Tipping
 

To explain my background here, I am British but believe in tipping and doing things right (I know that British people don't always have a good reputation for this). However, the US seems to have gone "tipping mad" recently.

My main question involves tipping of "Bell Boys" (or the gentlemen who help take your bags from the car to your room at a hotel). Recently I have notticed a growing trend for your bags to be loaded onto a trolley by one porter and then delivered by another: there seem to be "foyer"/car based porters and room based porters. This in itself tends to tug at my conscience - who should I give the $1/$2 a bag to (the first guy or the second guy?)? To be honest, I am really not keen on tipping both: it seems like tipping for the same service twice (am I being mean?). So far we have always only tipped the guy delivering the bags to their final destination (whether it is the room or the car). But I have notticed a growing trend for the other porter to get quite "aggressive" with hints that they want to be tipped (i.e. "so and so will deliver actually be delivering your bags to your room", "is there anything else that I can do for you", "I'll be going now then..." and physically hanging around you). I had hoped that porters would pool tips or something, but am beginning to wonder...

One of my main tipping pet peeves (apart from people trying to aggressively procure them at every opportunity), is bathroom attendants in very descent restaurants in the US. I haven't come across this in the US before this Summer, I have only come across it in poor European/Eastern European countries. You feel as though you should tip as you get handed a paper towel or the attendant runs across and sprays soap on your hands. If you don't have any money on you (or any small notes), it can leave you feeling awful (as it is obvious that a tip is expected). I don't appreciate this just before my husband signs a $400+ bill for our dinner at the Navy Pier, Chicago. Should I not go to the restrooms in such an establishment if I don't have any small change?

Your thoughts are appreciated (since both of these situation will arise again...).

Boo

No advice, only some commiseration. I can generally avoid the baggage people as I travel light and can handle my own bags. But I get really irritated with the tipping gone mad in this country. I order a sandwich to go at Subway, there's a tip jar; I order a bagel from the local bagel shop, there's a tip jar; I order a pizza to go, there's a tip jar; order a hot chocolate, smoothy, ice cream, you name it to go, and there's a tip jar. I'm really sick of counter employees who expect tips for doing their basic jobs that require nothing in the way of service and of the store managers and owners who allow these jars to be placed in their establishments.

Sorry for the rant ... it just bugs me. Especially as I ordered a pizza to go the other night and had the distinct impression it was prepared incorrectly because I did not leave a tip.

I actually asked a friend who manages a hotel about this very issue... he said at most properties, the bellstaff share the collective tips, and it's generally expected that on the way in you would tip the one who delivers to your room, and on the way out you would tip the one who delivers to your car. Either way, all of the bellstaff will share in the take.

This may not be true everywhere, though, so when in doubt, I just sit and wonder and don't do anything. http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...orum/smile.gif

Ditto that, letiole. Although I don't get irritated, I simply politely wait for my change, even if it's 1 cent, and put it in my pocket. That's my way of saying, no, you are NOT performing a service, you do not get a gratuity, and I have NO problem looking cheap or whatever. The fact is that anyone who knows me knows that I am guilty of overtipping, if anything. I do believe people should be paid fairly, but that is then between them and their employer.

In most places where there is more then one person invloved (at the parking lot, the bell staff, etc) they pool the tips and then split them at the end of the day or whatever.

I don't feel that a tip jar at the deli (or many other places) is out of line at all, nor do I ever feel that I am expected to put anything into it. Every now and then I will, just like every now and then I use to let them keep the change, but just because it's there doesn't mean you are required to put something into it.

This is one of those topic that comes up on these boards every now and then, and it equally surprises me that a large number of Ftalkers come off a bit as, well for want of a better word, cheapskates.

Anyhow it appears that some people do tip and some dont. Those that don't, besides not are they happy holding on tightly to their cash, find it necessary to ***** and moan about those who do tip.
Mike

As I pointed out, I am not "anti-tipping": tthat the world is herefore, I don't consider myself a cheapskate.

I do believe that the US (we are not quite as bad in the UK, YET...) has gone tip crazy. In the UK we tip waiters, taxi drivers, valets, porters and sometimes concierge staff. We only tip the porter who delivers the bags to the room/car (and not everyone who touches the bag). In general, tips seem less expected here (or, at least, outside of London). This is a nice atmosphere: I always tip (have yet to have had service so bad that I didn't), but don't feel that it is expected.

It that crazy world, I would like to know my rights as a tipper. Specifically, should I really feel quilty about using a restroom in a good restuarant when I don't have any money on me to tip (obviously descent restaurants don't provide clean restrooms as standard) and should I tip every Tom, Dick and Harry who places a hand on my suitcases when I check-in/out of a hotel (if you are on a "touring" holiday this can build up). Additionally should I tip the pool attendant who wont give me towels, but insists on laying them on the lounger for me (do you often take cash to the hotel pool?)?

MIKESILV, do you tip everyone who touches your bags at a hotel?

Perhaps the worst thing is people who are aggressive about tips (i.e. the guy who took the bags from the valet and handed them to another porter for delivery to our room at the Ritz Carlton, Key Biscayne). This makes me think that the Ritz Carlton does not provide good service, you are paying for this (and multiple times) independently. I left the Ritz thinking that anybody who wanted to do anything nice for me just wanted money, not to provide good service: that is an awful thing to say.

