2008 Buffet tip?

[LexPlayer]

BuffaloGal- Again, many thanks for your reasonable response. [I would just note my belief, that as a general matter, servers tend to tip other servers at a higher percentage than non-servers].

Everyone has their own opinion on tipping as can be seen by a reading on these Boards. As for me, I tip 18% at a "cheap in price" restaurant and 15% at a "more expensive" restaurant, standard. Obviously, the amount may go up with good service and down with bad service. I think it is rather arrogant for someone to say that they tip a certain percentage [as some do on these Boards], regardless of the cost of the meal. A gratuity should be commensurate with the level of service.

That being said, it is inescapable in my mind that various etiquette advisers (Emily Post, Good Housekeeping, tipping.*rg) state that buffet servers should be tipped at 10%. It has not sufficiently been explained to me why there is a Disney exception. Do they work hard? Yes, they do- just as other buffet servers do at non-Disney restaurants. I don't go tipping them 18%.

This is not directed at you BuffalGal, but if Disney is such a special place, where one is compelled to tip buffet servers at 18% percent (80% over the industry standard), why don't we similarly tip table service servers at 32.4% (representing an 80% increase over the 15-20% industry standard for menu service). Is Disney the only location on this planet where buffet service and table service are created equal?

 

[sandym718]

I'm still confused. If Disney assigns more chairs to a buffet server than a TS server -isn't that b/c Disney assumes they can handle more tables/chairs in the same time period - in effect each chair is less "work"?? If so, then why would customers be expected to tip the same for a server that provides less service PER TABLE/CHAIR? I don't doubt that buffet servers work just as hard as other TS servers, just that it is as much work/service PER TABLE. If they have MORE tables/chairs though, getting a lesser % tip at each one should balance out, right?

I'm having trouble understanding the logic. And yes, I know Disney does recommend 18% at buffets, but I have to wonder if making that recommendation is part of the contract negotiations with the union.

I also agree with the others who posted that Disney buffets are in NO way like regular buffets - Golden Corral, for example. However, the prices at Disney buffets are also substantially higher and thus the servers are making substantially more. And yes, I do think servers at Golden Corral/Ponderosa, etc. can work their butt off too.

 

[LexPlayer]

I agree...you have to remember that the tip increases even if the percentage remains the same -- because the price being tipped a percentage of is significantly higher.

10% of a $12.00 buffet with a party of 4 is only $4.80.

10% of a $30.00 buffet with a party of 4 is $12.00.

Even with keeping the same 10% at 2 different places, there is a significant increase in the gratuity because the price is significantly higher.

Personally I generally tip between 15% - 20% or higher for table service and between 10% - 20% for buffet service depending on the service -- where ever I happen to be.

Buffalogal, who doesnt have a tough job? I appreciate that you take great care of your customers, but it seems that its always the servers on here who want that 18% or higher at a buffet. (Yes I am aware you dont work at a buffet, WCC if I recall from previous posts), and thats just really hard to justify for most patrons. Not only does it not follow standard tipping guidlines, the prices are artificially inflated to begin with making this even more out of whack to expect that kind of a gratuity at a buffet.

I'm still confused. If Disney assigns more chairs to a buffet server than a TS server -isn't that b/c Disney assumes they can handle more tables/chairs in the same time period - in effect each chair is less "work"?? If so, then why would customers be expected to tip the same for a server that provides less service PER TABLE/CHAIR? I don't doubt that buffet servers work just as hard as other TS servers, just that it is as much work/service PER TABLE. If they have MORE tables/chairs though, getting a lesser % tip at each one should balance out, right?

I'm having trouble understanding the logic. And yes, I know Disney does recommend 18% at buffets, but I have to wonder if making that recommendation is part of the contract negotiations with the union.

I also agree with the others who posted that Disney buffets are in NO way like regular buffets - Golden Corral, for example. However, the prices at Disney buffets are also substantially higher and thus the servers are making substantially more. And yes, I do think servers at Golden Corral/Ponderosa, etc. can work their butt off too.

Yes, a 10% base standard for "adequate" service!

 

[pearlieq]

I also don't really see a call to tip more than 10% for buffet servers, unless they do something spectacularly "above and beyond".

