Table service tipping

[mjkacmom]

I tip on vacation like I tip at home - 20-25% (depending on my allergy needs), pre-tax and pre-discounts (I do use a lot of Groupons and get lunch deals so I add back the amount the regular price would be to my bill before computing tip).

HOWEVER, usually (not always) I am in a party of 6. So, if the auto-tip is added, I don't add any further tip. The wait staff decided they wanted to decide the tip vs me, so on the tip line, I just add the words "already included."

I’m pretty sure the restaurant owner makes those decisions.

 

[mjkacmom]

I end up tipping around 18-20%, and usually feel bitter about it because the cost of food drives that up to an absurd hourly wage for a server. I mean sometimes you get really great service, but more often than not it's like "uh, I just paid $30-60 for an hour, wasn't your only table, and never got a refill" At the low end there, if they've got four tables and WDW is paying them $10, that's $70/hour if half the tables stiff them. Hour by hour that's the same pay as an exec making $140K. This whole tipping culture needs to stop, employers need to pay people so they can have reportable income and benefits. I guarantee it would save the typical customer money and most servers would think they were making more because they wouldn't be walking off with unreported cash. (which everyone knows is commonly spent before it's accounted for, leaving the feeling of being broke)

Obviously servers don’t make that much or folks would be desperate for serving positions. They are also on the clock working before the restaurant opens, or after it closes. However, it would be hard to hire servers without tips, that’s the draw for a sucky job.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

This whole tipping culture needs to stop, employers need to pay people so they can have reportable income and benefits.

For restaurants, I doubt in the U.S. it would go away. The few places that have gone no-tip have generally failed. There's a new coffee shop in my metro that opened 7 months ago that I haven't been to yet but they don't do tipping. It may be niche enough to last for a while at least because it's not a chain but I'm going to guess that the profit margins will never be enough to make it last long-term.

I do think, especially since the pandemic, the amount of places we are being shown tip screens is far too much and that part needs to revert backwards.

 

[dioxide45]

I do think, especially since the pandemic, the amount of places we are being shown tip screens is far too much and that part needs to revert backwards.

The consensus that I am seeing from many is that if you are standing when you order, you shouldn't be tipping. Square is primarily to blame for the "iPad tip".

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

The consensus that I am seeing from many is that if you are standing when you order, you shouldn't be tipping. Square is primarily to blame for the "iPad tip".

Well that was never a hard and fast rule anyhow IMO. Coffee shops for example you'd be expected to tip even if they only got you something from the case. A long standing bbq counter service place here had a tip screen though to my knowledge it was not used much (at least pre-pandemic) because it was always viewed as counter service.

I wouldn't blame it on any one company, many industries seem to jump on board especially during the pandemic to tipping what used to never be considered to tip. It was basically seen as an opportunity to do so at a time when people's generosity was higher (and some guilted into that). And that has not gone away even when tipping for example take out but picked up by you has gone back to either lower percentage or no tip when during the pandemic people tipped on average well and above normal.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

We tip like we normally would at home. No difference for it being Disney.

 

[dioxide45]

Well that was never a hard and fast rule anyhow IMO.

I don't mean it is a hard and fast rule, especially not with eateries or carry out places that put the tip screens on the device. As consumer we need to say enough is enough. If we are standing to order, we shouldn't be tipping.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I don't mean it is a hard and fast rule, especially not with eateries or carry out places that put the tip screens on the device. As consumer we need to say enough is enough. If we are standing to order, we shouldn't be tipping.

I don't disagree completely but I also think there's room for when places deliver the food to your table. That's truly not uncommon. I'm not saying I would or wouldn't tip or that people should. I think most people are more like "if I'm doing all the work there's nothing for me to really tip on" and unfortunately some of those places are asking for tips when you order yourself, get your food yourself and bus your own table.

 

[mistysue]

Obviously servers don’t make that much or folks would be desperate for serving positions. They are also on the clock working before the restaurant opens, or after it closes. However, it would be hard to hire servers without tips, that’s the draw for a sucky job.

In my experience, most servers and tipped employees don't realize how much they are making. The exact hours and details of it varies dramatically by where they are working, but it is very common to walk out the door with cash and spend some of it before tallying what they have. This is true even with required reporting restaurants where they ask what tip totals are, and many will simply enter in the minimum allowed for their sales. At a place like Disney, all it takes to get up to minimum wage is one or two tables in a whole shift that left a tip. The ratio of non-tippers would rarely be that high.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

The few places that have gone no-tip have generally failed.

Not in my experience. I'm sure some have, but many do okay with it. they just have to make it clear.

In the past, discussions of tipping were not allowed on this forum, because they tend to get ugly.

I'll just say, waiting tables and/or similar tipped employment (like bartending) is the type of job everyone should try for a time, because it is a tremendous learning experience.

