Tipping on Luggage? Do You Double Tip?

[lat]

During our trip last week, we stayed at Dolphin, VWL, and Gaylord Palms. Everywhere we went, the valet would have someone take our luggage out of the car, and then another person would bring our luggage up to our room.

With 4 pieces of luggage, we ended up tipping twice to the 2 people that helped us, and cost us twice as much to get the luggage up.

What is the etiquette? We ended up tipping $8-10 just to get the luggage to our room, and only one piece is a large suitcase.

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

We also double tip too but we usually give the valet who helps us take the luggage out of our car less than the valet who brings it up to the room. The valet who takes it out of the car is also responsible for setting up the valet parking, so I take that into consideration.

HBC

 

[Dean]

The proper etiquette is to tip the final person in a hotel deliver situation. That means at the room on arrival and at the car on departure. Check around at various tip etiquette sites to get a better feel for the "official" recommendations. In general, DVC members tend to go above and beyond on tipping, like both ways on valet parking.

 

[lat]

Dean, what do you mean car by departure? Do you mean that you don't tip the person who takes your car, but only the one who retrieves it for you when you leave?

We end up tipping more and more because I would feel bad not to tip or feeling not tipped enough and then ruin my rest of the day.

I guess we are whimps when it comes down to tipping. We feel awkard not to tip the people when they open the door for us, or take out our luggage.

We really like valet parking the car but everyday with different services, the tips add up very quickly. I feel I am always colleting singles for tips everywhere throughout the entire trip.

 

[OneMoreTry]

What do the valet's expect? Do the think we should tip at every point of contact????

 

[lat]

I never had valet guys refuse the tips..... except once at BWV last year. While waiting for our car, someone at the valet desk came by and gave each my kids a little Mickey figuring.

They were very tired and the little Mickey made their faces instantly brightened up. I went to the guy later and tried to give him some money and he refused. We took the little Mickeys home and I will always remember how much joy little guestures like this helped.

 

[Dean]

Originally posted by lat
Dean, what do you mean car by departure? Do you mean that you don't tip the person who takes your car, but only the one who retrieves it for you when you leave?

We end up tipping more and more because I would feel bad not to tip or feeling not tipped enough and then ruin my rest of the day.

I guess we are whimps when it comes down to tipping. We feel awkard not to tip the people when they open the door for us, or take out our luggage.

We really like valet parking the car but everyday with different services, the tips add up very quickly. I feel I am always colleting singles for tips everywhere throughout the entire trip.

We were talking luggase. So tip the guy that delivers it to the room and the guy that loads it in the car. For valet, the standard is when you pick it up. Don't take my word, search for tipping sites and see what you find.

 

[lat]

Dean, thanks.

I wish they can just have one person handelling the luggage throughout like in the old days to make things easier. But it is definitely more effiecient to have 2 sets of people to help. I guess this is just the way it is. DH actually moved the luggage at Gaylord himself because he was just so tired of tipping.

 

[Mickmse2002]

I tip whoever shows up at the room with my bags. I only tip the valet who brings my car, not both ways.

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

It wouldn't occur to me to tip the person who helped me remove the luggage from my car. I've always assumed they are doing that to get me out of the way not so much to help me. It's a bit like maid service. I've always wondered...if my room is spotless on check in and the in between service is very good is my tip going to the same maid who provided the good service or is it going to the one who happened to be on duty that day.

 

[all5ofus]

I was at the POLY 2 weeks ago. The limo driver took our bags out of the car and put them in the luggage cart. The bellman who took our name and gave us the receipt for the bags made a point of telling me he would not be the person taking our bags to the room (meaning tip me now). I didn't tip him, but instead I tipped the person who took us to our room and actually handeled our bags.

It seems that some people expect you to tip for the honor of talking to them.

