Tipping at WDW on a budget -

[DOOM1001]

Having worked as a server in one of the top 5 or 10 busiest restaurants in Florida where the entrees range from $12-$30 I can tell you that what servers are making is $30 on really bad shifts up to $140 in really good shifts,however 80% of the shifts they're probably making between $60 and $100 so for a server to be making $50 an hour it has to be a really special place.My feeling is that unless your server does something like insult your wife or something they should be getting at least a minimum of 10% tip even if their service was not up to par.If they continue to give bad service throughout their shifts and they have shifts where they sell $800 bucks for example where a good server will walk with at least $100 and they're leaving with $60 they'll either get the point and quit or if the restaurant they work at has a mystery shopper program they'll get bad shops and get fired.If the good servers are not getting their 15-20% then they'll quit and be replaced by new servers who are less experienced or clueless servers and in the end the restaurant as a whole will have worse service.

 

[PixieAngel]

And why exactly should your server PAY to serve you? I promise you aren't so entertaining that your server wants to pay out of their own pocket for the pleasure!

Seriously, what is so hard to understand about what happens on the back end for servers? Servers tip out based off SALES, not tips and tip outs are not optional. Servers also have to claim taxes based off SALES, not tips. If you don't like the system, then figure out a way to change it but you aren't going to change it by stiffing a bunch of servers who only want to pay their bills.

I no more expect them to pay to serve me...as entertaining as I can be...then I expect to pay them because of their chosen vocation. To simplify things for you...when I go to a fast food place, I expect fast food. When I go to a self service buffet, I expect to serve myself. When I go an upscale table service, I expect upscale service and tip according to the standard of service. In the event that the service is substandard, the tip will be as well. I don't feel obligated to learn the established tax procedures for each location I dine. I'd say the only ones to complain would be the ones that think, "I'm serving $200.00 worth of food and drinks, that entitles me to $40.00 when they leave because that is what the bottom of the check stipulates." As this is the "budget" board I am advising that when planning your dining, stay within your own established tipping scale (don't work overtime to tip above your means ) and don't feel obligated to leave it if they don't earn it. If you keep tipping poor servers they will never know they are substandard because they will earn the same as your extaordinary servers.

 

[toddlers_mom]

Server wage is only $2.65/hr in Michigan. See here:

http://blog.laborlawtalk.com/2008/03/13/michigan-tipped-minimum-wage/

So for everyone that doesn't tip because they don't like the custom, you are costing these people money. The government assumes that they are making a certain percentage and tax them on that...so that $2.65 an hour doesn't even pay the taxes for them.

I wasn't commenting on Michigan, I was commenting on Indiana since the PP mentioned Indiana in their post.

 

[ReneeA]

I wasn't commenting on Michigan, I was commenting on Indiana since the PP mentioned Indiana in their post.

Sorry...I meant to quote the post you had quoted.

 

[wdwfan16]

I no more expect them to pay to serve me...as entertaining as I can be...then I expect to pay them because of their chosen vocation. To simplify things for you...when I go to a fast food place, I expect fast food. When I go to a self service buffet, I expect to serve myself. When I go an upscale table service, I expect upscale service and tip according to the standard of service. In the event that the service is substandard, the tip will be as well. I don't feel obligated to learn the established tax procedures for each location I dine. I'd say the only ones to complain would be the ones that think, "I'm serving $200.00 worth of food and drinks, that entitles me to $40.00 when they leave because that is what the bottom of the check stipulates." As this is the "budget" board I am advising that when planning your dining, stay within your own established tipping scale (don't work overtime to tip above your means ) and don't feel obligated to leave it if they don't earn it. If you keep tipping poor servers they will never know they are substandard because they will earn the same as your extaordinary servers.

As this is the "budget" board I asvise that when buying the DDP, making your ADRs and buying extras, even when you are not hungry just to get the most from the DDP, that you stay within your ability to pay for the meal and an appropriate tip.

 

[mjkacmom]

I no more expect them to pay to serve me...as entertaining as I can be...then I expect to pay them because of their chosen vocation. To simplify things for you...when I go to a fast food place, I expect fast food. When I go to a self service buffet, I expect to serve myself. When I go an upscale table service, I expect upscale service and tip according to the standard of service. In the event that the service is substandard, the tip will be as well. I don't feel obligated to learn the established tax procedures for each location I dine. I'd say the only ones to complain would be the ones that think, "I'm serving $200.00 worth of food and drinks, that entitles me to $40.00 when they leave because that is what the bottom of the check stipulates." As this is the "budget" board I am advising that when planning your dining, stay within your own established tipping scale (don't work overtime to tip above your means ) and don't feel obligated to leave it if they don't earn it. If you keep tipping poor servers they will never know they are substandard because they will earn the same as your extaordinary servers.