 

[mjkacmom]

In my experience, most servers and tipped employees don't realize how much they are making. The exact hours and details of it varies dramatically by where they are working, but it is very common to walk out the door with cash and spend some of it before tallying what they have. This is true even with required reporting restaurants where they ask what tip totals are, and many will simply enter in the minimum allowed for their sales. At a place like Disney, all it takes to get up to minimum wage is one or two tables in a whole shift that left a tip. The ratio of non-tippers would rarely be that high.

One of my daughters is getting her doctorate at BU and bartends 4 nights a week to pay for rent and food. Granted, she usually gets off around 3 am, but I guarantee she counts her tips before spending a dime. She’s on a strict budget.

 

[mistysue]

One of my daughters is getting her doctorate at BU and bartends 4 nights a week to pay for rent and food. Granted, she usually gets off around 3 am, but I guarantee she counts her tips before spending a dime. She’s on a strict budget.

That's why I didn't say all. We are all individuals, and many tipped workers are quite responsible. Many others are so set on the idea they are broke they don't realize how much they are making vs what they would make in a more "stable pay" position.

 

[PHXscuba]

The consensus that I am seeing from many is that if you are standing when you order, you shouldn't be tipping. Square is primarily to blame for the "iPad tip".

My current viewpoint on tipping is this: If you are asking for a "tip" before doing anything -- taking my money, making my food, knowing how long I will wait, etc. -- it's not a tip, it's a surcharge. And if it's optional, I am opting out. If it's (usually a sit-down restaurant) after I've had my food and my service, it's a tip, and I will tip well based, on my experience.

I feel like the iPad tip/surcharge type of places are using this as a way to avoiding paying their workers a full wage and passing the expense of getting up that minimum wage on to customers. And I've had multiple kids working in these surcharge or service charge type of places.

Obviously the iPad tip isn't applying to Disney World venues ... yet.

PHXscuba

 

[TwoMisfits]

I’m pretty sure the restaurant owner makes those decisions.

You'd think, but many restaurants state the policy and yet the wait staff ignore it...

I reward those who trust me to tip, b/c it is at my discretion. When it's not, I agree to the contract price set - 18% mandatory (which is the norm I've seen).

And that's safer in the internet age anyway - I'm not writing "previous $15 tip included in mandatory 18% tip" on my receipt and then leaving $3, looking like I tipped 2-7% on a bill. "Tip already included" when mandatory tips are added to my bill fits on the tip line space and guarantees my receipt does not end up on Yahoo as a viral meme.

 

[TwoMisfits]

The consensus that I am seeing from many is that if you are standing when you order, you shouldn't be tipping. Square is primarily to blame for the "iPad tip".

I disagree slightly. If you are asking for something special, you tip on that special item. I ask for allergy consideration for my food. So, at standing places, I tip nothing on my family's food, but on the allergy order (aka mine - I always separate the 2 orders so nothing gets confused), I tip 20%. I want someone putting extra attention and care on my food, so thus, I'm willing to reward that care and attention.

 

[dpswift]

I disagree slightly. If you are asking for something special, you tip on that special item. I ask for allergy consideration for my food. So, at standing places, I tip nothing on my family's food, but on the allergy order (aka mine - I always separate the 2 orders so nothing gets confused), I tip 20%. I want someone putting extra attention and care on my food, so thus, I'm willing to reward that care and attention.

I work for a stand to tip place. It has changed my opinion. The people that tip usually .50 to $3 have made a difference in our paycheck of about $2 an hour. It has helped our company to recruit better workers. The tables are cleaner, coffe pots are filled workers friendly. Therefore I now always put at least $1 in the tip jar when we go to a similar restaurant. If we can afford $60 for pizza and wings we can give a little to the workers.

 

[MICKIMINI]

We tip minimum 20% but often 30% or more for excellent service. We tip pre tax.

 

[gottalovepluto]

I always find it interesting to read the amounts that people say they tip when in forums like these. Almost like they are trying to brag. But if you ask most servers, they rarely get tips this high, sometimes no tip at all.

CNBC has an article from last year that rather agrees with your suspicions. Most people tipped 15% or less in this survey. I suspect in forums like ours they stay silent- after all reading this thread one could start to think starting a tip at 20% is the US norm while it most definitely is not.

Myself, I’ve settling into 15-20% and I don’t change that unless I’m traveling outside of the country where I abide by their normal tipping customs. I do believe I end up closer to 20% because I’m lazy at math lol.

 

[easyas123]

I tip at Disney the same way I tip at home. Generally 20% unless the server was particularly bad, I will do a lesser amount or if they were top notch, I will do a little more.

Same with us

 

[HopperFan]

I have my own little chart of how much I tip at Disney based on type of restaurant and service I get but the one thing I like to do is that I carry extra $20 bills. If a server gives me exceptional service then on the check I do the normal tip ... but then I thank them for making our meal special and I hand them the $20 bill.