tipping opinions

[Kaycee]

Originally posted by webray
We tip the same..base of 20% and work up/down depending on the service.

This is what we do too.

 

[skiwee1]

Originally posted by wildernesslodgelover
I just hate the whole "I am going to punish you by witholding money if you don't do as I please" mentality. To me, it is a power trip. I also think a lot of people are cheap and are looking for excuses to subtract from the tip. I am too busy enjoying my family and food and atmosphere to worry about it. I know I am pretty much gonna tip 20% from the get go, and things have to be pretty darn lousy for me to go down from there. Like I said, it has to be a rude attitude from the server to qualify for anything less than 20%.

I don't consider it punishment to lower a tip because of bad service. A waiter/waitress knows their tips depends on the service they perform. If they don't perform, guess what? They don't get good tips! It just isn't for rudeness. I lower the tip of the waitress disappears for long periods or my drink goes empty for a while. It's called bad service. If it's really bad then there is no tip and I will speak to the manager. That has only happened twice in my life so service would have to be pretty bad. I am certainly not cheap. I over tip most cases but if service is less then perfect they get less.

 

[webmomom]

Originally posted by skiwee1
I don't consider it punishment to lower a tip because of bad service. A waiter/waitress knows their tips depends on the service they perform. If they don't perform, guess what? They don't get good tips! It just isn't for rudeness. I lower the tip of the waitress disappears for long periods or my drink goes empty for a while. It's called bad service. If it's really bad then there is no tip and I will speak to the manager. That has only happened twice in my life so service would have to be pretty bad. I am certainly not cheap. I over tip most cases but if service is less then perfect they get less.

As of two years ago I would have agreed to that statement about not returning to refill. Yes they should come and check to see if you need a refill or not, or at least walk by and see. I just got done working in March (I quit) for a resturant that everyone knows that requires the servers to do so much in the kitchen that once you get the food to the table, you have to go back and either start of continue the side work that you have. It is not like the side work you must do at the end of your shift, it is sidework to keep things stocked. i.e. They sell a bottle soda and the person who is in charge of that plus other things, you never have just one thing to do, must make sure the bottles are keep full. Now to do that you must pull a case of sode from storage bring to the cold box, rotate the stock, and refill so all of the soda will be cold. Now this is why you can't be on the floor all of the time to help your customer. I know people will say this is your job and you need to still check. You try it, It is impossible. That is one of the many reasons I quit. So before you condem someone, you may not know the real reason they are not coming back. What we did do is who ever was going onto the floor made a sweep of the room to see if anyone needed anything and would get it for them. If as I said before you see the server just standing around and ignoring you, then yes they need a smaller tip and hopefully will get the message he or she is doing something wrong.
There are other reasons also, like being over seated, one table running them, make sure first before you condem. Just watch and if you she any of this, don"t punish them it is not their fault. I have even been seated table in the front dinningroom and then given tables at the same time in the back dinningroom. So you are running from the back to the front and unless they have some magical powers it is also impossible to do. This is bad management and not bad service.

 

[skiwee1]

Originally posted by webmomom
As of two years ago I would have agreed to that statement about not returning to refill. Yes they should come and check to see if you need a refill or not, or at least walk by and see. I just got done working in March (I quit) for a resturant that everyone knows that requires the servers to do so much in the kitchen that once you get the food to the table, you have to go back and either start of continue the side work that you have. It is not like the side work you must do at the end of your shift, it is sidework to keep things stocked. i.e. They sell a bottle soda and the person who is in charge of that plus other things, you never have just one thing to do, must make sure the bottles are keep full. Now to do that you must pull a case of sode from storage bring to the cold box, rotate the stock, and refill so all of the soda will be cold. Now this is why you can't be on the floor all of the time to help your customer. I know people will say this is your job and you need to still check. You try it, It is impossible. That is one of the many reasons I quit. So before you condem someone, you may not know the real reason they are not coming back. What we did do is who ever was going onto the floor made a sweep of the room to see if anyone needed anything and would get it for them. If as I said before you see the server just standing around and ignoring you, then yes they need a smaller tip and hopefully will get the message he or she is doing something wrong.
There are other reasons also, like being over seated, one table running them, make sure first before you condem. Just watch and if you she any of this, don"t punish them it is not their fault. I have even been seated table in the front dinningroom and then given tables at the same time in the back dinningroom. So you are running from the back to the front and unless they have some magical powers it is also impossible to do. This is bad management and not bad service.