 

[Pa@okw95]

I have been kicking around for a long time and this site is the only place I ever heard of anyone tipping the valet that gives you your ticket for valet parking. One valet tried to tell me he would be parking my car at BWV once, I thanked him and walked away, I had all I could do not to laugh. You tip only when you get your car delivered like Dean has said. What a lot of people don't realize is the guy that gives you your ticket for valet parking usually just dirives the car a few yards or does not drive it at all. They hold those cars to use to get cars that have to be picked up, granted there are times when they actually have to park the cars but it is rarely the guy or woman that gives you the ticket that parks your car. A lot of people give this as an excuse to tip. The valet parking people at DVC have some people snowed on this subject. I give $5 when I pick my car up. As for the luggage situation it is the same, tip the guy who takes them to the room. Dean is right on target concerning his remarks. I tip the bell hop $10 for the bags to the room. I consider myself a excellent tipper but I do not give my money away nor will I let someone try to take advantage of me because my fellow DVC members, some of them, do not know whcih end is up on this situation.

 

[JenEeyore]

We are always confused on the whole tipping situation. Is there a good site that someone can recommend for standard guidelines these days??? I don't want to under tip, but I don't want to go broke in giving away tips to every person who speaks to me either. We leave very soon - any help beyond what is already in this thread would be appreciated. Especially airport etc too.

Jen

 

[Muushka]

I am really glad I read this thread. I know that I have read on these boards that you should tip the person that takes your luggage from you AND the person who delivers it to your room.
That never seemed right to me. But I remember at WL when we were checking in the gal who took the luggage made a point of telling us that we would not see her again. That was the first time we tipped that person in addition to the one who delivers the luggage. We have tipped both ever since, but not any more.
We will just tip the one who delivers it from now on. It can get very expensive!

There are those who like to tip more than necessary, sadly, I am not one of those people (unless some really great service is given of course).

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

I disagree with almost everything that has been said because no one has mentioned common sense. You have to base tipping on your individual situation. Etiquette is important but use common sense too.

As I have said, I tip the person who helps me unload my car and the person who brings it to my room. We have four kids, tons of stuff and a roof top carrier on a suburban that he/she climbs up on to help me unload. I have no problem at all giving that valet a tip for that assistance and for taking care of my car.

While there are certain standards that should be followed, common sense is the best one in all situations.

HBC

BTW I only tip one way for valet parking and that is upon pick up.

 

[lat]

I just told DH that most poeple only tip to the person who delivers the luggage. But he said that some valet guys would not walk away, they would just stand there, and some would tell him that they would not be the person delivering the luggage, hintting tips.

 

[Pa@okw95]

It is a special WDW shakedown. Maybe just DVC for all I know. I have been valet parking my cars for years and never once except at WDW seen anything like that. They have a lot of inexperienced customers that they are trying to take advantage of. Tell me when you have 4 waiters or servers waiting on you at a gormet restaurant do you give them each a tip, or leave one tip with the check at the end of the meal. It is a shakedown, you only tip the person that delievers the end product whether it be your car or luggage or meal at a restaurant.

 

[Dean]

Originally posted by Happy Birthday Cat
While there are certain standards that should be followed, common sense is the best one in all situations.

No question there are special sistuations. If you pull up with a Subarban and 20 small grocery bags or it's coming a flood when you drop off the car. But common sense would dictate that following the guidelines are reasonable unless there is truly a special circumstance. I think many DVC members feel an obligation to go overboard. The only problem with that is that todays surplus will be tomorrow's expectation.

http://azaz.essortment.com/tipping_rdef.htm
http://www.globalassignment.com/1-21-2002/tipping.html
http://www.newyorkmetro.com/nymetro/news/bizfinance/finance/features/3652/
http://www.viptravelgroup.com/tippingguidelines.htm
http://www.magictrips.com/plan/tipping.shtml http://www.honeymoonlocation.com/honeymoontraveltips/tippingguidelines.php
Federal Law that pertains to tips
The best tip page I've seen
And from the Disney Zone

I could go on and on. I'm sure there will be some contradictions or variations from one site to another depending on various issues. Realize that tipping varies with the country and to a certain extent, within the US form one part to another. I thought the one from Disney war particularly interesting.

 

[5infam]

I am also confused on tipping sometime. I had read threads in the past that people absolutely tip both the valet that unloads and the person delivering. So what I did was tip both, but split the tip (I gave a buck or 2 more to the guy who came to my room). It worked well for me at the time, but after reading this thread, I will have to rethink the situation next time. However, for those that don't want to deal with the stare of the valet, this may be a good option.

 

[LoveMyDVC]

I usually give each party involved a Jackson.