Tipping.

[Pegasus928]

Does anyone know of a link that covers tipping?
We have been to Florida 3 times and typically leave 20-25% as we thought this was the norm. But since coming to work in the Middle East I work with a lot of Americans who reckon I must be mad to leave that much - even for excellent service.
I was always under the impression that Brits were considered bad tippers as many only leave 10-15% - but even this is more than my new American friends say that they leave.
I'm not really trying to penny pinch at the expense of a few badly paid waitresses (OK maybe a bit) but in todays climate every little helps.

Any advice appreciated

Kenny

 

[mariechez]

I always leave between 10 & 15% except for once when l left 20% for the way we were looked after and you could tell the waiter was a little surprised. I would say you are being a bit generous

 

[pixiepower04]

We returned a few weeks ago and we tipped at 20% every single time (it was just easier to work out!).

What I found disconcerting was that at the bottom of every bill is tells you what the 15%, 18% and 20% tip amounts are so they clearly expect a minimum of 15% so on a $100 meal they would get a minimum of $15.00 which is roughly £7 which is alot more that what I would give over here!

I also found it rather annoying that they often told me that tips were not included anymore, as if we didn't know!

Over the 3 weeks we ate at 20 WDW table service restaurants and 3 off site so over 3 weeks we paid over $400 (£200) just in tips!!!

 

[wayneg]

For good service its 15-20% but remember thats on pretax price not on total bill.
We also have American friends who don't tip what we do, one who actually works at a Texas Roadhouse but not in a big tourist area, she is considering leaving as tips are very poor from locals.
In buffets I always watch others and amazed how many leave so little. You can't tell so much in table service as like me they put it on credit card so nothing is left.

Eating so much in Disney it will mount up as prices are about double offsite prices before tip. Sweet Toms, better than any salad buffet onsite IMO with voucher we eat for about $25 for 3 of us.

If you tip 25% on total bill(not pretax) that is a lot of tip.

 

[paulfoel]

I always thought 15% was the norm.

I can never get over the idea of leaving a tip (even 5%) if the service is that bad thiough.....

 

[wayneg]

I can never get over the idea of leaving a tip (even 5%) if the service is that bad thiough.....

Totally agree, I leave 1 cent to show I was not happy. They should not earn anything and be looking for work elsewhere, only happened to me once though in 20 visits.

 

[paulfoel]

Totally agree, I leave 1 cent to show I was not happy. They should not earn anything and be looking for work elsewhere, only happened to me once though in 20 visits.

Wayne,

Thats so funny !!!!!!

I have had appalling service just once too (in Waffle House actually !!!!)

 

[wayneg]

Ours was in Golden Corral. She was terrible, never brought plates or drinks, disapeared whenever we wanted her, don't know if she was on drugs or had a very bad cold but she would not work for me in that state, and thats with flowers not food.
She had the cheek to run after us and shout something, its a few years ago so I dont remember her comments. If it happened now I would end up in an argument, back then I was not as confident as I am now.

 

[Pegasus928]

The Americans I work with use the 1 cent tip quite often if they are not happy with the service. Seems to be one of those unwritten rules that everyone knows about.
As far as tipping in general is concerned we very rarely tip back in the UK and I'm not even sure if we're supposed to - it only seems to have become an issue since we started visiting Florida, where everywhere you eat or drink expects to be rewarded for doing their job (be it with a smile or not).
It would be nice to see some locals on here letting us know where the American public in general stand on this, what is considered reasonable and are we British perceived as badly as we think we are.

Kenny

 

[DjdBrit]

I am British but have lived in the US for 12 years and am married to an American. We eat out enough and have been to WDW. I think its very hard to generalize what "Americans" do and don't since its such a HUGE country with many diffent areas and people. That being said... For larger partys most places add an automatic tip between 18/20% whcih is fine WDW does this for 6 or more (18%), most other places it would be for 8 or more but its no big deal.
When I am out I will tip between 10-15%, if I get excellent service or we are problem customers I would leave more. If my kids make a mess or we ask for lots of extras or subsituation this would be us being pains
I have never in my life heard of the 1 cent rule, ever I am am going to be sure to ask my husaband about this.

