Wait Staff Disappointment

Those "cases" (and some of the attitudes and picayune issues that appear on this thread) just reinforce my belief that whatever servers make - $90,000, over $100,000 - it's just not enough for having to deal with these people. They have my undying admiration for putting up with the kind of petty nonsense most of us would not countenance.
That would mean anyone who works with people should get paid that amount. Anyone who deals with the public really has their own trials and tribulations..cuz you know people be crazy lol.
 
That would mean anyone who works with people should get paid that amount. Anyone who deals with the public really has their own trials and tribulations..cuz you know people be crazy lol.
Sure, anyone who works with the public runs the risk of someone projecting his own issues onto the worker. The difference is that servers are compensated primarily through tips, which means the same person making a federal case out of an undercooked steak or a simple mistake is the one who determines the server's pay.
 
Sure, anyone who works with the public runs the risk of someone projecting his own issues onto the worker. The difference is that servers are compensated primarily through tips, which means the same person making a federal case out of an undercooked steak or a simple mistake is the one who determines the server's pay.
You said $90k-$100K isn't enough to deal with people. That means anyone who deals with the public should be paid that and more. Maybe you weren't making such a big point about the exact pay but I took your comment for what was said :)

If you flip the side of the coin people who have set paychecks without the aide of tips actually can become hindered by that with respects to the public.

Lots of crazy people out there that the public has to deal with. And anyone who deals with the public probably will say they aren't getting paid enough to deal with the stuff they deal with (and they probably don't). However, at $90K (a number a poster just happened to mention) you're doing really really good in the wages department---clearly you're making a ton of tips. The person who is in retail is making a heck of a lot less (like a lot lot less) than that and deals with the same types of people. Or the person who is like me at a call center (yeah fun answering the phones for 8hrs a day) and deals with the same types of people is probably making less than 40% of that in the beginning of their career and may bridge the gap of course over the years but no where near that $90K number. And so on and so on.

Really it's just people having to deal with the public all deserve a little more respect than they probably get on a daily basis. We all can probably come up with stories to tell from the ones who threaten to get you fired beause you wouldn't take their expired coupon or the ones who scream at you because their insurance rate when up to the one who think you can't do your job because of your gender or age. And so many others.
 
You said $90k-$100K isn't enough to deal with people. That means anyone who deals with the public should be paid that and more. Maybe you weren't making such a big point about the exact pay but I took your comment for what was said :)

If you flip the side of the coin people who have set paychecks without the aide of tips actually can become hindered by that with respects to the public.

Lots of crazy people out there that the public has to deal with. And anyone who deals with the public probably will say they aren't getting paid enough to deal with the stuff they deal with (and they probably don't). However, at $90K (a number a poster just happened to mention) you're doing really really good in the wages department---clearly you're making a ton of tips. The person who is in retail is making a heck of a lot less (like a lot lot less) than that and deals with the same types of people. Or the person who is like me at a call center (yeah fun answering the phones for 8hrs a day) and deals with the same types of people is probably making less than 40% of that in the beginning of their career and may bridge the gap of course over the years but no where near that $90K number. And so on and so on.

Really it's just people having to deal with the public all deserve a little more respect than they probably get on a daily basis. We all can probably come up with stories to tell from the ones who threaten to get you fired beause you wouldn't take their expired coupon or the ones who scream at you because their insurance rate when up to the one who think you can't do your job because of your gender or age. And so many others.
I used to make £26k (which is bit more in $ but not that much) to work with severely ill people. Part of my job involved being able to calmly deal with florid psychosis, including being threatened with knives, and all sorts of other extreme issues. No one ever tipped me for a successful outcome, much less for an unsuccessful one because I still need to live despite low wages. Now, I happily tip for good service, I understand it is a hard job, and especially when in US I understand the cultural norm but, ANYONE dealing with random members of the public is likely on a low wage and likely dealing with poor treatment or worse. I would always be polite and so on, but, I also would not single out servers as more deserving of such.
 


You said $90k-$100K isn't enough to deal with people. That means anyone who deals with the public should be paid that and more. Maybe you weren't making such a big point about the exact pay but I took your comment for what was said :)

If you flip the side of the coin people who have set paychecks without the aide of tips actually can become hindered by that with respects to the public.

Lots of crazy people out there that the public has to deal with. And anyone who deals with the public probably will say they aren't getting paid enough to deal with the stuff they deal with (and they probably don't). However, at $90K (a number a poster just happened to mention) you're doing really really good in the wages department---clearly you're making a ton of tips. The person who is in retail is making a heck of a lot less (like a lot lot less) than that and deals with the same types of people. Or the person who is like me at a call center (yeah fun answering the phones for 8hrs a day) and deals with the same types of people is probably making less than 40% of that in the beginning of their career and may bridge the gap of course over the years but no where near that $90K number. And so on and so on.

Really it's just people having to deal with the public all deserve a little more respect than they probably get on a daily basis. We all can probably come up with stories to tell from the ones who threaten to get you fired beause you wouldn't take their expired coupon or the ones who scream at you because their insurance rate when up to the one who think you can't do your job because of your gender or age. And so many others.
I wasn't serious about the $90,000 figure - just used it because it was mentioned here. It was an exaggeration, kind of like saying there isn't enough money in the world to get me to do that kind of work.

I don't doubt that other workers have a difficult time dealing with the public. It hits a bit closer to home with servers because we eat out often and I see how some of them are treated. My husband started out handling Insurance claims, and you wouldn't believe some of the stuff he heard from people. But at the end of the call, they didn't get a chance to lower his salary.

