When gambling in Atlantic City, I normally eat for free, either in one of the Harrahs owned casino’s Diamond Clubs, or at a regular buffet if I have a coupon. We get our own food, the waiter or waitress brings drinks, and that person or a busboy removes the used plates and glasses when necessary. My understanding is that an acceptable tip for a buffet is $1 per person, and usually I eat alone and leave $1. Looking around at other tables I don’t think I’m being a cheapskate – some people may leave more and a few people leave nothing.
Last week I used a coupon to eat for free at the Showboat buffet and I ordered a single glass of wine (in addition to soda), which is complementary for Diamond Card holders (others have to pay an extra charge). When I got up to leave the table and left my usual $1 tip, the waitress asked if that was all I was leaving and started berating me, complaining that she was going to get nothing because she had to tip the bartender for my drink. I understand that you should tip the bartender when you go up to a bar and purchase a drink, but I’m not sure this is the same thing. If I was eating dinner in a restaurant and ordered drinks with my meal, the cost of the drink would be tipped as well as the cost of the meal, generally at least 15%.
Personally, especially at a buffet, I don’t see why I should have to tip a larger amount because a bartender poured me a glass of wine. This is not any more difficult than the waitress going to the soda fountain and filling up a glass with soda. If the waitress is being forced to tip the bartender for each alcoholic drink she serves, I’m not sure that this should be my problem. It really isn’t fair to the waitress who is doing 98% of the work to have to share or give up her tip, but I believe that all of the food service employees are in a union and should be able to negotiate a fair split of the tips.
In any case, I think that the waitress was obnoxious and I did not leave her any more than the $1 tip. But I would like to know for future reference if she had a valid point. I never had any complaints before. Is it possible that the Diamond Clubs, where I usually eat, have a different policy for sharing tips with the bar? Usually in the Diamond Club I might order a bottle of Corona but not wine or mixed drinks.
I don’t think the 15% tip rule applies here for a buffet. I also realize that if I sat down for a complimentary meal in a regular restaurant (not a buffet), I would leave a tip based on the cost of the meal if I had to pay for it.
The waitress in the buffet is not taking my dinner order, serving my meal, and making sure everything is ok. I get the food myself, and if I don’t like it I go back to the buffet and get something else. They really are only handling beverages and cleanup. So regardless of whether or not you think I’m a cheapskate and am not leaving enough of a tip, I still don’t think I need to need to leave 15% of the cost or value of the meal.
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4 Comments
Tipping should be based on the actual value of the meal (get this overpriced chain restaurants??) and the quality of the service.
If you think the buffet was worth $8.75 and one dollar is about 15% of that, then you’re on point.
I got it
No, I think you are being insanely cheap.
Tipping at buffets is always a tough one, as you said, you are getting your own food. (Not just AC, but anywhere)
But the waitress is doing the same work whether or not you paid for the buffet or not. They aren’t treating you any differently because you’ve got a coupon or were comped. You are choosing to eat at the buffet because you don’t want to wait for your meal, and that’s your choice, but if that’s an $18 buffet you are getting comped, you are leaving $1, and that’s cheap.
You’re right. $1-$2 per person is the general rule of thumb at buffets. If you want to leave more that’s your prerogative, but unless you’re at the $44 seafood buffet at Rio, I don’t think $1 is being cheap.
And the waitress copping an attitude because you only left a dollar would only make me want to tip less. I don’t understand why she would be obligated to give your dollar to the bartender, who in my mind deserves no tip at all in this situation.
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