Tipping Tipping Tipping....the dreaded tipping thread. LOL ?????? Please

[disneyholic family]

we also 'overtip'....
we always figure it's not much money to us but a lot to the person who's receiving it....why not make their day....

i once tipped a porter at the airport $20 (i usually end up tipping $20 at the airport)...
it was right before Christmas and i thought he was going to kiss my hand....he nearly started crying....i guess that he gets stiffed a lot by people who don't tip.....he was so sweet and helpful to me, he deserved the $20....but i nearly cried at his reaction.....

 

[Morgstar]

$2 per bag for a typically sized bag is the MINIMUM! If your bag is extremely heavy $5 per bag is MINIMUM! If you are having food or beverage service and the service was good a 20% tip is the MINIMUM! Again these are minimums expected for basic service, if you should get above average service you should give an above average tip. $1 per bag to a bellman or a 10% tip for your waitress is an insult. We depend on tips to make the bulk of our pay. So if you want a genuine smile and friendly hello from your service workers be sure to show how much you appreciate our hard work. Thank you's are nice but they don't pay the bills.

First of all, yes i am british and tipping is not so much the 'norm' over here however i do consider myself a generous tipper in all circumstances.

In response to the above quote i find the language used quite cheeky. In most circumstances i would tip the posters suggested amount but not always. The way MINIMUM is used would lead people to believe you have to tip this amount or else. However this is the case.

Tips are a way of rewarding great service and how you judge the way you have been treated by your server. What qualifies great service is down to the individual. If a bellman smile's and says hello while picking up your bag and then takes it to your room is that great service or is that just what their job specifications say they should be doing for their basic salary?

Dont get me wrong cinderbear i understand that people who work in the service industries rely on tips (my girlfriend worked as a server at epcot for a year) but i dont think it should be taken for granted. If i dont feel i have recieved appropriate service i WILL tip less then 20% and not feel bad about it.

By the way the Disney Dinning experience will automatically include 18% to any check this leads me to believe that disney think 18% is a fair sized tip rather than the MINIMUM!

 

[maxiesmom]

Okay, I could write a huge response to this thread, but I'll keep it simple. I'm posting this under my fiancee's username but I just had to voice my opinion. I am a bellman and my fiancee is a cocktail server at a five diamond resort so I feel very qualified to respond. $2 per bag for a typically sized bag is the MINIMUM! If your bag is extremely heavy $5 per bag is MINIMUM! If you are having food or beverage service and the service was good a 20% tip is the MINIMUM! Again these are minimums expected for basic service, if you should get above average service you should give an above average tip. $1 per bag to a bellman or a 10% tip for your waitress is an insult. As for you Canron thank GOD for karma, I can only believe that you get the service you pay for. I'm sure you expect to be paid for doing your job and so do we. Trust me, anybody who works for a resort is not getting rich. We depend on tips to make the bulk of our pay. So if you want a genuine smile and friendly hello from your service workers be sure to show how much you appreciate our hard work. Thank you's are nice but they don't pay the bills.

I usually tip, but the tone of this makes me not want to! Tips are earned, they are not a right. If you give horrible service, or stick your hand out, you get no tip from me! However if you are friendly, and do what I would call an acceptable job, you will get a normal tip. I'm not sure who decided to adjust the minimum tip from 15% to 20%, but I tip 15% for ok service, more if I want to. Twenty percent or more is for outstanding service. Not what I would hand out to someone just because they think they deserve it.

BTW If $1 a bag is an insult, then feel insulted. I won't typically give more than $1 a bag. I might round it up if all I have on me is larger bills, but expecting more than $1 a bag is being greedy. For $2 a bag I will take care of them myself, and you will get nothing. Is that better?

