All-Star Resort Luggage Assistance Gratuity

[WEDWDW]

I stayed at the All-Star Sports Resort last week and a gratuity is expected for Luggage Assistance.I stayed at Pop Century last December and a gratuity could be accepted,but was not expected.I don't have a problem leaving a gratuity.I was just curious if anyone knows why the policies are different between the All-Star Resort and Pop Century since they are both Value resorts.Thanks.

 

[goofy4tink]

I just assume that $1 a bag is the going rate for anyone that 'touches' my bags. My big complaint is when one person takes it from the car service, then another takes it to our room. Now, I'm tipping twice. We try to take our own bags to the check-in point, then hand it off to Bell Services. And this is wherever we have stayed.

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Unless the All-Stars is trying out Bell Services (which doesn't seem likely), the policies are the same for all value resorts. With Luggage Assistance, tips are neither expected, nor neccessary. The CM's are hourly Front Desk CMs, and Luggage Assistance is just one of the Front Desk positions that they can rotate to.

Luggage Assistance works a bit differently than Bell Services. Bell Services is an on-demand service, and you must be in the room for it to happen. They are a tipped service. Luggage Assistance is a non-tipped service because the cast members are hourly, and deliver on scheduled runs. They can also deliver and pick up from unoccupied rooms. Luggage Assistance cast members are strictly prohibited from soliciting for a tip in any fashion. (although they can accept them...)

 

[DebbieB]

The only time I have ever had a tip refused was at CBR when we arrived in a town car and I tried to tip the guy who took them from the car and put them on a luggage rack. He said give it to the bellman who delivers it to the room. That was the only time I have stayed at a value/moderate and did not have a rental car.

 

[seashoreCM]

I just assume that $1 a bag is the going rate for anyone that 'touches' my bags. My big complaint is when one person takes it from the car service, then another takes it to our room. Now, I'm tipping twice. We try to take our own bags to the check-in point, then hand it off to Bell Services.

You could try this:

If one person takes the bag from the car service and hands it directly to another person who takes it to your room or check in or wherever, you only tip the second person, namely the person who hands the bag back to you.

I would also not automatically always tip someone who beats me to the car trunk and grabs my bag before I can.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

Last trip: Jan. '05, Pop Century
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[WEDWDW]

The claim ticket I was given when I left my bags with Luggage Assistance before I went to check-in specifically mentioned leaving a gratuity.I went to the parks after check-in,and when I went to my room later,my bags were not there.I took my claim ticket to Luggage Assistance and requested my bags.I was told that they were probably on the way.As soon as I got back to my room,Luggage Assistance arrived with my bags.I asked the CM if he was allowed to accept gratuities and he implied that they were very much expected.I even think that because I did not leave a gratuity when I left my bags at check-in,they may have been waiting until I returned to my room to deliver my bags.They were not being called Bell Services to my knowledge.Everything I saw still referred to them as Luggage Assistance.It was no big deal;I was just expecting the same procedure as at Pop Century.

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

The claim ticket I was given when I left my bags with Luggage Assistance before I went to check-in specifically mentioned leaving a gratuity.

Those tags are actually Bell Services tags that the value resorts have 'reallocated.' The Value resorts originally had smaller tags, and the CM would have to write out a tag for each and every bag. For guests with 5-10+ bags (and yes, we would quite often get the 30 bagger) that would just be a nightmare. Bell Services on the otherhand uses 'sticky tags' which allow us to write out one master ticket, and then use removable stickers to stick to each bag. The stickers have a number on them that corresponds to the master tag.

Because the warehouses have tens of thousands of these tags, we have to use them up before we can reprint new tags that do not have the gratuity message on them.

 

[WEDWDW]

Thanks for the info Tyler.I may have mis-read the CM's expectations concerning a gratuity.

 

[bobcat]

I personally like luggage assistance better than bell services. I like that they can leave my luggage in my room without me being there since we always check in in the morning and head to our room in the afternoon.

I like the sticky tags. Since we usually stay 10 days we can have alot of bags and it was much faster this past trip when they had the sticky tags.

 

[msr709]

So I can understand this, if you check in early and your bags are delivered to the room before you get back to the room, what happens to their gratuity, are you expected to leave it and to whom? I ask because we, my DB and his family, total of 3 and my DNph and DNce (8 and 5) and me will be checking into 2 rooms, so there will be a lot of bags and I would hate to stiff the staff on their gratuity. I've been very lucky that every time I have gone to WDW I have had a room available and have seen my bags delivered and have always tipped. TIA

 

[aubriee]

I hate to hijack this thread, but I've got a stupid question. I'm leaving in 11 days and doing a split trip (WL and AKL). I don't mind tipping at all, but am afraid I don't know for sure who all I need to tip. If I check in early and leave my luggage at the WL, I tip the person who unloads the towncar and takes the luggage to storage and then tip again when it's brought to my room later that night, then who do I tip when I leave it a few days later to be delivered to the AKL? Then I tip the person at the AKL who brings it to the room and then again a few days later when we check out. Right? Plus the person at my home airport and at MCO when we use curb check-in. Right? That's eight people? Did I miss anyone? For four regular bags and two carry ons that's $48.00-$96.00 ($1.00-$2.00/bag). Do I tip more when I leave my luggage at the WL to be delivered to AKL and who do I tip then?

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

So I can understand this, if you check in early and your bags are delivered to the room before you get back to the room, what happens to their gratuity, are you expected to leave it and to whom?

With Luggage Assistance (a non-tipped service) at the value resorts, tipping is neither expected, nor neccessary.

If you will be at a moderate or deluxe, with Bell Services (a tipped service), they will not deliver the bags to the room unless you will be in the room.

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

I hate to hijack this thread, but I've got a stupid question. I'm leaving in 11 days and doing a split trip (WL and AKL). I don't mind tipping at all, but am afraid I don't know for sure who all I need to tip. If I check in early and leave my luggage at the WL, I tip the person who unloads the towncar and takes the luggage to storage and then tip again when it's brought to my room later that night, then who do I tip when I leave it a few days later to be delivered to the AKL? Then I tip the person at the AKL who brings it to the room and then again a few days later when we check out. Right? Plus the person at my home airport and at MCO when we use curb check-in. Right? That's eight people? Did I miss anyone? For four regular bags and two carry ons that's $48.00-$96.00 ($1.00-$2.00/bag). Do I tip more when I leave my luggage at the WL to be delivered to AKL and who do I tip then?

With Bell Services, its appropriate to tip both the person who greets you and takes your luggage, as well as the person who delivers your luggage to your room. When transferring resorts, you will only tip the person who picks up your luggage, and the person who delivers your luggage at the new resort. The actual transfer of the luggage is done by a non-tipped hourly cast member, so you don't need to worry about tipping extra for that.

 

[msr709]

Thanks Tyler, you made it very clear! Happy New Year!

 

[Nik's Mom]

I'm glad I read this thread. I didn't realize the difference between luggage assistance and bell services (other than that luggage assistance will leave bags when I'm not there). I'll still tip when staying at Pop. They work so hard, and I don't know if they are compensated enough in their regular pay check. They deserve more, I'm sure.

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

I'm glad I read this thread. I didn't realize the difference between luggage assistance and bell services (other than that luggage assistance will leave bags when I'm not there). I'll still tip when staying at Pop. They work so hard, and I don't know if they are compensated enough in their regular pay check. They deserve more, I'm sure.

Indeed, at Pop Century, they do work VERY hard...