Moderator's note added: THIS thread is for general comments/observations/questions etc. about buffets in general. If you have a question about or a review of a specific restaurant's/hotel's buffet, please post that in the appropriate geographic forum (or in the hotel-specific thread in the appropriate forum). Posts on this thread that better fit in a geographic forum will be moved to their own threads in those forums. Thanks! cblaisd, Dining Buzz Moderator
I like to think, that as a traveler and frequenter of restaurants and hotels I'm savvy as to who (waiter, maitre'd, wine steward) should be tipped for what and how much they should receive.

But, I realized last week that there's one area I'm really not confident that I'm doing what's right - specifically when the meal is a buffet.

Now, I know that if the server takes a drink order they should be tipped appropriately, but suppose the drink (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) is included?

Suppose it's a breakfast buffet and all they do is bring a pot of coffee and fill juice glasses; leave a bill and that's the sum total of their involvement w/you.

Do they still get 15-20 percent of the pre-tax charge even though the service provided is minimal?

And suppose, as some hotels do, breakfast is included in the room rate and there's no descrete billing - what's appropriate and fair?