To Tip or Not To Tip (long)

[Andrea73]

Not to be snarky, but where does it end? Tip jars could be anywhere then. At Mcdonald's, Target, Gymboree, the ballet studio and so on. These people are making a certain amount an hour, guaranteed. They're doing their job. Why tip them for what they're being paid to do?

Tip jars rub me the wrong way because I feel pressured to drop money in. And I have done that. But it's more out of guilt rather than feeling like the atmosphere is fabulous or the lady did a great job pouring me a cup of coffee.

Hey, maybe I should set up a tip jar in my kitchen and when my guests come over, if I made a good meal or made them feel good, they can put a few bucks in!

Maybe teachers should put a tip jar on their desk on the days of parent teacher conferences!!

Maybe I should put one at the PTA table for all the work I do and DON'T get paid for!!

 

[amandals2007]

1) At Tusker House for dinner we happened to have the best server we had our whole stay. We made sure to tip well because he was just wonderful.
2) I don't think towel animals are their job? It is an extra and not everyone gets these extras. I know we did not but it seems the people next door to us did. I guess because they tipped and we did not. Had the mousekeeper brought us the towels we asked for maybe she would have deserved the tip!

I do agree with you that if your waiter is the best, even if at a buffet, then they should get the best tip. we have for the most part have not had amazing waiters at buffets, because they arent really at the table a lot.

and im sorry i did not mean to say that the towels were their job. it seems like the towel animals have begun to be a "norm" in the past few years on our stays and we do not tip. it makes me wonder if they are doing those to get tips. i honestly thought that they started doing those to increase the disney spirit. disney has always been about service, so i thought that they were doing that in the spirit. like every mousekeeper was doing it. i was unaware that not everyone does it.

 

[HMGar]

'IF' the bus driver touches a bag of yours, then yes, they can expect a tip. But if they do nothing other than drive the bus, then no, they aren't entitled to a tip. I have had drivers that drove the bus, kept us all in stitches due to their witty banter and informative tidbits along the way, but never touched a bag of mine...those drivers got a tip from me. They went out of their way to make our ride a nicer one. On the other hand, I've had a bag with me, that needed to be stowed under the bus. But, that driver never said a word to me...not one single word. I gave him my bag, he took it (wordlessly), I got on the bus, made the trip to the resorts, whereupon at each stop that driver mentioned that gratuities are always gratefully accepted. For what??? Driving the bus?? Those were the only words out of his mouth. I got my bag and kept my money in my pocket...that money that I had put there in order to have it handy for tipping.

At WDW, housekeeping is not considered a tippable position. I have doublechecked at most of the resort front desks, and been told this on every occasion. They are paid over $10 an hour. Some of you say that you leave the room messy and that the housekeepers pick up your trash and clean the bathrooms for you.....well, that's their job!! They're supposed to do that. Yes, sometimes I leave a tip, but more often don't. If a housekeeper has done something out of the ordinary for me or just been overly pleasant, then a small tip will be forthcoming from me. But it certainly isn't a 'given'. Towel animals?? I've had them left with and without tips being left.
And don't get me started on the buffet tipping. Those servers actually do more work than the regular servers. Well...the good servers do. I have had buffet servers who ran themselves ragged making sure our used dishes were removed and our glasses were kept refilled. I see more of my buffet server than I do at a regular restaurant. So, I still tip at my regular amount.

Tipping is just part of the expense of travel, especially to someplace like WDW. It's just a fact of life...one you do have to budget for.

I would not have tipped that bus driver either. I especially don't like to be ASKED for a tip. I find that completely rude.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Why are people so against tip jars? I don't understand it. It's not a requirement, but if the service is great, or the atmosphere is fun or anything other thing making the experience a great one, then what's wrong with throwing a dollar or two in a tip jar? Or at a coffee place, if you get a coffee for $1.60, is there something wrong with throwing your change in the cup?

There's no rule on tips!

There have been situations where I felt service was so wonderful, and this happen a lot at my favorite restaurant, I'll tip a lot.

When I get something to go at the local pizza place, or a custom coffee drink I usually throw my change in the tip jar.

 

[kaytieeldr]

This is coming from someone who made a living as a server for 6 years. I don't know too many severs who make 25K a year on 3 nights per week. I am sure it happens, but it is rare. Your PPA, is a little off except at a fine dining establishment. You are going to have people who order steak, and wine, but you are also going to have people who share a steak, and drink water. .

Oh, sure - to this and everything else you said (I just hate to quote full posts when it's not 100% necessary )) I especially didn't allow for the much more frequent undertipping. I admit I didn't consider 'shares' - growing up, if my parents couldn't afford to let each of us order our own choice, nobody went out to eat - and we didn't go out often! And yes, my imaginary/sample figures would require a restaurant to be equally busy every hour it was open,and we KNOW that's not possible!

