Tipping A Buffet Waitress?

[gnome]

I'm not a big tipper but I'm no Mr. Pink either. But want is right for a buffet waitstaff? My usual 20% seems unright, 5% is too low or is it?

If someone brings me a caraf of coffee, water and a bill for $30 bucks I'm not disposed to dropping another $6; however, I understand folks live off their tips so ...

What do you tip and why?

[Jimaz]

20% rounded to the nearest dollar. But I rarely eat at buffets.

[coracle]

I normally tip 5% - 8% for brunch and 15% - 20% for breakfast, lunch or dinner [[of the total bill). The higher percentages depends on the waitstaff doing something that was not really necessary but added to the enjoyment of the meal. I don't enjoy tipping poor waitstaff but I feel an obligation [[but I'm working on it). I don't like getting served with cold food, or two or three items delivered at the same time. One thing that really ticks me off is ordering a glass of wine or a beer and the waiter having the dinner delayed and going cold hoping I'll buy more.

[Blueidone]

As a former waitress, I tend to tip heavily if the service is good. I rarely do buffets either, but here is what my suggestion would be:

Base rate of 8% if there is any service at all and the server is cordial.
If the server is attentive and stops by the table more than once during the meal to assist you, clear dishes, etc. I would probably bump it up to 10%.

If the server is especially attentive, refilling drinks, removing plates, bringing you something that you should really have to get up and get yourself, or makes many trips back to the table for special requests, I would probably give 12%.

Tipping should be gauged on the level of service as well as the amount of the bill. If you are in a large party, you should always tip more...even if the "house" takes a set tip for large parties. The more people in the party, the more trips back to the table, no matter what. If there are many levels to the meal [[drinks, appetizers, soup, salad, entrees, dessert) that means more trips back and forth as well.

But on the other hand, if the server is non attentive, rude, slow or obnoxious...less than 8% works for me.

Waitstaff do depend on their tips. Their pay is usually very low, and they are taxed on some portion of their tips as well. Most of them are not full time employees and do not enjoy the benefits of same like life insurance, medical insurance, etc. Some of them are "contract" and only work when called.

Two extreme examples:

Hubby and I ate at a chain type restaurant. We have eaten at that chain many times, but not this particular restaurant. My entree was INEDIBLE. The pasta was so overcooked, I couldn't even chew it. Within about 3 minutes of delivering the entree, the server was back asking how it was. I complained about the pasta. She apologized profusely, took my dish and promised me a new dinner as quickly as humanly possible. About 1 minute later, the manager showed up at my table apologizing for the poor food. About 3 minutes later, I had a new plate of food that was perfectly cooked, and another apology. Upon receiving the bill, I discovered that the manager had "comped" my entire dinner! I tipped the waitress 20% of what the whole bill WOULD have been, plus another few dollars for her kindness and extra effort.

A week later, hubby and I went to a local restaurant [[non chain) that is extremely popular in our area. Again, we have eaten there many times before. Our waitress was friendly, but totally inappropriate [[mentioning that she recently suffered from a bladder infection and the medicine was making her "loopy"). Our non-alcoholic beverages showed up in about 8 oz pilsner glasses. With the ice, there might have been 4 oz of beverage in the glass. When questioned, about it the server said "there weren't any larger glasses on the bar at the moment". Which would have been ok, but she rarely came by with refills. A table of young men sat behind us. They got LOTS of attention. She never cleared the dirty dishes, she never asked if we wanted dessert. We had to practically yell to get attention to give her our credit card to pay the bill, then waited another 10 minutes for her to bring it back for us to sign. Needless to say, she got one of my lowest tips ever...less than 10%.

Sorry if this is more information than you asked for :-)

[ghettopalmetto]

For the uninitiated, tipping is expected to be 15-20% of your pre-tax charges. If you can't handle that, you probably can't afford to eat out.

And if you have a problem with the server, you talk to the manager. End of story. The server can't read your mind, isn't aware of your finicky dining habits, and shouldn't have to suffer financially simply because you can't speak up. These professionals work damn hard to ensure you have an enjoyable meal. Which includes putting up with your self-important attitude.

I'm starting to wonder where in the hell Blueidone could have possibly worked as a server. Anyone I know who has worked in the industry more than a couple weeks tends to tip quite generously.

If you don't feel like alerting the server to problems, talking to the manager, or tipping, I suggest you buy some cookbooks.

A buffet server isn't responsible for taking orders or delivering food, so I think 10-15% is appropriate.

[gnome]

Thnx for the tips on tips. However I should have been more exact, my question should have been limited to Sunday Brunches and not generalized across places like the Sveden Haus or Bonanza [[although I'm not sure those places still exist).

Let's say, The Whitney or some such shmantcy joint. They usually serve from the menu but on Sunday they power up the steam tables with the usual assortment of eggs, potatoes, bacon, etc. I would assume the staff still is compensated at their usual rate, or is that an incorrect assumption ?

[Gistok]

For the uninitiated, tipping is expected to be 15-20% of your pre-tax charges. If you can't handle that, you probably can't afford to eat out.

