Originally Posted By blueharvest82 So your on vacation and you decide to go to that brand new really cool over the top theme restaurant, whether it be at WDW, DLR, Universal Ect. Its saturday night at about 6:00, the hostess who probably hasn't left the tenth grade told you 35 minutes which turned into 75 minutes for your party of five. Your kids are crying, you spent more money then you bargained for on this trip so far, its loud, your tired and you need a cocktail...Does any of this sound familiar so far? Thought so. Now you get to your table, after a few minutes the server gets to your table, the do their spiel and try to explain everything, but you cut them off because your tired and you've been at a theme park all day and you ust want your five year-old to have their chicken fingers and go to bed so you can get up at 6am and do it all over again...still sound familiar? So this is how dinner goes... -your drinks from the bar take forever -there are kids running around everywhere -your food takes thirty minutes -your salad doesn't match the picture in your head -the drinks are expensive -its so loud you can't think -your two year old knocks over your drink still with me? The server comes and delivers your check and tells you to have a great evening, but all of the above just happened and you are having a horrible evening. For arguments sake the bill is $200. (We are about to do simple math, bare with me) You take a look at the whole bill and decide to yourself, "Well, my kids nuggets were burnt, the restaurant is loud, and park tickets are $80, so I'm going to leave a 10 dollar tip, and I am completely justified because I am guest, and I have kids, and I am on vacation. So here's how it works... THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION APPLIES TO ALL LARGE THEME RESTAURANTS WITH VERY MINOR DIFFERENCES. The server has to tip out on their total sales for the shift, not total tips, total sales. The average tip-out is a minimim of three to five percent of total sales. Depending on the location you are giving a percentage to the hostess, food-runners, bussers, bar tenders, and kitchen expos. So you left ten on $200... 5% tip= $10-YOU LEFT THEM A ZERO TIP. Now if you left them any less then that you have just cost someone you have never met before money out if their own pocket. When deciding on much to tip a server you have to tip them on what they are responsible for, not your total experience, because your total experience at a restaurant is the responsibility of the entire team. THINGS YOUR SERVER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR -how long it takes them to get your table -writing down your drink and food order correctly -getting you your drinks in a timely manner (the server is not making your mixed drinks at the bar) -repeating your order to you -refilling your drinks -making sure your food gets to your table as quickly as the kitchen allows (the server is not cooking your food) -pre-bussing your table -dropping off your check -processing your payment -getting you anything you may need while you are there. THINGS YOUR SERVER IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR -how many kids you have -how much you paid for park tickets -your wife doesn't work -you were at a theme park all day and now you are tired. -how long you waited for your table -whats on the menu -how long it takes to get your drinks from the bar -how long your food takes -what your food tastes like -they don't take coupons or annual pass discounts -the kid from the other table grabbed food from your plate as the server was delivering your food. -How loud the restaurant is -how early you have to get up in the morning to be the first at the park. -How much the food is **When you order a drink from the bar you have the to wait for the bartender to make it, typically, there wil only be one bartender assigned to the service bar, so if 35 tables all order drinks, it will take a few moments, so if you see your server standing at the bar instead of being at your table and getting abused by your six year-old because you tols them that a waiter is "beneath them" and thats ok, thats why, be patient. Now you may be wondering what this has to do with any of you because you don't care how the restaurant business works, you just Tinkerbell to come down and wave her wand and make everything great and if its not you are going to punish the server. These forums seemed to be dedicated to dissecting the reality out of Disney, I am just doing my part on the other end of the spectrum, if you have any questions or feel confused or insulted in any way, please feel free to ask.
Originally Posted By brerroadrunner WOW Did you have a bad night? Seriously, you make very good points. I have worked in this service industry and unfortunately, all this is not taken into consideration by the consumer. On the tip out though, maybe the hostess was not paying attention and seating folks slowly, and maybe the bartender had a hangover or decided to pay more attention to his bar patrons. Maybe a bus server called in sick and they were short handed and tables sat waiting to be cleaned. Everyone still gets their same share of the tip out. All these employees play a part in making the dining experience pleasant for the diner. In talking with some bartenders at Disney resorts, they are doing pretty well with their jobs,and tips, so much, I suggest DS to go apply. Every tipping job has its pitfalls. $10 is better then being stiffed. I always tip on the quality of service and I don't like Disney taking it from me automatically (DDE) or on parties of 8 or more. Keep smiling at those tired, crabby customers and make their dining experience a good one. Make them forget their problems for the moment and don't add to their frustration. Good tips come and go, it's part of the job.
Originally Posted By charming husband Guess you couldn't think of anything else to post tonight or something? 4x posting this same long post is kinda boring.
Originally Posted By jkayjs Thanks for the insight. Oh & BTW I understand why you posted in so many places. You wanted to get the info out to as many folks as you could. I for one rarely venture outside of WDW General & WDW Trip Planning so wouldn't have seen it if you posted anywhere else. You can agree or disagree but not sure snide comments make anyone look cleaver or cool.
