Tipping Advice from former waitgirl!

[schoen]

So many points to be made here...




3. Poor service should not receive the standard customary tip. My suggestion is to always leave something but if you want the server to realize that you just did not forget to tip, leave something so small that they get the point easily.

I disagree with this. Leaving a small tip does not tell the server that they did a bad job, it makes them think you are either a jerk or cheap. I have 10 years in the industry, and 8 of them as a server, and I can tell you that this is exactly what I thought. I always went to work and did my best, so even though I may not have always been "on" my perception was that I was trying my hardest.

When I have wretched service I tip the low end of standard procedure, 15% and I talk to a manager. It is their job to reprimand servers, not the guests.

I accept when I go out the I am expected to tip a server, I also realize that the reason for that is because if they were not tipped I would be paying 17 dollars for a cup of soup. The overhead at these places is just CRAZY.

 

[TLSnell1981]

I worked as a waitress in an Irish restuarant during summer breaks from school. It was a fun loving big drinking kind of a place. There was a downstairs that would open only on super busy nights.(Used mostly for parties)It wasn't used often because the kitchen and bar were upstairs so if you were working downstairs you ran up and down those stairs often.

One Saturday night I had a downstairs section(we rotated working it) I had 3 tables of 10 sit down all at the same time!!! I was freaking out but dealt with them all in my up front I'm here to help and doing my best if I am not let me know attitude.
Well one of my tables of 10 had an obnoxious drunk man at it. And he was unrelenting all night. Treating me like dirt. Complaining talking down to me ect. My boss wanted to slap an automatice 20% tip on their bill and I said "No he can give me what he wants I don't want more of a scene with the forced gratuity"

Well his wife was mortified by his behaviour as were the people with him. They ALL Tipped me. His wife handed me $100! And others were handing me $20's And the funny thing is Mr. Obnoxious sobbered up and was sorry and tipped me 20% on top of the bill!!
So my most obnoxious table ever turned into my most lucrative table ever!

I know I sound like a broken record, but the servers attitude is the most important aspect of their job. More often than not, my experience has been the same as yours. It helps to have a self-deprecating sense of humor and to be very understanding to your customer. I have only had to kick one or two customers to the curb over the years....and that wasn't because the waitstaff couldn't handle them.

 

[joenan88]

Leaving a small tip does not tell the server that they did a bad job, it makes them think you are either a jerk or cheap. I have 10 years in the industry, and 8 of them as a server, and I can tell you that this is exactly what I thought. I always went to work and did my best, so even though I may not have always been "on" my perception was that I was trying my hardest.

When I have wretched service I tip the low end of standard procedure, 15% and I talk to a manager. It is their job to reprimand servers, not the guests.

I accept when I go out the I am expected to tip a server, I also realize that the reason for that is because if they were not tipped I would be paying 17 dollars for a cup of soup. The overhead at these places is just CRAZY.

Again here is the definition of a tip:

Optional payment given in addition to a required payment, usually to express appreciation for excellent service.


I will not leave 15% for crappy service..no one should have to..it is an optional show of appreciation..so until they change the definition of a tip it will be at my discretion...

 

[DiszyDean]

Again here is the definition of a tip:

Optional payment given in addition to a required payment, usually to express appreciation for excellent service.


I will not leave 15% for crappy service..no one should have to..it is an optional show of appreciation..so until they change the definition of a tip it will be at my discretion...

Tipping is a very personal thing. There are established and accepted (as much as some people hate to admit it) guidelines for good standard service. When it comes to poor service, all bets are off IMO. I personally agree with you that if you receive lousy service, 15% is too much and in extreme cases I personally would rather leave a quarter tip or something ridiculously low to get my point across than for the server to think I just forgot to leave one. Not that everyone would take that same stand. They can consider me a jerk but they should also consider the level of service they were providing. That being said, I have probably only done that twice in my life for extremely rude and negligent service.

 

[schoen]

Again here is the definition of a tip:

Optional payment given in addition to a required payment, usually to express appreciation for excellent service.


I will not leave 15% for crappy service..no one should have to..it is an optional show of appreciation..so until they change the definition of a tip it will be at my discretion...

This is simply a difference in opinion. I do not see it as optional. I see it as a required expense. I know that tipping the server helps keep menu prices low. I know I have a pretty liberal view on tipping, but it comes from personal experience and a knowledge of just how costly it is to run a restaurant. When I don't feel like shelling out an extra 20% go to places that don't have servers.

 

[DiszyDean]

I think the poster was referring to the OP stating 30% is where one should start when deciding on a gratuity. Last time I did the math, 20 is "double" 10...and 30 is "double" 15.

1. The OP did not state that 30% is where everyone should start. She said that is where she starts and goes down from there. And in she recognized in later posts and stated that she does not expect everyone to use the same method as her.

2. The poster in question stated that the standard tip had "doubled in her lifetime", not since the creation of this thread. I do not think she was referring to the OPs original 30% method.

