Tipping- How much and to whom

[smidgy]

I disagree. The REAL price of any item on the menu is actually already 15 to 20 percent more than it says anyway, because most people pay the expected tip. Paying servers a higher wage and eliminating the tip will probably just cause the price written on the menu to increase by 15 to 20 percent. It will come out even. (Except, I suppose, for the small percentage of people who don't tip.)
I feel quite uncomfortable with tipping. I hate that it puts me in the position of evaluating the service I've been given when I can't possibly know all the factors. If the food was late coming out to me and cold, was it the server's fault? I don't know. Maybe two people were off sick and my server is trying to cover way too many tables. Maybe the chef in the back is having a bad day and goofed up. Who knows? Not me, that's for sure.

I also think that it's a mistake to assume that without tipping you'd get lousy service. I've traveled in New Zealand, where tipping is not done, and had some of the best service I've ever had anywhere! You don't even tip the bellman at hotels - I didn't realize that, and offered money, and he was quite insulted. The people are paid reasonably well, take pride in their work, and I LOVED not having to worry about calculating tips.

If tipping is so essential to getting good service, should we be offering tips to our doctors? veterinarians? dentists?

Teresa

I guess that's true, in a way. but to me, upping the bill by 20% can be a big increase. that $80 bill just became $96. and now you have to pay it, even if dervice is dreadful...
but I was mostly referring to those who don't think they should have to "supplement" the servers' incomes . many who choose to not tip would now HAVE to.
but it would actually go up more than that. because the employer has to make upcharge enough to cover all the employee's salary during slow nights, or those early or late hours when they are just doing side work (have no tables; on the "clock", but not "on the floor". or they are on the floor, but there are no costumers)
and quite frankly, if the system changed and we were not tipped, were paid minimum wage, I would quit. in a heartbeat.
the system works fine as it is. we all know how it works. the lousy servers get weeded out because they don't make good tips because they are not good at the job. it's not for everyone. most people pay the expected tip. they figure it into the cost of eating out.
If you want to leave little or no tip for lousy service, I get that.(I would take into account that everyone has a bad night, but that's just me) but doing the same becuase you don't like the system (ie, you don't beleive in tipping, or tipping on a percentage, which is what we tip out on and are taxed on) then you can justify it all you want in your mind. you still aren't being fair. period.

 

[cornflake]

I may be wrong about this, I am sure someone will correct me if I am. But isn't it the law that a server has to make at least minimum wage including tips and hourly? So if a server doesn't receive enough tips to bring their hourly up to minimum wage the restaurant has to pay the difference?

Yes - however, the restaurants don't have to make it up at any particular time. Hence, many do stuff like say they'll evaluate it or cover any underage either yearly or when the server leaves the job, hoping that by that time, it'll all have evened out to the point they won't have to pony up any money, if they wait enough time and put enough paychecks and tips into the equation.

So a waiter may have had 5 pay periods they went home with significantly less than minimum wage including tips, but their employer will wait until a year later, average every pay period over that time into the mix and say they don't owe any $.

 

[kaytieeldr]

So tipping is only because of the sub-minimum wage of servers? What about states that pay at least full minimum wage? Is it okay to not tip or tip less in these states?

Honestly, I don't care. I've only dined out in California among those states, and I didn't change the way I tip. It matters to me that in 80% of the states, servers are legally paid half or less the minimum wage. It doesn't matter to me when they're paid more than that.

 

[gemma85]

I would probably tip housekeeping doubt it would be daily. That's what I do in my job in UK and here it's min wage and it's not a particularly great job but it pays bills.

 

[maxiesmom]

I would probably tip housekeeping doubt it would be daily. That's what I do in my job in UK and here it's min wage and it's not a particularly great job but it pays bills.

Just keep in mind that you may not have the same housekeeper each day. If you choose to tip, it is better to do a small amount each day than a large amount every few days. That way you can make sure you are not missing someone.

 

[The Wise One]

I do not tip housekeeping. I had never heard of it until the Dis! I was a housekeeper when I was a teenager and I never got a single tip. It's a position that normally gets paid more than minimum wage. Heck I was making $10 per hour as a 16 year old! That was great money!

 

[BBandDisney]

I'll say it again. Don't ask about tipping on a Budget Board. These people are looking to save money not give it away. That's how they roll.

 

[disneychrista]

I'll say it again. Don't ask about tipping on a Budget Board. These people are looking to save money not give it away. That's how they roll.

Then why are the majority of responders saying the DO tip ?

 

[taymorel]

I always leave tip for the housekeepers. When we have been to poorer countries like Jamaica and Bahamas I tipped them $5 per night. At Disney resorts We do $2-3 per night.