When you don't get a refill the entire meal there is a problem. I will most certainly condemn that. My dD worked in many restaurants and they all had extra stuff to do besides wait tables. That seems to be quite common today. I always feel that the customer comes first no matter how busy you are. I can see not having a drink for a few minutes after it is empty but no longer. So are you saying when you are that busy with other things that you don't even come by to see how things are going? When a server does that they will see the drink is empty. If they never show up because they are too busy doing other things that that puts the customer second. I tip accordingly. There are no excuses.

 

[webmomom]

Originally posted by skiwee1
When you don't get a refill the entire meal there is a problem. I will most certainly condemn that. My dD worked in many restaurants and they all had extra stuff to do besides wait tables. That seems to be quite common today. I always feel that the customer comes first no matter how busy you are. I can see not having a drink for a few minutes after it is empty but no longer. So are you saying when you are that busy with other things that you don't even come by to see how things are going? When a server does that they will see the drink is empty. If they never show up because they are too busy doing other things that that puts the customer second. I tip accordingly. There are no excuses.

Where I worked it was not the fact that you were to busy in the back, it was because you had to do it. NO OPTIONS. You were not allowed to leave it half done. As I stated we would have who ever was going on the floor checkand see if anyone and I mean anyone needed something and would get it for them. The management would not allow you to leave. I agree the customer comes first, but when management tells you that the job has to be completed when it is started and you can lose your job if the assisgments are not keep full what do you do. I quit. What I was trying to convey is, not to judge to harsley, you never know what is going on. Look around see if you can see the reason you are not getting what you want and if is the fact the server is just standing around then yes, the tip should reflect that.

It is one of the only professions that people can judge and "punished " the worker. Most all of ther jobs you get a pay check at the end of the week whether or not you had a bad day or not but serving food you must be perfect all of the time or watch out you get less. You don't go into a store and if the employee is a little off that day, you say I will only pay $3.00 for this blouse instead of the $5.00 because I did not like what you were doing.

 

[skiwee1]

Originally posted by webmomom
Where I worked it was not the fact that you were to busy in the back, it was because you had to do it. NO OPTIONS. You were not allowed to leave it half done. As I stated we would have who ever was going on the floor checkand see if anyone and I mean anyone needed something and would get it for them. The management would not allow you to leave. I agree the customer comes first, but when management tells you that the job has to be completed when it is started and you can lose your job if the assisgments are not keep full what do you do. I quit. What I was trying to convey is, not to judge to harsley, you never know what is going on. Look around see if you can see the reason you are not getting what you want and if is the fact the server is just standing around then yes, the tip should reflect that.

It is one of the only professions that people can judge and "punished " the worker. Most all of ther jobs you get a pay check at the end of the week whether or not you had a bad day or not but serving food you must be perfect all of the time or watch out you get less. You don't go into a store and if the employee is a little off that day, you say I will only pay $3.00 for this blouse instead of the $5.00 because I did not like what you were doing.

Are you joking? The last time I purchased something at the store there was a PRICE on it. Tipping is optional. I don't ever recall going into Macys and having the option of paying what I pleased. Where on earth do you shop? I stand by my tipping ways. I don't get the service, they don't get the tip. So simple.

 

[wildernesslodgelover]

I am with ya, webmom...

This is a hot topic and we cannot argue about it. Everyone has their opinions and we have our reasons for those opinions.