Still, and while your experienced figure makes the most sense of the various ones being tossed around in this thread, mine is still MUCH more reasonable than the ridiculous $100,000+!

 

[kaytieeldr]

Also, the server has to tip support staff. A huge chunk of what ever I made, I had to tip out to the barteneder and bus boy. This was based on my sales - not the amt I made in tip. So if I had a few poor tippers, I still had to tip-out the same amount.

Another excellent point!

And lastly, I will mention a servers worst nightmare. Ladies night out. (I am a lady and I love my nights out, so don't blast me here!) A server looses half of their section to a group that is going to sit and talk and talk and talk - I am guilty of this myself! You can't turn the table to try to make more money, so you just ride it out and hope they take care of you. So folks, if you are going to meet the girls, guys, family for a long liesurely dinner it a busy restaurant, just remember to take care of your server!

Question: some relatives and their friends - six to eight people - do this at a particular restaurant with some regularity. They're there several hours. They tip 100%. Is that reasonable?

 

[kaytieeldr]

- Averaging 40 hours/week

Just wanted to point out, from discussions with Disney servers, full time is VERY rare. One person worked (works?) part time at three different restaurants

 

[kaytieeldr]

:Your post was way to long.....I'll make it simple for you. If the service is not way above average, then no tip.

This would be equal to someone stating "If your job performance is not way above average, then no pay". Note that 'your' in this case means the quoted poster - not the generaly you, not a restaurant server, but the/any person who feels someone's compensation is legitimate for only way above average job performance.

 

[kaytieeldr]

If a server ever ran me down because they got less than what they think they deserved, I would be horrified!! That takes a lot of nerve IMO. Especially if they were not attentive and knew it. WOW!!

If you're referring to the poster with a party of six or more people, in fairness it was probably awkward for the waitress, too! But the bill is for $X, and as far as she could tell - due to physical tip placement - the party paid $X - $15. Even though they left cash, the server is responsible for ensuring payment in full is received for the/any check. If money is missing, for any reason, the server has to make it up.

 

[Andrea73]

I have to add, I always tip food delivery people well. I worry that they may keep tip habit records at the pizza place and do something funky to my pie if I don't tip well!!!

Yep...it's tipping PARANOIA!!!!

 

[kaytieeldr]

they just get your drink order and clear your plate and they think they should get 20%

"They" don't think anything. Their employer thinks and enforces that when your party consists of six or more people or when you are using the employer's discount dining club, your server gets an 18% service charge.

If you meet neither of these criteria, YOU determine the tip. The 18% and 20% calculations at the bottom of your check are for CONVENIENCE. They're not ORDERS.

2.)why people tip mousekeeping. we only get towel animals the first night. and that is their job.

Excuse me for yelling but TOWEL ANIMALS IS NOT THEIR JOB. Cleaning rooms is. You don't want to tip housekeeping? Great. Don't. But don't consider towel animals part of the housekeeping job - how, exactly, can that possibly be? - and don't consider your tip, if you choose to give one, a bribe, and don't complain when "all" you get is a cleaned room.

 

[kaytieeldr]

At disney world they do have a union though that does make demands. An example being that the tip was removed from the dining plan because the union requested it. They must have felt that they would do better in tips without it being included.

No. Disney wanted it, and refused to negotiate. The number of servers in that particular union is so small in comparison to the overall union membership that, when voting on the contract, most members just plain didn't care about the dining plan tip issue - because it didn't affect them personally.

 

[NJRA]

Read your ferderal tax return book. By federal law servers and anyone else in a tipped position have to be paid at least a minimum wage. If they did not make enough in tips than their employer is supposed to pay them the difference between what they actually made in both tips and hourly wage and what the minimum wage is. If the tips provided above the minimum wage than fine but if not than the employer is on the line for the rest. Because even if you do not receive minimum wage through hourly wage and tips you still have to claim that you did as income on your federal tax return. So it is the employees fault if they do not make sure that they are being paid correctly.

Most empoyers do NOT follow that rule........ They say that the good day's make up for the bad.....

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

I have to add, I always tip food delivery people well. I worry that they may keep tip habit records at the pizza place and do something funky to my pie if I don't tip well!!!

Yep...it's tipping PARANOIA!!!!

Most people I know at the restaurant I work at keep a mental tab on regular customers tipping habits. Though, I don't believe anything bad has happened to anyone's food, those who tip well are treated MUCH better.

 

[nefer]

Maybe teachers should put a tip jar on their desk on the days of parent teacher conferences!!

Maybe I should put one at the PTA table for all the work I do and DON'T get paid for!!