DH and I go out to our favorite restaurant about once a year, and the bill is usually close to $150 (and it's a BYOB!). We tip on that amount, and yes, the service is always outstanding. I've found that at higher-end restaurants, you will not have bad service. We get great service because each server has only a few tables, to be able to provide great service. Also, since dinner lasts close to 3 hours, that server only has a handful of tables.

 

[design_mom]

Now, I still live in the midwest (another suburb nearby). The food prices have gone up, of course, but tipping is still customarily 15% for average service, 20% for good.

<snip>

And to a pp who said that Ohio's servers don't live on their tips, that they make $7.35/hour -- Ohio's minimum wage is 7.35 but tipped employees have a different minimum wage altogether, $3.65 as of last summer.

I am also in Ohio and I agree with both of these things.

We just got back from WDW and tipped closer to 20% for all meals, including buffets. Occasionally our service was slower than I would have preferred, but all of our servers were polite and helpful.

 

[Nancyg56]

Seriously, what is so hard to understand about what happens on the back end for servers? Servers tip out based off SALES, not tips and tip outs are not optional. Servers also have to claim taxes based off SALES, not tips. If you don't like the system, then figure out a way to change it but you aren't going to change it by stiffing a bunch of servers who only want to pay their bills.

It is not hard to understand. Some folks are choosing not to believe that the system in place is actually there. It is always interesting to me to see that some people refuse to let a fact get in the way of their opinion.Even 30 years ago my employer was including any sales that were put though on a CC in my wage statement so that they were automatically taxed.

 

[ValinWV]

We always tip, unless the food and service is extremely horrible. It must be EXTREMELY HORRIBLE. When we went as a family of six, one of my DD's was under two, We had the gratuity automatically added to our bill. In all but one of the 7 places it was as if , well I am going to get a big tip I don't have to work for this one. I hated leaving those servers tips, cold food, no refills unless we waved them down and asked, and waiting 15 - 20 min for a bill after we were done eating. Also, dirty plates everywhere, hard to eat when you can't even move. On TS waiter went above and beyond the entire time. Our youngest DD slept through the meal on my lap. He said I know I am supposed to automatically add in your tip, but I am not because she slept through the entire meal. Of course we gladly gave him more than the 18% gratuity. We feel that tipping is appropriate, but that the tip should be earned, not expected. After that year we broke up our group and ate separately so we would have better service and could leave appropriate tips.

 

[2Tiggies]

Also those same tips are expected at buffets so keep that in mind when planning where you'd like to eat.

The great things with buffets is that you know exactly what your meal will cost before you even get there as it is a set price (unless you are ordering items which count as extras).

Just a comment from my personal experience. More than one occasion of the best service we ever received at WDW was at buffets. That is quite an accomplishment for a server considering.

 

[disfan07]

we tip the same as we do in the "real world". But we tip over the "suggested" tip normally

We tip about 25% normally and 30% if the service is outstanding.
If the service is horrible we'll tip about 10%.

If we're with my grandparetns...my granpa tips very nicely, between 35% and 40% unless the service is terrible and than he tips about 5%....hes one way or the other...not much in between when it comes to tipping

 

[KELLY]

There is no way to tip on a budget. I leave the 20% unless the server is really bad. That never happened during are trip. We stayed 8 nights so 8 meals total for tips was around 200.00. We did sometimes leave a little more than the 20% because we had a infant that does eat. This is for one dd 4 and 2 adults and one infant.

 

[Disney*All-Stars*]

Check tmeenus before you make your ADR's and then you can include the gratuity as you plan your budget.

I did just that my last trip and found that to be a great way to pre-plan budget. It also made it easier knowing what we wanted to eat ahead of time. If I hadn't looked at some of the menus, I would have been unhappy with one or two restaurants.

 

[arihillfarm]

Do the servers at the buffets make the same rate as those at full service restaurants? I would tip 18-20% at a full service restaurant, but if they are only bringing drinks and the check, I thought the tip would be less. But perhaps they can handle more tables at once and it works out the same.

We always tip 10% on buffets, maybe up to 15% for outstanding service. For full-service, we tip 15% min. unless there was an issue, up to 20% for outstanding service.


-Astrid