On one of these boards I read about a security screener at an airport (post 11 Sept) with a tip box on his counter. That is truly classic...

Boo

Tipping http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/mad.gif don't get me started! I despise the whole tipping scene. I don't mind tipping to show appreciation, but appreciation should be voluntary - not solicited, suggested, added to the bill, or a subsitution for wages. Years ago, I worked in service jobs - fast food and a truck stop; While at the truck stop, I did many small requests and never asked for a tip, nor expected one. Occassionaly, I would get a tip, but that was always an unexpected bonus. I always tried to do any small requests - not to have an angry truck driver was enough of a bonus for me.

Let me share with you a time when I gave a tip that is true to what I feel is the meaning of a tip...

When it comes to mechanics, I am horrible - probably the only person to crack an engine block while changing oil - yes it really happened to me! So, when my alternator on my VW went bad, I figured I could replace my alternator myself. Returning from the parts store with a replacement alternator, I proceeded - but wouldn't you know it - one bolt to go and nothing but a inverted socket wrench is going to budge it (not a common tool). I walked down the street to the nearest auto shop and explained my situation. The mechanic working agreed to loan his socket if I would leave a deposit to cover its value - $40. He also gave me some advice - site unseen, he told me that the alternator was probably ok, but a small piece(regulator or solonoid - I forget) was likely the problem. After replacing my the alternator, I returned the tool and gladly gave the mechanic $5 to show my appreciation for loaning me the tool. However, I did indeed discover that my $300 alternator was fine afterall, only the $20 part was bad. Now, when a mechanic knows whats wrong without ever seeing the car, that must be someone who knows what they are doing. From that point on, I gave all of my business to the mechanic, also the owner (small shop at the time). Over the next 5 years, I probably have spent $5000 - $8000 on repairs(including an accident).

So, initially I gave a $5 tip for a small effort, but I ended up giving all of my business because in only a few minutes, he demonstrated that he new cars and he was the kind of person that treated people fairly. I have never seen a tip jar at his shop. A good mechanic is hard to find! BTW - his business has gone from a 1 or 2-bay to a 12-bay garage - and still growing. (If you live in Atlanta and need a good mechanic, the repair shop number is 770-804-8200)

Yikes.

This was on your VW?

I had an '85 Jetta that I bought with fairly low miles (60 grand or so?).

That thing was a money pit. I still have the (old, pitted) CV joint in my office. It's a reminder NOT to buy an old car.

I read somewhere once - Consumer Reports? - that Jettas have among the highest priced parts and repairs. Don't know why. I had wanted to get one once, but my husband nixed that after reading about them.

when i'm in doubt about tipping someone, i will at least tell the person to "buy low, sell high"!

Well, whatever we might wish, tipping in some situations is customary. It's true that some employees are underpaid, and that tips make a difference to them, but we can never know the details, and it is certainly true that many employees are not underpaid, and still receive tips. We do it because it is customary. Some people try to 'extend' the custom to areas where it doesn't belong, or try to be assertive in ways that do not conform to customary usage, and this can be offensive. In some circumstances, a complaint to the management is justified, but for the most part, a simple refusal should do. One can't be right all the time, and shouldn't expect to be.

Just for the hotel managements who read this board, I can think of at least one major US hotel which I now avoid because the staff are allowed to indulge in this "how many tips can I get" frenzy. So that has driven their business away. I don't think I'm alone. It doesn't come over as making the guests feel welcome.

In addition to the bell boys, all drinks in the lounge are kept under constant surveillance there and snatched away when there is one mouthful still left with a brusque "same again??". There's a tip tab every time, not just at the end. All this has to be down to the (lack of) management.

It's not that we Brits are mean with our tips, we just know what's required. If you have an important business meal to host, £10 quietly/out of sight to the Head Waiter (Maitre d') right at the beginning works wonders over here.

(Edited for a typo)

[This message has been edited by WHBM (edited 09-10-2002).]

Mikey likes it -

My VW was a 1986 Scirocco. Bought new and put about 170k miles on it.

My car performed great - no major problems. Accept for an accident which required body work, all but maybe $100-$200 was for routine work - tires, timing belt, air cond, tune ups, brakes. Then I bought a Saab 9000 - now that car had probems - $2000 in repairs the first year! (used car)

The US has gone off the deep end with gratuities, although the current recession may take the edge off of that. We had a good discussion of this recently in, IIRC, this same forum.

The way to handle tips -- and this goes for US citizens as well as visitors -- is to provide 15% to waiters and bartenders. These two groups of workers are not paid a standard (read minimum or higher) wage. Just about every other job is paid a standard wage.

No other gratuity is "required." Gratuities are exactly what the word implies -- tips for service above and beyond the call of duty. That means, if someone is just performing their job responsibilities, tipping is not indicated.

Absolutely. A clean restaurant bathroom is expected. If the restaurant wants to hire staff on call to keep it so, that is their business. Literally -- it is their business, not yours.