Table service tipping

[dpswift]

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.

I tend to tip well at Disney. Our tip is normally included on the bill but I throw an extra $5 on the table. I am sure many people think I am cheap because they don’t realize we fall into the added gratuity group.

Every trip my favorite bartender and lounge server gets a $20 tip in addition to my normal tips. I tip a higher percent during the YeHa Bob show because my husband and son don’t drink and the tables are always full.

 

[Miffy]

We tip at least 20% of the entire bill, including tax, and we almost always leave cash, except on the rare occasion when we've forgotten it. Sometimes at WDW I'll have a TS meal by myself and when I do, I overtip, since I feel the server has been shortchanged by having a two-top with only one patron.

 

[ajlsjl]

For average/good service, I tip 20%. For poor service (depending on how poor), it's 10-15%. For great service, 25-30%.

 

[Robber Baron]

We tip 22 - 25% off the bottom line number.

Just spent a week at Disney and all the service we received was stellar.

Many say restaurants should pay their waitpeople more and eliminate tips, but, I can't imagine how the service would deteriorate if they did this.

One thing is, if we have a big party and there is an automatic gratuity, I will sometimes make it clear to them up front that if they add a grat to my check, that's exactly what they're getting. 90% of the time they will not add the required tip to the bill.

And, by the way, it's not bragging if we are answering the question that was asked.

 

[TCRAIG]

I tip the same at Disney as I do at home - 20% of the entire bill (before any discounts) and then add extra to round up the total to make a whole number ending in either 5 or 0. So a bill of $50.55 would end up getting a $14.45 tip to make the whole bill $65.

 

[Threehearts]

Since to my knowledge, no waitperson is setting the food prices in any restaurant, the cost of my meal is not a factor. I tip 20% for good service and more for very good service. If I can afford to eat out in restaurants, I can afford to tip what I do. I would rather eat out less if it meant I had to scrimp on tipping waitstaff. The price of food is something to consider when I choose where and how often to dine out.

 

[pens4821]

Many say restaurants should pay their waitpeople more and eliminate tips, but, I can't imagine how the service would deteriorate if they did this.

I couldn’t agree more with this. In the long run I believe it would cost people the same if not more and the service would be much worse. In PA the server minimum wage is 2.83. Say restaurants started paying 20ish an hour to their servers. Where do you think that added cost will be made up? In the cost of the food/drinks is where it would come from. There would also be less staff I’d assume so that also would hinder the experience.

Not only that but not having to go out of their way to make money because they know they’re making the same no matter what service is given. Most servers aren’t going to run around and kiss people’s *** for nothing extra. Plus I’m sure that most places wouldn’t pay 20 and even if they do that would probably be a wage cut to the servers.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

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.

Around here it’s hard to get serving positions, especially at places known for good tips. My daughter applied to a lot of restaurants and bars and they’d hire her but they had so many people employed each girl was getting one shift a week. Those with more seniority would get the weekends and make the big money. And this was at a lot of places.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I tip 20% at home and at Disney. It’s just easier to do the math in my head.

If service is amazing I’ll do 25-30% but that’s rare. I tipped extra for Toppolino’s breakfast last trip because our server was amazing. We actually asked him if he worked dinner so we could make an ADR for his shift but he said he’s a different person at night and only works mornings.

At a Disney buffet I tip no more than $20. Come for me if you want but I’m not tipping 20% at a $200+ buffet where I have to get up and get my own food. No way no how. I do tip 20% at Ohana.

 

[Brian Noble]

I start at 20%, post-tax. Usually a smidge higher. I follow Miss Manners' suggestion that it be independent of type of service.
https://www.disboards.com/threads/miss-manners-tipping-website.1814275/post-24910682

 

[mjkacmom]

Around here it’s hard to get serving positions, especially at places known for good tips. My daughter applied to a lot of restaurants and bars and they’d hire her but they had so many people employed each girl was getting one shift a week. Those with more seniority would get the weekends and make the big money. And this was at a lot of places.

And if they didn’t get great tips? Most of the more popular shifts are also the hardest. Sure, a sleepy lunch shift might be easy, but you get paid a lot more on a busy Saturday night. All of my girls were servers, one bartends, but they came up through the ranks, and the more experience, the better the shifts (better meaning much more work).

 

[Elizakapeka]

I tip 20% of the total bill after tax and I live in chicago with 10.25% tax, I feel like we get a tax break on vacation

 

[mi*vida*loca]

And if they didn’t get great tips? Most of the more popular shifts are also the hardest. Sure, a sleepy lunch shift might be easy, but you get paid a lot more on a busy Saturday night. All of my girls were servers, one bartends, but they came up through the ranks, and the more experience, the better the shifts (better meaning much more work).

I agree the weekends are the harder shifts. They work their butts off and earn their money. I’m just saying around here server jobs are hard to get. You said folks aren’t desperate for serving positions but in my area there aren’t a lot of openings for servers since people are all over them.

Like a pp said, there’s rarely, if ever, any server positions open at WDW since people know they can make good money on tips.

