Tipping overload?

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I’m not ever doing 30%, fine dining or not. That’s just outrageous IMO.

I'm not sure I would either but given that fine dining has long since been over 20% (more in the range of 20-25%+ for many years) my interest was piqued at hearing 30% and wondering if it was just fine dining vs your bar and grill.

 

[Pink Partridge]

I don't know if its out of control. Its a bit much, but as long as it remains voluntary, i am ok with it. They can ask for 100%, doesn't mean they will get it.

I think the "out of control" part is when the default is set to 30% and you get a legit snotty scowl for "only" giving 20%.

 

[mrodgers]

Doesn't mean the restaurant is within walking distance.

I think the comment meant, aren't they capable of getting up off their own butts and get something to eat, LOL.

 

[barkley]

Not the same thing as appliance delivery, but I know the policy at our local grocery store (because my kids have worked there) is to tell the customer something along the lines of "there's no need to tip" when a tip is offered, but if the person insists or offers again they are supposed to take it. I think because it's considered more rude to argue with the customer by trying to refuse the tip than to just accept it and thank them.

it's a no-go at the grocery stores near us. i've been at 2 different major chains and 1 'employee owned' chain and observed customers trying to tip either the baristas or the deli staff. i've overheard the staff politely say that there's no need to tip only to have people push back, then the staff tries to explain it's against store policy and they can't accept it till it's gotten to the point where an employee will firmly say 'i appreciate it, i really do-but it's against policy and it's not worth losing my job over'. i've even seen a customer end up refusing to take back the couple of bucks they've left on the counter and walk away leaving the employee to have to call for a manager b/c they can't so much as touch the tip (so everyone else in line has to wait).

 

[mjkacmom]

I order a lot of pizza on the slice app, the default tip is 15%. I’ve also tipped every single furniture and appliance delivery person and no one has refused it, it’s pretty common as far as I know.

 

[Moliphino]

I’m not ever doing 30%, fine dining or not. That’s just outrageous IMO.

Fine dining is more expensive, so they're getting a lot more from a 20% tip. Why would I tip even more?

 

[tzolkin]

it's a no-go at the grocery stores near us. i've been at 2 different major chains and 1 'employee owned' chain and observed customers trying to tip either the baristas or the deli staff. i've overheard the staff politely say that there's no need to tip only to have people push back, then the staff tries to explain it's against store policy and they can't accept it till it's gotten to the point where an employee will firmly say 'i appreciate it, i really do-but it's against policy and it's not worth losing my job over'. i've even seen a customer end up refusing to take back the couple of bucks they've left on the counter and walk away leaving the employee to have to call for a manager b/c they can't so much as touch the tip (so everyone else in line has to wait).

Yes, this is exactly why they are instructed to accept if the customer insists a second time on the tip. At least in my kids’ experience, it’s typically between $1-5. Not really something worth fighting with an elderly customer in the parking lot over.

I have had plenty of experiences myself with my grandparents trying to tip people who weren’t allowed to accept. My grandpa got great joy from tipping, and it was nearly impossible for him to understand why someone would refuse.

Fine dining is more expensive, so they're getting a lot more from a 20% tip. Why would I tip even more?

I have always thought the same. Unless the service is exceptional at an expensive restaurant, we don’t tip more than 20%. We tend to tip a larger percentage at cheaper places. We figure the server is doing the same amount of work for less money so they deserve it.

 

[focusondisney]

Fine dining is more expensive, so they're getting a lot more from a 20% tip. Why would I tip even more?

Exactly!! Like some other states, the hourly rate for servers in our state has gone up the last few years. The prices have increased quite a bit at restaurants too. We don’t drink, but we get an app & entrée each & often a dessert. So even without alcohol, it’s not a cheap bill.

When I see the tip amount running the same as the hourly rate I made as an RN with 44 years of experience, it gets aggravating to me. I appreciate that the server is working hard. But certainly no harder than a lot of other professionals who perform valuable services & don’t get tipped.

 

[Moliphino]

I have always thought the same. Unless the service is exceptional at an expensive restaurant, we don’t tip more than 20%. We tend to tip a larger percentage at cheaper places. We figure the server is doing the same amount of work for less money so they deserve it.

