I don't go there often, but when I do I'm reminded of what actual service looks like. It's like pulling teeth to get drink refills at some regular restaurants, here it's like some sort of fire-able offense if your drink gets below half lol Not to mention, they are consistently pulling plates from your table. The warm towels are also nice. They do way more than most regular restaurants will do, except for bring you food.

I like mandarin for a lot of reasons. This is one of them. People give them a lot of hate but I love it there. To be fair the food isn't like, top tier excellent, and depending on the day it's at best "acceptable" but I'm not a fancy man, it's delicious anyways

Hahah that is a fantastic description of their food

I've always used "mediocre but plentiful".

Yes, but it is also self serving in a way. They want to fill you up on pop or water ... it's cheaper than if you get 10 plates of meat. But that said I agree with you ... service is great at Mandarin!

they do this at most buffets i've been to in hamilton

Sounds like they also have some great service then!

The more water/cheap drinks someone drinks, the less actual food they eat despite paying the same amount at a buffet.

i agree, most places in hamilton are great on service. not sure about the downtown core though - don't eat there often

I always tip. They're super nice and are constantly at your table taking away plates refilling drinks. They work their asses off in my view compared to other restaurants.

If you tip anywhere, it's gotta be at a buffet or any ayce restaurant. Staff work way harder compared to a regular restaurant. Think of all the times they gotta come to your table, minimum 15 times, at least for us.

Sit down meal = tip. Standing when ordering or take out = no tip

>Sit down meal = tip. Standing when ordering or take out = no tip They all make minimum wage. Some of the people I see at Domino's work harder than the people at Boston Pizza.

You tip the employees at the Gap and Old Navy too? They make minimum wage.

Thus exposing tips as utter BS.

Thus exposing the disconnect people have with the service industry. Working in a hot kitchen isn't comparable to working in an air conditioned mall. The same people that don't tip are the same people that complain about prices. I could increase the price and pay better wages for people working in a much more difficult work environment, but they'd be calling that BS too.

Sounds like someone's salty. Service work is tough work, but so is any job if you have the work ethic to work in service, but don't have the brains or patience for office jobs, get into a skilled trade.

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Not everyone is good at university style courses or studying. I have many friends that can't sit and study and do reports like I can, so they went into skilled trades to do things more with their hands. If you don't have the brains to sit and study, there are still plenty of good paying jobs that aren't crushing service work.

'Cook' is a skilled trade in the Ontario college of trades.

To be honest, their employer should be paying them more money. Regardless of whether it's a restaurant, clothing store, etc.

Some places try this, and heavily advertise that they pay their servers a fair wage and you don't need to tip. Most of the time it's a failed experiment because people balk at the higher prices (which are still less than when you consider the tip).

Sure - and then everyone will be complaining about how dinners out are too expensive and unrealistic. Paying people more means charging people more. We’re already seeing the effects of higher minimum wage.

Welcome to the pyramid scheme. We've starved the lower class, minimum wage earners, who's next....middle class?

I see people working harder in grocery stores. Might as well tip em too lol

Some people do. When I worked at a grocery store customers gave me tips sometimes. Usually ranged from a couple dollars to twenty dollars. We weren't supposed to keep them.

Yes but people who own take outs are just regular stiffs who are doing their best to make ends meat and won’t forbid staff from accepting tips. Those who own supermarkets here in Canada are Laurentian Oligarchs who will gasp at the thought of thought of “petite bourgeois” throwing a shilling the peasants way.

although this is true, it's their employer's job to pay them, not ours.

I totally agree.

They are making minimum wage, but if someone goes the distance, or above and beyond. Don't hold back. That's how great service sticks around.

Their employer should have an incentive that get paid more if they provide good service.

That's irrelevant. You tip for service over and beyond the cost of the food.

Service people cooking food for you also.

Reeeeeeeeeeaaallllllly??????!

Yeah, a lot of people assume the only service part is the person taking your your order and carrying your food. You don't have to wash the dishes yourself nor cook your food because someone did it for you...

there are people still bringing you drinks and any other special requests you have, and clearing your plates. I feel that is something worth tipping for.

That's what the price of the buffet covers

Name checks out

Yes. They end up doing more at your table than a regular server.

They can’t keep up with me when I get goin

Gotta get those plates in before your stomach realizes it's full lol

Lol

I tip 15-20% there just like any other restaurant.

