I refuse to pay 18% - 20% on a meal i served to myself...about 10% is sufficient...of course, if we warrent extra work or want more from the staff, we will accomidate but to go into a buffet expecting to pay that much is ubsurd.
We are all entitled to our own opinion here...but what i have a problem with in threads like this is the assertation that wait staff are under paid and it is the rest os society's responsibility to make up the pay. Look, I did not force Susie to be a waitress...just as Susie did not force me to work at a hospital. I do not employ Susie at my restaurant (not that I own one) and pay her less than mimimum wage. Susie knew the pay, the hours, and the kind of work she was getting into when she agreed to take the job. If she wants an average tip...she should provide pleasant service...it's her job. If she wants a higher than normal tip, she shoudl provide better than average service. BUT, it is not my problem if Susie had a bad day or she does not feel well or the place is short staffed...just as it is not her problem if I happen to be taking care of her one day and have had a bad day or don't feel well or are short staffed...I still have to do my job...and even if/when i do it well or above expectations...NO ONE TIPS ME!!!! It is my job...the one I took...the one I knew all about when I agreed to work there.
Everyone works hard...or at least should. That argument with tipping does not hold water. There are many professions that work much harder than wait staff and have not bonus/tip availability.
Bottow Line : if you want a good tip...give good service. It is my option to tip based upon service...not my obligation to you.
And by the way...if any restaurant (Disney included) imposes a manditory tip for all, we won't be eating there...it will be fast food for us.
Who is your post directed at? Who ever says tip 18 - 20 percent no matter what the service? Im going to address the points I see within it.
1. Its not absurd going into a buffet expecting to pay that much, thats the expectation. Thats how it is. Some cultures may find shaking hands absurd, you exist in this one where tipping is customary. If you dislike it, Australia and Japan are quite different.
2. Your job does not pay 3 something an hour. Serving is a job that is supplemented by tips for GOOD SERVICE. It induces the server to do a good job. If they don't no server anywhere will get angry at you for whatever you do or don't leave as a tip.
3. Again, serving is supplemented by good service tips. You do understand you would see about a 15 percent raise in prices if the servers were paid properly? At least this way they are induced to work hard.
4. It is your obligation to tip for good service. It is how the custom works. You can choose not to, this is your free choice. You are breaking custom and generally any restaurant and its servers would prefer you don't come in. The server for obvious reasons, and believe it or not the restaurant too. Bad tippers cost restaurants good servers, which causes a decrease in quality, which earns them less money in the long run than losing cheap customers.
5. 10 percent isn't a good tip, its not awful though. No one who gave you amazing service would be thrilled with it. If you were a repeat customer your service would go downhill.
6. This one is really important. Every job you are supposed to work hard in. Usually this doesn't involve putting up with annoying, often rude and demanding guests, and smiling at them no matter what. If it does, there is generally a benefit for your doing it (commission for sales, landing a big client as a lawyer, keeping a patient who directly pays you as doctors do). You can go work hard as a server all you want but you have to smile and treat ignorant people with respect no matter what. That's why they deserve a tip. Again, other jobs don't pay 3 something an hour. Often servers are servers because they are working to something else. Shockingly school doesn't pay for itself and its tough to get on at other jobs during the night and at varying times.
If a server has a bad day and treats the customer like garbage, they don't want a tip. They don't care. They do not care at all. Tell them off if you want, they don't care. They are aware of their actions, they want to get through their shift and out of there. Don't tip them, they weren't expecting one. This happens from time to time. Its not ideal, and it sucks for the customer. Bad server BAD SERVER.
Your entire argument is based on weird assumptions, like servers expect tips for bad service. And, customs have no value, customs and tradition have a lot of value. The fact is it is society's responsibility to make up the difference, its how the custom works. I'm sorry you don't like it. If you want to reassign the responsibility imagine the consequences first, increased food prices, lack of incentive for good service for servers. If you get good service, your 10 percent tip isn't good, but you're free to give it. 15 is good, 18 is pretty high. If the service is so bad you didn't tip, and the server wasn't obviously just wanting to get out of there, do both of you a favor and give some constructive feedback. Servers dont like sucking either.
If you think you did all the work at the buffet, take your dishes into the kitchen, get your own drinks, take the food out to the hot plates, dont get drinks, etc. You don't understand how restaurants work, so don't assume you do. Its like me trying to tell a nuclear physicist about their job. I have no idea what I'm talking about in that field. Other than that your post isn't relevant to what anyone thinks about tipping anyways.
I'll repeat it again, 90 percent of your post is about bad service, and I've never seen someone insist you should tip for bad service. I doubt you tip properly even given you get good service, you have so many arguments set up around not tipping, but I could be wrong.
If mandatory tipping ever comes in it will because they HAVE TO DO IT to keep good workers from going to places where the customer base isn't so cheap. Or, they could jack prices 15 percent and have no tipping. That 15 percent would be taxed as well, so you pick. Oh, there is a final option. The kids at mcdonalds get more /hour than servers. So stop tipping and then restaurants can hire kids of lesser caliber than the mcdonalds (Ive worked there too long ago) ones to serve you. I can tell you how far they will go for that 3 something an hour without a tip. I hope you like your food cold and your drinks empty.
He or she has kept my 27cents. Not much I know but it is mine after all. The first couple of times it happened I let it go thinking they where just busy and not paying attention but when it happened again it really annoyed me. If the server does that with every table they server they're supplimenting their tips quite nicely in a week. Oh and by the way, this happened to us at Disney last year at the Plaza Restaurant in MK! Totally shocked me 
I always call the server on it now when this happens and have spoken to one restaurant mgr where we're regulars when this happened multiple times to us. 
I don't think serving is a hard job, it's a gross job, and at HRC I'd bring home anywhere from$150-$350 in '95! The servers at WDW must make $500 a shift if people tip them what they expect....because the $10.99 pasta from Fridays is $23.99 at Disney! They probably make more money than most college educated professionals! I agree, the labor intensive part of the meal is clearing out peoples plates, refilling their drinks, bringing the extra napkins and making sure they're good with everything! Taking the order and having a food runner deliver the food doesn't mean they should make more. My problem with WDW is the paper that's being presented with 18 or 20% on it and from what people are saying....the servers are being rude about it forcing them to pay the tip before they leave and in some cases before they finish their meals. That's uncalled for! Most of the time I get great service at WDW but other times I've had complete idiots wait on us. They get tipped depending on the job they do! (From us anyway!) 