 

[DWDude]

I am a bellman and my fiancee is a cocktail server at a five diamond resort so I feel very qualified to respond. $2 per bag for a typically sized bag is the MINIMUM! If your bag is extremely heavy $5 per bag is MINIMUM! If you are having food or beverage service and the service was good a 20% tip is the MINIMUM! Again these are minimums expected for basic service,...

You have got to be kidding.
My family travels with around 10 bags on our Disney trips. Are you seriously suggesting that I tip whomever picks up my 10 bags and puts them in my room $50? For 10 minutes of work? I have worked as a waiter and restaurant manager and 20% is a nice tip for good service, not a "MINIMUM".

As a general rule of thumb, $5 to $10 (or $1/per bag) per bell trip is fair and %20 is perfectly fine for very good table service (%15 for average, even less for poor to none). If I get poor service to none at all, I just leave. I am the paying customer and the establishment should provide for my needs in exchange for my hard earned money.

 

[jac199]

I thought I was a generous tipper. I tip $2 a bag and sometimes throw in a couple of bucks extra. If I have 8 bags I will tip $20. Not all 8 bags are mine, but I take care of the tipping so I am sure the bellman is not shorted. Judging by cinderbear's post I'm the guilty party. I am not sure I would tip $5 a bag. I would probably take the bag myself rather than fork over that amount. I wonder if all bellmen feel this way, that I have been cheating them.

 

[edk35]

I would really like to know how much everyone tips on dining. We usually eat at least one meal a day in a priority seating restaurant. However, my DH and I often are unsure exactly how to handle tipping. 15-20% is standard outside DW but does that apply inside, too!

I'd like to hear what everyone does.

I posted something similiar on another thread a few weeks ago. Here is that link.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1543129

 

[DanaHesson]

Here is a guide I use in my travels for tipping:

http://www.findalink.net/tippingetiquette.php

For the OP, you are a quite generous person!

Great Information, thank you for the link!!

 

[asmit4]

Okay, I could write a huge response to this thread, but I'll keep it simple. I'm posting this under my fiancee's username but I just had to voice my opinion. I am a bellman and my fiancee is a cocktail server at a five diamond resort so I feel very qualified to respond. $2 per bag for a typically sized bag is the MINIMUM! If your bag is extremely heavy $5 per bag is MINIMUM! If you are having food or beverage service and the service was good a 20% tip is the MINIMUM! Again these are minimums expected for basic service, if you should get above average service you should give an above average tip. $1 per bag to a bellman or a 10% tip for your waitress is an insult. As for you Canron thank GOD for karma, I can only believe that you get the service you pay for. I'm sure you expect to be paid for doing your job and so do we. Trust me, anybody who works for a resort is not getting rich. We depend on tips to make the bulk of our pay. So if you want a genuine smile and friendly hello from your service workers be sure to show how much you appreciate our hard work. Thank you's are nice but they don't pay the bills.

I'm new here too but I do think it's odd that this is your FIRST post...this is the post you chose for your FIRST post...

So let me understand this....let's presume that you work an 8 hour shift as a bellman. Let's say that you help 5 families an hour...I bet you help WAY more than that...but let's just presume. Also, let's say that each family has 2 adults and 2 children.

So we have 5 families x 4 people = 20 bags MINIMUM in an hour....

Given your estimation of $2.00 MINIMUM (your words, not mine) you would make a MINIMUM of $40 bucks an HOUR....

I don't know if you are a bellman in NYC (where COL is very high) or if you just think that those that carry bags should make as much $$$ as oh say....nurses or teachers......but seriously?! seriously!?

Let's do some more math...
So let's say that you DO make 40 bucks an hour...that's 320 a day in tips, that's 1600/wk in tips...that's 83,200 a YEAR in tips....NOT including your "regular" pay....whatever that amounts to.

Of course the 83K a year is MINIMUM...b/c after all "heavy bags should be 5.00 a bag".....(HIS words, not mine) and lots of families have more than 1 bag per person....

AND....let's not forget....
"Thank you's DO NOT pay the bills!"

