tipping? do you or don't you?

[carolfoy]

I have just read a thread about this on the US community board but I was wondering what the general concensus about this is with the UK travellers, does everyone tip? are you confident about how much and what do you really think of the U.S. state of mind where you tip almost everybody?

 

[AndRu]

We certainly did in the restaurants. I know that the staff are on a pretty low wage and as far as I am aware, they're taxed on the belief that they will recieve tips. In theory, if they didn't receive any tips they'd be taxed on money they didn't get! At least, that's what I think happens.

Besides, its not like its that much. The general rule we used was around 10-15% of a restaurant bill and the minimum we'd leave was $5. This also was dependant on the level of service, we left more for the good ones and less for the poor. I didn't mind leaving tips as its a part of their culture and lets face it, the service you get in American restaurants far exceeds what you can receive in the UK.

The only place we did take exception to was at the Rainforest Cafe in Downtown Disney. We paid for the meal using a $100 travellers cheque. The meal came to something like $70 - the waitress asked if we wanted our change? Er, yes! I don't mind tipping on our terms but I certainly wouldn't let them have the whole change, especially not $30 ...

 

[magicmouse2]

I folow the US rule of 15-20%, much to DHs annoyance. The Waiters are taxed on estimated tips. However we dont use valet parking or bellhops. If I buy a drink at the bar I toss in a couple of quarters. Luckily I dont buy many drinks at th bar!!!

 

[ChildsPlayDG]

We tip all the time,always at least 15 or 20% of the bill,on rare occasions this trip we tipped about 10$,but we felt we had fantastic service on these occasions.Only once we tipped 1$ but the service on this time was awful,the starter came at the same time as our meal and the server ignored us most of the time.I very nearly left nothing as i din't think she deserved it but thought in the end a tip of not alot told more than nothing at all.

 

[kevin harrison]

Duplicate post

 

[kevin harrison]

Yes we tip, especially in restaurants, when in Rome do as the Romans do. If this happenned in the Uk service would improve beyond belief.

Like previous posters said, the staff are taxed on anticipated tips and they are on a very low wage. Once a kind lady at TGI Fridays told me that they dread some British tourists because many do not bother tipping them, so in effect if you don't tip, you are costing these people money!! Also tipping cleaners daily ensures you get a good service!!!

I only wouldn't tip if we had terrible service, which has happened once. Likewise if we have fantastic service - the tip is reflected.

I think if you don't agree with tipping, you shouldn't really bother visiting the States.

 

[Miffy2003]

The tipping malarkey does take a bit of getting used to when you are used to the UK. I do tip in the UK too but not the same percentage I use in America.

That said, for all the reasons already listed above - we tip 15-20% depending on the level of service.

As someone who waitressed on and off for years, tips are gratefully received by waiters / waitresses / servers! But particularly in America where essentially their tips are part of their livelihood.

 

[magicmouse2]

I remember when we first went. I knew how much to tip, just didnt know when to tip- Should we leave the tip on the table and just leave , wait til the waiter takes the tip, ??

Also I didnt know how to work the tip, if charging meals to our room card. I remember looking round restaurants trying to see what others did!!

 

[KayleeUK]

Yep we tip...more used to it now Though I do find it embarrasing handing over tips to bellhops - just because it is face to face I have to get used to tipping for valet parking this time

 

[DisneyBB]

When we first went to the states I was shocked at how much we were expected to tip. Now after many trips we tip really well and we always get a thankyou for the tip and told they appreciate it.

On the last holiday we took advantage of the free hard rock cafe meal with Virgin. Great meal, but the server was very off as soon as she realised we were using a free meal voucher. The voucher said gratutity included, but we fully intended to leave tip anyway. All we had to pay for at the end of the meal was for 1 glass of wine. The server took payment + 20% of the drink price without asking. She then returned with the change all in $1 bills (about 28 of them) !! We were furious and looked round to catch her smirking and waving goodbye. My DD (age 11) begged me not to make scene, so we walked out and left no tip. I desparatly wanted to wave a couple $20 bills in her face and say "big mistake, this could have been yours" Next time I will inform the server I will be tipping!


We always tip the maids, about $30 at the end of the holiday. We just count as part of the holiday expense.

 

[maureen4200040]

I read up on all this tipping stuff for our first trip in 2001. Now when i travel to Orlando I save all the tip money separate to my spending money.

I save tip money for the maids, van & town car drivers, resturants, cafes and any one that provides a service etc. It works out easier for me as I know how much I pay for each individual service provided.


Maureen4200040

 

[jax100]

Yes providing the service was good - which in general was always the case except for in one ponderosa on idrive. Usually about 15-20% of the bill, for the cleaner in our room we would leave 3 - 4 dollars every 3 days unless we felt that we had left a lot of rubbish in the buckets and we would leave on extra days, for our cleaner who worked on the day off we would leave her 2 dollars. At the buffet style restuarants - sizzler and golden corral we would leave 2dollars if it was a great server then maybe 3 dollars esp if they had spent time with the kids.

 

[Ware Bears]

On the last holiday we took advantage of the free hard rock cafe meal with Virgin. Great meal, but the server was very off as soon as she realised we were using a free meal voucher. The voucher said gratutity included, but we fully intended to leave tip anyway.

We found ourselves in a similar situation there with our free Virgin meal. We only had soft drinks so did not have to pay for anything but we fully intended to give a tip. However, our server was quite "off" with us once he realised we were a Virgin "freebie" customer and I would say our meals definitely looked smaller than other customers seated nearby. We did not really enjoy ourselves there which was a great shame because I had been looking forward to going there. Afterwards I wish we had said when we placed our order that we would still tip him but we had just assumed that the majority of people tipped automatically.

