Tipping @ a Buffet?

[sjaakie]

There are many people on this site and who visit WDW from places where tipping is not common, like Europe. So they have no idea about the concept.

Do you think that the comments in these threads of waiters ore formal waiters like “not washing there hands before serving you ore badly talking about you when you have left” will convince them to start tipping ?

A little while back we could also read about waiters spitting into the food. That was really disgusting and the more I read that kind of comments the less I’m willing to tip.

The DIS board is well known in Europe. Mostly is writing in English the problem that stops people to give an answer ore ask a question.

 

[Charleyann]

I see a lot of responses that the wait staff is paid to little to start, but does anyone know that is a fact. Are they actually paid the same at a buffet as a regular full service restuarnat? Or is their base pay higher because most of the job involves busing tables?

Really the customer shouldn't be paying for Disney's staff. Most buffet (meals with required ADRs) are packed and have a continual flow of people. So hopefully they are making some money. How many people would a waitress serve at a buffet in an hour? My table alone this past January, he (Waiter )made a tip of 12.88.(two people) So if he had 3 people in that hour at around the same price $12.88 x 3 = $38.64...

Disney is very smart to charge the 18% . Gives them a cut!

 

[Disney8704]

Your right no one is shooting at me. However, I DO have one of the hardest job and its hardest job in the military. Its called being a military wife.

Wow, I agree.



You may not have intended it, but yes, your post did come off as very insulting to people that work hard as restaurant servers. And please remember, there are some who would seriously question you comparing your job as a wedding planner to being a doctor or nurse who save people's lives, or "going off to Iraq to fight in this war"??? My son is stationed in Qatar right now, and I can guarantee you his job is 1000 times more difficult than planning a wedding. Nobody is shooting at you while you help a bride pick out her cake topper.

 

[Pumbaa_]

I've read a lot of posts that explain why folks tip the standard 18% to buffet servers, and I can see the point that a good buffet server works hard, but all of the standard etiquette guidelines for buffet tipping say 10%: Good Housekeeping, Emily Post, Dear Abby, etc. Even tipping.org says 5%-10% I personally feel 5% is too low -- I'd tip 10% for adequate service (just ok), and 15% for good service (quick bussing, on top of drink refills, friendly, checking to see if we need anything, etc.)


http://tipping.org/tips/buffet.html
http://www.soundmoneytips.com/article/3441-tip-for-tipping-at-buffet-restaurants
http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food/manners/buffet-tipping-oct01
http://monster-blue.blogspot.com/2008/02/buffet-tipping.html

Everyone has excellant points and nice to see different views.

I tip at WDW buffets the same as I tip at any WDW TS. Disney does not place a difference on it and I do feel that at a resort things are different than at a local place.

With the DDE card and prior DDP plans, the gratuity was the same for CP as for CRT. Boma or Jiko, the percentage was the same.

That is how we tip and will continue to tip all TS at WDW the same way. Just my opinion

 

[mdoc]

I voted 18-20%. BUT, that's because the only buffets we ever go to are at WDW, and with my DDE card, I have no choice but to tip at least 18%. If the Mouse was not dictating to me what my minimum tip would be, I'd tip according to service, but probably a couple % points less than normal. So a really good server would get 18-20% or more, and an average one would probably get no more than 15%.

 

[ONdisney]

I tip 15% normally, buffet or not.

 

[Stinky_Pete]

Do you think that the comments in these threads of waiters ore formal waiters like “not washing there hands before serving you ore badly talking about you when you have left” will convince them to start tipping ?

A little while back we could also read about waiters spitting into the food. That was really disgusting and the more I read that kind of comments the less I’m willing to tip.

The DIS board is well known in Europe. Mostly is writing in English the problem that stops people to give an answer ore ask a question.

I remember the thread you are referring to. There were many restaurant people who replied that anyone who did that where they worked would be immediately fired. I believe (and hope) that those types of instances are very rare.

I would hate to be a server at WDW. You have to deal with whiny, crying children, sloppy adults, people who don't know how to tip and elitist snobs who think they deserve to be treated like kings because they can afford a trip to WDW.

That's why I tip 20%. Just because they chose to be servers doesn't mean they have to be treated like pieces of crap.

JMHO

EDITED TO ADD: That's not aimed at anyone in particular, just a generalization of some of the comments I have heard on these boards.

It would not be my first choice of a job either. But there are people who thrive on making a crying child smile, and are up to the challenge of "sloppy adults and elitist snobs." But I'm willing to bet those guests are relatively few and far between. It's more likely we hear about almost every instance because people rush back to their computers and post about the "so and so at the next table at CP."

