Tipping Advice from former waitgirl!

[Tricia1972]

Not much more to say here that I haven't already said. So, for those keeping score:

1. All servers are self-entitled.

Yes, I have said exactly that throughout the thread.

From page 1

Amen! From reading these boards I find myself more and more offended by wait staff. I am actually almost dreading going to Disney in March. It's hard to like people who seem to feel so entitled.

From page 6

I believe that it's incentive based too. Which is why my feathers get ruffled when I hear from servers that they are entitled to 20% just because they came to work that day.

Clearly I don't hear from all servers. Though this could have been misconstrued.

Page 6 again...

I really think that's fantastic that there are so many good tippers out there, and I have no problem with people tipping well, and servers who are tipped well.

Like I said previously, my feathers only get ruffled when I sense entitlement from servers that they deserve a fantastic tip because they came to work and did the bare minimum that they had to do.

Tipping well is a very good thing!

Page 12

AGAIN I am not saying don't tip and don't tip well. We ourselves tip about 30% on occasion. I just find myself frustrated with the sense of entitlement I get from some servers who post.

Servers should be rewarded and rewarded well for doing their job, but they should still have to do their job to be rewarded.

Page 17

In no way do I mean to bash the servers in general. I based the few entitlists from previous tipping posts, but not servers in general. I really appreciate servers and all the work that they do for us. In turn I am always polite and treat a server as I would want to be treated if I were in their shoes. I also reward good service with a good tip.

2. They are are making tons of money off the the real hard working people of the world.

Because when it's said that a server can make a good living, certianly it's implied that all servers are making that much...

3. They don't appreciate tips.

And the servers who thanked us for their tips certainly were saying that to everyone...

4. They all spit in our food.

Actually, if you're following along with the posts, it was sneeze not spit

Here's where that impression is coming from.

The sneeze sandwich post..

First, let me say I am former waitress/ bartender. I can tell you from years of experience that the pushiest rudest people tip the worst. I can also tell you that those people have had more sneeze sandwiches than they will ever know. not because they tipped badly, but because they treat waitstaff like their personal slaves. Me, I look at my waiter or waitress like my mom. I say please, thank you and am polite. I also dont act like a pain in the **** because"they are getting paid". I choose to think that the reason I get GREAT service where ever I go, is because I am happy and grateful for the person who is getting me my food and drink as fast as they can , understanding that I am hungry thirsty andwant to eat NOW. as far as messy kids, I have always felt sorry for the parents who try to control jr. who is hopped up on soda and icecream, but no sympathy for the parent who thinks its the waitresses job to entertain or clean up a disaster because "hey its a restaurant, its not my house, they can clean itup for once" again, I say, sneeze sandwich. patience and understanding goes a long way to a server. The golden rule applies to the one bringing your fries too!! I also try to tip well because do you think that waiting tables was the first choice on their list of ways to make a living? sometimes you have to do what you have to do to pay the bills. so happy tourist , just remember that while you are on vacation, the person bringing you that huge peice of cake, is working.

5. They really don't work that hard.

I've not read that from ANYONE. Some servers don't do their jobs and don't do their jobs well. Many feel that servers who don't do their jobs well should not be tipped a standard/average amount.

6. Most servers are rude.

Some are, and some guests are too. Nobody has said that their aren't rude servers or rude guests. Servers and guests alike seem to acknowledge that there are rude servers as well as rude guests. Some people just don't have good manners and that's unfortunate.

7. All servers are greedy.

Going back to the few entitlist's, sure they are greedy. Not everyone is.

These are some of the things said whether implied or directly in this thread alone. Maybe a slight exhageration but not too far from the truth.

I think that maybe we just read things differently, but that's fine. That's what makes the world go round.

 

[Stinky_Pete]

This is my biggest gripe too........I tell servers to keep the change if that is my intention, but if you see me paying a $51 check with a fifty and a twenty, then assume you get to keep the change, you have insured yourself of a lower tip. Many people just say "No, I don't need the change" just to avoid an awkward moment, and servers are betting on that......this is a form of extortion in my opinion. Ok, I feel better with that off my chest!