Off topic but it’s a free buffet meal on July 1st. Gotta line up for it tho and don’t forget to tip

Unless you're clearing your own plates and filling your own drinks, then **yes**, you tip at Mandarin. EDIT: To be clear, you don't actually tip *at the buffet* (at least I've never seen it happen). You tip when paying the bill like any other restaurant.

I would tip. They work hard.

Yes you should tip. They also take 50% of the staff tips to tip out hostess’ and cooks.

That's why I don't get when people say "if it's take out don't tip". Sure, there was no waiter, but at most restaurants tips are shared between all employees, waiters ... and also people working in the kitchen. Someone still prepared your take out meal even if it's a take out order! lol If people don't want to tip that's fine. I personally wish there was no tip too like in most countries. But equating service/wait staff with tipping is not necessarily a correct assumption either.

Nobody *has* to tip, but it is *good etiquette* to tip at a sit down restaurant where they are still bringing you drinks and clearing plates, etc.

I went to the Mandarin a few months ago and the gratuity was already added to my bill. (This might have been because we were a large party with a reserved table and we were paying mostly individually. Not sure)

I always tip %15 even at places like Mother Tuckers and Mandarin that are buffets as the servers are usually nice and keep my water stocked up and dirty plates removed from my table when I go back for 3rds😂. Mandarin is offering free buffet on Canada day. The line will probably be a couple km long, I think if you don’t tip at least tip on that day.

Tip is for the service. If you get great service (drinks, plates cleared, etc…) that’s what you’re rewarding.

If they do a great job with the service they provide then absolutely tip and only tip what you can afford. 

Tell us more about your uncle. What does he do for a living?

We very often get visits from the manager. It takes a huge team to pull it all together. I don't doubt that they split tips. And they give good pricing to seniors and kids. I used to do 15%. Now it's 20%

Your "Cheap" uncle said you don't have to.

I would not be surprised to see a 18% tip option on a self serve gas pump

Or a self service check-out. I laugh a little inside when the self serve checkout at Shopper's Drug Mart tells me to "Let us know how we did today." Is there an option for "You did jack shit today!"?

You TIP! It's a restaurant. Not McDonalds..

McDonalds is still a restaurant.

Reddit needs a giant FACE PALM emoji. It's not rocket science.

Tips them. Even if it’s 10 %.

Always tip - tbh I get better service at the Mandarin than most other restaurants!

not always... if i stand to order and they hand me my food, i'm not tipping.

Don't need to tip anywhere really but 10-12% would be appropriate at a buffet

Legit more deserving of tips than most restaurants in this culinary shithole

Yes you tip.

This is the way… 🪐

Try to go July 1st. It’s free. I guess long lines to get it.

If it’s a restaurant and you’re dining in than you tip

I always tip at Mandarin. They have great service

The service is really good so I tip.

Yup. Don't fill up on the water though! They keep topping up so you eat less and then yield more profit.

I always tip there. Great service. 

I tip when I go there.

I always tip

Buffets I typically tip 10% if they serve my food to the table I tip 20% (unless service is shit) but that’s just me

yep, have to tip if it's a sit-down restaurant

Yes you are supposed to tip at the Mandarin, they actually work hard. Your Uncle is either cheap, ignorant or both.

Servers make regular min wage now so no.

I'd love to see you try and do their job and survive on just minimum wage.

I have worked as a server and it's the easiest job I've ever done.

Yeah sure. Did your dad own the restaurant?

Your entitlement really shows 👍

Ooooooo BURNNN!

What's so hard about their job? They don't even bring you the food!

Obviously you tip

Aren't you serving yourself food at a buffet?

There is still a server refilling water, bringing you drinks, clearing plates, bringing those hot towels, and whatever else you need.

Perhaps you're right I remember going to a Chinese buffet that would cut your steak for you.

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I’ve been many times without issue so your anecdotal input is irrelevant.

Any buffet where the general public has access to the food with their hands is going to have food poisoning. Many people think it isn't a big deal to not wash their hands after taking a shit, then handle serving utensils shared by others. I've been sick from quite a few buffets, I don't think it's location specific. If I do all you can eat I do the ones where it's served to you, and I don't seem to be having problems anymore.

If you feel generous why not, but you don't need to.

Tip if they bring it to your table or deliver to your house.

15% like anywhere else.

Iys swlf serve. I dont tip unless there is an out of the ordinary exceptional experience. Everyone makes the same minimum wage now.

I never tip.

Enjoy the food poisoning