I second that!! Been reading all the posts and this is one I really agree with. Only the jar should be out every day

 

[LuvSulley]

Not to be snarky, but where does it end? Tip jars could be anywhere then. At Mcdonald's, Target, Gymboree, the ballet studio and so on. These people are making a certain amount an hour, guaranteed. They're doing their job. Why tip them for what they're being paid to do?

Tip jars rub me the wrong way because I feel pressured to drop money in. And I have done that. But it's more out of guilt rather than feeling like the atmosphere is fabulous or the lady did a great job pouring me a cup of coffee.

Hey, maybe I should set up a tip jar in my kitchen and when my guests come over, if I made a good meal or made them feel good, they can put a few bucks in!

When I saw tip jars at places like Starbucks, I didn't mind them much and would sometimes drop change in. But after seeing a tip jar at my local UPS Store, they started to irritate me because IMO businesses are going overboard with them.

 

[kaytieeldr]

When you say "UPS Store", you mean an actual retail/strip mall location, right? Not a UPS sorting and delivery facility? I mean, I've 'tipped' at the latter before, when I've gotten/sent multiple shipments in a short period of time. Not money, but cookies or something the front line people can all share. I feel I DID get superior service (e.g. the Saturday before Christmas one year where they pulled me out of a long line - NOT because I'm special, but because I was the only person out of about thirty who'd had the foresight to CALL the day before and have my package pulled for pickup; everybody else was waiting for their packages to be located on trucks!).

But a TIP CUP at a shipping location????????? Please!

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

Well, since you asked...

We tip servers. Always, and always starting at 20%. Yes, buffets too. Those servers often work much harder than the "regular" server. Servers share their tips with g-d and sundry, so the 20% isn't fully theirs which bugs me, but I can't change internal systems. We tip on the full cost of the order, not a reduce amount that might be charged as a result of discounts or coupons. Also, if the server is sweet enough to comp something (we have a wonderful server at a local restaurant who always manages to get something taken off our bill!) then we will include that amount in the tip, or at least add it back into the total and tip based on the new total.

Bartenders? Yep. 20% of the total...

Cabbies. Yes. Although I dislike it profoundly, I will tip a cabbie 10% of the fare ON THE METER. If it is not a metered fare, I want an itemized reciept. Yep. I do. And I get them. If they have not added a fee, I'll tip. Otherwise, no tip. I travel frequently and often see "flat rate fees" with added charges.

Housekeepers? No.

Counter service? No.

Retail anything? No.

Personal services like hair, massages, pedicures, manicures, facials, etc? Yes. 10% of the overall fee, unless the person was particularly good then 15 or 20%. For example, one massage included an extra head massage as I'd mentioned a headache that had lingered for days. The masseuse was able to make it go away! She recieved a hefty tip as she took extra time and really provided something of value that would have cost me more otherwise.


I believe that tipping in this country (the US) is completely out of hand, with everyone having their hand out for a tip. I'll tip where it is warranted, but that is it. I don't look for people to tip, and I don't tip based on a guilty conscience! LOL.

Oh, bell hops? $3 per bag... and if there is a concierge who goes above and beyond (like the one in California who found me a rag top on a beautiful sunny day) I'll tip based on the cost of whatever it is that was arranged.

The only bus driver I've ever tipped are those who drive the shuttles between the aiport and the rental car company. They often handle my luggage and put it in the car for me. I'll tip them based on the $3 per bag.

That's all I can think of right now.

 

[Andrea73]

When I saw tip jars at places like Starbucks, I didn't mind them much and would sometimes drop change in. But after seeing a tip jar at my local UPS Store, they started to irritate me because IMO businesses are going overboard with them.

UPS Store?!!! As much as they add on for the cost of stamps and they want tips?!! Maybe it is for people who have mail boxes there that they do something special for? They charge extra for everything.

 

[amandals2007]

"They" don't think anything. Their employer thinks and enforces that when your party consists of six or more people or when you are using the employer's discount dining club, your server gets an 18% service charge.

If you meet neither of these criteria, YOU determine the tip. The 18% and 20% calculations at the bottom of your check are for CONVENIENCE. They're not ORDERS.

Excuse me for yelling but TOWEL ANIMALS IS NOT THEIR JOB. Cleaning rooms is. You don't want to tip housekeeping? Great. Don't. But don't consider towel animals part of the housekeeping job - how, exactly, can that possibly be? - and don't consider your tip, if you choose to give one, a bribe, and don't complain when "all" you get is a cleaned room.

if you looked further in the thread I said that the towel animal statement did not come out as i meant it. and also never said that it was not my choice about a tip nor did i say anything about tip calculations at the bottom of a check. but i personally disagree with those. at the place of my employment, my bosses feel that its better to let the customer have complete control over that decision and in the end when its their choice most of the time we get a better tip.