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View Full Version : Tipping at a buffet?



KAT1811
07-06-2008, 07:08 PM
I was curious as to what people normally tip at a buffet? We are great tippers and tip at least 20% and often, when the service dictates, we tip quite a bit over 20%.

I am however, always puzzled over tipping at a buffet. The only time we dine at buffets are during our vacations so we are not well versed in the tipping guidelines.

Do most of you tip 20%, more, or less? Just curious. We usually tip 20% but the more I think of it they are only serving drinks and on rare occasion removing a plate or two. Does that really warrant the same tip I would give a server that takes our orders, serves and clears each course, etc.

What do all of you do?

DizneyRox
07-06-2008, 07:27 PM
When tip is included, it's all they get, and I demand excellent service. If it doens't happen I will talk to management.

When tip is not included, I start at the norm, 18% for a normal table service, 10% for a buffet. If they do what they need to, it stays. If there are still plates on the table when I get back, it goes down, if I need to hunt someone down for napkins, drink refills, etc, it goes down.

If my drink is always full, and the waitress/waiter is attentive to make sure everthing is going well, they it can go up.

buffet < full service, that's for sure.

henry.james.s
07-06-2008, 08:31 PM
15&#37; Thats fair for good service. :thumbsup:

Mfarquar
07-06-2008, 08:32 PM
I tend to tip 10% at buffet (the norm). However, if the server is exceptionally attentive, helpful or goes out of his/her way, I feel inclined to add some more.

In most cases, buffet servers definitely have less responsibilities than at a traditional restaurant. As I have seen with several friends of mine in the service industry, they are able to serve more customers, as a result, to compensate.

SBETigg
07-06-2008, 09:33 PM
We usually tip 20 % whether buffet or not, unless the service is really bad. The DH worked in food service when he was young and he just enjoys tipping well because he knows what a lot of servers go through, even when working at buffet service places.

Seasonscraps
07-06-2008, 09:45 PM
As long as I receive the service I expect, I tip in the 20% range - the math is easier. :blush:

homeschool mom
07-07-2008, 08:01 AM
We are a family of 7 and on our last trip took DD's best friend so we were a party of 8. They generated our tip automatically at the buffets and I'm pretty sure it was 18%. Seems high for a buffet, but I guess if you have to refill drinks and remove plates for 7 or 8 people you deserve it.

Charlee
07-07-2008, 08:19 AM
We always tip 20% on buffets as long as though the server is friendly and attentive, drinks are refilled and plates taken away.

We found this trip that the service was good at the buffets at 1900 Park Fare and the Crystal Palace and tipped accordingly.

Giselle
07-07-2008, 10:28 AM
I read somewhere that $1.00 per person is sufficient for good service, then you can adjust it from there for exceptional or bad service.

FromKnoxvilleto Disney
07-07-2008, 10:42 AM
I tend to do 20% but I think that is too much for a buffet. I believe 10-15 is probably more accurate but I am on vacation so unless the service is lousy I will do 20%.

elmjimmlm
07-07-2008, 10:52 AM
When I was younger and waited tables the tip for a buffet was 12%...That is if the table stayed clean and the drinks were filled at all times...

biodtl
07-07-2008, 10:56 AM
I tend to tip 20% at buffets, unless there was a big problem.

fanofdisney
07-07-2008, 11:00 AM
Thanks for asking this question:thumbsup: I always wonder the same thing but never think of it until we are there. Now I know that we are in line with the majority of vacationers to WDW:mickey:

yjgirl715
07-07-2008, 11:45 AM
I too start at 15% and if they are doing their job and clearing away our plates on time and even being polite- making conversation- helpful in way I would give extra. On our next trip there will be ten of us so they add the tip on automatically which sort of stinks for the buffets. If the don't deserve the 20% I will still have to pay it. I will just have to think positive that they will all be magical! :mickey:

brownie
07-07-2008, 11:53 AM
10% is the norm for me at a buffet. For table service, it's 15% for average service and 20% for better than average service. I will tip less than 10% is the service is poor.

brian2000boston
07-07-2008, 11:54 AM
I too start at 15% and if they are doing their job and clearing away our plates on time and even being polite- making conversation- helpful in way I would give extra. On our next trip there will be ten of us so they add the tip on automatically which sort of stinks for the buffets. If the don't deserve the 20% I will still have to pay it. I will just have to think positive that they will all be magical! :mickey:

I thought i read somehwere that if you are not satisfied with the service, you can have them change the tip amount. Auto tip doesnt mean you HAVE to leave it. Tip what it deserves.

