18% Gratutiy

[TLSnell1981]

Some try to use bullet points and spin to remove any culpability from the servers and their union. It just doesn't work. Most are savvy enough to see whats up. This happens frequently when unions are involved. The employees give them free rein.....and when things don't go their way....it's the big bad employers fault. I bet most of the servers didn't mind this going through. I think now it's, uh-oh, people are going to take the brunt of their frustrations out on us (the servers) and now are trying to do damage control.

 

[Tess'smom]

hasn't the question of gratuity been beated to death yet? if you don't like the pay, get an education and get a real job... till then, take what ya get.

I think that statement is degrading to hard working folks who may for a number of reasons not have the resources to just "get an education and get a real job." Sorry, I find your flippant remark distasteful.

 

[kaytieeldr]

From my understanding, less than 20% of the union members turned out to vote one way or another.

Okay, then I'm going to defer to you and stop rattling on about numbers. I know you have more knowledge and better resources about the vote than I do.

The sighing comes off as a bit condescending and unnecessary. No one is being forced to participate in this conversation.

I apologize - that's not how I intended it. I do want to continue discussing the general issue, but armed with the information you have, in more general terms. (i.e. no more figures/percents/poor* servers).

*Use of word not intended to imply anything financial whatsoever.

 

[DisneyKevin]

Thanks kaytieeldr!

 

[drakethib]

I'm not sure that this example really works as I imagine there would be public outrage if Walgreens allowed you to use coupons (that you had to pay for) and then charged an 18% service charge because you did.

If you feel that your service was not worthy of a mandatory 18% gratuity / service charge you do have options.

As you do not hand over you DDE card until it's time to pay the check, you have a choice of using the card. Should you decide to not use the card, you will then have the power to decide the gratuity.

You can also speak with a manager. If you are not 100% satisfied with your service, I recommend you do this. As this is now a service that you are paying for (and no longer just rewarding), you have the right to expect excellent, top notch service.

As DDE card holders and good tippers (always 20% or more), we have started writing on each and every check we receive that "once a mandatory 18% service charge is added, then that is the only gratuity you will receive."

Kevin.

What if you have a server that does an exceptional job. Will you still write the note or would you tip extra?

You may have answered this as I have not read 100% of the thread.

The "service charge" sucks IMHO, but I just would hate to think that the good suffers for the bad. Maybe this is one of the guys that voted against this at the union meeting.

I am thinking what an earlier poster wrote, what would happen if you told the server that you were not paying a mandated gratuity.

What would they do?

We as "guest" should not be put in this position IMHO.

Thoughts?

 

[TLSnell1981]

Kevin.

What if you have a server that does an exceptional job. Will you still write the note or would you tip extra?

You may have answered this as I have not read 100% of the thread.

The "service charge" sucks IMHO, but I just would hate to think that the good suffers for the bad. Maybe this is one of the guys that voted against this at the union meeting.

I am thinking what an earlier poster wrote, what would happen if you told the server that you were not paying a mandated gratuity.

What would they do?

We as "guest" should not be put in this position IMHO.

Thoughts?

This is what happens when a union is voted in. Employees are treated as one instead of individuals. Good or bad...they have the same pay and the same benefits.

 

[OrlandoMike]

So, that means if all the servers showed up to vote then they could have voted it down....interesting...

Not every Disney CM is in the union, and only union members are eligible to vote, so not necessarily.

 

[DisneyKevin]

Kevin.

What if you have a server that does an exceptional job. Will you still write the note or would you tip extra?

You may have answered this as I have not read 100% of the thread.

The "service charge" sucks IMHO, but I just would hate to think that the good suffers for the bad. Maybe this is one of the guys that voted against this at the union meeting.

I am thinking what an earlier poster wrote, what would happen if you told the server that you were not paying a mandated gratuity.

What would they do?

We as "guest" should not be put in this position IMHO.

Thoughts?

As DDE card holders and an annual pass holders, we frequently dine on Disney property, above and beyond what we do for a living.

I feel a gratuity is earned and the choice is mine as to how much I leave. If that choice is taken from me than you get what you get...nothing more.

As far as anyone suffering...please keep in mind that they are getting 18%...good job or bad. This figure is already higher than the accepted average gratuity of 15%.

I can tell you, that if asked prior to the beginning of the meal if I am using the DDE car, I am going to flat out lie and say no. I see absolutely no reason to take away the motivation to do a good job and while I apologize for lumping everyone together, I can not see how knowing the outcome of the meal ahead of time will motivate anyone to do a better job.