The $5-6 that DH and I would tip for 2 adult dinner buffets is perfectly adequate for bringing me drinks and clearing dirty dishes for 40 minutes.

As others have said, I can imagine a good WDW buffet server would provide more sophisticated service than a server at the Ponderosa. But I'm paying $8.99 there are $25.99 at WDW. The 10% ratio is still accurate.

 

[BuffaloGal]

I guess that I tend to think that Disney buffet servers deserve a higher than 10% tip to commensurate with their experience. Just like, in most cases, employees who have 20 years on a job in the "real world" tend to make a little more. Most of the servers at buffets have been with the company for YEARS and YEARS. I will FREELY admit that there are Disney Buffet servers who DO NOT deserve 18%. I've run into some of them. I am certainly not expecting anyone to tip 18% if they don't feel like they have received a heaping portion of magic with their meal. I am just not sure that I think that 5-10% is a fair jumping off point. Disney imposes a lot of standards on their servers that aren't imposed elsewhere in the restaurant world. In fact, I will admit that I have a hard time eating at restaurants outside of WDW anymore because the differences are glaring when they become the standard for you.
Anyway, my main concern was the idea that people were going to reduce the amounts that they tipped based upon an incorrect idea of what we make. That's not fair.

Oh, and I'm not the one who works at WCC.

 

[TLSnell1981]

BuffaloGal- Again, many thanks for your reasonable response. [I would just note my belief, that as a general matter, servers tend to tip other servers at a higher percentage than non-servers].

I agree with this statement. I know I definitely have a soft spot for a server with a great work ethic. I will tip them handsomely. As I have stated before, I used to own a restaurant and appreciate a server that gives it their all.

 

[BuffaloGal]

I'm still confused. If Disney assigns more chairs to a buffet server than a TS server -isn't that b/c Disney assumes they can handle more tables/chairs in the same time period - in effect each chair is less "work"?? If so, then why would customers be expected to tip the same for a server that provides less service PER TABLE/CHAIR? I don't doubt that buffet servers work just as hard as other TS servers, just that it is as much work/service PER TABLE. If they have MORE tables/chairs though, getting a lesser % tip at each one should balance out, right?

I'm having trouble understanding the logic. And yes, I know Disney does recommend 18% at buffets, but I have to wonder if making that recommendation is part of the contract negotiations with the union.

I also agree with the others who posted that Disney buffets are in NO way like regular buffets - Golden Corral, for example. However, the prices at Disney buffets are also substantially higher and thus the servers are making substantially more. And yes, I do think servers at Golden Corral/Ponderosa, etc. can work their butt off too.

The number of chairs that Disney assigns to a buffet server isn't that significantly less than a TS server as to make up the difference between 18% and 10%, so no, it wouldn't balance out. There is nothing in the contract that is specifically relating to Disney's recommendation of tipping on buffets. Of course, I wasn't a Disney server at the inception of the DDP, so perhaps there once was. Our local Chinese buffet (non-disney) recommends an 18 to 20% tip, too. I think it is just the standard in the central florida area.

 

[angelmav]

I guess that I tend to think that Disney buffet servers deserve a higher than 10% tip to commensurate with their experience. Just like, in most cases, employees who have 20 years on a job in the "real world" tend to make a little more. Most of the servers at buffets have been with the company for YEARS and YEARS. I will FREELY admit that there are Disney Buffet servers who DO NOT deserve 18%. I've run into some of them. I am certainly not expecting anyone to tip 18% if they don't feel like they have received a heaping portion of magic with their meal. I am just not sure that I think that 5-10% is a fair jumping off point. Disney imposes a lot of standards on their servers that aren't imposed elsewhere in the restaurant world. In fact, I will admit that I have a hard time eating at restaurants outside of WDW anymore because the differences are glaring when they become the standard for you.
Anyway, my main concern was the idea that people were going to reduce the amounts that they tipped based upon an incorrect idea of what we make. That's not fair.

Oh, and I'm not the one who works at WCC.

What standards? What is significantly different about Disney versus the way any other buffet anywhere in the world is ran??? The mere fact the prices are Significantly higher than a buffet just ouside the gate make that 5-10% more valuable and thus more commensurate with the 'experience' level of the disney server.