I find it funny that people refuse to recognize the fact that in the 1940's and 1950s, the lower end tip was considered 10% and the higher level tip was considered 15%. Probably the middle ground was somewhere in between. So, if you take the higher end standard tip back then of 15% and the higher end standard tip now of 20%, it has actually gone up 5%.

I think someone posted on another thread about watching an old "Leave it to Beaver" episode where Ward advised Wally who was going on a date that the customary tip at a resteraunt was 15%. Interesting capture of the times back then.

5% in 60 years which is less than 1% every 10 years....

Oh my, where will it all end?

 

[Lureen]

Reading this thread, I have one question--

Is your tipping percentage based on the entire bill, including tax, or on the bill amount before the tax is added?

At one time, I thought it was it customary to tip 15% on the whole bill (i.e., with tax) and 20% on the bill's total without tax.

 

[DiszyDean]

Reading this thread, I have one question--

Is your tipping percentage based on the entire bill, including tax, or on the bill amount before the tax is added?

At one time, I thought it was it customary to tip 15% on the whole bill (i.e., with tax) and 20% on the bill's total without tax.

Tips should be based on the bill pre-tax. Servers only claim the total amount of food sales and are taxed on tips from that amount, not including sales tax and that is traditionally what the tip should be based on. Food/beverage sales.

However, that is only a guideline and people should feel comfortable tipping whatever works for them within acceptable standards.

 

[Bill From PA]

I know that tipping the server helps keep menu prices low.

Which WDW table service eateries have these low prices? We're going in a few weeks and perhaps I can change our ADRs to the bargain restaurants.

Bill From PA

 

[DiszyDean]

1. The OP did not state that 30% is where everyone should start. She said that is where she starts and goes down from there. And in she recognized in later posts and stated that she does not expect everyone to use the same method as her.

2. The poster in question stated that the standard tip had "doubled in her lifetime", not since the creation of this thread. I do not think she was referring to the OPs original 30% method.

I find it funny that people refuse to recognize the fact that in the 1940's and 1950s, the lower end tip was considered 10% and the higher level tip was considered 15%. Probably the middle ground was somewhere in between. So, if you take the higher end standard tip back then of 15% and the higher end standard tip now of 20%, it has actually gone up 5%.

I think someone posted on another thread about watching an old "Leave it to Beaver" episode where Ward advised Wally who was going on a date that the customary tip at a resteraunt was 15%. Interesting capture of the times back then.

5% in 60 years which is less than 1% every 10 years....

Oh my, where will it all end?

I should clarify before the math wizards attack that when I say up 5%, I mean that your are paying on average 5% more of the total bill than you would have been expected to 60 years ago.

 

[TLSnell1981]

Diszy, you can use whatever fuzzy math you would like. You can make the figures say whatever you want....it's okay. This is just a discussion board. It doesn't mean we have to agree though.

I'm really surprised this thread hasn't been Pumbaa'd or Nala'd by now.

 

[Tricia1972]

I'm really surprised this thread hasn't been Pumbaa'd or Nala'd by now.

I agree with you. I actually think that this thread never belonged on this particular board. This is the Disney Restaurant board and the OP was giving general tipping advice, that really didn't have much to do with Disney.

I also feel that when a person giving advice says "I do this" they are attempting to indicate that what they do should be the standard. I understand that they've since posted that they didn't mean that, I am just simply interpreting the original intent as I saw it.

Regarding the percentage of tip increasing over the years, I assume that most of us are paying higher prices for our food than we were years ago also, so even if the tipping percentage did not increase, the servers salaries have.

For fun I looked online and found the menu for The Beverly Hills Club in 1950. I imagine that this would be one of the most expensive places around.

Scallops - $2.25
Asparagus - $.75
Ice Cream - $.50
Total Bill $3.50
Tip $.35-$.53


I can't imagine that you'd leave a place like that today for anything close to $3.50.

AGAIN I am not saying don't tip and don't tip well. We ourselves tip about 30% on occasion. I just find myself frustrated with the sense of entitlement I get from some servers who post.

Servers should be rewarded and rewarded well for doing their job, but they should still have to do their job to be rewarded.

 

[DiszyDean]

I agree with you. I actually think that this thread never belonged on this particular board. This is the Disney Restaurant board and the OP was giving general tipping advice, that really didn't have much to do with Disney.

I also feel that when a person giving advice says "I do this" they are attempting to indicate that what they do should be the standard. I understand that they've since posted that they didn't mean that, I am just simply interpreting the original intent as I saw it.

Regarding the percentage of tip increasing over the years, I assume that most of us are paying higher prices for our food than we were years ago also, so even if the tipping percentage did not increase, the servers salaries have.

For fun I looked online and found the menu for The Beverly Hills Club in 1950. I imagine that this would be one of the most expensive places around.

Scallops - $2.25
Asparagus - $.75
Ice Cream - $.50
Total Bill $3.50
Tip $.35-$.53


I can't imagine that you'd leave a place like that today for anything close to $3.50.

AGAIN I am not saying don't tip and don't tip well. We ourselves tip about 30% on occasion. I just find myself frustrated with the sense of entitlement I get from some servers who post.

