Letting server know you tip like a local

[mickey house]

I wouldn't agree that some of the worst service in the states is better than the service in UK restaurants (not sure what restaurants you go to in the UK).

We have been going to Florida for about 30 years and I started a thread years ago about Americans getting better service than Brits by some servers. This definitely isn't mine or my wife's imagination, and in most cases servers treat Brits the same as Americans, but there are many times that hasn't been the case.

With regards the tips, I have many times been surprised what small tips Americans have left servers (I admit I'm nosey).

[YorkshireT]

I got excellent service at Longhorns and gave a 20% tip, but even they cheekily tried it on with 'suggested amount' based after tax. Tips should be pre tax.
The server had worked as a hostess showing people to tables at Disney, hoping to get a servers job, but had to move on as hardly any ever leave.
She told us they are on huge money with many at the more expensive restaurants making $500 a day. So $100k + a year waiting on tables.

[scoobydooby]

Originally Posted by YorkshireT

I got excellent service at Longhorns and gave a 20% tip, but even they cheekily tried it on with 'suggested amount' based after tax. Tips should be pre tax.
The server had worked as a hostess showing people to tables at Disney, hoping to get a servers job, but had to move on as hardly any ever leave.
She told us they are on huge money with many at the more expensive restaurants making $500 a day. So $100k + a year waiting on tables.

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Decent retirement plan right there then 🙂

[princess allie]

We ate at Boma at Animal Kingdom tonight. Our server was lovely, not overly chatty, but friendly and the service was good. We were more than happy to give her the full 20%, worked out at $35.10 and we only had 2 x $20 bills. So I put them in the wallet with 10 cents and when she asked if I wanted change, I said yes $5 please. Well, it took so long for her to bring back the change that I wanted to leave, but DH said no, we will wait. She did eventually come back with the five dollars, but her whole attitude had changed, she virtually threw the $5 at us and never said a word. I didn’t think we had done anything wrong, we had left the suggested tip amount after all, so why was she so stroppy? It’s also a buffet so she didn’t have to do that much work for her tip anyway!

[Mr Tom Morrow]

Originally Posted by princess allie

We ate at Boma at Animal Kingdom tonight. Our server was lovely, not overly chatty, but friendly and the service was good. We were more than happy to give her the full 20%, worked out at $35.10 and we only had 2 x $20 bills. So I put them in the wallet with 10 cents and when she asked if I wanted change, I said yes $5 please. Well, it took so long for her to bring back the change that I wanted to leave, but DH said no, we will wait. She did eventually come back with the five dollars, but her whole attitude had changed, she virtually threw the $5 at us and never said a word. I didn’t think we had done anything wrong, we had left the suggested tip amount after all, so why was she so stroppy? It’s also a buffet so she didn’t have to do that much work for her tip anyway!

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If she had done that with me she would have needed more than the tip to fix the new ≈≈≈≈ I would have ripped her.

I never tip 20% and never will. As it is I actually don't tip onsite due to the TIW Card but in my view 18% is excessive and 15% is pushing it.

[duchy]

I actually do have a problem with a suggested tip of 20% for a buffet.

[THOscar]

Originally Posted by duchy

I actually do have a problem with a suggested tip of 20% for a buffet.

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If the tip were going to be split between all staff I'd have less of an issue but 20% to bring drinks, total joke.

[duchy]

Originally Posted by THOscar

If the tip were going to be split between all staff I'd have less of an issue but 20% to bring drinks, total joke.

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It isn't customary to tip 20% at a buffet anywhere else in the US so yes I do have an issue with Disney that the buffet bills have the same 15/18/20% "suggestion" as clearing plates and bringing drinks isn't the same level of service.
Who gets what isn't my issue though. In a table service setting with good service (timely, polite and efficient with a smile) I have no problem tipping 20% though.
I do however have a problem with people who are rude to servers or nit pick as an excuse not to tip.

[silver_age]

Originally Posted by Mr Tom Morrow

If she had done that with me she would have needed more than the tip to fix the new ≈≈≈≈ I would have ripped her.

I never tip 20% and never will. As it is I actually don't tip onsite due to the TIW Card but in my view 18% is excessive and 15% is pushing it.

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100% agree with both points you make Tom.

$35 tip, at a buffet, and she’s throwing a strop about having to give $5 back? I’d have asked for the whole lot back.

[silver_age]

Originally Posted by JoJo88

But then the way I look at it in your example, the meal is $24, but if the service is less than what you’d expect then you can choose to pay less. We had pretty good service across the board during our visit earlier this month. There was just one occasion in Miller’s when we had to ask for almost everything, cutlery, drinks top ups, straws, the tortilla to go with fajitas etc, and waited an age to pay the bill, our server just seemed to go missing, it’s not as if he was busy with other tables (or that’s how it seemed), so we will have have paid less than the $24.

Just remembered another occasion when we paid a lower tip. It was an IHOP and we popped out for a quick breakfast which took well over an hour in the end as every stage we were waiting, even just for the coffees to begin with.

As for the servers fawning over customers, we were in Applebee’s and the table behind us had what we would’ve thought an unbearable server, he was leaning up against the booth, regaling them with stories of when he was a child, every time he stopped by there was another story. I don’t know what they thought of it, and I don’t know how we would’ve politely asked him to stop if he’d have been our server, but it would not have been welcome!

As it happened, our server was very young and seemed very nervous, but was really attentive and seemed genuinely delighted with his tip, which wasn’t over the top, but he shook DH’s hand and thanked him

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The thing is I don’t expect, or indeed require, any level of service beyond taking my order, getting it right, bringing it out and taking the remains away and bringing the bill, all reasonably promptly. That should be included in the price as the bare minimum the establishment should be providing.

I work in retail sales and it seems to me what tipping has become in the US is what we refer to as “upselling”. You get the customer in for what they came for (food and drink) and then attempt to get more money out of them for additional non-essential items.

In your IHOP example, why did you feel the need to leave any tip? It sounds like every aspect of the service was poor. We had a similar experience at a Denny’s near Disneyland a few years ago. Glacial service, a couple of things wrong that took ages to sort out. I didn’t leave any tip, because what would it be for?