Of course your concerned people will tip less than 18%, thats why we keep having this round and round on here with CM's who, are not coming across too well to there patrons nor all that appreciative to be honest (not you buff, but there have been several).

Its a cold hard fact that now that the 18% is no longer guaranteed, what will be tipped (by those with the option) will be in line with tipping protocol regardless of what anyone on here thinks should be the case.

I also tend to think handling 25% more patrons at a buffet per turn with the added benefit of turning faster IS significant. How would that not balance out?

 

[just another guy]

BuffaloGal, YOU ROCK!!!!!!! Thanks for setting everyone straight.

As for the chairs comments, everyone here(except you BuffalGal) also have to remember, just because the server has a chair, doesn't mean its being used, or even put to full use. Let me explain. Lets say a buffet server had 3 tables, a table for 8, and table for 6, and a table for 4. I'm not going to extreme negative examples, just average ones. The table for 4 could have 2 adults, a kid, and an infant. The infant is free, and the childs price is pretty low. I'll be nice for the table of 6, and say it gets 3 adults, and 2 kids. For the table for 8, there are no parties of 8 waiting to be sat, so that tables get a family of 6, 2 of which are kids.

So, in this example, of 18 seats, 3 are empty, and 1 is taken up by in infant(free). Of the 14 seats paying, 5 are kids. Just looking at the dollar amount in regard to a tip percentage, the kids amount is low. Its about half of that of an adult. So, back to the beginning, of 18, the server has 9 adults and 5 kids. I'm sure BoffaloGal will back me up that these numbers so far sound about average. So as she said, tipping 10% just because a buffet server MIGHT have 2 extra chairs over a menu server doesn't make it fair to tip 10%.

 

[just another guy]

What standards? What is significantly different about Disney versus the way any other buffet anywhere in the world is ran???

Oh wow...where to start. I'm sure I'll get some numers wrong, and buffalogal can correct them, but a buffet server has like 3 minutes to greet the table. They have an entire list of things they are suppose to say/ recommend. They are suppose to give a description of the buffet using colorful adjectives. The drink napkins are suppose to be faced so that the text/image faces the guests. The server has liek 5 minutes from the time of greeting to have the drinks at the table. Drinks are suppose to be place to the left of the guest. Straws to are to be set to a certain side of the drink. The drink napkin is suppose to be replaced with every refill. The server is suppose to use the guests name 2 during the meal. Coffee and hot tea are a pain. The server has to first bring out the cup/saucer with all its side items(spoon, lemon, tea bag, etc). The server is then suppose to return on a separate trip with the pitcher, and pour the drink using a napkin as a "spalsh guard" as to not spill/splash the guest with burning hot liquid. When the guest leaves, the server has 6 minutes to have the table ready to be sat again.

Thats just a COUPLE I know from the top of my head. I'm sure there are TONS more. A server can get in trouble at any time by his/her manager/area manager or a surprise/secret visit from a cast member out of uniform, who's only job it is, is to see if the rules are being followed. No seriously, this really happens. So if a table just left, and a server is chatting with another tables about how their day was, and the server adds a comment about how they've been on that ride, and a funny story about it, next thing you know, they can get in trouble for not having the first table clean. The excuse of "I was chatting with a guest" doesn't work.

Some of them make sense, like not splashing coffee on a guest. Others, such as replacing drink napkins its just a little dumb. A lot of these rules are thought up by some man in an office who's only job it is, is to make up new rules. He typically has no clue how these rules will effect the cast members, but they are put into effect anyway.

Anyway, the point of my typing out all those is to show that a buffet server just isn't taking a drink order, and taking away your dirty dishes. There are always a million thought going through their heads. I know of 2 fine dining servers who openly admit they would NEVER work at a buffet because its WAY to much work. A buffet server friend of mine was told by another buffet server that he talked 18 miles in one shift. He borrowed one of those little machines that strap to your feet, and tells you how far you have walked. I'm sure there is a slight chance of some error , but give or take a mile or two, thats still A LOT of work.

I also tend to think handling 25% more patrons at a buffet per turn with the added benefit of turning faster IS significant. How would that not balance out?

