Originally Posted by
free101girl
Well, sure. Asia is really a special case. Service levels there are tremendously better than in the US or Europe, and there is no expectation of tipping.
To clarify, I would not even use a concierge to make an ordinary, easy-to-get dinner reservation -- I'd use my cell phone. When I said I would tip for a reservation, I'm talking about a reservation at a restaurant where the answer would be "sorry, we're fully booked" if I called myself. A concierge at a top hotel can usually do much better.
I must say, I'm pretty shocked that people would use the services of a concierge in the US or Europe without tipping. I've always felt it was expected and correct, assuming the service was good. Certainly I've never been turned down, and I don't think anyone thought I was a chump for being generous!
Also -- and I don't mean to be unkind -- in most cases I don't think hotel concierges want to be your "friend" or receive gifts, any more than waiters do. They are working in order to make a living, so folding money as an expression of your gratitude is strongly preferred, I would think. There's no need to conceal the fact that it's a tip by turning it into a gift card or whatever.
Just my .02.
First, I was just using the Asian hotels to make a point about good recommendations. I've had good ones from some American hotels, although I don't think they are always as competent as I would like. That being said, I've had good-enough advice (and clearly not with a kickback) from the MO DC, RC Georgetown, and Princeville, just off of the top of my head. I honestly don't travel that much in the US, but my experiences with concierges have been bad mostly b/c they are unknowledgeable, not b/c I think they're taking advantage of me.
Sorry abt misunderstanding about your tipping for a reservation. I do tend to have concierges make basic reservations for me everywhere, because when I pay top-dollar for a hotel, I expect that kind of service. As such, for something so simple, I don't feel the need to tip. Would a tip be appreciated? Probably. But I feel that tipping is for more than making a couple very basic phonecalls. In fact, I feel that tipping excessively cheapens the experience as in a luxury hotel, you'd always be taking out your wallet for something.
In Europe, service is included. And it's caught on in a couple of American places I've stayed in (I can't remember which right now). When service is included, tipping seems totally unnecessary, unless service goes above and beyond.
And in terms of tipping vs. gifts, I think the gifts are more personal. With a waiter, you really don't develop a relationship. Conversely, I've worked with concierges for hours over the course of a stay at some hotels planning things for our days/the trip. When they've helped so much, I feel a gift is just nicer than cash. And also, most of the times that I've felt the urge to do this have been in Asia, where you have to give gifts.