Now what I wanna know is....how much of this 83K MINIMUM is he CLAIMING on his taxes!

 

[Cool-Beans]

If I had 10+ bags, I'd have been giving them $20 where you gave them $10. I'm not saying YOU should have done that. You asked what other people did, so I'm telling you. We give them $10 for 4 bags.

I tip the guy who takes the bags out of the car and the guy who brings them to the room.

I tip housekeeping.

I tip valet guys.

It does seem like you're giving tips every time you turn around, that's for sure. But that's because every time you turn around, someone is helping you out.

If I didn't want their help, I could haul the bags out of the car and to the room myself. I could self-park the car. But I do want their help and I appreciate it enough to tip them.

That's my $.02 there.

 

[maxiesmom]

I'm new here too but I do think it's odd that this is your FIRST post...this is the post you chose for your FIRST post...

So let me understand this....let's presume that you work an 8 hour shift as a bellman. Let's say that you help 5 families an hour...I bet you help WAY more than that...but let's just presume. Also, let's say that each family has 2 adults and 2 children.

So we have 5 families x 4 people = 20 bags MINIMUM in an hour....

Given your estimation of $2.00 MINIMUM (your words, not mine) you would make a MINIMUM of $40 bucks an HOUR....

I don't know if you are a bellman in NYC (where COL is very high) or if you just think that those that carry bags should make as much $$$ as oh say....nurses or teachers......but seriously?! seriously!?

Let's do some more math...
So let's say that you DO make 40 bucks an hour...that's 320 a day in tips, that's 1600/wk in tips...that's 83,200 a YEAR in tips....NOT including your "regular" pay....whatever that amounts to.

Of course the 83K a year is MINIMUM...b/c after all "heavy bags should be 5.00 a bag".....(HIS words, not mine) and lots of families have more than 1 bag per person....

AND....let's not forget....
"Thank you's DO NOT pay the bills!"

Now what I wanna know is....how much of this 83K MINIMUM is he CLAIMING on his taxes!

If he is making that much on bags, I need to quit my job and move to Florida to be a bellhop. Seriously! I deal with all of the abuse of the general public, but I am in a non-tipping job. I need to rethink what I am doing!

 

[Cool-Beans]

Okay, I could write a huge response to this thread, but I'll keep it simple. I'm posting this under my fiancee's username but I just had to voice my opinion. I am a bellman and my fiancee is a cocktail server at a five diamond resort so I feel very qualified to respond. $2 per bag for a typically sized bag is the MINIMUM! If your bag is extremely heavy $5 per bag is MINIMUM! If you are having food or beverage service and the service was good a 20% tip is the MINIMUM! Again these are minimums expected for basic service, if you should get above average service you should give an above average tip. $1 per bag to a bellman or a 10% tip for your waitress is an insult. As for you Canron thank GOD for karma, I can only believe that you get the service you pay for. I'm sure you expect to be paid for doing your job and so do we. Trust me, anybody who works for a resort is not getting rich. We depend on tips to make the bulk of our pay. So if you want a genuine smile and friendly hello from your service workers be sure to show how much you appreciate our hard work. Thank you's are nice but they don't pay the bills.

20% is not the minimum. 10% is.

$5 a bag is not the minimum. $1 is.

The numbers you gave were silly.

 

[Morgstar]

Does anyone else think Cinderbear might just have been winding every up?
After all that was meant to be his first post.
I think he was just trying to get a response and of course we all gave him one

 

[haleofafamily]

A couple of trips ago when we arrived at SSR, I asked the first man who helped us with our luggage who we should tip. He gave me very specific instructions on who to tip and who not to. I can't remember everything he said now, but he was not offended at all that I asked - as a matter of fact he said "that's a great question". So you could always ask someone when you get there. He definetly said there were people who deal with your luggage who should not be tipped.