Also, as I posted on another tipping thread, many people choose to wait tables (even at buffets) for their own personal reasons. Some like the flexible hours, some the interactions with guests, some choose buffets because they don't have to worry about messing up the guest's order, some like the income, etc.

Tipping a WDW server 10% at a buffet is not "treating them like pieces crap." It is a customary amount based on the level of service provided. Now, if I did have a fussy baby or surly dining campanion who gave the server a hard time I would probably tip more because our group required more effort on the server's part (after smacking the surly dining campanion up side the head!). But I don't believe it is my responsibility to tip more to compensate for other diners' behavior or lack of good manners.

 

[TheCooksLuvDisney]

I've read a lot of posts that explain why folks tip the standard 18% to buffet servers, and I can see the point that a good buffet server works hard, but all of the standard etiquette guidelines for buffet tipping say 10%: Good Housekeeping, Emily Post, Dear Abby, etc. Even tipping.org says 5%-10% I personally feel 5% is too low -- I'd tip 10% for adequate service (just ok), and 15% for good service (quick bussing, on top of drink refills, friendly, checking to see if we need anything, etc.)

http://tipping.org/tips/buffet.html
http://www.soundmoneytips.com/article/3441-tip-for-tipping-at-buffet-restaurants
http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food/manners/buffet-tipping-oct01
http://monster-blue.blogspot.com/2008/02/buffet-tipping.html

Excellent information!
I personally tip around 20 percent except for buffets, where the tip starts at 15 percent. As with all tips, the final amount depends on the quality of service. Being friendly and making sure all of the characters come around to the table before we leave, always goes a long way to increase the tip.

 

[doggy]

Here is one for all of you.

On a recent trip to Walt Disneyworld Florida we had dinner at one of the lands in Epcot with the DDP. As was our customary we were tipping from 10% to 15% at all the lands we had dinner at, which were many. At one place at Epcot for dinner we left our customary tip. Our waitress brought back the check along with the money we left for her tip and TOLD us that we did NOT leave enough for a tip and our waitress EXPECTED no less than 18%.

Needless to say nothing was left.

For any waiter or waitress to DEMAND an 18% tip OR to DEMAND more than what we left for a tip, the waitress is in my opinion completely out of line. After all Families spend several thousands of dollars just to take a vacation to Disney AND during that time the money families spend go towards at least in part to paying the wages of the waiters and waitresses..without the tip.

So how many have had this experience happen to them??

 

[Disney8704]

Thats harsh and uncalled for! Just to come up to you and say you didnt tip enough?! Im glad you didnt leave anything afterall. I would have done the same thing. Did you talk to a manager about it? What restraunt did this happen at? What did the waitress do or say when they saw/heard you didnt leave a tip?

Here is one for all of you.

On a recent trip to Walt Disneyworld Florida we had dinner at one of the lands in Epcot with the DDP. As was our customary we were tipping from 10% to 15% at all the lands we had dinner at, which were many. At one place at Epcot for dinner we left our customary tip. Our waitress brought back the check along with the money we left for her tip and TOLD us that we did NOT leave enough for a tip and our waitress EXPECTED no less than 18%.

Needless to say nothing was left.

For any waiter or waitress to DEMAND an 18% tip OR to DEMAND more than what we left for a tip, the waitress is in my opinion completely out of line. After all Families spend several thousands of dollars just to take a vacation to Disney AND during that time the money families spend go towards at least in part to paying the wages of the waiters and waitresses..without the tip.

So how many have had this experience happen to them??

 

[christa112]

Same here. Whether the service is good or bad our waitstaff will get the same.

I guess it won't matter, since we are a party of 6 and it'll be added on our bill automatically anyway. I wonder if they add 18% at buffets as well.

 

[Charleyann]

Here is one for all of you.

On a recent trip to Walt Disneyworld Florida we had dinner at one of the lands in Epcot with the DDP. As was our customary we were tipping from 10% to 15% at all the lands we had dinner at, which were many. At one place at Epcot for dinner we left our customary tip. Our waitress brought back the check along with the money we left for her tip and TOLD us that we did NOT leave enough for a tip and our waitress EXPECTED no less than 18%.

Needless to say nothing was left.

For any waiter or waitress to DEMAND an 18% tip OR to DEMAND more than what we left for a tip, the waitress is in my opinion completely out of line. After all Families spend several thousands of dollars just to take a vacation to Disney AND during that time the money families spend go towards at least in part to paying the wages of the waiters and waitresses..without the tip.

So how many have had this experience happen to them??

Your not getting any tips!

Tips aren't suppose to be mandatory. They are a bonus for good service. If you don't provide that service then you don't get a tip....

Charleyann

 

[kimsuenew]

We tip our "standard 20"... we have been known to tip higher for exceptional service and friendliness (not fake mind you)!