BelleLovesTheBeast
07-08-2008, 01:02 PM
I typically leave 20%. I waited table to pay my way through college so I know how hard servers work. Also those who work buffets typically have twice as many tables. I've always had great service at the Disney buffets. I've never had to ask for anything. If I received so-so service I'd leave 15% but nothing less than that.

dolphinmickey9170
07-08-2008, 02:53 PM
When at a Disney establishment...you will find the suggested amounts for gratuity on the bottom of your check. They show the standard 18% amount and the 20% amount. This was even shown on the buffet check as well.

We generally tip the 20%, although we have been known to increase it for top notch service!!:mickey:

Tygger7
07-08-2008, 03:00 PM
For excellent service, we tip 20%. I don't think it matters whether it's for a server at a buffet, regular restaurant, or if it's for my hair stylist or tattoo artist...service is service, and if I'm treated well, I tip well. From my experiences, buffet servers work just as hard as a normal server, and sometimes even harder. There are more dishes to clear, often they have more tables. If you do a good job, you should be rewarded...that's my two cents. :mickey:

Mackflava99
07-08-2008, 03:07 PM
10-15 is fair- more if they do a good job-

alot depends on the type of buffet- if the server helps get the characters to our table for pix- then maybe more- but if they dont help much, then,, who knows-

sadly there are some that dont even tip at a buffet= which is terrible

RBrooksC
07-08-2008, 03:13 PM
I am sorry but at a buffet, I serve myself and many times I am brought a coffee carafe for my coffee so I pour it myself. They take my plate and they are nice but, in my opinion, many times the wait staff at a buffet are no more than glorified bus people. I won't get 15-20% at a buffet no matter how good the service due to the fact the nature of a buffet means I am doing most things myself.

TBY2225
07-08-2008, 04:36 PM
10% at buffets and 15%-20% at other table service locations is the norm for me.

KylesMom
07-08-2008, 05:22 PM
I read somewhere that $1.00 per person is sufficient for good service, then you can adjust it from there for exceptional or bad service. When we dine at Crystal Palace for lunch & spend +$65, or Chef Mickey's dinner buffet and spend $100 for three of us with adult beverages, I can't imagine leaving a $3 or even a $5 tip. Our servers have always worked MUCH harder than that!

We've found that a top-notch server can make buffet dining experiences SO much nicer - especially if they're willing to assist with character pictures, keep the glass full of your favorite beverage, keep the table clean and bring your bill at the close of the meal in a timely manner. I specifically remember Vinnie at Crystal Palace who was STELLAR in this regard. There have been a few times at Disney where it was bad service and our waitresses were tipped far less than usual. However, I certainly don't mind 18-20% if I'm having a good experience at the dining establishment!

disneydeb
07-08-2008, 06:23 PM
I marked between 10 & 15 % but it is more like between 15 & 20%. I have always had exceptional service at buffet type restaurants at Disney and I do keep them hopping! ;)

tinkerbelle75
07-08-2008, 07:37 PM
I usually tip 25% for table service and about 15-20% for a buffet. Like a PP said, if the service is stellar, I will throw in an extra " thank you " for the server. I would feel like I stole something if I didn't tip at least 15% if the server was friendly and efficient. If they are rude and never fill drinks, etc. I might tip them only a couple of bucks. Thankfully, though, we have never come across that problem at a WDW restaurant.:mickey:

blabbermouth
07-09-2008, 02:11 PM
I'm more of an amounts kind of person... really does the price of the food dictate how much they deserve as a tip? Something I've never understood. For average service at a casual restaurant usually about $5, and about $10 for great service. It's just two of us and we rarely spend over $60. (This is in the regular world of course... so does that make it different?)

jszczur5
07-09-2008, 05:41 PM
I read somewhere that $1.00 per person is sufficient for good service, then you can adjust it from there for exceptional or bad service.