This happened to me once. The waitress took our check folder with the cash in it and disappeared. It would have been way over a 30% tip and trust me, she didn't deserve it. When she never came back I eventually went to the bartender to ask about her. It was a big production with lots of sighing on the part of the waitress to get it straightened out. I tipped less than I would have had this incident never happened and needless to say we never went back there.

 

[mom2my3kids]

Does a server working at a place where each table has an average bill of $200.00 work harder then a server working at a place where the average bill is $100.00 per table?

20% of $200=$40

20% of $100=$20

Each table would equal aprox 1/3 of an hour of work,assuming they were waiting on 3 tables at any one time.

Heck the average bill at IHOP is around 20.00 for two people, I can't imagine these types of checks. The weekends I have three tables to rotate the whole day, depending on party size average length of the time they sit there I can make decent money. But it all depends on the customers, how busy the restaurant is. You can never assume how much money you are going to make, some days I can work 8-9 hours and make 100.00 and other days I can work the same amount of hours and make 50.00-60.00 dollars. The days I make good money, I am running around like a chicken with its head cut off. But I take care of my customers, keeping drinks filled, clearing plates and glasses. If the food it taking a while I let my customers know about how long its been taking, they appreciate that and less likely to get mad at me if the food is taking a while.

 

[Crispy21]

Heck the average bill at IHOP is around 20.00 for two people,

I was gearing my question for a waitress working at a WDW eating place.

 

[mom2my3kids]

I was gearing my question for a waitress working at a WDW eating place.

I understand, I just realized the difference between WDW and a town in Indiana..lol

 

[Tricia1972]

Heck the average bill at IHOP is around 20.00 for two people, I can't imagine these types of checks. The weekends I have three tables to rotate the whole day, depending on party size average length of the time they sit there I can make decent money. But it all depends on the customers, how busy the restaurant is. You can never assume how much money you are going to make, some days I can work 8-9 hours and make 100.00 and other days I can work the same amount of hours and make 50.00-60.00 dollars.

See for me when a bill gets down to $20 is where I throw the percentages out of the window. I really feel that a minimum dollar to give is at least $5 which would be 25%, and that's for pretty much just showing up. If you were to go above and beyond that $5 minimum jumps to $10.

I agree with the PP that you are working just as hard as a person who delivered my $50 breakfast.

Not saying that this is for everyone, but it's the way that I work when going out to eat and it's part of the reason that I tend to not like the percentages in general.

 

[crisi]

If a tip is warranted for good service, the tip in that case is not "optional" in my eyes and in the eyes of society in general. I do not think they meant discretionary as to the value of the tip, I think the meant what they said...optional..meaning they do or they don't. And if they do, then its just a "gift" aka charity.

After 21 pages you should realize that "society in general" agrees with very little on the subject of tipping.

 

[Pixeldust Fairy]

I dont know if this is an entitlement issue by the waitstaff or if its an obligation issue on the patrons side. I feel like that any more customer service has declined. Not just in food service, Im talking about everywhere. But yet it seems that the customer is expected to pay more money, for more"services" and are not receiving the same in return. I dont have a problem with tipping. I have a problem with the fact that I am obligated as a patron to tip, and tip well for service. Where as the service attendant ( not picking on only waitresses) does not have the same obligation to give me good customer service.

 

[Stittsville]

In my little part of Canada 20% is probably the going percentage but I am really curious about what people really tip.

I don't know what part of Canada you are from, but 15% is generally the accepted norm in Ontario (although usually on the post-tax amount of the bill). The waitstaff minimum wage is a lot higher than the Florida $2 an hour though, so I don't have a problem paying 20% at WDW for decent to good service.