Kevin

 

[disneyholic family]

As DDE card holders and an annual pass holders, we frequently dine on Disney property, above and beyond what we do for a living.

I feel a gratuity is earned and the choice is mine as to how much I leave. If that choice is taken from me than you get what you get...nothing more.

As far as anyone suffering...please keep in mind that they are getting 18%...good job or bad. This figure is already higher than the accepted average gratuity of 15%.

I can tell you, that if asked prior to the beginning of the meal if I am using the DDE car, I am going to flat out lie and say no. I see absolutely no reason to take away the motivation to do a good job and while I apologize for lumping everyone together, I can not see how knowing the outcome of the meal ahead of time will motivate anyone to do a better job.

Kevin

i totally agree with you Kevin....

by the way, does the dining plan still include the gratuity?

when my daughter and i were just at WDW in november we weren't on the dining plan and it seemed to me that we were given the best table in the house in every restaurant we ate at...
although, i don't know why this would have anything to do with the gratuity being included - other than perhaps there is also a better server with more seniority associated with the better located tables...someone who prefers working with people not on the plan....

e.g., when we were seated at citricos, we were seated at a 4 person table (though we were only 2 people) by the window overlooking the marina and the MK....on the way, we passed several empty two person tables in the front room (much worse tables in my opinion)...
the table we were at was clearly the best located in the entire restaurant...
(and within a short while the entire restaurant was full....every table taken)..

and we had an exceptional waiter...truly outstanding...

very similar things happened at the other restaurants we ate at...

so i was wondering if it had to do with that little question they asked us when we checked in at the podium - are you on the dining plan? no we're not..

perhaps it was coincidence.....perhaps not...

 

[drakethib]

As DDE card holders and an annual pass holders, we frequently dine on Disney property, above and beyond what we do for a living.

I feel a gratuity is earned and the choice is mine as to how much I leave. If that choice is taken from me than you get what you get...nothing more.

As far as anyone suffering...please keep in mind that they are getting 18%...good job or bad. This figure is already higher than the accepted average gratuity of 15%.

I can tell you, that if asked prior to the beginning of the meal if I am using the DDE car, I am going to flat out lie and say no. I see absolutely no reason to take away the motivation to do a good job and while I apologize for lumping everyone together, I can not see how knowing the outcome of the meal ahead of time will motivate anyone to do a better job.

Kevin

Fair Enough.

Thanks for the response.

 

[dpuck1998]

Not every Disney CM is in the union, and only union members are eligible to vote, so not necessarily.

How does that matter? My point was based on Kevins number that only 20 percent of union members showed up. So I was making a point that since such a low number showed up, if all the servers voted then they would have had sufficent numbers to put to vote the way they choose. They would only have to create a majority, and my best guess is that if they all voted their numbers would have been enough to have said majority.

 

[Minnie's Mate]

How does that matter? My point was based on Kevins number that only 20 percent of union members showed up. So I was making a point that since such a low number showed up, if all the servers voted then they would have had sufficent numbers to put to vote the way they choose. They would only have to create a majority, and my best guess is that if they all voted their numbers would have been enough to have said majority.

I think the point is that "everyone" keeps saying "the servers didn't want this, the servers didn't want this, the servers didn't want this." but apparently too few that "didn't want it" showed up to vote it down.

My father was a union rep so I was raised very sympathetic to unions, but this is an issue where I have no sympathy for the servers. As Kevin said, they take the good for all so they have to take the bad for all and that means that if the customer doesn't like this issue, the servers deserve to take the heat for it one and all whether they are a good server or a bad server.

Like Kevin said, we will now be charged for our service so there is no need to reward the server, we are paying them to serve us the same as if they were temporary contractor working at our homes, i.e. painters, etc. When I contract my lawn care and pay a predetermined price for it, I don't tip the lawn care company for the job, whether it's extra good or average. If it's bad, then we have a talk about the service, but if it is just average or better, then nothing is said one way or another.

 

[Renysmom]

I have stayed away from this subject because we normally tip 18-20% anyway but something happened on Friday night that irked me. We were at 1900 Park and on the Dining Plan. I ordered a drink and told the waitress I would pay cash for it. When she presented the bill the 18% was added to the drink cost. Now I don't mind tipping for a drink and normally do but my already overpriced/undersized drink should not have been part of the food gratuity in my opinion, I think this is going to the extreme.

 

[shovan]

Our DDE card recently expired, we waited to renew it because we weren't going back to DW for several months.