Simply having more chairs available by the rules means nothing. Every night any restaurant is divided up into sections. Each server gets a section. With the exception of fine dining like she said, they CAN have up to 24 seats. Most of the times they DO NOT! It all depends on the station they get. A buffet server could only have 18 seats available one night, while their friend who is a menu server at another restaurant might have 20. From my close relation with several disney servers, I don't recall them ever having a station with 25 seats in it. Around 16-20 it more common.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I also don't really see a call to tip more than 10% for buffet servers, unless they do something spectacularly "above and beyond".

And that's fine. Disney diners who are not subject to the automatic service charge are free to tip at any percent level they choose.

I also don't really see a call to tip more than 10% for buffet servers, unless they do something spectacularly "above and beyond".

Plus, in my opinion, what any server earns in a shift, or a week, or a year, is not my concern and has no effect on what percent or amount I choose to tip. All that matters is the service provided to ME.

 

[taylorl25]

Oh wow...where to start. I'm sure I'll get some numers wrong, and buffalogal can correct them, but a buffet server has like 3 minutes to greet the table. They have an entire list of things they are suppose to say/ recommend. They are suppose to give a description of the buffet using colorful adjectives. The drink napkins are suppose to be faced so that the text/image faces the guests. The server has liek 5 minutes from the time of greeting to have the drinks at the table. Drinks are suppose to be place to the left of the guest. Straws to are to be set to a certain side of the drink. The drink napkin is suppose to be replaced with every refill. The server is suppose to use the guests name 2 during the meal. Coffee and hot tea are a pain. The server has to first bring out the cup/saucer with all its side items(spoon, lemon, tea bag, etc). The server is then suppose to return on a separate trip with the pitcher, and pour the drink using a napkin as a "spalsh guard" as to not spill/splash the guest with burning hot liquid. When the guest leaves, the server has 6 minutes to have the table ready to be sat again.

Thats just a COUPLE I know from the top of my head. I'm sure there are TONS more. A server can get in trouble at any time by his/her manager/area manager or a surprise/secret visit from a cast member out of uniform, who's only job it is, is to see if the rules are being followed. No seriously, this really happens. So if a table just left, and a server is chatting with another tables about how their day was, and the server adds a comment about how they've been on that ride, and a funny story about it, next thing you know, they can get in trouble for not having the first table clean. The excuse of "I was chatting with a guest" doesn't work.

I'm sorry but we must have had really bad buffet servers then, because at we've never had anyone explain the buffet, they just pointed us in the right direction, and it took around 15 minutes to get our Wine the last time we dined in a disney buffet. To be honest we barely saw our server last time, she brought drinks, cleared our plates once and brought the check. We were on the DDP anyway, but if not would I have tipped 18%? To be honest no, because for us personally, 2 adults, who didn't have a massive amount of plates to clear, no refills needed or no coffee to bring, I don't feel the same amount of work was done as some of our TS servers elsewhere on the trip.

 

[sandym718]

Oh wow...where to start. I'm sure I'll get some numers wrong, and buffalogal can correct them, but a buffet server has like 3 minutes to greet the table. They have an entire list of things they are suppose to say/ recommend. They are suppose to give a description of the buffet using colorful adjectives. The drink napkins are suppose to be faced so that the text/image faces the guests. The server has liek 5 minutes from the time of greeting to have the drinks at the table. Drinks are suppose to be place to the left of the guest. Straws to are to be set to a certain side of the drink. The drink napkin is suppose to be replaced with every refill. The server is suppose to use the guests name 2 during the meal. Coffee and hot tea are a pain. The server has to first bring out the cup/saucer with all its side items(spoon, lemon, tea bag, etc). The server is then suppose to return on a separate trip with the pitcher, and pour the drink using a napkin as a "spalsh guard" as to not spill/splash the guest with burning hot liquid. When the guest leaves, the server has 6 minutes to have the table ready to be sat again.

Thats just a COUPLE I know from the top of my head. I'm sure there are TONS more. A server can get in trouble at any time by his/her manager/area manager or a surprise/secret visit from a cast member out of uniform, who's only job it is, is to see if the rules are being followed. No seriously, this really happens. So if a table just left, and a server is chatting with another tables about how their day was, and the server adds a comment about how they've been on that ride, and a funny story about it, next thing you know, they can get in trouble for not having the first table clean. The excuse of "I was chatting with a guest" doesn't work.