 

[wezee]

"quoted"I am sure a lot of people would like to eat out at fancy resteraunts, buy new cars every year, take fancy vacations and I am sure most of these people have great stories and are very nice people that we would all sympathize with. But the reality of the world is that if you do not have the money to do something that extravegant, dont do it. Not having the funds is not a very good excuse for not tipping in today's world.[/QUOTE]

I totally agree....when we plan any vacation which includes sitdown dining, we realize that tipping is a part of life in the good ole USA and budget accordingly. If we had to be concerned with 10% vs. 20%......we would not be eating at TS, or even booking our WDW vacation for that matter

Also, I am beginning to feel very special after reading all the posts about rude servers at WDW and servers feeling they are entitled to a certain tip %, just because they showed up to work.........because in all our WDW dining experiences.......we have honestly never had a rude server, nor one that did not deserve at least 20% tip. (I will admit....we rarely go to buffets at WDW...if that makes a difference)

 

[Taja]

Okay, I'm dating myself, but when I was younger, 10% gratuity was considered quite acceptable. Over the years--as prices increased--it became 15% to 20%.

I don't drink alcohol or soft drinks--or anything else a bartender dispenses, so there is no reason for him/her to expect a tip from me.

I am tipping my server for good to excellent service, and refuse to be expected to tip those who do not provide service, such as a bartender. If it is the policy of the establilshment to pool tips, so be it. That is not my concern.

If servers need to be paid more, the manager of the establishment needs to revise pay scales and pricing structure. Servers should be paid at least minimum wage, as should all workers.

I base my tip on 15% for average service and adjust accordingly. I rarely tip below 20%, unless service is absolutely awful. And I do differentiate between kitchen issues and service issues--both of which I discuss with the manager before leaving the premises.

But 30% as a standard is completely absurd.

 

[DiszyDean]

In all honesty, in seeing the miserable attitude of some people in this thread towards "the help", I cannot imagine being a server. I probably wouldn't last a day.

As far as does the server at IHOP work as hard as someone at a more expensive resteraunt? Probably...in some cases, probably harder. However, does that mean the person at the expensive resteraunt should make only just as much or less than the person at IHOP as far as tips? That is pretty much the textbook definition of communism.

There are a lot of examples of professions where the work load is probably equal yet a person working at one place gets paid more than the other. Its called the free market.

The whole paying a flat tip of $5 or whatever no matter where you are eating is ridiculous and doesn't even deserve a comment.

 

[mkycrzy1971]

This is my biggest gripe too........I tell servers to keep the change if that is my intention, but if you see me paying a $51 check with a fifty and a twenty, then assume you get to keep the change, you have insured yourself of a lower tip. Many people just say "No, I don't need the change" just to avoid an awkward moment, and servers are betting on that......this is a form of extortion in my opinion. Ok, I feel better with that off my chest!

I agree...I had a dinner tab of $56 at a steak house one night...my husband set out a $100 bill that was in very plain view of the waitress...she came by looked at the bill and said..."do you need any change this evening?" (this all after very poor service)...I looked at her laughed out loud and said "most definitely!" At first I thought it was a joke, but she then huffed and turned around stomping off to get change...she then brought back 2-$20's and 4-$1 bills...I guess she was assuming I would simply leave one of the $20 bills since I only had $1's other than that...to her utter amazement, I left her 10% and spoke with the management as I left explaining her poor service and the way she reacted over having to get change for my $100 bill...The manager insisted she remove a portion of tab for the poor service and unprofessional manner in which the waitress acted...I re-assured her that our food was excellent and I insisted we pay for the entire cost of the meal...after-all, it was not the food quality that was affected ...however, I did explain the reason for the rather small tip I left and that I would prefer it to be distributed to the bus boy, chef, hostess, etc (who ever else the waitress had to share tips with) rather than the waitress due to her very poor service and unprofessional manners regarding the check...upon our return to this establishment, we were informed the waitress had been let go (I guess this was not the first time she tried to bully a guest into leaving a large tip without appropriate service).

 

[Crispy21]

The whole paying a flat tip of $5 or whatever no matter where you are eating is ridiculous and doesn't even deserve a comment.

So why the comment?

 

[Pumbaa_]

This has more than run its course. The interesting this is, Disney servers are not posting but lots of people sure seem to know what they think.