 

[jdm]

I'm also a tipped employee in a restaurant. Average tip for good service is 15%. Excellent service? Skies the limit. I've been tipped up to and over 50% of the bill if someone was extra thrilled with me and (I assume) can afford it. This is not a usual thing, but has happened on occasion if one of us goes truly above and beyond. If someone is unhappy with the service they receive, they can leave nothing or next to nothing. I'm not sure there is a "norm" for excellent or poor service. It's up to the individual. If we have a large party that's been pre-booked, it's an automatic 17% with an additional 2% going to the kitchen. In the case of servers, remember that the tips they receive are usually not all theirs to keep. They must "tip out" to the rest of the support staff, ie- bussers, hostesses. This is usually done on a percentage of their sales, whether they've earned 15% or not.

I've always "heard" that the average, acceptable tip for bags is $2 per bag and that's what I tip, regardless of how heavy they are. But, again- common sense comes in here. If you have someone who does an extra good job, and you feel they deserve more, then that's your choice Tipping guidelines are just that. Guidelines. Nothing is written in stone.

I do agree that tipping is based on service and should never be expected. I tip well for good service, but am always turned off when I'm in (Las Vegas buffets come to mind) a restaurant that has you pay up front and they want you to fill in the tip on you CC PRIOR to your dining experience. I always respond that I tip based on my experience, not because it's expected.

Jenn

 

[Cynt]

Question? When you moved across the hall why didn't you roll your luggage across the hall?

I tip $1/bag when someone helps me. Just recently, within the last 12 months I've increased my standard 15% waiter tip to 20%. And I mainly did this because I have some VERY CHEAP friends who never tip their 15%. I feel bad for the waiters so now I just tip 20%, hoping my friends at least tip 10%. And on top of not tipping appropriately they have the nerve to want everything prepared a special way. AARRGGHH!?!??!?! So it takes 5 minutes for them to place an order and 5 minutes for the waiter to make sure they have the order correct.

 

[Mickiethepooh]

It has been $2 a bag for at least the last 5 years now. I am actually quite shocked to see people still doing $1 a bag and getting away with it, from a not getting more reaction point of view.
There are always the total cheapskates that don't tip at all, and there are the inexperienced travelers that don't know they should, for instance certain bus drivers, tour guides, etc. that sort of thing, shuttle drivers is another one.
Did you nice folks know that all those skycaps you see pushing wheelchairs around airports, expect TIPS for that? Normally $10 to get me from the curb to the gate, and if it is from plane to baggage to car it can be $20.
Mousekeeping or any hotel maids for that matter is $2 per person per day average.
There is an alternative to the whole tipping for bags every other second. CARRY YOUR OWN, or grab a luggage cart and move your own.
IF you are going to have someone do it for you, then tip them.
You know lots of people don't tip for a hair cut or other such service?
and then we have all the arguments over tipping for food.
To me if you are not going to tip so be it but don't come on a board and brag about it.

 

[DWDude]

There is an alternative to the whole tipping for bags every other second. CARRY YOUR OWN, or grab a luggage cart and move your own.

I'd love to handle my own luggage. Many of the hotels with bellhops do not allow you to take an unescorted cart (the escort being a bellhop).

I prefer to do things for myself, but then, that's just me.

 

[cinderbear]

