Originally Posted by
callum9999
Isn't the whole point of tipping in the US about donating money to those you think are poor under the guise of "rewarding good service" (also known as "doing their job")? The fact that you're expected to tip average and bad service certainly implies that to me anyway.
In which case surely you should be tipping the same amount as you would in a similarly priced restaurant?
Well no, not in this case.
If you have no table service then it would indicate no need for underpaid waitstaff, in this situation there is no service to speak of.
I stayed at a hotel a few years ago (name escapes me) breakfast was a buffet style, there was one member of staff at the door with a little register and save for some kitchen staff replenishing food every so often, that was it.
In that situation I didn't leave a tip because there was no service to tip for and the girl on the register didn't even hint at one.