When dinning out, should I leave a tip at a self serve buffet?

Question

My wife says yes. I say no. You serve yourself except for the wait staff getting your drink, some places not even that... I saw a sign at a local cafeteria "hireing wait staff, $2.25 per hour plus tips. They already charge $1.50 for a glass of tea then pay an extra dollar so so they can bring it you? It sounds like me & thier staff are getting ripped off ! I left a tip this time but to told my wife I was going to Yahoo answers for your opinion.

Answer 1

It's all about attitude. Good attitude = tip.

Wait staff are being waaay underpaid and something needs to be done about that at employer level.

While it is not the customer's problem that their waiter is being ripped off wage-wise, it's always a good thing to leave a tip IF the waiter is pleasant and does their job well, whether that job is just delivering drinks and cleaning up, or full service.

Everyone likes to know their efforts are appreciated

Answer 2

Yes, you should leave a tip, especially if they ask you how you are doing, get you clean plates, get your drink, and refill it. A dollar per person would be adequate, more if you wish.
The Chinese buffet in my town solved the problem. They put out a tip jar on the corner of the buffet, just the right place for putting your change in after you pay for your meal. The total cost for the lunch buffet is $8 and something, leaving a buck and change for the tip after handing the cashier a ten works for me.
Restaurant workers/serve staff in most places do not even make minimum wage, it is nice to tip them. And at a buffet, the servers you see may be spitting their tips with other workers, too. and except for setting your food down in front of you, they work just as hard, taking the dirty plates away, and bringing more. Tip for the amount of trips they made to your table.
And no, a 15% is not for a buffet. Some people think that giving more of a tip will guarantee them good service on their next visit. Not necessarily, and what ever they want to do, fine.
And I do get tired of absolutely everyone having their hand out for a tip. A 10% tip used to be customary,and the tax was not used to figure it. Now it's 15%, and if you talk to serve staff, they say 20% plus, and we are to include the tax in on the figuring.
When I walk into a restaurant, alone or with female friends, and actually get the same service the man at the next table is getting, I will consider tipping more. Until that time, servers, you get whatever I want to give you for less service. Wise up, servers.
Sorry to use your question as a platform for my own concerns.

Answer 3

Sometimes I do. It depends on what the staff is doing, and how they do it. If they are bringing you drinks, checking on you frequently enough to keep the drink filled without being annoying, clearing dishes in a timely manner, bringing you fresh plates as needed, etc., then a small tip is appropriate.

Your thought that $2.25 per hour = $1.50 iced tea plus $0.75 delivery charge doesn't work, unless each waiter brings only one drink per hour. I'm sure in a busy restaurant, it's probably more like 20-30 drinks per hour. Remember, you're not the only customer there - though a good waiter will make you feel like you are.

You're also not allowing for the overhead costs of having an employee, either - remember thoe more they are paid by the employer, the more taxes and fees the employer incurs as well.

Answer 4

Could you live off of $2.25 an hour? The employee doesn't charge $1.50 for that glass of tea. It should be against the Law for these restaurants and buffets to pay their help below min. wage! But the fact of the matter is they do get away with it. They also have no health insurance and many of the very people who go to the buffet to eat are fighting against those same hard working individuals receiving National Health Care! The don't qualify for welfare. Please leave a tip or else stop eating there!

Answer 5

Yes the person should be tipped! They get your drinks, take away your dirty dishes, ask you if you need any thing. They make their living off of their wages. It is very hard work. If you don't want to tip you should stay at home. Or else encourage-lawmakers to force higher wages. Of course that could bring up the price of the meal. If I were your wife I'd be embarrassed to go out to eat with you. Like some one else here said that hard working person waiting on you not only is working below min. wage the don't have health care.

Answer 6

Yes you should tip the wait staff at a self-serve buffet, but only two or three bucks (not the normal 15-20%).

Answer 7

ah an interesting question for sure .. the first answer is you NEVER have to leave a tip anywhere! I tip according to service and demeanour of the waitstaff .. in that regard, usually I do leave a tip at a self-service buffet because the wait staff has been attentive in cleaning the table and in delivering clean plates, drinks etc ...

Answer 8

while i became 18, I worked at Golden Corral. i became soreness $2.13/ hour. not absolutely everyone gets the buffet there. lots, and that i do recommend a brilliant variety of persons order from the menu to boot. occasion.... a team of persons might all order a steak, then for $a million.ninety 9 greater, the get a buffet... you already know for the salad, better element products, bread and dessert. We had to top off their drinks, provide them clen plates, napkins, better silverware..... coffee, then freshen up their mass as quickly as they left (no bus boys) and doing all of this in a gown and nylons. It became no ordinary pastime, and involved by decrease than $2.13/ hour. They discern which you're making something of your gross revenues in information! Its like that at in simple terms about all eating places that have servers. maximum nights i might in basic terms make $20-$30 in information. after 10 hours.... not a brilliant variety of money. (truthfully everyone might in basic terms depart $! if that) Oh and after truthfully everyone left... we've been people who had to top off the condiment bottles,(ketchup, salt, pepper and so on) restock the waitress stations, mop/vaccuum etc. So yeah, you're able to tip at any eating place the place some one has serviced you. even whether it quite is to top off your drinks. A buffet eating place isn't Taco bell or a KFC, or Mc Donalds. You tip at Olive backyard, pink Lobster etc.. so even at a so called buffet eating place, even however you do partly serve your self..... you at the instant are not thoroughly left on your guy or woman. Thats why they assign a waitress on your table. that should assist you with something you could want. On customary, at say Golden corral, you shoule depart a minimum of $a million/ in line with guy or woman seated at your table plus yet another dollar. in case you have a new child whos throwing overwhelmed up crackers on the floor.... depart some better greenbacks. (we had to scrub that up too)

Answer 9

Yes you do leave a tip. these people show you your table, fill your drinks, and clean up after you. Just because you are able to fill new plates dont mean the staff dont remove your used plates. They may even work harder than a "full service" establishment,

Answer 10

Yes!! They serve you drinks, they take the plates away, they have been on their feet all night on your behalf. Don't be such a cheapskate and leave a few lousy dollars. I served tables while in school; anyone who was ever a waiter or a waitress is very touchy on this subject.