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Tipping

robbieraerobbierae
in Wedding Cakes & Food Forum
My daughter's wedding was this past weekend.  We paid the catering company, in addition to the food and setup costs, an additional  $17.50 per server per hour, for 8 servers for 8 hours, to the tune of $1000+.  Keep in mind this is a buffet, no serving is going on anywhere.  Guests went to the bar and got their drinks, went through the buffet line, etc.  Yet when I returned items to the catering shop in Monday morning, the caterer asked "what is this - full of tips? "  We aren't wealthy, just middle class self employed people, that paid over $5000 to the catering company for our 200 guests. In addition to the monies we paid the catering company, should we have also tipped each of the 8 servers?
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Re: Tipping

  • MayDay513MayDay513 member
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    robbierae said:
    My daughter's wedding was this past weekend.  We paid the catering company, in addition to the food and setup costs, an additional  $17.50 per server per hour, for 8 servers for 8 hours, to the tune of $1000+.  Keep in mind this is a buffet, no serving is going on anywhere.  Guests went to the bar and got their drinks, went through the buffet line, etc.  Yet when I returned items to the catering shop in Monday morning, the caterer asked "what is this - full of tips? "  We aren't wealthy, just middle class self employed people, that paid over $5000 to the catering company for our 200 guests. In addition to the monies we paid the catering company, should we have also tipped each of the 8 servers?
    Yes. It sounds like tip wasn't included. Just because the catering company says it is $17.50 an hour per server doesn't mean that actually gets funneled down to the servers. Yes you got drinks, but they clean up your plates, set up food etc.
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  • itzMSitzMS member
    First Answer First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Comment

    Yes, you should have tipped 15%.

     

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  • melb2013melb2013 member
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    If gratuity was not included in your contractual price, I would absolutely tip.  I can't imagine not tipping a waiter at a restaurant- this is no different. 

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  • kking1982kking1982 member
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    melb2013 said:
    If gratuity was not included in your contractual price, I would absolutely tip.  I can't imagine not tipping a waiter at a restaurant- this is no different. 
    I have no idea how catering companies pay their servers, but I used to be a waitress at a local restaurant.  Our base pay was just a few dollars so tips were our lifeblood. In both catering and a restaurant you have to pay for the food. I am curious as to where exactly the $17.50 per server/ per hour money is going. At a restaurant you don't have to pay the the hour your server waits on you and then tip on top of that. Is there anyone around here who has worked catering who can shed some light on their experiences on how much of this money actually makes it to the servers that work these events.

    PS. I am in no way saying don't tip, but if the full $17.50 (as it should be IMO) is going to the server that is as much and likely more per hour then they would make working a restaurant combining their minimum wage and average likely tips.
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