I am using more of the concierge services at hotels; many of which are done before I arrive. I wonder what the usual tipping might be. While they are not complicated tasks, i.e. faxing restaurant reservation requests and the usual theater/museum tickets, I assume a remuneration is in order. I don't mean tipping of the hall porters and valets, however.

Jane in PHL

i'm not tipping concierges very often. only on purchase of services on my behalf would have been difficult for me to procure without them. but not for advice, directions, etc.

I usually tip $20 if I am going to be using the Concierge to make dinner reservations/reccomendations for a several day stay. If it is a one time thing, I tip about $5. I have found that a decent tip at the beginning of the stay helps the service the rest of the time.

This is my habit, too. $5 if it's a one-off thing, but if I'm staying somewhere for a week and I expect to call on the concierge often, I've found that a $20 on day one does wonders.

Thanks. That's about what I thought. I have to add a bit for my last stay in February, so will give them (3) 20 BP in a thank you note. I am only passing through this time, a few nights, but will be back. While there is always goodwill, I will do it when I arrive.

Jane in PHL

Oh dear - I only usually tip 1 British Pound for small things wherever I go!!!

I think amounts vary as to the hotel and as to what's being done. My plan is to 'make amends' for all the past times! I tip a pound or two (easy with the coins) for luggage toting and getting a cab. At The Stafford the porter has to go down the street and hail a cab on St James and then ride it back up to the cul de sac where the hotel is located. It's not as if he just turns on a cab light or raises his hand. I also tip extra to the bar staff who tend to me very well, also not much. The other part of this is that it's a small hotel and I have somewhat of a personal relationship with the staff; they remember my likes and dislikes and what I drink. I think that merits a bit extra every so often.

Jane in PHL

In a case where the hotel staff knows me very well and I am treated rather specially, I tend to eschew monetary gifts for more personalised ones for key members of staff which are distinctive of my home town -- like bottles of Ice Wine, native indian prints, smoked salmon...... and for others, like the bellmen, I often go to the best pastry shop around and buy a huge cake to give to them......

However, there are times when I give a larger gratuity --- since the service charge is included already in most London hotel rates, the amounts are less. In New York, the amounts tend to be more.

At 5* hotels in NYC, I tend to give the bellman $20 and the doorman $10. If I know the Concierge very well, I tend to give gifts (s/he is not the only one who knows preferences of people!!!) and $20-$50 gratuity depending on what s/he had to do for me. In exceptional cases, I have left $100 to $150; like securing 4 tickets to the Producers (for a friend of mine) at the last minute when Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane were starring or other such feats......

In Asia, very different where in most cases tipping is shunned and at times even frowned upon.

I tip $5-10 per day that I'm staying during my first interaction with the concierge. I normally find them, and the rest of the staff, will then bend over backwards for the end of the say. A $1-2 per interaction thereafter normally suffices.

no reason to tip these guys big money, if they are getting you tickets, we give them enough $$ (commission) for giving us the sale,
if you paid $250.00 per ticket they were at least gifted 25-50 per ticket from brokers like me..lol

tip for a tough reservation, but not for tickets

TIXX

The tickets issue is a tricky one. They likely get a kickback, but if it is a VERY tough ticket, they might not be able to use "their guy" for them and not get much.

I tip more for other service than tickets and like the idea of personalized gifts to staff where one stays regularly.

And how do you handle it if you ask for dining reservations in advance & the Concierge who helped you is not there when you arrive? Leave an envelope with the name? Forget about it?

I do think a whole lot depends on how often you intend on staying there!

Normally I wouldn't tip a concierge at all.

No tickets for you!
SN

Wrong. I only tip well paid employee for exceptional service or basically unpaid employees (like porters and waiters in NA) . Just cultural differences.