Tipping Poll...Full Service vs Buffet

[renessa]

I often wonder if anyone feels like me in this tipping situation. I often over tip servers in buffet type restaurants. These servers bring and refill drinks, clear plates, and little more. While at a full service restaurant servers describe menu items, bring and refill drinks, deliver food, check back to make sure everything is okay, deliver check, etc. Do you know what I mean??? I feel good when I leave a large but well deserved tip, but do I over tip at buffets just so I won't feel cheap?

I'm interested to know what you all think! This really does apply to disney dinning, as there are so many character buffets! I really don't want this to become a heated debate...

Thanks for all the responses!

 

[diznee25]

I tip the same for all servers, just a personal preference. They all seem to work as equally hard to please the customers and keep the restuarant clean and in order. In July my fiance' and I ate at Hollywood and Vine for a character breakfast. Believe me, those servers had their hands full doing more then refilling drinks! (All those exciting kids waiting for the characters to come to there table! I'd have to say our waiter spend alot of time keeping parents and kids from walking up to the characters, telling them that the characters would come around to every table eventually!) I would have to say we were the only ones there without children, but that will change in a few years.....

Diznee25

 

[CarolMN]

I tip 10%-15% at buffet style restaurants, and 15%-25% at full service restaurants. The range is to allow for OK - excellent service.

 

[BonnieA]

I think the servers at buffets do as much as many servers in full service restaurants, so I tip the same 15-20%.

 

[peachgirl]

My average tip for a buffet is 10% - 15%. For full service it's 20%. I tip nothing for poor service, I tip more generously for outstanding service whether it's buffet or full service.

 

[erikthewise]

How hard the server is working is IMO not a justification for tipping buffet servers equally. Suppose two servers, one full-service and the other buffet, are working equally hard. The buffet server will be working more tables (let's say 50% more just to have something definite) because of less to do at each table. If everyone tips them them equally, the buffet server will earn 50% more in tips. Does that seem fair? It doesn't to me. So I stick with less tip for less service, because the server does NOT get shortchanged thereby.

However there are times when a buffet server will give as much attention as full-service. In those cases I'm happy to give the same tip as for full-service.

 

[alyssa810]

Let me preface this by saying that I have not eaten in any Disney buffets, but for the most part, I tip very little at buffets. It all depends on the restaurant and the server of course, but if all someone is doing is showing me where to sit and where the buffet is, that doesn't really count for much. However, if they're getting my drinks and cleaning my plates away, and I never I have ask for more to drink, I'd be more likely to be more generous. The table service we've had at the park has almost always been stellar, and we try to relfect that in the tips we leave.

 

[eeyore0062]

I think that at times, the buffet servers do more than the full service servers, in the fact that they have to be at the table more often to clear empty plates, and refill drinks more often. We tip the same at WDW... now for generic types of buffets, we tend to tip a little less, but no more than 3 % less.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

I tip at both, but a little more for full service. I agree that buffet workers possibly work just as hard, but a full service waiter/waitress has more responsibility.

I have to stop visiting this board, as it makes me hungry!!!!

 

[CPM]

Here's what I know being in the restaurant business most of my life.
Whever I worked in a buffet restuarnt I worked a lot harder then in a full service restuarant. there is more set-up, more clean up and lots of clearing and refilling. People stay at your table much longer, so turnover is slower. Generally you will have the same amount of tables that a full service restaurant. Please at least tip the same if service warrants it.

 

[MsDisney]

Originally posted by CPM
Here's what I know being in the restaurant business most of my life.
Whever I worked in a buffet restuarnt I worked a lot harder then in a full service restuarant. there is more set-up, more clean up and lots of clearing and refilling. People stay at your table much longer, so turnover is slower. Generally you will have the same amount of tables that a full service restaurant. Please at least tip the same if service warrants it.

CPM, this is interesting, and true, and I confess I never thought about it that way. Alot of places it seems the server isn't the one taking the dishes away, and I drink the same (ie, require the same amount of refills) at full service or buffet. So my question is, do full service and buffet servers get the same low hourly rate?
It still seems to me that going and getting our own food, etc. warrants less than having someone bring us our bread,drinks, appetizer, meal and dessert...as well as making sure the order is correct and prepared properly. I always tip very well for good service and at buffets, if I feel the server has had to deal with us alot (alot of clearing and refills) then I tip just as well. If I feel (and it has been the case) that they have hardly had to do anything for us, then I will tend more toward the 10% side. IMO, tipping is about what the server does for YOU, and if there is more setup and behind the scenes stuff, then I'm not really a part of that, so I don't know if I feel I should tip for it.

Now, to the person who mentioned that the servers were spending time making sure kids and adults were not going to the characters when they weren't at their tables, I'm sorry, I will not tip more because people can't control their kids. You would NEVER see my kids doing that, and they specifically tell families that the characters will be by their table for them to visit with. If I have to go without drink refills because other people are rude, basically, that's not going to make me want to tip more.
I'm not trying to debate, it just struck me that you shouldn't have had to be more patient because you don't have kids, if that was the case. People need to learn to control their kids and not ruin it for everyone else. I see that sort of behavior WAY too much!

Karen

 

[eeyore0062]

Yes, unfortunately, the servers at a buffet restaurant get the same lowly hourly rate that full service restaurant servers get. That is why I always tip the same, especially at the Disney run buffets.

 

[MsDisney]

Originally posted by eeyore0062
Yes, unfortunately, the servers at a buffet restaurant get the same lowly hourly rate that full service restaurant servers get. That is why I always tip the same, especially at the Disney run buffets.

That's interesting, I never realized....of course, I just never heard either way. I never really thought about the fact that you definitely spend more time at the table, and therefore the server has less turnaround.

I'll be more aware in the future. We don't go to alot of buffets anyway, but I always compensate the server when we spend a LONG time dining, which my fiance and I have a tendency to do, especially if there is a football game on

Karen

 

[CPM]

Originally posted by eeyore0062
Yes, unfortunately, the servers at a buffet restaurant get the same lowly hourly rate that full service restaurant servers get. That is why I always tip the same, especially at the Disney run buffets.

Yes, in my experiences they are still paid the same low hourly rate. I'm sure all this varies from restaurant to restaurant. And yes, certainly tip accordingly if a server doesn't give you the service that you expect. Also a good thing to do is let the managar know if service has suffered. as a restaurant owner I would have rather known about the bad service then had my customer never return.

 

[MsDisney]

Also a good thing to do is let the managar know if service has suffered. as a restaurant owner I would have rather known about the bad service then had my customer never return.

Definitely. We had an extremely bad service experience at Spoodles once, and we love the restaurant. It was our third time there. The server was obviously new, but it was horrible. I never send food back or complain, but I felt they needed to know how upsetting it was to have such terrible service, especially when the cost is so high to dine there. I think it's the only time I considered leaving nothing. I would never do that, but when someone has been so bad so as to ruin your night, I don't know that anything is deserved. And I'm always the one who says that if they bring you your food and at least get your order right, they should get 15%. We left about $5 and talked to the manager so that we didn't come off as just cheap, and so that they would know. We did it after our meal on the way out so they knew we weren't looking for any compensation, but rather felt they needed to know, we're regular customers and we were very disappointed.
It's hard to complain about someone, knowing they might get in trouble, but as you say, I'd want to know rather than have them not come back. I won't blame the restaurant for one bad server. We just won't sit in their section ever, ever again!

Karen