Wow. Just wow! I’d have been very reluctant to leave a tip as well! I wonder if there is a higher percentage of people on the DDP that don’t leave tips, and that’s why they get antsy.
I used to be a server back in the day, and tips were my bread and butter, so I know better than to not leave a tip. However, I am still reticent to leave an 18% tip to a server at a buffet. Yes, they work hard, but it’s without having to make sure they bring out the different courses at the right time. There is an art form to that.
It used to include tips and I think some people don’t realise it doesn’t any more. Add to that our English accents as we don’t have the same tipping culture you do, and I think she was taking no chances!!
My reservation comes with free dining plan ,which I upgraded, and a USD 200 gift card. I am going to use the gift card for tips. I am telling my self that the Deluxe dining plan is good value as long as we ‘eat’ the extra £600 for the week that I paid for it. Easily done. I don’t want to get into the mind set of thinking that I have to use all 63 table credits and 42 snack credits. If I cover the £600 and the gift card covers, at least some of the tips, I will be satisfied.
It was £476 for us to upgrade to normal dining plan, we’ll spend more than that just on QS without the TS and snacks. But we’ll probably end up buying more rather than not using them all And I like to spend my gift card on souvenirs. We tip in cash.
My Dd has made me much more aware of how much servers depend on tips, to make ends meet. Her BFFs @university waited , she worked elsewhere.
She has told me that the difference betw a night where some diners “stiffed” on tips, vs other nights where they tipped the usual (at that time I believe it was 15% in Montreal- was about 25 yrs ago)- would be the diff between paying their bills that week, and having to skip the bill payment.
And as I recall, servers in Montreal were paid min wage at the time, whereas in US they’re not paid even close to min, which is very minimum to begin with.
The feeling that servers are going home each week with big bags of cash is just not true, in general. That may happen at a very fancy restaurant, but most servers don’t work at places where a check totals say $300 for 2.
And also, most of the time, the servers have to divide their tips with the bar staff (if there’s a bar) and the bussing staff. It’s not like they get to keep the entire amount you left just for themselves.
But so long as OP tips appropriately, they can order whatever they like with their table reservation and should feel comfortable doing so. I’m sure we agree on this?
I think if your bill comes to significantly less than what a normal tab would be for a party your size, it is nice to tip a bit more than whatever the standard percentage of the bill would be.
@OBNurseNH, @dresslera- I totally agree, can only speak for myself of course. Whenever we’re at restaurant ordering just appetizers, or 1 of party orders 0, I will sometimes even say to server (as an aside)- we’ll tip a bit more, as if a full order.
Not sure if that’s a bit gauche of me, but I’d rather have the server know she/he won’t miss decent tip for that table. On a slow night, server might get fewer tables, too.
I’ve also thrown a few more dollars into the tip when my lower tipping friends aren’t looking heehee. My friends are mostly seniors (like me) and some of them are tipping like we’re back in the 60s haha. Love them to pieces, but what can I say?
@OBNurseNH- that is true. At disney, even with just appetizers & a couple of cocktails, the check can come to a few $ anyways. So the regular tip probably will be a decent amount.
At our fave diner here in town, when we’re occupying 1 of their (limited) booths, I tend to tip more than 20% b/c sometimes 1 of us is just having a cup of tea, while we’re there for almost an hour.
Servers are supposed to notify diners that gratuities aren’t included on DP. They are stiffed significantly during FD. Many guests look at the receipt with read “0.00” and say 20% of zero is zero. Seen it a dozen times. Guests who are eating at restaurants well outside their typical price range refusing to change thier tipping habits. Like at CG brunch, the tab is $80 (DP or cash) and they pay taxes on 8% of that $80, regardless of what guests leave or if they used credits, they also tip out the bartenders and bussers.
Are they supposed to be rude about it? Also, nobody else did that in a 2 week trip. But I tipped 20% anyway as I always do so I’m not sure why I’m getting the tipping lesson.
We also never had a receipt that said 0.00, it always had the amount. And lines telling you what the tip should be at 15, 18 and 20%.
I am under no legal obligation to tip at all. The Disney guide to tipping, which is included with every table service meal check refers to tipping to reward good service.
It’s a courtesy to be thankful for an expression of gratitude from someone else. If tips are a mandatory expectation then they should be included up-front in the price of the meal.
But it’s not really food-service tips that I found challenging. It was bell-hops. Since that tipping is face-to-face, there’s plenty of opportunity to express gratitude for the fact I just gave you $5 to do your job — and a job that took you a few minutes.
If you don’t like the rate of pay, get another job.
The US tipping system is ridiculous. It’s dishonest and divisive.
The problem with Brits is that we don’t like being told what to do.
Other than the skinflints, we tip in the UK…restaurant staff, workmen, taxi drivers, porters, hotel staff, … the list is endless. We even give Christmas boxes/gifts etc to the milkman, coalman, gardener, dustmen, cleaners, teachers, doctors etc . We do it to show our apprecition and because it is good manners, but we do it from choice not obligation.
A lot of restaurant staff in the UK are on minimum wage and are taxed on estimated tips, so we know the score. There is something in our cultural make up that makes us want to be seen to be generous and not obligated.
It is traditionally and there is no obligation for you to use their services. There is nothing dishonest about it and there is 101 travel guides that explain travel customs.
And I like to spend my gift card on souvenirs. We tip in cash.