The Tipping Thread

Originally posted by cshore
I find that tipping generously on arrival at hotels in India does wonders to improve the service you get from all the staff during a stay. Word does seem to spread "below stairs"...

Chris

That is a truism that I have observed.

And what about PRE service tipping ?

On the second day of our stay in Antigua I bunged the chap re stocking the (comp) mini bar a healthy amount in order that he "look after" my beer supply!!

Worked a treat - Hic!

John

[HighFlyer]

Originally posted by JAT74L
And what about PRE service tipping ?

Oh i think we have all formed many an opinion on that one here

These threads have cetainly been an eye-opener. I thought i was a generous tipper, but not as much as some here. I still wont do pre-service tipping though - to me its akin to tipping for something i haven't actually got yet. I see it works for some, i just stick to being pleasant and polite. I'm not buying into service that i think i should get anyway, but thats my $0,02.

Thanks,
Sarah

Hi All
A good topic certainly identifies some of the differing classes that frequent this site.
I am a firm believer in no tipping in USA, I just love the bad attitude it reveals, the sheer anger displayed and how the real character of the employee shines through.
My daughter tipped a waitress in Miami one evening I was so upset as the service had been very bad, when I became aware I went and retrieved the tip. NO PROBLEM I gave a full explanation.
On a seperate note we always tip our Virgin cabin crew in whatever class we are in on arrival at the seat, it breaks the ice, shows you care and appreciate what is about to happen for the next 7- 10 hours.
Most Virgin staff work very hard and the rewards are not always the best.
Steve

Ah, now please don't think I was attempting to bung the guy a few quid to do something he might get his books for! I was merely ensuring my mini bar (in an all inc resort) remained "well stocked"!

Regards

John

I hate tipping - call me mean, tight-fisted, or any other phrase, but it just feels wrong. Nobody ever tips me for a job well done (shut up, I always do what I say I'll do, call people back when I say I will, even if I have nothing new to report, I know how it feels to be waiting for a call that never arrives), so why should I feel pressurised into doing so because somebody else is alos in a poorly-paid job, as well as me???

That rant over, I do tip in the US, purely because of the 'when in Rome' thingy. But - never maids, bell hops (like most people here, I politely tell them I can manage). It also sticks in my craw that a meal has a price on it, which is clearly a lie, as you're expected to add 15 - 20% to the price shown.

Grrrrrr[B)]

Originally posted by catsilversword
It also sticks in my craw that a meal has a price on it, which is clearly a lie, as you're expected to add 15 - 20% to the price shown.

Hallelujah! You tell them!

I have to agree in most cases. I fully understand people giving a tip when they have had really top notch service. But that is a world apart from being expected to give a tip when you get good service (or even mediocre service), and being made to feel tight when you don't. And don't even get me started on service charges...... Call me odd, but when I am paying for a meal I expect good service. You would have to do better than good for me to offer a tip willingly (although peer pressure usually gets the better of me, and US excepted for the poor/tip only pay reason mentioned earlier).

Ever watched the proprietor walking round a restaurant asking if people are enjoying their meal? I wonder how often people answer "no" in England - it's just not in our nature to do something that makes us stand out. I suspect the same could be said of much tipping

I did once leave a 1 cent tip in an IHOP, the service was truly awful and I'd read somewhere that that way, at least you're registering your displeasure, as opposed to having them think you've either forgotten or are simply a tight English person!

Also have a problem with restaurants that add a tip automatically. Do they think peeople won't notice and therefore tip twice? Presumably so, and presumably some do.

And just why are we expected to tip a bartender? Someone else here mentioned that -- all they do is bring you a drink, usually a distance of a whole 5 feet...


Now, where did I leave my soapbox???[}:)]

Originally posted by catsilversword
And just why are we expected to tip a bartender? Someone else here mentioned that -- all they do is bring you a drink, usually a distance of a whole 5 feet...

If this is all they do then of course, no tip should be forthcoming.

As a barman during my Student days I used to earn at least three times as much in tips as my colleagues and got Time Out barman of the year finalist one year.

I took a huge pride in making sure the customers I served got the best possible service from me... whether it was recommending a drink to someone who procrastinated when ordering, just the right amount of flirting, listening to endless sob stories from the chap/chapesse at the end of the bar who'd just been dumped or whatever.

Like so much in the service industry, just a small amount of intuition and a little effort can make the whole experience so much more special for the customers.

Originally posted by catsilversword
I did once leave a 1 cent tip in an IHOP, the service was truly awful and I'd read somewhere that that way, at least you're registering your displeasure, as opposed to having them think you've either forgotten or are simply a tight English person!

I did that once in a restaurant, and the waiter came out after me and threw the cent at me! (I didn't go back for quite a while [B)]).

1. The Bell hop that brings the bags to your room.

Generally don't use a bell hop. When I'm staying in a hotel, I usually only have my laptop bag & 1 case, so I can perfectly manage getting them to my room thankyouverymuch. However, on the odd occasion when I've used their services, it's generally $1/$2 per bag.

2. Hotel Doormen.

I only tip them if they provide an extra service, such as hailing a taxi, and then only $1 or $2.

3. Maids in hotel roomsÉ and how should this tip be leftÉ with a note?

I've rarely left a tip for the maid - unless they've done an outstanding job or I've been particularly messy

4. A gentlemenÕs barber.

For me this all depends on the relationship you have with your barber. When I'm in Napa, I have a regular place I use and usually tip the barber $3 or so. Back home, my local barber charges £7 to cut my hair and I've been going to him for a while now, so if I'm feeling flush I'll round it up to a tenner. Both home & away though, if I've not been there a few times before, I won't tip.

