shawneve

When you receive the $0.00 bill, you should graciously give them 15%
Quit being so cheap!
.

Rykoshet

Maybe my experience are different as I've almost always stayed in hotels outside of Canada/US, but I always leave a (somewhat?) generous tip ($4-5 for cleaning, 15% for room service/restaurant, and either 15% or $4-5 for the club lounge, whichever is higher based on how much we've drank).

Really, paying $4-5 for an evening meal that is usually milked for a few hours is nothing for me, and I expect for anyone else in the club lounge. But it will go a long way in a country like Mexico, where that tip would be half the daily minimum wage. Call it socialism or utilitarianism, or redistribution of wealth or whatever, but it doesn't harm me, and I couldn't care less about the attitude of the servers. We've all had crappy days at work, but I doubt (to most of the people who refuse to leave a tip for "average" service) that your wages have ever suffered if you've had a bad day. Hell, most of the people who visit hotels can easily take a sick/mental health day without losing a day's worth of salary -- not the same for hourly employees.

It just sounds like a power trip -- all this rationalizing about how you wouldn't put up a tip if the service wasn't above and beyond what you expected. Here's a newsflash -- you're probably not performing above and beyond in whatever job it is that you do (realistically, most people are average), but you have the luxury of job security and privilege.

PS -- I'm mostly straight, so... Someone to plot a graph of tips vs. sexual orientation please!

Dr. HFH

I spend a lot of time in Thailand, where a 10% service charge is added to more or less every charge in a hotel, from the basic room rate to each food and drink item. So just to clarify, if you order room service, would you tip 15% in addition to the room service charge and the regular 10% service charge, both of which appear on room service checks here? Would you calculate the 15% on the base check or on the total bottom line of the check (i.e., including the room service and regular 10% service charges)? (Not being judgmental at all, I just want to understand your approach. Thanks.)

Rykoshet

I figured that the "room service fee" was going to the hotel, for providing me with the convenience of eating in my room, and would not go to the server bringing me the tray. Unless it specifically says "tip" or "gratuity" is included, I will almost always put 15%, and if the tip is included (usually at 10%) I try to supplement the rest with cash.

In the restaurants I've been in, I've never seen a service fee, so I would always put 15%.

EDIT: To actually answer your question...it really varies what I multiply the 15% by. I usually try to make the tip and/or total an even number (weird OCD habit...). It is probably 50/50 as to whether I add it to the base item (which is after-tax in all the countries I've stayed in) or the after-service charge. For room service it is usually moot, as I end up tipping $20 (pesos) on a $129 pasta pre-fees (mmm bolognese!!)

I want to stress that all these "crazy" tips I'm giving out probably haven't ever amounted to more than $100-200 per year, which is really nothing for me, nor anyone else (I would think) staying in a Sheraton so often that this discussion matters.

mahasamatman

You must work not work in technology. At every company I've worked for, if your review doesn't come back as "exceeding expectations", you'll be gone within a few months.

Realistically, very few people are average. Most are above or below. Above average people and service should be rewarded. Below average people tend to stagnate.

supatight80

Isn't service charge, whatever the percentage is, supposed to be distributed to all non-mgmt staffs during payroll period?

There's a tray charge which is a fixed amount (i dont know who ends up pocketing that). But in some countries, by labour law service charges should be distributed to all non-mgmt staffs, including those working at the club lounge.

controller1

Typically, in the US, there is both a service charge and a gratuity (18%-20%) on room service bills. Many times, the fine print will state the service charge is not a gratuity.

supatight80

Ok thanks. I dont usually travel to USA so im not too familiar with how it works there.
So who keeps the service charge in America if you dont mind me asking?

Im glad im learning something new each day.

controller1

The hotel usually keeps this and claims it is for additional costs associated with room service vs. in-restaurant dining.

Rykoshet

That's the beauty of accounting. In a lot of such countries, there are 2 legal entities. One contains all the workers and expenses their payroll, and the other contains all the revenues and direct (non-labour) expenses of the company.

In effect, you don't have to pay the employees diddly, since they don't work for your company! Not saying that Starwood does this, but a lot of companies do, since you can't not be competitive in the market! /sarcasm

supatight80

Ok thanks. I will keep that in mind when in USA.

mojave

Well said, I'm tired of people expecting tips for simply performing their jobs. Sorry but delivering food although exhausting at times is not hard work. If you want hard work, try a factory job in the meat industry. I stay at properties for a long time due to the duration of my projects, sometimes up three years, every week. I don't tip daily or weekly but at the end of the year near the holidays, do give these employees an aggregate thank you amount assuming they were excellent. Last time it was a few hundred dollars, but spread across several employees. I also gave one an iPad Mini with a few medical apps as this one went really above and beyond for everyone and was a sports med student. Got a $500 hug for it :-)

Dr. HFH

I agree, as I've posted upthread. Dare I ask what a $500 hug involved?

mojave

Haha, it was just a hug, literally. Actually I purchased it as a demo unit for some physicians I was working with, so it was not new, so make that a $420 hug. Although I will not repeat what one of the other two lounge girls told me when she heard about it, the gift that is :-)

supatight80

Nope...as of end of march 2014...no staffs/receptionist at malpensa lounge...actually, no staffs period. Im in lounge right now with my suit cases.,still havent gone to room as just arrived from venezia....could easily take what i need/want as im writing this but i wont as personally i think its tacky to bring an entire bottle to room....but hey...to each his/her own...

EDIT: just saw a person pour a glass full of red wine and left loinge....screw this im going to do the same! 640 pm milan time march 30, 2014