This was the only meal which did not warrant a tip, the rest of the time we tipped between 15 and 20% according to how good the server was. We also tipped $2 daily for our housekeeper, leaving it in those "Mousekeeping" envelopes.

I think although all us Disers realise it is American culture to tip and respect it, ( even if perhaps we do not always agree with it! ), Disney BB's and our experiences at the Hard Rock cafe show how perhaps lots of British people don't tip, whether through ignorance or arrogance! I did not notice any other Brits tipping a server at breakfast in our hotel, and judging by the fuss our server used to make of us, I think perhaps it was only us and the Americans who tipped! It certainly made for a much nicer holiday, our server went out of his way to make us feel welcome, so it was only right we showed our appreciation!

 

[Frances999]

I know what you mean, DisneyBB and WearBears. We had complimentary character breakfast vouchers (which included gratuity). We used them whilst staying at The Polynesian Resort, at 'Ohana. The server didn't seem as friendly or prompt as the other servers we encountered and wasn't very happy. I ended up wishing that the vouchers didn't include gratuity, just so it wasn't such an awkward position to be in. We would have left a tip anyway, if she hadn't been so rude because she expected not to receive a tip.

 

[Ware Bears]

I should have thought to have included this on my previous post. We also had complimentary character breakfast vouchers which we used at Donald's Breakfastosaurus at Animal Kingdom. Because these also included gratuities we were expecting the same sort of service that we had received at the Hard Rock. No way, our server was absolutely brilliant and couldn't have made more fuss of us if she had tried. Needless to say, she received a very generous tip!

 

[trevorsem]

I have just read a thread about this on the US community board but I was wondering what the general concensus about this is with the UK travellers, does everyone tip? are you confident about how much and what do you really think of the U.S. state of mind where you tip almost everybody?

It's a way of life over there and most waiting staff are on poor wages. However, in my book, you have to earn a tip. I have left no tip before for poor service and over-tipped for exceptional service. Funniest time was at RaceRock on I-Drive when the server followed us into the car park for leave less than 20% (left 15%). Wife followed Him back into the building when He became argumentative.

 

[kevin harrison]

I think although all us Disers realise it is American culture to tip and respect it, ( even if perhaps we do not always agree with it! ), Disney BB's and our experiences at the Hard Rock cafe show how perhaps lots of British people don't tip, whether through ignorance or arrogance! I did not notice any other Brits tipping a server at breakfast in our hotel

I've posted this before, but a waitress at TGI Fridays once told me that many server's dread having British customers because we do not tip, however good the service.

 

[k-herm]

I work in the hospitality trade here in the UK, and the tips left to my waiting staff average out at a little over 6%. (This could, of course, mean that my staff are rubbish, but there you go.)

There is just not the same tipping culture here - and you know what? I think we actually have it right.

Why on earth should I, as a customer, have to leave cash behind for the waitress after a meal because the employer pays crappy wages? It shouldn't be up to me to subsidise his business. Pay the staff properly and then tips can be more discretional, as they are over here.

The very idea of leaving a tip is surely to reward or (for those who tip before the meal [a good idea by the way] ensure better than average service.
If your service is poor, tell the manager and don't leave a tip.
If your service is OK, I would say, don't leave a tip - you have a right to OK service and just because you know that the waitress is on low pay does not make her a charity case.
If your service is very good, tell the manager and leave whatever tip you feel is right (don't let anyone tell you it should be 10% or 20%, it's up to you).

Having said that, never leave a derogatory tip of say 13p in change unless you have a death wish.

 

[allie5]

We got chatting to several waiters / waitresses in December and I was shocked at their basic wage - $2 an hour! They were taxed on the premise that they recieved 15% tips on top of that as well. We found out that they are only taxed on "credit card" tips, so if you fill the "gratuity" line out, they will be taxed 15% of that. However if you leave cash, they get to keep it all.

After we found this out, we always left cash and the staff were SO grateful. We would always leave 15% at least (unless the service was very poor, then I would complain anyway) but usually leave nearer 20% as most of the time the service is excellent.

We did have to leave around $40 for our waiter at the Cali Grill though (15%), and he was waiting 5 other tables at the same time, so he must come away with a tidy sum each night!

 

[kevin harrison]

I work in the hospitality trade here in the UK, and the tips left to my waiting staff average out at a little over 6%. (This could, of course, mean that my staff are rubbish, but there you go.)

There is just not the same tipping culture here - and you know what? I think we actually have it right.

Why on earth should I, as a customer, have to leave cash behind for the waitress after a meal because the employer pays crappy wages? It shouldn't be up to me to subsidise his business. Pay the staff properly and then tips can be more discretional, as they are over here.

The very idea of leaving a tip is surely to reward or (for those who tip before the meal [a good idea by the way] ensure better than average service.
If your service is poor, tell the manager and don't leave a tip.
If your service is OK, I would say, don't leave a tip - you have a right to OK service and just because you know that the waitress is on low pay does not make her a charity case.
If your service is very good, tell the manager and leave whatever tip you feel is right (don't let anyone tell you it should be 10% or 20%, it's up to you).

Having said that, never leave a derogatory tip of say 13p in change unless you have a death wish.

You make good points, but that is how they do things over there - rightly or wrongly, when in Rome though.........