Finally - someone who is a cheaper tipper than me!
Seriously though, I tip 10% for buffet meals.
I think the $1.00 per person is for housekeeping. ie) 4 people to a room = $4.00 daily tip.

Young@Heart
07-10-2008, 12:58 AM
We're think of tipping about 12% for buffets, especially since we rarely see our servers at WDW buffets. Which is okay, since we're in charge of getting our own plates. ;)

jonahbear2006
07-10-2008, 01:25 AM
If you have ever waited tables, then you know that a waiter/waitress tips out 10% of the price of your food, for taxes. If you don't tip them, then the 10%, which is going to be about $8.50 a table at an average Disney Buffet, if everyone did this, on average, leaving them paying to wait on you. If you tip them 15%, then they make 5% off of each table, about $4.25. Some places make you claim 12%, so then even less is made to the server, so most of your tip is a tax that you are paying on your food, that you should pay, as a responsibility, and past that, it is more of a choice of whether or not you feel that person deserved to be paid. I felt ripped off by the waiters at Disney buffets. (mostly because we never saw these people; cept at boma) Personally, I don't agree with the wait staff and I would prefer getting my own drink and Disney hiring a bus staff only, on a per hour pay. We are already paying soo much, however, since they do it this way, I will continue pay the waitress because I know what it is like when my husband has come home, solely as a waiter, in our past, and we wanted to cry because of large bills that got a tip that didn't cover his cost or no tip at all. So, please consider this when you choose a percentage, ANYWHERE you eat out. We are paying a high cost, but it is not the waiter's fault (if they are doing a good job) that things work this way, and their lives depend on this money, just as we depend on ours. Even if, deep down, we are all going, GRRRR, because these buffets are sooo pricey.

BritCody
07-10-2008, 07:34 AM
I will give between 10 and 15%. I had checked this on-line in the past and Tipping Etiquette for a buffet is 10 to 15%.

SurferStitch
07-10-2008, 12:23 PM
At a buffet we tip 20% normally. It's really only a couple bucks more for the two of us, so it's no biggie, especially when I'm dropping thousands on a Disney trip. We don't really eat at buffets at home, but the once or twice a year that we do, we tip 20%.

Now that we have the DDE with the 18% tip included, we just leave that at the buffets.

At TS locations we tip 20-25% (sometimes more), so that means we leave additional money on the table after the 18% included tip with DDE.

Jared
07-10-2008, 01:30 PM
Every time this question emerges, somebody posts about the horrible plight of the waiter. Honestly, I'm not particularly sympathetic, and I'm sorry if that makes me sound cruel.

I will not tip more than 15 percent at a buffet. It's ridiculous to expect the customer to give more than that to servers who clear plates and occasionally serve drinks. It's not the same amount of work traditional servers do every night and regular restaurants, and the tip reflects that difference.

Tipping standards do exist, and I would never stiff a server unless his performance was truly awful, but that does not mean I am giving an extra 20 or 25 percent because that's the only way he can feed his family. My responsibility as the customer ends at 18 percent. If a server is exceptional, he will receive a few extra dollars.

There is this perception nowadays that servers are entitled to a tip. By definition, that is untrue. It is good practice in this country to leave gratuity for waiters and other workers in service industries, not a rule.

I'm sorry to all the waiters out there, but I am not thinking about where the money is going when I leave a tip. I am a fair tipper, who rarely gives less than 15 percent. Don't give me a sob story about waiters having to pay to work. If that's true, we have bigger problems to worry about than how much is an appropriate tip at a Disney buffet.

jonahbear2006
07-10-2008, 02:42 PM
I agree. I dont think that buffet waiters deserve more than 15%. It kind of made both of us irrate that the waitress at Chef Mickey's insisted we tip her when we never even saw her and it was halfway through our meal before we got orange juice. She insisted that we couldn't cash out til we paid for our tip. I am sorry I struck a wrong chord with you. I was just explaining that it is true that the government insists on waiters tip out 10% of their food earnings for the day to taxes, otherwise they get audited. I disagree with the way it is set up, myself. I just feel that a lot of americans are unaware of this situation. That is all, nothing more. I appologize for turning this into what seems like a heated discussion.

