakes or neglect from the waitstaff, then probably $40.00.

 

[mrodgers]

Yes, on a $250.00 check I would tip $50.00 unless there were any huge mistakes or neglect from the waitstaff, then probably $40.00.

My question then is, why is it that the waitstaff at a place serving $250 meals for 2 people deserve $50/hour just for 1 table and the waitstaff at a chain restaurant only deserves $10 for that same amount of work? It doesn't take more work to bring a plate of $250 food to me than it does to bring $50 food to me. That is the problem of tipping on a percentage. Tips should be a $ amount, not based on the price or overprice of a meal.

 

[TinkPirateMom]

My question then is, why is it that the waitstaff at a place serving $250 meals for 2 people deserve $50/hour just for 1 table and the waitstaff at a chain restaurant only deserves $10 for that same amount of work? It doesn't take more work to bring a plate of $250 food to me than it does to bring $50 food to me. That is the problem of tipping on a percentage. Tips should be a $ amount, not based on the price or overprice of a meal.

There is no rule that you can't tip your TGIF server $50.00 on a $100.00 check. I'm sure they would greatly appreciate it.

More formal/expensive/fine dining restaurants do not give their servers 5-6 table stations. Fine dining establishments pride themselves on stellar customer service. Therefore, the servers in truly upper end restaurants tend to wait on less tables at one time, perhaps 2-3. Whereas servers at chain restaurants may wait on average 6 tables at a time. So even though the menu items cost less at chain type restaurants the servers make money by waiting on a larger quantity of tables in one shift. Fine dining servers wait on less tables but generally make more from each table due to tipping on percentages. The theory is that the consumer should be receiving more personalized attention and an overall higher quality of food and service combined and therefore tip based on that.

Furthermore, in many (I know there will be exceptions) instances, servers must tip out and pay taxes according to sales NOT tips.

I think when dining patrons think of their tip as part of their budget for dining out that evening then there is less debate (for lack of a better word) over the proper amount to tip. When patrons view the tip as an extra fee for dining out then they may feel reluctance or even annoyed at having to tip.

 

[happygirl]

My question then is, why is it that the waitstaff at a place serving $250 meals for 2 people deserve $50/hour just for 1 table and the waitstaff at a chain restaurant only deserves $10 for that same amount of work? It doesn't take more work to bring a plate of $250 food to me than it does to bring $50 food to me. That is the problem of tipping on a percentage. Tips should be a $ amount, not based on the price or overprice of a meal.

You are really over simplfying sp? it?

 

[Judique]

There is no rule that you can't tip your TGIF server $50.00 on a $100.00 check. I'm sure they would greatly appreciate it.

More formal/expensive/fine dining restaurants do not give their servers 5-6 table stations. Fine dining establishments pride themselves on stellar customer service. Therefore, the servers in truly upper end restaurants tend to wait on less tables at one time, perhaps 2-3. Whereas servers at chain restaurants may wait on average 6 tables at a time. So even though the menu items cost less at chain type restaurants the servers make money by waiting on a larger quantity of tables in one shift. Fine dining servers wait on less tables but generally make more from each table due to tipping on percentages. The theory is that the consumer should be receiving more personalized attention and an overall higher quality of food and service combined and therefore tip based on that.

Furthermore, in many (I know there will be exceptions) instances, servers must tip out and pay taxes according to sales NOT tips.

I think when dining patrons think of their tip as part of their budget for dining out that evening then there is less debate (for lack of a better word) over the proper amount to tip. When patrons view the tip as an extra fee for dining out then they may feel reluctance or even annoyed at having to tip.

Just an add to this.

The waiter visited at least 5-6 tables. One or two may have finished shortly after our arrival. I could see him. Yet the service was excellent.

There was a maitre d', a busboy, a guy for the water and bread, a wine steward, the waiter. The manager stopped by and the chef came out and checked on our table. The place was full. The only thing we didn't get was the view. We had an inside table.

 

[TinkPirateMom]

Just an add to this.

The waiter visited at least 5-6 tables. One or two may have finished shortly after our arrival. I could see him. Yet the service was excellent.

There was a maitre d', a busboy, a guy for the water and bread, a wine steward, the waiter. The manager stopped by and the chef came out and checked on our table. The place was full. The only thing we didn't get was the view. We had an inside table.

So the tip that was left did not just go to the server. The server had to tip out to all of these other front of house staff members that assisted in your dining experience. ETA except the manager of course. ETA more: and the amount the server had to give these other staff member very well could be based on your total check amount not the amount you tipped.