Originally Posted By grammy954 So Disney should be different that other restaurants? People should leave tips for lousy service?
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA As a server you are the 'spokesperson' for the entire restaurant experience. It may not be fair or accurate, but that's how it works. In a normal Disney style restaurant (like a TGIFriday's or Applebee's or whatever) we, as customers, don't have the option to individually tip out the cook, the hostess, and perhaps even the guy who fills our water glasses. I suppose we could, but we don't. (back when I was a waiter, we had to tip out the hostess) Unfortunately, the server is on the front line, and gets the brunt of any issues. Food is late, food is served cold, people at the next table are noisy and annoying -- yes even if most of these elements of the restaurant experience are out of the ultimate control of the server. But this is nothing new. This is what it is like to be a server of food in the U.S. As for tips. I think it all balances out. I used to have cheap customers who would leave a dollar. I would also have very generous customers who would leave 20-30% tips. So it all worked out. Overall, customer service is not easy. And it's not for everyone. It's like the Disney Cast Member who is working crowd control on Main Street when the fireworks get cancelled. When a guest becomes angry and takes his frustration out on the Cast Member standing there -- is it the Cast Members 'fault' ? Of course not. But at that moment, that particular Cast Member represents all of The Walt Disney Company. Customer service isn't easy. As customers, it's good for us to hear this again -- from the perspective of the server.
Originally Posted By blueharvest82 i appreciate that, thank you. Its ok when you unbderstand that the server is not to blame. You would be surprised how many people think the server is the one making the drinks, cooking the food, assigning seats, and managing the servers.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA <i appreciate that, thank you. Its ok when you unbderstand that the server is not to blame. You would be surprised how many people think the server is the one making the drinks, cooking the food, assigning seats, and managing the servers.> Customers don't think that the server is making the drinks and cooking the food et al. My point is that the server is the 'face' of the entire restaurant -- so any complaints and issues go through the server.
Originally Posted By blueharvest82 i completely agree with you jim. The server is on the front-lines and has the responsibility of fixing situations, but should not be held accountable for situations out of their control. I have seen people tip badly for thousands of reasons that have nothing to do with service.
Originally Posted By MPierce >> Guess you couldn't think of anything else to post tonight or something? 4x posting this same long post is kinda boring. << >> oops make that 5 different times that you posted this. << >> no-wait it's 6x-boring. << Thank you for making people feel so welcome here at Laughing Place. You have contributed immensley to the future sucess of an ever growing, and entertaining WDW forum.
Originally Posted By blueharvest82 lol mpierce. When some people get annoyed and they can't think of anything intelligent to say, they say that. thanks for the support.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 ^^To be fair, I think you went overkill -- and I agree with 90% (maybe more) of what you wrote. But sticking the same thread on six different boards is over the top. I know there are things I'd like to strip across many boards and don't because I know it isn't right and that it will likely get killed. I could see placing it here and definitely in 'Disney Dining' ... but on DVC? On Other Disney Destinations? It just makes it seem like your job got the best of you and you wanted to vent on everyone. FWIW, I never blame the server for anything that's not in their control ... but when I'm ignored for huge periods of time ... when I eat 3/4ers of my meal without a refill (even if had not been requested) ... when they give every table in the place bread but mine ... when they toss a check down without asking if I want dessert or any of another 20 things they have control over ... well, I tip accordingly. And while I generally tip 15-20% for good service (not poor, not great), I have been known to leave 50% on more than a few occassions when I received exemplary service ... and absolutely nothing as well sometimes when I've had godawful service.
Originally Posted By blueharvest82 absolutely spirit, anything in the control of the server is the servers responsibility. There is no excuse for not being attentive to a table and to do refills. I tip around the range; 20-50% for average to amazing service and 18-20% for really bad to ok service, because no matter how bad the service is, i can't take money from somebody I don't know.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 You're way too generous, harvest. Likely because you work in the field. I wouldn't want to work waiting tables, so I don't. I know people who barely scrape by doing so and others who make six figures doing so. But giving 18-20% for bad service to me is wrong on so many levels because all it does is encourage more ... people need to do their jobs right or switch careers and that's whether they're running the MK or waiting tables at LTT!
Originally Posted By blueharvest82 I agree with your point of view. On a side note, I would love to work at LTT because they have a much higher pay grade due to the pre fixe price.
Originally Posted By MPierce ^^^Wasn't that the problem with the DDP when it had the tip included? I thought the Union was upset because they kept stiffing the servers on the plan.
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< ^^^Wasn't that the problem with the DDP when it had the tip included? I thought the Union was upset because they kept stiffing the servers on the plan. >>> IIRC, the DDP used to include an 18% gratuity. One problem with this for some servers is that all of it would be reportable to the IRS. So, servers that had been accustomed to receiving much of their tips in cash and then underreporting it on their taxes had their after-tax income reduced even though they were getting 18% tips on all tickets. Personally, I have a really hard time feeling sorry for those folks, but I know it is a not-uncommon attitude among servers that receiving a portion of your income tax-free is just part of that job.