I agree with you completely that we should take care to respect the people we deal with, even if the circumstances are aggravating or upsetting. Maybe it's my age, but it seems to me that people have become less civil toward each other - possibly because the things we used to do in person or on the phone can now be done online. We have less practice with personal interaction.
 
I wasn't serious about the $90,000 figure - just used it because it was mentioned here. It was an exaggeration, kind of like saying there isn't enough money in the world to get me to do that kind of work.
I kinda figured and I don't disagree on the principle of that.

My husband started out handling Insurance claims, and you wouldn't believe some of the stuff he heard from people. But at the end of the call, they didn't get a chance to lower his salary.
That's because he's in claims. Having grown up in the insurance business, having my father be an insurance agent, having my step-father-in-law being an insurance agent you better believe their customers have a direct impact on their salary.

They work commissions and their paychecks flucuate quite often. Gross premium written, policies in force, how many claims their respective insureds have filed, your target goals, even the insurance companies you write for and their specific rules and goals, etc all play a role in their take home pay. Not to mention being self-employed adds a layer. Now my dad (a captive agent meaning he could only write with one company) didn't have office workers but my step-father-in-law (who is an independent agent who can write through a multitude of companies) does so he has payroll expenses (though no medical and whatnot). If you want clients you gotta be good to them, you gotta take care of them, and unfortunately when your clients use their insurance they pay for they can impact your end payout. You also have to sometimes be selective. You may get premium off a customer but if that customer is a high risk one you may end up in the hole. My step-father-in-law also lost out when AAA pulled out of my state in terms of independent agents (which I was with AAA and with him at the time) so he lost all those customers that didn't want to be shifted to a centralized center due to non-compete clauses for at least a year.

But when I worked at the call center the only way my pay went up was yearly raises and salary grade adjustment. I plateaued on the salary grade very quickly (due to the structure) so while I did get raises every year once you add in medical insurance,dental and eye, and taxes, 401K inputs and whatnot the increase didn't amount to much at all (much like a raise for a retail employee). So sure my hourly rate might be more than a tipped employee but a tipped employee has the ability each and every day to raise their take home pay and in the end they may have been making more than me. Just depends.

When I was a retail employee on average my pay was probably less than many of the tipped employees because again they had the opportunity to get more and I didn't. Though again that may depend. An area where a server won't get many hours, and has on average terrible tippers probably will end up less off than your more average area where you get decent enough hours and at least decent tippers.

Really it's just pros and cons to both. The end result is people having to deal with people and it's no small task lol. Totally agree with your last paragraph :)
 
Genuine question from a non-American visitor to WDW: are tips shared between wait staff and food prep staff? I know wait staff may be earning considerably less than minimum wage, but I don't know if this also applies to kitchen staff etc. If tip money is only going to wait staff, then 18-20% is a massively over-inflated amount for buffets. With many WDW buffets running at $50+ (plus any beers/wines etc), and the wait staff at these restaurants running 6-8 tables in an hour, tips could amount to almost $100 per hour for very minimal customer service. Have I misunderstood how this works?

Edit: my math assumed only one/two diners per table, with a party of four or more at each table, the figure is obviously much higher.
 
Last edited:


Genuine question from a non-American visitor to WDW: are tips shared between wait staff and food prep staff? I know wait staff may be earning considerably less than minimum wage, but I don't know if this also applies to kitchen staff etc. If tip money is only going to wait staff, then 18-20% is a massively over-inflated amount for buffets. With many WDW buffets running at $50+ (plus any beers/wines etc), and the wait staff at these restaurants running 6-8 tables in an hour, tips could amount to almost $100 per hour for very minimal customer service. Have I misunderstood how this works?

Edit: my math assumed only one/two diners per table, with a party of four or more at each table, the figure is obviously much higher.
At most buffets the diner does nearly all the work, getting drinks, utensils and whatever . But WDW seems to have blurred the line a bit and their waitstaff does do a bit more for you than that.
So consider the matter in the simplest terms of legwork; trips from the back of the house (kitchen, food prep, soda fountain, bar) to the front of the house (your table). The table service server is really only making a few trips more than the buffet server. There is a greater degree of skill involved and a little more legwork but I wouldn't call tipping them equally "massively inflated"

That said ... all else being equal, I don't tip a buffet server 20%; closer to 15%.

To answer your first question, I have worked in places as a kid where the bus staff and dish washers got 10% of the waitresses tips. I have heard of places that shared tips more 'generously' than that but I don't think it's common.
 
So sorry that you did not have a better time we have gone on 5 previous trips and the vast majority have been a great experience, The few that have not, well I am a retired Marine. I will cheerfully stand up in front of the waiter/waitress and dress them down as if they are not very bright 18 year old Privates. Haven't had to do it twice in a meal.
I straight up quit a job waiting a week early during grad school the same day that happened to me. Got the last word as the guy thought his act worked and it was met by an eyeroll and told him I was immune to attitude.
 
Wow, just wow! Just leave your 'marine' time out of your private life - civilians are not under your authority!
My husband served many years ago, also have many family members that did, and I don't know a one of them that tried to use their 'past authority' on others after they returned to civilian life! :(
I literally LOLed at this. I wouldn't be able to stop laughing if someone tried this on me in real life. It's the male version of being a Karen, probably only does it to male "help", and makes ridiculous requests at Starbucks we pretend to do while they are waiting, then just give them a normal coffee (like those who want "the 3rd cup from a fresh pot")
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Top