Servers should be rewarded and rewarded well for doing their job, but they should still have to do their job to be rewarded.

I am not sure I am understanding the point here....

Wages have gone up for everyone since 1950, not just servers. Cost of living has gone up for everyone also (at a higher rate than wages, I might add).

Also, I would like any of the people who are so "frustrated at the sense of entitlement from servers who post" to direct me to the post where a server has stated that they expect to be rewarded for doing their job poorly. Fact is, it just isn't there. On message boards like this, people tend to jump on a bandwagon whether or not there are any actual facts to support it.

 

[DiszyDean]

Diszy, you can use whatever fuzzy math you would like. You can make the figures say whatever you want....it's okay. This is just a discussion board. It doesn't mean we have to agree though.

I'm really surprised this thread hasn't been Pumbaa'd or Nala'd by now.

Just because it doesn't support your position, doesn't make it "fuzzy". I didn't make the figures say anything, they are what they are. There is historical basis to what was considered the standard tip 60 years ago and what it is now. Its not made up. Its not just my opinion.

 

[cymbaldiva]

Which WDW table service eateries have these low prices? We're going in a few weeks and perhaps I can change our ADRs to the bargain restaurants.

Bill From PA

 

[Tricia1972]

I am not sure I am understanding the point here....

Wages have gone up for everyone since 1950, not just servers. Cost of living has gone up for everyone also (at a higher rate than wages, I might add).

Also, I would like any of the people who are so "frustrated at the sense of entitlement from servers who post" to direct me to the post where a server has stated that they expect to be rewarded for doing their job poorly. Fact is, it just isn't there. On message boards like this, people tend to jump on a bandwagon whether or not there are any actual facts to support it.

I am responding to the theory that the percentages increase to help cover the cost of living. Not necessarily a theory you support, and thus not directed at you.

Regarding entitlement issues, feel free to browse any of the many closed tipping threads on this board. You'll find tons of entitlement there. No bandwagon jumping on my part, it's something that's bugged me for quite a while. On those threads you'll find one particular Disney Server who is full of entitlement and the facts that you seek are there.

 

[Tricia1972]

I am responding to the theory that the percentages increase to help cover the cost of living. Not necessarily a theory you support, and thus not directed at you.

Regarding entitlement issues, feel free to browse any of the many closed tipping threads on this board. You'll find tons of entitlement there. No bandwagon jumping on my part, it's something that's bugged me for quite a while. On those threads you'll find one particular Disney Server who is full of entitlement and the facts that you seek are there.

Before my cost of living figure is attacked. The average annual income was $3,500 in the 50's. I'd assume that the average income is around $35,000 or lower per person now. I'll use $35,000 because it's such a nice round number compared to 1950.

$3,500 x 10 = $35,000

$3.50 - Meal in 1950 at a high end restaurant in Beverly Hills California

$3.50 x 10 = $35.00

I think that it's pretty safe to assume that a high end meal of scallops, vegetable and dessert could cost $35.00 today at a high end restaurant. Which indicates to me that the menu prices are increasing at a proportionate rate with the wages themselves.

Again, not directed at you personally DiszyDean.

 

[DiszyDean]

I am responding to the theory that the percentages increase to help cover the cost of living. Not necessarily a theory you support, and thus not directed at you.

Regarding entitlement issues, feel free to browse any of the many closed tipping threads on this board. You'll find tons of entitlement there. No bandwagon jumping on my part, it's something that's bugged me for quite a while. On those threads you'll find one particular Disney Server who is full of entitlement and the facts that you seek are there.

What about the half dozen or so servers and former servers that have posted in this thread? Seems like based on the number of actual servers that post, it is quite a generalization to me. But, so be it.

 

[Tricia1972]

What about the half dozen or so servers and former servers that have posted in this thread? Seems like based on the number of actual servers that post, it is quite a generalization to me. But, so be it.

Which is why I still tip well personally. I understand that a few jerks who are servers are not representative of the entire industry. It is just frustrating to hear from the entitled loudmouths again and again. Admittedly those posts in the past tend to cause my feathers to ruffle prematurely when I read a post like the original post on this thread.

Someone who offers "Tipping Advice" and says that they start at 30% seems to be fishing for 30% for themselves and other servers. Similar to how a thread of yours stating "Legal Advice" that followed with an "I do ______ ". From that one could infer that your own actions construe part of such legal advice, after you are a lawyer and one would believe that you have the inside edge on knowing what to do in a legal situation.

There are servers that are adorable and wonderful on the boards too. mommy2my3kids and DizServer and Buffalo(something) are all refreshing and seem level headed. There are others too, just none whose usernames pop into my head.

A few rowdy kids in a restaurant can cause adults to think all kids are rowdy. Similarly a few entitled jerks can give the impression that all servers are greedy. It's not fair, but it's just sometimes how it is.

As I said, I've been able to keep this out of my real life and as such I still tip well.

 

[Mermaid_Ariel]

I'm bored.

So, how 'bout that Mouse?