Is it customary to tip at a buffet style restaurant? I used to tip the waiter/waitress at a local chinese place until my wife pointed out that all they do is bring you a drink.
The way I look at it, if there is a person who takes your order and brings you anything they do deserve a tip. Even if it’s only drinks. I may not leave the full 15%, in those cases, I usually leave a dollar per person at the table.
I waited tables full time for almost four years. The answer is tip them ten percent of your total bill. Yes, they may only bring drinks to your table, but they are also there whenever you have a problem. If you do and they fix it - make it 15 percent. Understand that at “buffet” resteraunts waitstaff relies on volume as opposed to quality. Its just the way it is. Even still, they make only $2.13 an hour. So you do not have to set them up big, but do still tip. It will make those drink refills worth it.
I like to leave a tip at buffet places that bring you a drink, clear away your plates, etc. I feel that friendly, courteous service should be rewarded. These jobs don’t pay well, so a tip would be appreciated. The tip doesn’t need to be as large as what you might give at a full-service restaurant.
If the buffet is 100% do-it-yourself, there’s no need to tip anyone.
Just putting in my $.02.
I’ve recently seen tip cups at the counter of shopping mall eateries. My thought is, “Get real!” They bring your stuff a whole 4 feet max!
RE: tip cups at takeaway counters
Those employees are not classified as “service employees.” They are making at least the minimum wage, if not more. Putting a tip cup out, to me, is very presumptuous.
At buffets, I would still tip the regular 15%. I wouldn’t tip more than 15%, which I normally do, unless we had an inordinate amount of plates to clear or repeated drink orders.
My 4 year old son and I had lunch at Souper Salad yesterday. We walked into the place, went straight to the salad bar and got our food. Sat down at our table and after several minutes, our server took our drink orders. When she came back, she forgot my Coke (she had drinks on her tray for other tables as well). She had to go back and get my pop for me. After giving it to me, she never returned to our table to clear away any plates.
My son eats for free (under 5 years old) and my total bill was $6.91. I tipped $1.50 to my server. That’s about a 22% tip for one drink and one goofed up drink. Why did I tip so well? Because I was a waitress and I hate bad tippers!!!
So, the short answer is, yes, if they get your drinks and provide other services aside from getting your food, you should tip them.
How much do you tip for good service?
Well, I usually don’t tip a percentage of my tab unless it is about $20 or over. I’m just not that anal about it. I just did the calculation for comparison.
I once worked at a Casino Buffet. We got minimum wage, so it wasn’t as if we’d starve if nobody tipped, but it was definatly welcome. People drink a hell of a lot at buffets, and it’s a lot of work keeping 8-12 (sometimes more) tables supplied with plates, drinks and extras like hot sauce. I’d say I averaged around $.50-1 per guest, for what I must say was damn fine service.
I was a busboy at an IHOP. Talk about awful hours ( Graveyard, I both was the only busboy AND only dishwasher). I was rarely tipped, and the waitress didn’t give me my cut most nights.
The result? I overtip. EVERYWHERE. Come on, you are at a buffet. Dinner. Family of 4. Even a cheaper buffet is gonna run you about 25.00- 30.00 for dinner. Those servers hustle as best as they can. I overtip at a buffet, and unless I’m treated atrociously, I overtip my waitstaff at a regular restaurant too. It’s mercilessly hard work. And, hell if I can afford to hit a $ 125.00 great meak out for wife and I, then I sure as hell can afford a good tip over that.
Just my two cents. Ohhh- when badly served, or mistreated? Don’t stiff the waiter- leave ONE penny. It shows them that you were aware of the poor service, and considered what the tip should be. I’ve only done it a handful of times.
Cartooniverse
p.s. I seem to remember being told that a hefty tip PLUS a penny is a true compliment…anyone have heard this?
i’m a waiter and a server trainer at a cracker barrel, and we hustle like crazy there. for excellent service, we (my workmates and i) usually tip insanely high amounts, sometimes 50 to 75% of the tab. it’s just the way the industry is. when you’re in it, you can empathize with what someone else is doing.
when badly served, however, we itemize why they’re getting the waiter/waitress is getting.
for example, we’ll leave a note saying:
"Original tip, $20"
Took 15 mins to greet table, -3
Bad Attitude, -5
Didn't bother to refill drinks after we asked, -2
Never bothered to bring our appetizer, -2
Disappeared after bringing entrees,
Didn’t see you until 15 mins after we were done eating
-5
_______________
$3 left
true, it’s kinda cruel, but it leaves an impression. and cartooniverse, i’ve heard of the penny thing, it’s considered a great compliment.
I was under the impression that most buffet waiters/waitresses made at least minimum wage (over $5 these days). tatertot’s experience as posted above supports this. These places must know that tips are crappy, and if they didn’t pay more who would work there? Restaraunts are always looking for help.
I can’t believe buffets pay $2.13. But, I’ve never waited tables, so I could be wrong.
What about those places where it’s just as easy to fetch your own refills, but someone will drop by to ask how you’re doing? Fudrucker’s comes to mind. It’s basically a glorified Wendy’s except that they clean up after you, and offer to get you a refill (maybe once). Everything else is on you. Tip or no?
divemaster, I can’t speak for every restaurant on earth, but I have worked many buffets for which I was paid less than minimum. Maybe at restaurants at which the only choice is buffet, every day, the servers are paid minimum or more. But believe me, at least at every restaurant I ever worked at, we got paid less than minimum during the buffet meals - which was certainly Sunday brunch and could be as much as breakfast, lunch, and Sunday brunch.
That has got to be the most obnoxious thing I’ve ever heard of.
Yer pal,
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I agree with satan. No “notes”. If there is a serious problem with the service, then tell it to their face, or at least- tell it to the manager. I did this one time, and the Manager said “It’s his last day, and he knows it”, and comped us the meal, and offered free drinks. I left no tip, but I did track down the busboy, and stuffed 2 bucks in his apron, as he did good with the sodas & tortilla chips.
At a buffet, if i have any 'service", I leave a buck. They are not expected to have tips, and they are not calculated for them, and probably not reported.
I admit I tip smallish, but then I overtip for GREAT service. Just left 10 bucks for a $36 lunch for 2, but we were his only customer (came in about 2), and he was really great. Normally I would have left $5.
Don’t tip the waiters. It upsets them.
I go to a Chinese restaurant and generally get the buffet. The server takes my drink order, keeps my drink full, clears away plates, and hands me my bill and fortune cookie. All with a cheerful attitude. Most especially, the servers at this restaurant check on me more often than servers at some “full service” restaurants do. I usually throw down a dollar or two for every person at the table. It’s not going to break me, and it’s nice to have a full glass at all times.
Miss Bunny made a good point, I’m sure most restaurants try to pay their waitstaff the bare minimum they can get away with. The casino buffet did have the option to order off a menu, but most people got the buffet (as it was often comped). I’m pretty sure that the servers who work at Shoney’s only get the server’s minimum (is it still $2.13?) even though probably half of the breakfast and lunch customers order the buffet. I also heard that the people who bring your food out to the car at Sonic only get $3-something an hour. I had no idea you were supposed to tip them before that.
No you are all wrong. When a person hires on aa a waiter or waitress they accept the wage they were offered. Tipping is to show you are pleased with the service. For someone to bring a drink, that is part of their job and does not require tipping.