On Tipping
 

As a frequent business and pleasure traveler in today's sea of financially struggling travel-related businesses, I've recently been made much more concious of the reason for proper tipping in my travels. It began when I woke up September 11, 2001 on Kauai, and then witnessed 40 percent of Hawaii's hotel service employees being laid off within four days of the attack.

Quite obviously, many of the front-line service people we all depend on daily are still on hard financial times. On checking out of a hotel the other day, I tipped a cheerful and attentive bellman/doorman $10. His eyes literally teared up, and he struggled to say "God bless you" in a voice choked with emotion. And this was at the Renaissance Beverly Hills right off Rodeo Drive!

Just remembering to leave $2-$3 per day for your hotel maid makes such a difference in the life of someone struggling and working hard to achieve the American dream. At the Sacramento Hyatt this week, my housekeeper wrote me thank you notes every day for the modest tips I left (something I NEVER used to do).

My only purpose is to remind others, as I had to be reminded, that these people are dependent on tips for their humble existences. Hotel maids, bellhops, car valets, room service delivery people, and airport skyhops are just some of the people I used to be hit-and-miss in my attention to properly tipping. Not any more.

Happy travels,

Brian



------------------
Brian

If they react that strongly, clearly they are neither used to nor dependent upon that magnitude of tip.

QL

Quietlion, if the guy had tears in his eyes, the odds are that he's not used to it and does need it.

Jay Leno, after 9/11, did a free charity event in Las Vegas because so many of the workers that depended on tips to augment their minimum wage salaries were in dire straits due to the lack of travelers.

I hired a cleaning lady for a day in Dec (post-surgery so I couldn't do any cleaning myself) & she made more money working for me for a day than she did as a housekeeper at a major upscale hotel chain, so it was worth it to her to take a day off. Says something about today's society doesn't it (but let's not hijack the thread & get onto that; that would be an omni discussion & I don't go there).

I do know that all the major luxury hotels in Santa Monica banded together to try & defeat the hired help from unionizing and/or getting paid more than the current minimum wage. These are hotels, btw, whose minimum room rate is $275.

If you can't afford to give one or don't think the cleaners, bellman, etc, deserve a tip, then don't give one. If you can or think your $1-2 can help, then go ahead & give. It's a personal choice.
------------------
Sharon

[This message has been edited by SkiAdcock (edited 05-18-2003).]

Maybe "dependant" is not the right word. However at the wages most of the jobs pay, I'm quite sure the tips play a part in these workers quality of life.

Tip what you will. It's your decision to do so or not.

But, as I see it, QL is raising the point that Brian is stopping just short of implying that there's an obligation to tip (and even over-tip) irrespective of whether there's a mutually beneficial exchange.

Sure, the economy is tough, but that's not relevant to the reasons for tipping. If I get above-and-beyond room service from housekeeping, then that may warrant an additional recognition of that service; otherwise, to suggest that I should tip for reasons other than services rendered is to suggest that there's an imperative to tip to rectify economic ripples due to nothing that niether I nor the tipee had anything to do with.

If that's Brian's proposition, then I'd have to think that that's pretty twisted reasoning. But I'm inclined to conclude that that's _not_ what Brian is suggesting.

[This message has been edited by essxjay (edited 05-18-2003).]

I'm against expanding the current custom of tipping; indeed, if I could find a way to eliminate it without hurting anyone I would be all for it.

I see no reason to focus my charitable contributions on those in the service industry. However, I think it reprehensible that hotels would band together to prevent low-paid workers from unionizing.

QL

Tipping is a custom -- not a mandatory form of wealth or income redistribution -- and tipping is practiced less worldwide than in years past. In fact, the US is one of the holdouts to practice this rather old custom.

Everyone except bartenders and waiters in the US is required by law to be paid a legal wage. If not, that is a serious crime that is a matter between the local DA's office and the employer.

Bartenders and waiters alone receive a sub-minimum wage. Because of that fact, I support the custom of the 15% tip on food service and a customary drinks tip to the bar ($1 per drink is customary in New England).

Above and beyond that, the tipping situation quickly spins out of control.

If you receive special personal service from someone regardless of job code, by all means you are welcome to tip. In fact, anyone is free to tip anyone, or to give money to anyone on the street for example. But it is not a US tradition nor a historical fact nor a worldly requisite to hand out money except as per custom.

But this implies a right to compensation, rather than basing compensation based on ability. And that's just not a proposition that can be defended.

I sure am glad I don't have to rely on tips from some of those here.

How about 20% for good service? Certainly a FREQUENT FLYER can afford that. And while hypothesizing about what is the perfect pay scheme is worthy, these low paid people need to pay some bills.

Tip 20% for good service, less for less. And do tip the housekeepers.

Yikes. I am a waiter at a luxury hotel. I make well over the 15% that most people consider a correct tip. It's my craft and I am good at it. (I don't mean that as ego.) I understand that some here mean that my compensation is based on my ability. Of course that is why I do make more than the server at the next table. My ability.

But to say that I DON'T have a right to compensation? Huh? Isn't a wage compensation? I do have a right to be compensated for a service that I am performing. I must be taking that out of context because it sounds elitist to me. I apoligize if I am off base on this.

When people are sizing up a bill in a restaurant and then thinking about how much they want to leave a server there can be a little bit of a power trip going on. They'll add a dollar here or take off a dollar there. Geez. Imagine what your life would be like if your boss paid you each day based on THAT day's performance. Oh man! Hahaha. That would be funny.

Also, for the record, I am severely opposed to all these tip jars where ever you have counter service. If I do tip there (e.g. Starbuck's) it has to be for service way above and beyond.

Interesting. It's been my understanding for four or five years now that the appropriate meal tip is 20 percent, or at a minimum for dinner.



------------------
Brian

I tip 15% at a restaurant because the waiters make a tip-dependent, sub-minimum wage. I don't tip at hotels because the employees do not make a tip-dependent wage.

You can tip whatever you want, but don't try to make me feel guilty because someone has a minimum wage job.

What's the appropriate amount to tip housekeepers at hotels, particularly budget places? Does it make a difference if you got a discounted rate? Would you tip differently in the following locations (just for an example):

NYC
London
Anaheim
Vancouver
Seattle
Amsterdam

I just gotta say that every time I read another post about service workers feeling entitled to tips I just feel like tipping less and less.

QL

Hear, hear, QuietLion. Why do not the waitstaff/bartenders band together and strike for better pay? Unionize, that is. I always tip at MY discretion; and I worked at a restaurant. Having said that, I do tip; and quite well, if the service warrants! I guess, it's because I still believe in the good old-fashioned work-ethic of receiving money you work to earn.