Right? I'll tip a larger percentage if my meal was super cheap (because I'd feel terrible leaving like $2 for table service), not when it's super expensive.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Fine dining is more expensive, so they're getting a lot more from a 20% tip. Why would I tip even more?

I agree with you although at least in my limited experience there the attentiveness and ability to accommodate/acquire/adjust, etc tends to be higher there. There are many great welcoming servers at your bar and grill sort of place but you tend to get more with oomph at higher end places, the patrons expect it too for that price tag. And unfortunately if the line now is getting blurred where it's expected to be at least 20% (and well according to multiple people 30%) at just your average bar and grill that's going to notch up something else. I would say if you're fine dining and not getting anything worth writing home about anything above average tip percentage for that kind of place isn't really warranted.

 

[White Cat]

Exactly!! Like some other states, the hourly rate for servers in our state has gone up the last few years. The prices have increased quite a bit at restaurants too. We don’t drink, but we get an app & entrée each & often a dessert. So even without alcohol, it’s not a cheap bill.

When I see the tip amount running the same as the hourly rate I made as an RN with 44 years of experience, it gets aggravating to me. I appreciate that the server is working hard. But certainly no harder than a lot of other professionals who perform valuable services & don’t get tipped.

Could be why some drop out of nursing school. Doesn’t pay as well as a high end server.

 

[projectx3]

Tipflation!

 

[RedAngie]

I have had plenty of experiences myself with my grandparents trying to tip people who weren’t allowed to accept. My grandpa got great joy from tipping, and it was nearly impossible for him to understand why someone would refuse.

Yeah, for some people, it’s more (all?) about making the giver feel better, not the receiver.

It doesn’t need to be monetary. Those Disney bus threads are full of posts about (usually) men insisting a woman sit, even if she declines the offer. Same with unnecessarily going out of the way to open doors and other supposed courtesies.

 

[DCLMP]

Could be why some drop out of nursing school. Doesn’t pay as well as a high end server.

That is not why people drop out of nursing school.

 

[tvguy]

Could be why some drop out of nursing school. Doesn’t pay as well as a high end server.

Depends I guess on where you live. Nurses here are union and start at a very good salary, better than even a high end server.
https://www.payscale.com/research/U...rly_Rate/ca82d717/Sutter-Health-Sacramento-CA

 

[kymom99]

Depends I guess on where you live. Nurses here are union and start at a very good salary, better than even a high end server.
https://www.payscale.com/research/U...rly_Rate/ca82d717/Sutter-Health-Sacramento-CA

I think it depends on where you work. For example, I doubt a school nurse makes that much. Hospital nurses, Especially those that specialize, tend to make the most. From what I can find, average in Kentucky is $32 an hour.
Although I do agree, no one is deciding not to be a nurse because they can make more as a server.

 

[mrodgers]

I agree with you although at least in my limited experience there the attentiveness and ability to accommodate/acquire/adjust, etc tends to be higher there. There are many great welcoming servers at your bar and grill sort of place but you tend to get more with oomph at higher end places, the patrons expect it too for that price tag. And unfortunately if the line now is getting blurred where it's expected to be at least 20% (and well according to multiple people 30%) at just your average bar and grill that's going to notch up something else. I would say if you're fine dining and not getting anything worth writing home about anything above average tip percentage for that kind of place isn't really warranted.

So what you're saying is, in your limited experience, fine dining staff does their job compared to other places where they don't do their job?

What more do they do than greet you, take a drink order, bring your drink and take your food order, bring your food, and keep tabs on you from a distance or while walking by to another table to ensure your drink is not empty?

Do they cut up your meal and feed it to you? Because the above is what they all should be doing for the job. I don't feel doing the job as required is going above and beyond. Do the job, you deserve the pay. The ones who skip out on portions of the job, like everything between bringing your food and bringing the check, why do they deserve the full ever increasing expectation of pay vs. the ones who just do the job fully deserve better?