Jared
07-10-2008, 03:39 PM
Not heated, and I wasn't necessarily aiming my post at you. I was not trying to offend you, nor did your post upset or offend me whatsoever.

Sorry for the confusion!

:)

RBrooksC
07-10-2008, 03:56 PM
When it comes to tipping at a regular restaurant, I will tip about 18%. However, if the service is lousy I have tipped less. The least I have ever tipped is one cent.

This was on the worst date of my life. We went to the movies and the movie broke not even a 1/4 of the way through the movie so we had to leave. Then we went to Denny's for dinner. I ordered a coffee and never got any refill. Also, after our order was received we never saw the waitress again. Well, I should say until I asked, over an hour later, if we don't get a bill is our dinner free. The waitress came over and suggested we "lost" our bill and started to look under the plates and under the table for it.

So, at this point, I was so angry we just got up from the table. While paying, I remembered I didn't place a tip on the table. So the waitress wouldn't think that I just "forgot" the tip, I placed one penny on the table to show it wasn't forgotten, it just wasn't given.

IloveDisney71
07-11-2008, 01:27 PM
Whenever I eat at a rest. whether it's a buffet or not, I walk in expecting to tip at 20%. However, depending on the type of service I receive that tip can go up, stay at 20% or go down. I expect the servers at buffets to collect dirty plates and re-fill glasses on a regular basis and to take care of any other needs we might have in a reasonable time.

Mousemates
07-11-2008, 05:27 PM
When I sit down at the table and order ,the waitress/waiter at a table service restaurant starts at 15&#37; (and can easily work their way up or down)...for a buffet the starting amount is 10% (with the same oportunity for moving up and down the scale). I think both amounts are exceptionally fair starting points.

I am now stepping on my :soapbox:

And by the way this comes from a person who grew up in a tourist oriented restaurant family (The former Chimney House Restaurant in Gatlinburg, Tn) who trully understands the plight of not just the waiter, but also the busboy and dishwasher from personal life experience.

Let me also say with my tongue firmly in cheek, that given how downtrodden and underappreciated that restaurant waitstaff have been made out to be by some of the posters, one would think that a country-music ballad needs to be composed to bring attention to their unenviable state---but in both my experiences and observations, over the long haul good waitresses at an upper end (dollarwise) restaurants tend to do very very well on a per hour basis---well enough for many of them to choose waiting/waitressing over what others might consider more prestigious career options.

Good waitresses/waiters at full service restaurants tend to be well compensated, those who do less work (i.e at a buffet) or who are less than stellar in their job performance should deservedly earn less. If a person working at a buffet wants to earn top dollar tips, they should hone their skills and work towards a position at a top-flight full service restaurant.

I am now climbing off my :soapbox:

RBrooksC
07-11-2008, 09:12 PM
What I want to know is when tipping went from "To Insure Promptness" to "I deserve it."

Tipping should be a voluntary thing and the amount given based upon the quality of service given. One should never feel one has to tip a certain amount because it is expected of them.

Tipping should always come down to the service rendered. If a person stinks, he should get less. If a person is exceptional, he should get more.

When it comes to a buffet, the service is always less due to the nature of the establishment. In turn the amount tipped should be less. I am not saying Scrooge the person but tipping a 20% when the customary amount for a full service restaurant is 15% is crazy IMHO.

SurferStitch
07-11-2008, 09:57 PM
I am not saying Scrooge the person but tipping a 20&#37; when the customary amount for a full service restaurant is 15% is crazy IMHO.

I think because those of us who are tipping 20% at a buffet are not only tipping 15% customarily at a full service restaurant. We are also tipping at least 20% at full service. So, tipping 20% at a buffet isn't out of the question.

Also, any buffet I've ever eaten at was MUCH cheaper than any nice full service restaurant, so even at 20%, the tip is also MUCH lower than at a full service place.

I guess it's just something that never bothered us. I can only imagine how many servers at buffets get stiffed with meager or almost non-existent tips, so I just look at my 20% as making up a little for someone else who just dropped a couple bucks on their table for a tip. You know...spreading a little pixie dust.:D While some of us tip very generously, and others tip the norm, there are those who are mega cheap, or don't tip at all.