Some of them make sense, like not splashing coffee on a guest. Others, such as replacing drink napkins its just a little dumb. A lot of these rules are thought up by some man in an office who's only job it is, is to make up new rules. He typically has no clue how these rules will effect the cast members, but they are put into effect anyway.

Anyway, the point of my typing out all those is to show that a buffet server just isn't taking a drink order, and taking away your dirty dishes. There are always a million thought going through their heads. I know of 2 fine dining servers who openly admit they would NEVER work at a buffet because its WAY to much work. A buffet server friend of mine was told by another buffet server that he talked 18 miles in one shift. He borrowed one of those little machines that strap to your feet, and tells you how far you have walked. I'm sure there is a slight chance of some error , but give or take a mile or two, thats still A LOT of work.



Simply having more chairs available by the rules means nothing. Every night any restaurant is divided up into sections. Each server gets a section. With the exception of fine dining like she said, they CAN have up to 24 seats. Most of the times they DO NOT! It all depends on the station they get. A buffet server could only have 18 seats available one night, while their friend who is a menu server at another restaurant might have 20. From my close relation with several disney servers, I don't recall them ever having a station with 25 seats in it. Around 16-20 it more common.

Re: the chairs - isn't that the same case at a regular TS restaurant, though, too? Can't their seats be empty (party of 3 at a table for 4, 3 kids with a party, etc.) too? Is is any more or less likely? I'm saying that Disney must ASSIGN more chairs per buffet server than per other TS server because each chair requires less work. Otherwise how could they do that????? Wouldn't the union be up in arms about some servers having to do 25% more? That is the only rational explanation as I see it. It just makes sense, and thus makes sense for each individual chair/table to tip a lesser %.

Re: all the extras from the beginning of your post of the things the buffet servers are required to do. Are the other TS servers not required to do them also??? Bringing drinks (incl. coffee and tea), describing the food, etc? PLUS taking orders and bringing up to 3 course of food to the table, right??? I see this argument as to why DISNEY buffet servers deserve higher pay than non-Disney buffet servers - you're not likely to have such stringent rules elsewhere. But they DO make more $ - b/c the buffet prices are about triple other places. I do not see this as supporting the argument that Disney buffet servers service PER TABLE/CHAIR (not overall b/c of the higher number of chairs) = non-buffet TS servers service PER TABLE/CHAIR.


Also for the poster who mentioned that Disney buffet servers likely have much more time on the job than at other buffets. How on earth would the customer know that? How do you know, unless your server is 20 years old, that your server at Ponderosa doesn't have 20 years on the job? I'm not trying to be snarky - but really, are we supposed to start asking servers everywhere how many years they've been working the job? And even so, then what? A server who has been working 3 months gets what- 5%? A server for 20 years gets what - 30%? It's just not reasonable. I"m sure there are newer servers and more experienced servers both at Disney restaurants and at other restaurants. That's really not the guests concern I don't think. I honestly have no idea if servers HOURLY rates increase with experience like many other peoples do (though raises are harder to come by Everywhere lately I think). Or does it stay at that same $2-3 mark? If it does, that stinks, but if you're looking for a career where your earning power will increase significantly over the years, then serving is obviously not it. If there's no raises, and really no room for advancement unless you have the ability (not sure of the requirements) to go into management. Sounds like you can make decent $, but maybe it's not a career where your going to be making $30,000 MORE in 20 years. I guess it would just be tied to when food prices increase, right? I don't think customers can be held accountable to base tipping on servers experience. I'm sure more experienced servers do good and bad service as do less experienced servers. Tips are to be based on level of Service - not years of experience.

 

[mom2my3kids]

Okay I will say one thing, and this is coming from a server not a Disney server. I have had better service at my local Golden Coral then some of the TS dinners at Disney. In saying this I still would not tip less then 15-20 percent at buffets, I am a server and could not do this unless I had such horrible service beyond horrible. I just hate to come on here and read how Disney servers are golden and beyond Disney the servers sucks. Because this is not the case, yesterday I had a family tell me they had been on vacation the past week and I was the best server they had.. Made my heart melt..

