Tipping?~cheap family of 5...

[HaleyB]

I like your way of thinking, karajeboo! Here's food for thought...what if everyone's income was at the mercy of others? Hmmmm...

Isn't everyone's income at the mercy of others?

 

[TLSnell1981]

In what walk of life is that not the case? Unless you have your own printing press, EVERYONE is dependant on someone for their salary.

 

[mousehouselover]

I think part of the problem with the tipping issue is; some people think a dollar amount and others think percentage. If you got $20 service, tip it, if you got $5 service, tip that.

We had a situation just this morning where we were ignored by our server after she delivered our food. We had to ask other servers for things and we never got our drinks refilled. We got done and DH paid our bill, my DSis paid for her meal. DH gave a $2 tip for an $11 meal and DSis gave a $1.50 tip on an $8 meal, both thinking that the amount would signify dissatisfaction with the service but both tips were right about 18%. Why would she associate our low tip with poor service since it was a small bill?

On a $20 per person check, $2-4 per person is 10-20% and acceptable. How much you leave should depend on the level of service you receive. (I know there are some people who think that a 10% tip is cheap, but there are times where that is all that is warrented. If it's a buffet where I fill my own drinks and all the server does is clear the table, there isn't much actual service.) If you get outsanding service, the tip should reflect that, whether you look at a flat dollar amount or percentages.

We're a family of 5 as well and think that as long as the $20 is in the 10-20% range based on the level of service received, it should be acceptable and not cheap.

 

[TANYABETH]

May husband and I usually leave between 18-20% when we dine out. The other day we ate at local restaurant and at the bottom of the bill it gave what the tip of the total bill would be for 15%, 18% and 20% (I guess for those who are not great with math or perhaps a gentle reminder for the cheapskates). I have also seen this at a few other restaurants. This leads me to believe the the standard dining tip is thought to be between 15-20%.

 

[xoprincessmomxo]

Not to derail this thread, but don't you hate that places where you never had to tip before now all have their tip cups next to the register with some handwritten plea like "Tips for college". If you are just handing me a donut that I have paid for, you are not getting a tip from me.

Oh, crap! You're not the cheap tipper at my store, are you???

Actually, at my store (my sister and I own it) we DO have the tip jar next to the register. But, it is a coffee house/ diner so it is a little more justified. Our employees are baristas and actually make the drinks for you....they aren't just handing you a donut. I agree, if they are just grabbing something to go for you, the tip jar is dumb and makes you feel as though you HAVE to give a tip. I know, that at our store our employees are not living on their tips, anyway...being in a small town, they would be out on the streets if they were. We pay them minimum wage which is $7.25 here and they get tips. I have also noticed that young people and older middle aged people are the most likely to tip well around here. The senior citizen people that know us (small town) will tip well sometimes. But the 30-50 year olds rarely tip.

 

[Tricia1972]

I have also noticed that young people and older middle aged people are the most likely to tip well around here. The senior citizen people that know us (small town) will tip well sometimes. But the 30-50 year olds rarely tip.

Young people and older middle aged people are the most likely to tip well and then you say that the 30-50 year olds rarely tip? Are those in their 20's older middle aged? Am I a senior citizen in my 30's?!?!?!

(I (think that I) know what you meant, I just had to have fun because this gave me a morning giggle)

 

[VacationDad]

Oh, crap! You're not the cheap tipper at my store, are you???

Actually, at my store (my sister and I own it) we DO have the tip jar next to the register. But, it is a coffee house/ diner so it is a little more justified. Our employees are baristas and actually make the drinks for you....they aren't just handing you a donut. I agree, if they are just grabbing something to go for you, the tip jar is dumb and makes you feel as though you HAVE to give a tip.

I don't tip the cashier at McDonald's or Burger King and sometimes they have to take the time to refill the fryer to fill my order, or make my kids a milkshake. I tip when I am sitting at a table and my order is taken and my food is brought out to me.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Like I said, 20%+ is reserved for exceptional service, or cute blonde waitresses.

I find that statement rude and sexist.

 

[jenseib]

All the local icecream places have tip jars and I HATE that. They are not serving me and I don't eat there, so why would I tip. I also don't tip at buffets where I get EVERYTHING myself and a server jsut comes by to take your tray away. My ex husband worked at one and he told me you weren't supposed to tip at places like that, and no ever tips there.

 

[mom2my3kids]

All the local icecream places have tip jars and I HATE that. They are not serving me and I don't eat there, so why would I tip. I also don't tip at buffets where I get EVERYTHING myself and a server jsut comes by to take your tray away. My ex husband worked at one and he told me you weren't supposed to tip at places like that, and no ever tips there.

Yes you are supposed to tip at buffets, now from what I have read its anywhere from 10-20% for buffets.

 

[VacationDad]

Like I said, 20%+ is reserved for exceptional service, or cute blonde waitresses.

I find that statement rude and sexist.

Sorry, you're right.

I reserve 20% for cute brunettes and redheads too.