I somewhat object to tipping to non food servce stuff, for example (I know I am going to hear it for this but its my opinion) I paid for a clean room, I am playing ALOT to stay in that clean room, part of that payment includes the room being cleaned everyday. I do tip the Mousekeepers but feel that I shouldbn't have to, they get paid (and according to some very well).

I will think on this some more and get back to you. Let me know if you have any questions... I am sure you do

 

[wayneg]

I somewhat object to tipping to non food servce stuff, for example (I know I am going to hear it for this but its my opinion) I paid for a clean room, I am playing ALOT to stay in that clean room, part of that payment includes the room being cleaned everyday. I do tip the Mousekeepers but feel that I shouldbn't have to, they get paid (and according to some very well).

I won't tip onsite or offsite for a clean room, I know some disagree but my choice. If I have any coins left at the end of the holiday I leave them but thats it.

 

[afcgirl]

I am American and just happened upon this post.

The normal rule is to tip between 15% and 20%. I tip 20% under most circumstances, where the service is good to great. I tip 15% if I feel the service is average or below average. Anything less than 15% is a bit of a snub.

Under very rare circumstances, if the server is very rude or offensive, some people leave zero tip (I have never heard of the $.01 rule). However, this is very rare and if you do this then you should try to leave the restaurant as quickly as possible, LOL. Most likely the server will aggressively ask you why you didn't leave a tip.

 

[buzz for boys]

So am i right in thinking as a family of 6 we will have no control over our tip and it will be automatically added to our bill everytime we eat????

 

[DjdBrit]

If you are eating at a WDW TS, yes as a party of 6 its automatic 18%. This inculdes people who are not eating ie a baby.

 

[Pegasus928]

It does seem very unfair that a party of 6 or more can turn up, be given the worst server in the establishment and yet still have the tip added to the bill.
I'm sure there are policies in place where, if you feel that the service has been spectacularly bad, you can complain to the manager and have it taken off but why should we have to put ourselves in that position?
A tip should be optional regardless of how many people in the party, and it should be up to me as an individual to determine what I want to leave.

Kenny

PS - Todays Tip - Don't eat yellow snow

 

[catherine]

DH is from CA and I lived there for almost 10 years. We always tipped a minimum of 15%, 20% if the service was really good. DH told me about the 1 cent tip, although we never had to do that, thank goodness!

 

[disneyholic family]

Does anyone know of a link that covers tipping?
We have been to Florida 3 times and typically leave 20-25% as we thought this was the norm. But since coming to work in the Middle East I work with a lot of Americans who reckon I must be mad to leave that much - even for excellent service.
I was always under the impression that Brits were considered bad tippers as many only leave 10-15% - but even this is more than my new American friends say that they leave.
I'm not really trying to penny pinch at the expense of a few badly paid waitresses (OK maybe a bit) but in todays climate every little helps.

Any advice appreciated

Kenny

i don't know what rock your american friends live under, but if 10% is more than they ever leave, they must have crawled out from under something...

perhaps they've never actually eaten in a restaurant or with a fork and knife?

the norm in america, in a table service restaurant (not what you leave in the plastic cup on the counter at starbucks) is 15%.....
it has been 15% for as long as i can remember....(and i'm 53 so that's a very long time)...

in recent years, people have started tipping 20% for very good service..

personally, i almost always tip 20%....but 15% is the minimum in a quality table service restaurant....

 

[Pegasus928]

That 15% is still 10% less than I have been leaving - and an even greater difference than that when you take into account I was working it out on the whole bill.

Looks like I might be saving myself quite a few dollars in Feb

Kenny

 

[DjdBrit]

At the end of the day you should always leave what is fair, most people seem to know what that is.

 

[buzz for boys]

seems like im going to have no choice but leave 18% which is going to making the dining out even more expensive !! Last time we wnt we left 10% of the final bill and all our servers seemed quite happy with that - the 1st few times i was a little nervous and asked them if it was an adequate tip !! 18% seems like a huge tip to me but hey ho not anything i can do about it so no use in moaning about it either !!!