Wow! I was not expecting that. It was not my intention to offend anybody, but apparently some were and now I too am offended by some of the responses. The OP was looking for guidelines and I offered real world numbers that I and the 14 other bellman I work with encounter on a daily basis. Btw, a "heavy" bag is one weighing over 50 pounds, if the airline charges you more why shouldn't the bellman? For those of you who tip well thank you. We love serving you and you will be remembered. For those of you who tip your service providers poorly or don't tip at all, (We'll remember you too!) because you don't think of our job as being important consider this. If I need my car fixed and I don't want to fix it myself the mechanic "expects" to be paid for his service it doesn't matter if it took him only 2 minutes to find a loose wire he is still going to charge the going rate. If I need my plumbing fixed and I don't want to do it myself the plumber "expects" to be paid for his service. The point is it doesn't matter which profession you use or how long it takes that person to complete the job, the bottom line is there is a bill to pay. Everybody "expects" to be paid what ever the going rate is for their profession. If you go out for dinner because you don't want to sit in the drive thru lane or cook dinner yourself there are two bills to pay one to the restaurant and one to your server. Just because the service employee cannot present you a bill for their labor does not mean they don't "expect" to be paid. Why should we feel guilty for "expecting" a tip? That is how we get paid. For those of you who say you would rather carry your own bags than pay more than a dollar I say please do. The only one who would be making out on that deal is my chiropractor (who also "expects" to be paid the going rate for his service).

 

[maxiesmom]

It has been $2 a bag for at least the last 5 years now. I am actually quite shocked to see people still doing $1 a bag and getting away with it, from a not getting more reaction point of view.
There are always the total cheapskates that don't tip at all, and there are the inexperienced travelers that don't know they should, for instance certain bus drivers, tour guides, etc. that sort of thing, shuttle drivers is another one.
Did you nice folks know that all those skycaps you see pushing wheelchairs around airports, expect TIPS for that? Normally $10 to get me from the curb to the gate, and if it is from plane to baggage to car it can be $20.
Mousekeeping or any hotel maids for that matter is $2 per person per day average.
There is an alternative to the whole tipping for bags every other second. CARRY YOUR OWN, or grab a luggage cart and move your own.
IF you are going to have someone do it for you, then tip them.
You know lots of people don't tip for a hair cut or other such service?
and then we have all the arguments over tipping for food.
To me if you are not going to tip so be it but don't come on a board and brag about it.

Hmmmm. I followed the link mgilmer provided, and it states $1-$2 a bag, more if it is heavy. It also states that maid service is $3-$5 per room, depending on how messy it is. So what great guru decided 5 years ago that $2 per person for the maids and $2 per bag was the going rate?

And to cindybear's fiancee-- you chose to take a job in which part of your wage was based on tips. Tips are not set in stone, you must earn them. If you are extra nice and do an extra good job, you may get a larger tip. You may have standards in your own head, but that does not mean the rest of the world will follow those standards. If it makes you sooooo unhappy that you feel insulted when someone offers you $1 a bag (which they do not even have to do!) then maybe you should find work elsewhere.

 

[Mickiethepooh]

Hmmmm. I followed the link mgilmer provided, and it states $1-$2 a bag, more if it is heavy. It also states that maid service is $3-$5 per room, depending on how messy it is. So what great guru decided 5 years ago that $2 per person for the maids and $2 per bag was the going rate?

And to cindybear's fiancee-- you chose to take a job in which part of your wage was based on tips. Tips are not set in stone, you must earn them. If you are extra nice and do an extra good job, you may get a larger tip. You may have standards in your own head, but that does not mean the rest of the world will follow those standards. If it makes you sooooo unhappy that you feel insulted when someone offers you $1 a bag (which they do not even have to do!) then maybe you should find work elsewhere.

3 to 5 would be correct for the room for two people if you have two adults and 5 kids it would not. Use common sense.
As for who determined the going rates, the industry mainly Those are guidelines. If you give a Skycap a buck a bag he will let you know it is not the expected amount in no short order.
Since we are talking TIPS and I use the word loosely, it is obviously not a cast in stone figure, like your taxes.
The point is that between 1 and 2 for a standard 30" suitcase more for heavier and 1 for a night case etc. has been what people who DO travel a LOT standardly pay, OR they pack in a way that lets them avoid the situation. One carry on for instance.
I just get the impression that many of the commenters don't travel THAT often or they would not have to ask the question.
The tipping thing is a combo of real info. and Flame potential. from the real info side there is what the norms are. and yes they vary SOME with the area and desitination.