 

[whiteness]

I am not sure what Disney pays but the Fla tipped employee min wage is $7.98/hr. Now at a table service the low end per person is $30 so the check avg for 2 is 60-70. Assuming on the low end, that every table tips just 15%, each table of 2 is a $9 tip. I'd guess each server has a section of at least 4 tables. If the table turnover is say 2 hours, then they'd have 4 tables every 2 hours for $34 in tips. Add the $8/hour wage, and thats $52 every 2 hours or $26/hr. I'd guess those figures are probably low, since most table service meals are more than $30 and several tables would be 3 or more people. But $26/hr is well above min wage and more than most hourly employees make at Disney.

Or instead of telling people to get different jobs if a 10% tip isn't enough, maybe don't go out to eat so much if thats too much for you to tip. Everything you've written here indicates that your feelings about tipping is about you, not the servers benefit.


Hey, who'd have ever thought we'd agree on something lol. Yes, tipped employees should make more than $2.13 AND be tipped. But in no way would taking away tipping benefit the servers.

I agree that the wages that Cast Members make should converge: workers doing equally skilled and “difficult“ work should be equally compensated. To the extent that some positions currently accepting tip distorts this is a market inefficiency.

Yes, Disney should charge enough to pay their workers. They wouldn’t necessarily have to raise prices as much as a simple calculation suggests, as they might have to lower their margins somewhat, which they could afford to do.

Yes, more taxes might be owed. We negotiate taxes based on many factors including how much they are projected to take in. If the tax base were increased, that would allow lawmakers to either lower rates, improve services or pay down debt. Also, payroll tax is insurance for the worker and also helps protect the future stability of the social security which we all benefit from.

I don't agree that tipped workers in Disney World are deserving of a tax subsidy, and it doesn't make any sense for Florida or Federal taxpayers to give them one. To the extent that tipping also allows Disney restaurants to enjoy higher margins because they avoid paying some tax also makes no sense for taxpayers. As a local taxpayer, I don't agree with this policy. I would prefer that the tax base be as wide as possible, and that the national and international tourists that Disney attracts pay a larger share of taxes than they currently do.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

So what you're saying is, in your limited experience, fine dining staff does their job compared to other places where they don't do their job?

What more do they do than greet you, take a drink order, bring your drink and take your food order, bring your food, and keep tabs on you from a distance or while walking by to another table to ensure your drink is not empty?

Do they cut up your meal and feed it to you? Because the above is what they all should be doing for the job. I don't feel doing the job as required is going above and beyond. Do the job, you deserve the pay. The ones who skip out on portions of the job, like everything between bringing your food and bringing the check, why do they deserve the full ever increasing expectation of pay vs. the ones who just do the job fully deserve better?

Without all your nastiness in your comment understand I was discussing in terms of what is the norm to tip. If you're now tipping more than what you used to normally tip at fine dining with typically having an experience that amounts to more than my local bar and grill I'd be tipping more, food being more expensive (not always the case in our experience) isn't the tipping point no pun intended.

Pulling out your chair then scooting it back, placing your dinner napkin on your lap (often the host though does this), drink recommendations typically considering more of the ingredients ,yeah I can get beer recommendations at a brewpub on the menu but not quite the same. Dress code and ambience may be needed to take note. In one of the Vegas places for example we went to elegant casual attire was required (collared shirts for men no sports apparel or shorts even in the heat (figured you'd like that comment ) and no children under 5 allowed strictly adhered to. The dessert are often carefully plated with an artisan style. Mine had a small amount of edible gold on it at that Vegas place (though that didn't matter to me). The plating though was done in a very clean way and while my local bar and grill can have good dessert it's usually expensive for the quality and slapped on there. At that place the utensils were switched out between our bread service (or if you had gotten apps or a salad) and entree service and again for dessert. Nothing was left to clutter up the table. The several other higher end places we've been too at home or on vacation generally follow the stuff above though more formal dress code (usually an implied dress up a bit more) and no children not necessarily. The place in Vegas wasn't even as high as you can get. One of the places no children period and attire is elegant as in more ball-like.

Generally both types of places people are doing the job assigned to them but we find a tad more on the servers part than they have to for a base tip at a place like that in higher end. And tipping just 20% to account for all the other stuff when I'm being more and more expected to tip for just the bar and grill means I'd be adjusting.

 

[focusondisney]

placing your dinner napkin on your lap (often the host though does this),

It’s been awhile since we went to anyplace that did that. Frankly, it always creeped me out. A perfect stranger has no business with their hand that close to my lap.