I am not sure whether we will get another one due to this policy. Not that I don't want to tip 18%. We usually tip 20%, using the discounted amount made that easy. So in most cases we would actually save 2%, although if we had excellent service I would tip more.

But I don't want an automatic 18% surcharge when we receive poor service & then have to spend time debating the charge with the poor server or management. I also don't want a 18% surcharge automatically added to the cost of one drink at a bar nor at a buffet.

I think we would probably end up not using the card at every restaurant or bar that we are entitled to, just to avoid the automatic surcharge. Maybe that is what Disney is hoping, that the DDE card buyers continue to purchase the cards but not "claim" thier discounts as often.

I also agree with the OP, I don't think I want to pay Disney $65 to have more control of my vacation dollars.

We were thrilled with the card last year, saved a ton of money. We also noticed better treatment from our servers, when we volunteered that we would be using the DDE card. I mean eventually it's going to come up in conversation during the mutiple times we were asked if we were on the DDP. They usually ask at the hostess podium at least once if not twice, then the person who seats you asks, then the server asks, so we usually do tell them we have the DDE. But I wouldn't want them to know until the last minute now.

 

[Califgirl]

I have stayed away from this subject because we normally tip 18-20% anyway but something happened on Friday night that irked me. We were at 1900 Park and on the Dining Plan. I ordered a drink and told the waitress I would pay cash for it. When she presented the bill the 18% was added to the drink cost. Now I don't mind tipping for a drink and normally do but my already overpriced/undersized drink should not have been part of the food gratuity in my opinion, I think this is going to the extreme.

I don't think this is new. I'm pretty sure that the 18% gratuity on OOP purchases that you get while dining on the DDP is standard. I believe it's been that way for the last year or so. It would be added for OOP appys or desserts too, not just drinks.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Califgirl is right. That has been the procedure for well over a year now. Whenever a Guest using the Disney Dining Plan orders an item or items not included on the plan (for example, an alcoholic beverage, a side dish, an extra dessert, a meal for someone not on the DDP), Disney automatically adds an 18% whatever-you-want-to-call-it to the non-DDP check.

 

[disrailfan]

How does that matter? My point was based on Kevins number that only 20 percent of union members showed up. So I was making a point that since such a low number showed up, if all the servers voted then they would have had sufficent numbers to put to vote the way they choose. They would only have to create a majority, and my best guess is that if they all voted their numbers would have been enough to have said majority.

I work for one of the major Automotive Companies and I can tell you that the unions almost always have a clause in their bylaws / constitution indicating that a majority vote is a majority of the union members that show up during the determined / published voting time. They almost always tell the members if you don't like something then come vote, if you don't vote then you have no right to complain about something that got voted in.

 

[Uncleromulus]

Seems to me that I heard somewhere that the servers are a small part of the union, outnumbered by the other groups. So I'm guessing that even if they ALL showed up, probably no way they could have voted down what finally happened.
Wasn't this a single contract? Gratuity wasn't a seperate "voting issue". It was yes or no to the whole thing. Other non-server union members had their OWN issues--the server gratuity meant nothing to them.

 

[OrlandoMike]

Seems to me that I heard somewhere that the servers are a small part of the union, outnumbered by the other groups. So I'm guessing that even if they ALL showed up, probably no way they could have voted down what finally happened.
Wasn't this a single contract? Gratuity wasn't a seperate "voting issue". It was yes or no to the whole thing. Other non-server union members had their OWN issues--the server gratuity meant nothing to them.

100% correct!

Housekeeping, Transportation, Quick Service, Merchandise.....they all had their own issues. They could have cared less about this gratuity thing when they voted on the contract. It was simply a matter of the servers (who actually read the contract before voting) being outnumbered by the rest of the CM's.

(And believe it or not, most people dont even read the contract, they just show up and vote which ever way their union rep tells them to vote!)

 

[TLSnell1981]

(And believe it or not, most people dont even read the contract, they just show up and vote which ever way their union rep tells them to vote!)

This is so easy to believe. I still say IF the restaurant employees are so unhappy aboout the 18% service charge, why would the union negotiate that to begin with? (And don't tell me it was all Disney...that doesn't even make sense!) I think some thought it was a pretty good idea...until the backlash on this board.(and this is only a small percentage of guests) Wait until next year. I think they will lose money in the long run. I imagine many will be stiffed on the DDP. intentionally or not. Of course, then we will have a service charge across the board. This will translate in to worse food, worse service and me eating in my villa more often