 

[TLSnell1981]

Okay I will say one thing, and this is coming from a server not a Disney server. I have had better service at my local Golden Coral then some of the TS dinners at Disney. In saying this I still would not tip less then 15-20 percent at buffets, I am a server and could not do this unless I had such horrible service beyond horrible. I just hate to come on here and read how Disney servers are golden and beyond Disney the servers sucks. Because this is not the case, yesterday I had a family tell me they had been on vacation the past week and I was the best server they had.. Made my heart melt..

Thank you.

 

[LexPlayer]

Re: the chairs - isn't that the same case at a regular TS restaurant, though, too? Can't their seats be empty (party of 3 at a table for 4, 3 kids with a party, etc.) too? Is is any more or less likely? I'm saying that Disney must ASSIGN more chairs per buffet server than per other TS server because each chair requires less work. Otherwise how could they do that????? Wouldn't the union be up in arms about some servers having to do 25% more? That is the only rational explanation as I see it. It just makes sense, and thus makes sense for each individual chair/table to tip a lesser %.

Much of your post was right on the money!
As you can see, just another guy has a tendency to "create" fact patterns to support his position.

DURING PEAK SEASON, and assume 100% occupancy, a buffet server has to "serve" 24 seats. Conversely, a table service server will "serve" 18 seats. FACT! So, DURING PEAK SERVICE, a buffet server is expected to "serve" more patrons.

Question: WHY???

Answer: There is less "service" per person at a buffet! If Disney thought service was equal, both positions would be assigned the same number of seats.

Even you can't argue with that just another guy....

 

[mom2my3kids]

At my restaurant IHOP, during busy days we get 3 table to rotate on. Main goal is to give the customer the best service possible..

 

[LexPlayer]

I agree with this statement. I know I definitely have a soft spot for a server with a great work ethic. I will tip them handsomely. As I have stated before, I used to own a restaurant and appreciate a server that gives it their all.

For this reason, I consider a server's comment on the issue of tipping to be less persuasive than a non-Disney server. (It's kind of like Congress voting on pay raises for themselves). I'm sure you can respect that. However, I do consider your comments to be fair, for the most part.

 

[just another guy]

Re: the chairs - isn't that the same case at a regular TS restaurant, though, too? Can't their seats be empty (party of 3 at a table for 4, 3 kids with a party, etc.) too? Is is any more or less likely? I'm saying that Disney must ASSIGN more chairs per buffet server than per other TS server because each chair requires less work. Otherwise how could they do that????? Wouldn't the union be up in arms about some servers having to do 25% more? That is the only rational explanation as I see it. It just makes sense, and thus makes sense for each individual chair/table to tip a lesser %.

I think you missed one important thing in buffalogal's statement. She said signature restaurants only get UP TO 16 chairs, and buffets get UP TO 24. There are many non signature restaurants on property that are not buffet. Just because the union has you can have UP TO 24 seats doesn't mean you will have them. I don't think the buffet servers I know EVER have 24 guests. Depending on the servers station, there could be a buffet server with only 16 seats in his station. At the same time, a signature restaurant like Jiko could have a large station and be running 16 seats.

So there's your FACT. Disney puts buffet, and non-buffets are on the same level.

 

[LexPlayer]

I think you missed one important thing in buffalogal's statement. She said signature restaurants only get UP TO 16 chairs, and buffets get UP TO 24. There are many non signature restaurants on property that are not buffet. Just because the union has you can have UP TO 24 seats doesn't mean you will have them. I don't think the buffet servers I know EVER have 24 guests. Depending on the servers station, there could be a buffet server with only 16 seats in his station. At the same time, a signature restaurant like Jiko could have a large station and be running 16 seats.

So there's your FACT. Disney puts buffet, and non-buffets are on the same level.

What you THINK is not FACT.

Perhaps someone else can explain it to you in a manner that you will understand. Read your post- if the Disney Union, who represents employees, feels that there is a difference, I will respect their belief that a difference exists, not what you "think" based upon the few servers you allegedly know.