And if you have a problem with the server, you talk to the manager. End of story. The server can't read your mind, isn't aware of your finicky dining habits, and shouldn't have to suffer financially simply because you can't speak up. These professionals work damn hard to ensure you have an enjoyable meal. Which includes putting up with your self-important attitude.

I'm starting to wonder where in the hell Blueidone could have possibly worked as a server. Anyone I know who has worked in the industry more than a couple weeks tends to tip quite generously.

If you don't feel like alerting the server to problems, talking to the manager, or tipping, I suggest you buy some cookbooks.

A buffet server isn't responsible for taking orders or delivering food, so I think 10-15% is appropriate.

GP.... are you having a bad day today??

I know Blueidone and her husband... both very nice, polite and pleasant people. I think that her approach... to tip less when the service isn't up to snuff should be enough of a message to the wait staff.

If she took your suggestion and called for the manager, then you now have a wait staff who is PISSED off at you... and could even get fired....

Apparently you haven't seen enough restaurant comedy movies about restaurant life to know that a pissed off wait staff may be "dicking" with your food in ways you never dreamed!

You might not have a problem with "the Chef's surprise"... but I think that Blueidone's approach was the right approach... and one that doesn't leave one guessing whether her food was "tampered" with...

[Big Dog]

My chinese buffet gal, just brings water. Price is $6.99 for the buffet. She's elated with a one dollar tip. In a regular restaraunt, I go 20 to 30%, all the time.

[jackie5275]

How about tipping at the take out counter, ice cream counter like Cold Stone or Baskin Robbins, the coffee counter like Starbucks? They all have a tip cup by the cash register. I feel hard pressed to give a tip at these instances, even though I do. I don't feel I'm getting "wait staff" service to warrant a tip, but I recognize & acknowledge there is some effort in the preparation even if it is minimal. Does anyone else out there tip at the counter?

[Blueidone]

Let me say again...I am normally a very generous tipper. My minimum tip at a regular [[non-buffet) restaurant is generally 20% and I have left as much as 50% for top notch excellent service.

Gistok is correct that I will only complain to the manager in very extreme cases. I don't want a poor server to lose their job, I just want them to learn to be better servers. I have, in many cases, let my server know that I was unhappy with the service. In the case I mentioned above, she never stopped at my table long enough for me to say a word. She was way too busy pushing her boobs into the faces of the slightly inebriated gentlemen behind me. I had even piled up the dirty dishes in a neat little pile for her to pick up off the closest corner of the table. She never touched them. In "old school" thinking, I should have left her a penny...the biggest insult that you can give a server.

I just went back and checked my receipt. The total bill was $43.84 and I left her $51.00...a tip of $7.16 or 17%. So...I met your standard of 15% to 20%...more than I thought...and more than she deserved.

I won't name where I worked but you can believe I worked very hard for every tip I earned. It was not a five star restaurant and people, for the most part, felt that a dollar was plenty to leave. This was, however, many years ago. As a funny aside...at this particular restaurant is where I met my first husband...waiting on him daily as he took his lunch break from a local shop. My largest tip ever...the rest of his Friday paycheck when he only ordered a cup of coffee...LOL

At most restaurants where my current husband and I dine regularly [[and we dine out quite often), the wait staff will try to get us in their section, or trade rotations with other servers because they know that we are excellent tippers.

My statements regarding the base rate of 8% applied to BUFFETS ONLY....and qualified that with amending it based on the level of service.

Gistok...thanks for the compliment. I missed seeing you at the picnic. I hope you are feeling better and that we can find a chance to get you a batch of Sand Pail Pudding!

[jackie5275]

As a former waitress, ...Tipping should be gauged on the level of service as well as the amount of the bill...But on the other hand, if the server is non attentive, rude, slow or obnoxious...less than 8% works for me.

Interesting that you say this as a former waitress. My brother in law was a waiter for many years & apparently complained enough about the job it made such an impression on my husband that he is insistent that at least a 20% tip be given regardless of the service or the venue. If we're in a low priced place, like a coney island, he'll even give 50%. I guess he's kind of bent that way based on his brother's stories, but I like your reasonableness. I, too, think the level of service needs to be a factor in the amount tipped.

[gazhekwe]

I'm another former waitress, and I follow a very similar pattern to Blueidone. My regular tip is 15-20%, maybe more if there was a cherry on top. Bad service will net 5-10% and a word to the wise when possible. Waitstaff is generally happy to see us. We have one place we frequent where they rotate us through the servers like the treat of the day. At buffet places, if they carry the tray and bring drinks like at the Beefcarver, I will leave 5-10%. If they bring the food out and clean the tables off, same thing. If there was table service during the meal, I might go 15-20% depending on the level of service.

[East Detroit]

20%. Share the wealth.

It's not like at a "normal" restaurant that the waitress is filling your plate for you. The only difference is who is standing up and walking... and at the buffet you get the reward of being able to pick and choose and stuff yourself. The waitress is still getting your drinks, removing your plates, kissing your ass, and if she is getting you something that you didnt get yourself... c'mon, 12% isn't heavy tipping. And 20% of a buffet isn't big cash, anyway.