I used to work at the Rainforest Cafe (not the one in WDW, the one in Ft Lauderdale) and not only did we have running sidework there (that webmom spoke of) but we also had a "full hands in/full hands out" policy...meaning we better be bringing something dirty into the kitchen, and we better be running food out of it. Well, if I am working a section far away from the kitchen and my table asks me for a side of honey mustard, I have to get a dirty plate to walk into the kitchen with and take it to the dishwash station. Then I get the honey mustard. But if the manager is there, he will bust me for not running food. So I grab an appetizer and have to take it to the OTHER side of the restaurant. By the time my guest receives her honey mustard the others at her table have already started eating and she is annoyed. I hated that, and I don't blame her for being annoyed. That is why I didn't last there too long. I don't think that restaurant helps you give good service. They have good intentions...the whole "full hands in/out" makes sense in theory but it is not always practical.

Anyway, that is my reasoning...I just know how it is.

 

[Cheap-n-Dale]

Removed an unkind post after second thoughts. Sorry if anyone actually read it.

 

[skiwee1]

I'm just wondering how you find out if your waitress has been MIA because she is busy in the back or just being lazy. Do you turn into an investigator? By some of these posts it sounds like I am supposed to give the waitress the benefit of the doubt when she never shows up again and assume she is overworked. Do you tip everyone the same whether they refill your drink at the meal or ignore you? I think that is kind of unfair to the attentive waitresses if that is the case. Like I stated in my first post I start the tip at 20%. That goes for buffets and non buffets. If the waitress does her job efficiently she gets 20%. If she is friendly she gets more. If she is kind of abrupt she gets less. If I only see her when she serves the food and when she gives us the check she gets a lot less! If she is downright rude she gets nothing and I will be speaking to the manager about her/him. I just don't understand how you can figure out if the waitress is being lazy or is busy in the back. It sounds to me like you tip them well regardless. I don't. I tip on service performed and that includes refilling drinks, checking to see if everything is okay, asking if we want dessert, and giving us the check. Rarely have I ever encountered a waiter that didn't do all these things. When I waitressed that was the things to do. To do less would mean a lesser tip or no tip at all.

 

[skiwee1]

Originally posted by webmomom
Where I worked it was not the fact that you were to busy in the back, it was because you had to do it. NO OPTIONS. You were not allowed to leave it half done. As I stated we would have who ever was going on the floor checkand see if anyone and I mean anyone needed something and would get it for them. The management would not allow you to leave. I agree the customer comes first, but when management tells you that the job has to be completed when it is started and you can lose your job if the assisgments are not keep full what do you do. I quit. What I was trying to convey is, not to judge to harsley, you never know what is going on. Look around see if you can see the reason you are not getting what you want and if is the fact the server is just standing around then yes, the tip should reflect that.

If I dined at the restaurant you are speaking of and recieved less the a normal service because the manager had you doing other things I would do two things. I would talk to the manager and let him know that his method is taking away from the paying customers. Two, I wouldn't go back there to eat. I would let the manager know that he has lost my business.

 

[whopper65]

It looks like you've gotten a few tips and words to the wise. We have usually followed the advice of Dear Abby, when she recommended giving a good tip if you have good service and/or a good server, and a very small tip if you have lousy service and/or an inattentive or overly attentive server.

We try to adjust accordingly with 20% near the high end, and one nickel for the worst. Abby said to leave a nickel so that the server just didn't think you had forgotten the tip. The nickel sends a blunt message. Fortunately, at WDW, we have nearly always tipped at the high end (and higher), and never had to go the other extreme. Some of our best experiences have been at Crystal Palace and 50's Prime Time Diner. We talked to "Skippy" at 50's (bus boy), and found out many of the inside workings and practices by Disney from JJ at CP back in the 80's.

Have a great time at WDW and enjoy the MAGIC!

DIS VET since '72