Cheers

Michael

I got used to not tipping at all in china, and have even been chased down the street by the staff wanting to give my change back.

Now i'm making trips to india i'm not sure what to do or how much... at 85 rupees to a pound around 100 seems a good figure, but i've heard that could be a weeks wages for some!

I figure as a rule of thumb the "Flag Drop" price of a taxi in that location is a good starting point for a casual tip.

In China this would be 10-15RMB or 75p - £1
In Korea 2500KRW - £1.50
In the UK @£2.50

and so on....

Anybody care to add taxi flag drop prices for other places they've visited and we can see if it makes a good rule of thumb?

Originally posted by slinky09

Originally posted by catsilversword
I did once leave a 1 cent tip in an IHOP, the service was truly awful and I'd read somewhere that that way, at least you're registering your displeasure, as opposed to having them think you've either forgotten or are simply a tight English person!

I did that once in a restaurant, and the waiter came out after me and threw the cent at me! (I didn't go back for quite a while [B)]).

So at least he noticed [:p]

and do any of you ever tip hosties????

[RichardMannion]

Originally posted by hot hostie
and do any of you ever tip hosties????

No I haven't. Have submitted Heroes nominations though or RAVE forms when they were around.

Thanks,
Richard

[Decker]

Interesting concept... it would seem wrong as it destroys the pretence that the FAs are our friends and are doing the job because they want to help us. Tipping basically says "I know you're in a badly paid job and I appreciate your efforts" and effectively creates a social divide. As a rule we don't tip social equals. This naturally opens up a whole can of worms as tipping an FA could be seen as condescension.

Now waiting for a whole pile of crew to tell me how wrong I am .

[HighFlyer]

Good post Decker!

For me, tipping is for those in the service industry; hairdressers, waitresses, etc. Cabin Crew are supposed to be more than glorified waitresses, so no tip from me.

Thanks,
Sarah

In my view, tipping is more the reserve of those in jobs out of necessity, not necessarily careers they would have picked for themselves.

VS.

Originally posted by Decker
As a rule we don't tip social equals.

I don't consider myself your equal.

Can I have the fiver at the next PCP?

[preiffer]

Steady on, Sailor - Decker's below everyone else; that was his way of demanding money from ALL of us... [:p]

Originally posted by preiffer
Steady on, Sailor - Decker's below everyone else; that was his way of demanding money from ALL of us... [:p]

Balderdash! You can always tell those who deserve looking up to because they have a centurion card, and I don't so I raise my eyes (optimistically of course).[}:)]

[RichardMannion]

Now steady on Sailor - you're believing the AmEx hype and crap.
[:p]

Me and Andrew know our places within the Centurion ranks given the level of conversations with customer services about the crap service.

Thanks,
Richard

I think the other answers say it all on the other categories (cab, waitstaff, doorman, etc.) so I'll let that off of here.

Not comfortable leaving money for tips, or it isn't allowed? Try a small gift which isn't on the general market.

As far as tipping FAs goes, my brother started me on something I'll pass along. If you work for an industry-related company, you could see if there are employee-only lanyards, pins, stickpins, or the like to keep in reserve for great service. Bro works for Boeing, and carries these really neat biplanes and such in gold or silver stickpins which look really good on a lapel.

He hands them out to cabin crew who've gone above and beyond; it's his way to say 'thanks' without getting them in trouble. I've never seen one turned down; matter of fact, I've seen them worn by crews who've worked on his regular flights. The gold ones are nearly always on senior crew or a really gung-ho FA - he only hands gold ones out if they really go above and beyond.

Some people (used to) carry food and such into the airport to butter up the check-in staff, hoping for an upgrade. Haven't seen too much of that anymore.

But it doesn't have to be airline-related. I can get weird/cute stuff by the boxload at horse + dog shows, so I tote along the cream of it and sometimes it's truly appreciated, like the Scottsdale Arabian show stuff when I'm going out of PHX the week after, when someone working the plane says 'Arabians! Oh, I wish I had gone...' Makes them happy, and it never seems to hurt the speed of my diet soda arrivals! Dog stuff going away after Westminster, you get the idea. Lightens your carry-on!

Bribery? I don't think so. Everyone likes gifts - think back if you flew during the UCS rollout - remember the 'Night-night Jet Set' book and the hot water bottle? Cute, not horribly practical, but it was the thought 'aw, gee, a present!' that made most recipients grin when they returned from donning the ninja suit. Even Lewis was a hit. Adults grinned (and I remember a few giggles) when seeing the teeny duck.

I think that's the spirit that VS has forgotten - that's why the Scrooge Pack bombed. Everyone likes to get a cute, memorable gift. I actually collect Anya Hindmarch BAgs (no, I don't fly the Dark Side - I nab them from my brother, who does [V]). Everyone may grouse about them, but they're taken off the planes. They're cute. They're useful for holding stuff. How many Scrooges go unwanted?

I probably wouldn't recommend you take the Scrooges off the planes and gift them to someone, though. Your service might suffer greatly. [:p]

I'm reminded by this thread of a conversation I had with a client recently. I was discussing our fees with him, and he said "add an extra 20% on top for all the hassle we've been". He had been a lot of hassle, but I thought tipping your solicitor was an unusual concept.

[Scrooge]

Originally posted by onionz
I'm reminded by this thread of a conversation I had with a client recently. I was discussing our fees with him, and he said "add an extra 20% on top for all the hassle we've been". He had been a lot of hassle, but I thought tipping your solicitor was an unusual concept.

But of course you did add the 20% right?