What constitutes a...

[Tikitoi]

20% tip? 18% tip? 15% tip or less? With all the talk about the automatic tip to the dde and parties of 6 or more, just wondering what everyone is specifically looking for before they decide how much to tip? Thanks for the tips.

 

[TANYABETH]

Have you ever been to a restaurant and the waiter actually writes down what you ordered instead of trying to use his/her memory and it actually comes out right? Have you ever had a waiter/waitress bring you over another soda/water when he/she glanced over from a distance and noticed that yours was empty or at the very least came over to check to see if you needed another? Have you ever had a waiter/waitress actually come over to check and make sure your meal was okay and ask if you needed anything else? Have you ever had a waiter/waitress who was friendly, but not annoyingly so? These are all things that in my book constitute a good tip (at least 20%).

When I was at Raglan Road last week we never received the basket of bread that other tables were receiving. We didn't say anything to our waiter because we figured we had enough food anyway, but then I started to notice that he did not bring bread to any of his tables. Was this to save time, get tables out faster, hoping they would order extra food and drink to add to his 18% tip, forgetfullness or just plain laziness. I will never know why. What I also noticed was a very efficient waitress who would greet her tables take drink orders and then bring back drinks, bread, steak sauce and ketchup to all her tables right off the bat. This girl knew what she was doing and she was doing it good. Our waiter was friendly enough, but we hardly ever saw him and he spent a good amount of time socializing with other castmembers. This waiter received his automatic 18% tip, but in my book really derserved about 10%. The girl on the other hand deserved about 25%.

 

[Kay1]

We tip 15% for a buffet and 20% for TS. There are exceptions. We always leave more at breakfast, when the checks are so low. We tip the same for a $2.00 cup of coffee as we do for an expensive mixed drink. For great service, especially if the server has helped us in some way, such as giving us advice or directions, etc., we leave 25%.

Interesting you ask because this afternoon we visited a Sonic and got cheese sticks and drinks and zero idea what to tip at a drive-in. (And I have Hospitality Management degree.) The check was $6 and change so we gave her $9 and hoped it was right.

As far as not writing orders, some restaurants have policies that discourage writing for parties fewer than six.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I think Tanyabeth really hit it on the head.

The server should acknowledge your presence, at least in passing if in the mioddle of doing something else. Drink orders should be taken promptly and the drinks served quickly.

The person should be familiar with the menu, willing to make suggestions if you ask. Most better restaurants require their servers to have at least sampled everything on the menu, so they can make recommendations based on their own experience.

Dishes from each course should be cleared promptly (but not if you seem to still be in the middle of eating). The different courses should be reasonably paced, which can be controlled by the server.

Non-alcoholic beverages (water, soft drinks, coffee, etc.) should be refilled promptly, without having to ask the server; maybe the server, toward the end of the meal might ask if you want additional refills.

The check should come around the time you are finishing dessert, and once you have left a credit card or other payment the charge slip or change should be brought back promptly. If you are paying with cash (or traveler's check) all your change should be returned unless you have given the server instructions otherwise.

This is my basic standard for a tip in the 15% to 20% range. I will expect the quality of service to be higher in a restaurant such as Bistro de Paris as compared to Dennys.

If the quality drops below my expectation I will lower the gratuity accordingly. If it drops such that the tip will be less than 10%, or it is such that I will want to leave more than 20% I will always have a discussion with the retaurant manager as to why.

And tip is always based on the pre-discount and pre-tax prices.

 

[2infinityandbeyond]

25% tip=

(waiter at FF remembers us from our last time in three months earlier)

"Nice to see you again. What brings you back?"
"It's a belated anniversary trip"
"Anniversary?!? I'll be right back"

(returns with two glasses of sparkling wine)

"These are on me. Happy Anniversary!"

He answered every question we had about the menu, made excellent recommendations, suggested great wine pairings, kept our water glasses filled, was attentive without being imposing, friendly without being too buddy buddy and turned a meal into a dining experience.