 

[BuffaloGal]

Well, at the danger of getting another tipping thread closed, that's baloney. I've eaten in plenty of city restaurants and 20-25% is not "usual". I've eaten in plenty of rural restaurants and 10% is not "usual". 15% has been the norm everywhere I have ever eaten. Most resort and city restaurants are overpriced to begin with so a 15% tip there will be higher than a 15% tip in a less expensive restaurant.

Like I said, 20%+ is reserved for exceptional service, or cute blonde waitresses.

Good for me. I'm cute, blonde, and I provide exceptional service. lol.

 

[Rudegrle]

I understand that what i am about to say will make many people angry; but, the op wondered about tipping a flat 25 dollars. I don't have a problem with this. I like eating at wdw resteraunts but I do feel like they are greatly over priced. If a server only averages 2 tables an hour he would be making 50 dollars an HOUR. I don't feel sorry for the wait staff at all. That is a whole lot more than I make.

Actually that server has to tip out other people they are working w/. Buss boys, cooks, dish washers, hosts, bartenders...they all get a portion of the tips made in a night.

AND in some places (like Florida) servers can be paid less than Minimum wage because they get tips and the cost of living may not be as high.

 

[GrumpyPajamas]

Different levels of service demand different gratuity percentages.

I work in a high end restaurant in the northeast U.S., and my tips average about 20-25%. High-end white-tablecloth service requires a lot more from the server, so the higher percentage is justified.

The reason you need to tip based on percentages is that everyone else assumes that the server has been tipped a certain percentage.

Case in point: The other night we had a table of 9 people. Now, they had a great time and made sure to compliment everyone on the way out, but unfortunately they were from a country where tipping practices are not the same as ours. Their bill was about $1000, and they left a tip of $68. In their country, where servers are already paid a living wage, this would have been a very nice tip, but unfortunately, the server on that table ended up with:

$68
-1.5% of SALES to the bartender ($15)
-1.75% of SALES to the busser ($18)
-2.5% of SALES to the backwaiters ($25)
=$10

Yay, on a $1000 table, that server took home 10 bucks.

Unfortunately, the server is taxed as if he/she made 100 dollars on that table, so after taxes, the server has LESS money than if the table never walked into the restaurant. Thats even counting the two dollars an hour the server was paid by the restaurant.

That said, I have no idea how they tip their support staff in Disneyworld, but I will find out in 12 short days! I can't wait!

P.S. If you are the sort of person who leaves a terrible tip every time you go out to eat, my advice is to never eat in the same place more than once. After many years in this business, I have worked in all levels of restaurants, and I have certainly seen coworkers take out all sorts of revenge on rude customers and lousy tippers. It's highly illegal and immoral, but it happens, and you most likely would never know about it even if it happened to you. But, it's difficult to feel bad for those folks. Bad tippers are generally the same people that cut you off in traffic, talk on cell phones in the movie theater, and make horrible messes in public restrooms. It's the same complete lack of empathy.

P.S.S. Why on earth would you tip someone less than they deserve because they "make more money than" you? Did I read that wrong?

 

[xoprincessmomxo]

Young people and older middle aged people are the most likely to tip well and then you say that the 30-50 year olds rarely tip? Are those in their 20's older middle aged? Am I a senior citizen in my 30's?!?!?!

(I (think that I) know what you meant, I just had to have fun because this gave me a morning giggle)

No...I am counting older middle-aged as our 50-60....Isn't that kind of older middle aged when people are living to their 90's these days (at least in our small town, I think the classicfication of ages is different as the median age is 65!) Anyway, I'm sure dun happy I could give ya a giggle this morn!

 

[xoprincessmomxo]

I don't tip the cashier at McDonald's or Burger King and sometimes they have to take the time to refill the fryer to fill my order, or make my kids a milkshake. I tip when I am sitting at a table and my order is taken and my food is brought out to me.

And that's fine...I'm not going to say you are a bad tipper for not tipping in the little makeshift tip jars. And I am not justifying a need for those tip jars at donut shops or McDonalds. I am saying that people with those tip jars are not relying on their tips to live and usually get paid at least minimum wage. If you don't feel the need to tip your local coffee barista, that's fine. I was just saying there is a lot more work that goes into making a fine espresso drink than grabbing a donut somebody else made from the case. Oh, and if you are the bad tipper at my store... ... I didn't mean "crappy" in a bad way. More like "thrifty".

 

[Annabelleasb]

Sorry, you're right.

I reserve 20% for cute brunettes and redheads too.

What about brunettes w/ red highlights??

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Sorry, you're right.

I reserve 20% for cute brunettes and redheads too.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Actually that server has to tip out other people they are working w/. Buss boys, cooks, dish washers, hosts, bartenders...they all get a portion of the tips made in a night.

AND in some places (like Florida) servers can be paid less than Minimum wage because they get tips and the cost of living may not be as high.

Where do servers give part of their tips to cooks?

 

[Rudegrle]

Where do servers give part of their tips to cooks?

Do you really want me to name places here??? What does that matter? The point was that servers don't take home the entire tip.