 

[mjkacmom]

I agree the weekends are the harder shifts. They work their butts off and earn their money. I’m just saying around here server jobs are hard to get. You said folks aren’t desperate for serving positions but in my area there aren’t a lot of openings for servers since people are all over them.

Like a pp said, there’s rarely, if ever, any server positions open at WDW since people know they can make good money on tips.

I think it’s harder to get folks to fill the novice restaurant positions, like hostess, cashier, bus boy, dishwasher, but many places you start from the bottom and work your way up.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I think it’s harder to get folks to fill the novice restaurant positions, like hostess, cashier, bus boy, dishwasher, but many places you start from the bottom and work your way up.

Yes! Those positions are always open but a lot of people don’t want to work their way up.

 

[mistysue]

At a Disney buffet I tip no more than $20. Come for me if you want but I’m not tipping 20% at a $200+ buffet where I have to get up and get my own food. No way no how. I do tip 20% at Ohana.

I used to see people say 15-20% for sit down, but only 10% for a buffet. I've noticed people stopped saying that, and those buffest are really the ones where I think most have such a huge issue with these 20+% tips. I mean when they are charging $50+ per person, and you see a server 3 times to order and deliver drinks... making over $60 for a 6 person table feels silly it's so high.

 

[focusondisney]

I used to see people say 15-20% for sit down, but only 10% for a buffet. I've noticed people stopped saying that, and those buffest are really the ones where I think most have such a huge issue with these 20+% tips. I mean when they are charging $50+ per person, and you see a server 3 times to order and deliver drinks... making over $60 for a 6 person table feels silly it's so high.

I know some people say buffet servers work just as hard because they’re picking up lots of dirty plates. I understand your feeling about the amount of tip sometimes being so high it feels silly. I have a similar feeling. But my issue is having to tip more based on the entree we order. We’re usually a party of 2, order soft drinks, we both get appetizers & entrees. Even with apps, we’re generally done with our meal in about an hour. So giving double the tip because we ordered $55 steaks instead of $25 pasta or chicken is what gets me. Does the server actually do any more work bringing a steak? I just checked the menu at Topolino’s. For ease of math, I’m just listing the apps & entrees. If we ordered 2 of the cheapest apps & entrees, comes to $98, approx $20 tip. If we ordered the 2 most expensive apps & 2 filets, it comes to $156, or a $30 tip. Does the server actually do more work to warrant $10 more when we order expensive items? If I include beverages & tax before I calculate the tip, $40 tip for an hour serving 2 people starts to seem silly to me too.

 

[FreeTime]

yep sounds like us most places we go but we do have one place we go pretty much every saturday morning thats different. We sit at the bar as bartender is a friend of ours. There are about 6 of us regulars. We generally stay for 3 or 4 hours so I make sure I tip at least 25%. Most of the time more as we are taking up space for so long

Taking up space for that long is in my book at least a 50% tip as typically multiple people there for 45 mins each will have a combined higher tab equating to more tips. I did the math on an average ticket for one hour for two at our local place. Hours 3-4 are typically lower due to having food ordered the first hour. The server comes out ahead by seeing 5 parties over 4 hours than 1 tipping slightly more.

 

[fla4fun]

I know some people say buffet servers work just as hard because they’re picking up lots of dirty plates. I understand your feeling about the amount of tip sometimes being so high it feels silly. I have a similar feeling. But my issue is having to tip more based on the entree we order. We’re usually a party of 2, order soft drinks, we both get appetizers & entrees. Even with apps, we’re generally done with our meal in about an hour. So giving double the tip because we ordered $55 steaks instead of $25 pasta or chicken is what gets me. Does the server actually do any more work bringing a steak? I just checked the menu at Topolino’s. For ease of math, I’m just listing the apps & entrees. If we ordered 2 of the cheapest apps & entrees, comes to $98, approx $20 tip. If we ordered the 2 most expensive apps & 2 filets, it comes to $156, or a $30 tip. Does the server actually do more work to warrant $10 more when we order expensive items? If I include beverages & tax before I calculate the tip, $40 tip for an hour serving 2 people starts to seem silly to me too.

Taking up space for that long is in my book at least a 50% tip as typically multiple people there for 45 mins each will have a combined higher tab equating to more tips. I did the math on an average ticket for one hour for two at our local place. Hours 3-4 are typically lower due to having food ordered the first hour. The server comes out ahead by seeing 5 parties over 4 hours than 1 tipping slightly more.

I agree on both counts. Actually, I think it would be more fair to the patrons and the servers if tips were a flat rate per 30 minutes at the table, rounded up. That would flatten the difference in tips due to the cost of the meal, and it would take care of the servers where a party stays 3-4 hours. Our TS meals at most restaurants run about an hour and a half, depending on whether we have apps, dessert, or both.

But that is not the way it’s set up right now, and I don’t see much motivation to change it, at least as far as the restaurants are concerned.

 

[MillauFr]

Why doesn't Disney just charge a 20% service fee? Many of the foreigners who aren't used to the tipping nonsense in the United States don't understand the thing where the servers are paid mostly by how much tips people leave.