 

[TANYABETH]

If restaurants have policies for not writing down orders they should really re-think this because as a bit of a finicky eater (I don't like onions at all, I don't like a lot of sauces etc.) I have had to wait more times than I can count for the waiter/kitchen to "fix" the meal they made wrong.

 

[dburg30]

Yea, I'm much more impressed with getting my food 100% correct as opposed to 85% correct because they 'forgot' something since it wasnt written down.


I'll tell you what, IMO it's fun to watch a server that a) seems to enjoy what they do and b) is good at it. You can almost sense the happiness / joy at the tables around you that server is working on..

It makes that 'Attitudes are contagious, is yours worth catching?'.

edit: OH and what really bumps my tips is if they keep me "tea'd" (That's a HUGE, HUGE part of the tip, as I go thru the tea when out to eat). That really will make or break the meal and the tip to me. I HATE not having something to drink. Everytime I have to do that empty glass slurping sound the tips drops a few %, period.. BUT everytime my glass magically fills up without me even getting to the 'tea rationing' point it ADDS to the tip

 

[kaytieeldr]

We tip 15% for a buffet and 20% for TS.

Interestingly... let's say the buffet cost $30 and the table service meal came to $45.
$30 x 15% = $4.50
$45 x 20% = $9.00
Two meals total tip = $13.50
$30 x 18% = $5.40
$45 x 18% = $8.10
Two meals total tip = $13.50

And buffet servers probably do more work than the diner thinks - they likely remove far more used plates than a sit-down restaurant server; and they do more of their own work (the restaurant probably has bussers while the buffet servers do that work).

 

[Kay1]

Interestingly... let's say the buffet cost $30 and the table service meal came to $45.
$30 x 15% = $4.50
$45 x 20% = $9.00
Two meals total tip = $13.50
$30 x 18% = $5.40
$45 x 18% = $8.10
Two meals total tip = $13.50

And buffet servers probably do more work than the diner thinks - they likely remove far more used plates than a sit-down restaurant server; and they do more of their own work (the restaurant probably has bussers while the buffet servers do that work).

I worked in at a buffet one year and the servers did very well because they could handle a much larger station and the bussers bussed.

 

[Mom2JoeyandBen]

The difference in tip for Buffet vs Sit-Down is well deserved. There is no way that a waiter who does not bring you your food deserves the same tip at a place where all he has to do is clear you plates(and even that simple task seems to be lacking at a lot of the buffet restaurants lately, Cape May, Chef Mickey, etc.).

So now with the DDE plan, you are forced to give say an extra 3% tip, however you are still getting a 20% discount, but now that discount has been reduced to 17%. You are still coming out ahead, but just not by as much.

This is all thanks to Disney and its efforts to try to pinch every penny from its guests as humanly possible! Gotta love ya Disney! And what's worst of all, they know they have something that everyone wants and can't get anywhere else...

 

[ms.yt]

Interesting you ask because this afternoon we visited a Sonic and got cheese sticks and drinks and zero idea what to tip at a drive-in. (And I have Hospitality Management degree.) The check was $6 and change so we gave her $9 and hoped it was right.

I bet your car hop was thrilled with that tip! Most people don't think to tip the car hops at Sonic. However, their base pay isn't as low as regular restaurant servers, so they don't depend on tips as much. I can't remember the exact amount they make, but I think it's around $4.50 per hour. Several of my students have worked there, and they said they often don't get tips.

 

[DVC Sadie]

Our starting point for tipping is about 15% for buffets (the only time we do buffets is when our grand neice is with us), 18% for casual meals and about 20% for dinner. If we dine at a fine restaurant then we usually tip 25%.

 

[DVC Sadie]

I bet your car hop was thrilled with that tip! Most people don't think to tip the car hops at Sonic. However, their base pay isn't as low as regular restaurant servers, so they don't depend on tips as much. I can't remember the exact amount they make, but I think it's around $4.50 per hour. Several of my students have worked there, and they said they often don't get tips.

My dh always tips when stopping for a drink at Sonic. We also tip delivery drivers.