Tipping at a buffet

[Crazedclerkthe2nd]

While I did consider the consequences of putting yet another tipping thread in here, I really wanted your folks opinion on this.

My wife ate a buffet place the other night. You go in, you pay, you get your own drinks, your own dishes, your own food. All the servers/waitresses do is take away your dirty dishes in a timely manner.

At the end of the night we left a few dollars for a tip. But the more I thought about, the more I wondered just why we were leaving a tip when we did practically all the service work ourselves?

I understand the servers are probably low wage and make some of their income through tips but the other part of me says how realistic is it to expect tips for hardly doing anything.

I'll probably tip again wen I go back as I've heard about how places will "mark" customers who are bad tippers and treat them accordingly, but I still remain conflicted on whether a tip should be required for a buffet place.

[Fashion Lad!]

When my friends and I go to a buffet, we each leave a dollar. I know that we do most of the work, but if a waiter or waitress is doing all the work for me, then they get 30% of the bill, unless they suck.

[MaggieTheCat]

I was actually thinking about this exact same issue a day or two ago!

The only buffet my husband and I go to regularly is a fairly high-end, expensive Indian buffet. The wait staff brings our drinks, bread, and usually a little side dish to and from the table and clears our plates away, and they do it all pretty promptly. They're also in charge of keeping an eye on all the dishes on the buffet and making sure they get refilled when low. We figure that's worth the standard 15% (we usually tip around 20% at full-service restaurants.) At a cheap Chinese buffet where you get your own drinks and there's really no extras that the wait staff brings to the table, like bread/side dishes, then we'd probably tip closer to 10%...we hardly ever go to places like that, though.

[Peppergirl]

I have deliberately not posted in the *other* tipping thread, because I didn't feel I could control myself properly. LOL

But I feel safe on this one.

I tend to tip 10-15 percent at buffets, depending on if they bring drinks, napkins, or just clear plates. To me, they are still providing a service, and even though I'm serving myself the actual food, they are waiting on me in some small way.

[Boozy]

I leave a few bucks when I eat at a buffet. Buffets (especially the all-you-can-eat variety) can be expensive, so it doesn't usually amount to even 10%.

But if there's no table service, there's no need to leave a whole lot. I just like to leave a bit for the busboys and dishwashers.

[elsporko]

Why leave a tip when you're doing the work? Do you also leave a tip at self service gas stations or when you use the self check out lane?

[Greenday]

Most buffets I've been to, the servers clear the table and bring your drinks. So I tip for that. But I don't tip the regular 20%.

[Boozy]

Why leave a tip when you're doing the work?

Are you responding to me? If so, I believe you are purposefully ignoring this part of my post:

But if there's no table service, there's no need to leave a whole lot. I just like to leave a bit for the busboys and dishwashers.

[KitterCat]

I actually agree with Elsporko on this. For some odd reason in the US it seems to be some sort of Pavlovian an response now to tip - for anything and for any reason. I cant help but find it strange, especially in a buffet style restaurant since your doing all the work. The only thing staff seems to be there for is to collect the money, make the food, and bus dishes. Seems to be about the same as at a Fast Food restaurant, but I don’t see people handing over tips to their cashier just because they rang them up.

[Greenday]

I actually agree with Elsporko on this. For some odd reason in the US it seems to be some sort of Pavlovian an response now to tip - for anything and for any reason. I cant help but find it strange, especially in a buffet style restaurant since your doing all the work. The only thing staff seems to be there for is to collect the money, make the food, and bus dishes. Seems to be about the same as at a Fast Food restaurant, but I don’t see people handing over tips to their cashier just because they rang them up.

As I've mentioned, every buffet I've ever gone to, you have a server getting you drinks. I've never seen a buffet where you get your own drink.

[draggar]

I did some Googling (just Google tipping at a buffet) and I noticed it seems that the standard tip is 10%. Some mentioned lower if you have to get your own drinks.

But - it is mentioned that the average person goes though 3 plates at a buffet so a table of 4 would have 12 plates (plus the glasses etc..) which is a lot more than what you'd get at your average restaurant.

I would think if you go though a lot of plates, then maybe add a little more.

There were also mentions that people tend to be far messier at buffets than they are at a regular restaurant causing the servers to work more.

(Yes, there were a lot of factors). I'm also sure the server to table ratio is much lower since the servers are primarily picking up dirty plates and bringing drinks (if they do at the buffet).

Personally, I think normally 10% would be fine (factoring the above plus the usual factors - how was the service etc.).

[McDreidel09]

As I've mentioned, every buffet I've ever gone to, you have a server getting you drinks. I've never seen a buffet where you get your own drink.

Really? All of the ones, except just one, that I have been to, you get your own drinks. The only one I have ever been to where you don't, is Golden Corral, where you get your drink when you come in and pay.

The way I was taught, was that at a buffet you don't tip because you don't actually have a waiter/waitress and buffets just really have bussers. As a busser a few years back, we never really got tips, unless the customer wanted to give us one or if the waitresses wanted to give us a cut of their tips, but we still made minimum wage.

[powerboy]

I'll tip at a Buffet. I just give a few bucks. That is if they clean the plates off the table and bring napkins. Or if they bring drinks if it is like that.

[KnitShoni]

Really? All of the ones, except just one, that I have been to, you get your own drinks. The only one I have ever been to where you don't, is Golden Corral, where you get your drink when you come in and pay.

The way I was taught, was that at a buffet you don't tip because you don't actually have a waiter/waitress and buffets just really have bussers. As a busser a few years back, we never really got tips, unless the customer wanted to give us one or if the waitresses wanted to give us a cut of their tips, but we still made minimum wage.

Maybe it's an area thing, as far as whether they bring drinks or not, because every buffet down here that I've been to, does. They also will do callbacks on tables. That's why I tip a buck or two. If all they do is remove plates, then no.