What to tip the driver?

[peanut12392]

DD is going to prom tomorrow. She won a contest at school where she is getting a limo. I want to tip the driver, but have no idea how much I need to tip- I figured someone here would know! They have the car for 3 hours, and there are 14 kids, if that matters.

 

[xmlguy]

DD is going to prom tomorrow. She won a contest at school where she is getting a limo. I want to tip the driver, but have no idea how much I need to tip- I figured someone here would know! They have the car for 3 hours, and there are 14 kids, if that matters.

14 kids? That alone deserves extra hazardous service pay. I'd ask what the fare is expected to be, and out of earshot of the kids, I'd tell the driver I'll pay 20% of the total upon safe return, plus an extra $20 to drive safely and to maintain the following rules (your list) and report any misbehavior. I might still drive behind the limo at a distance, or at least I wouldn't blame you if you did. Trust, but verify.

 

[robb01]

Im sure if I were a professional chauffeur I'd find it offensive if you paid me to "drive safely", it would imply that I normally didn't.

That being said, try and find out what it normally runs, and I'd tip 15-20% of the cost

 

[xmlguy]

Im sure if I were a professional chauffeur I'd find it offensive if you paid me to "drive safely", it would imply that I normally didn't.

That being said, try and find out what it normally runs, and I'd tip 15-20% of the cost

I meant to say drive _extra_ safely, and any driver should be understanding of a concerned parent without taking offense at that.

 

[Justsyd2]

Normally you tip 20% of the full rental cost. Full cost is typically $120 - $150 per hour.

 

[TifffanyD]

I was going to suggest around $75 as this was the pre-calculated tip for our wedding limo. It was less than 3 hours (maybe 2) but still

 

[PrincessAbby'sMom]

when we have been taken by limo to the airport & such, we tip $5 per person in the limo.

 

[powellrj]

14 kids? That alone deserves extra hazardous service pay. I'd ask what the fare is expected to be, and out of earshot of the kids, I'd tell the driver I'll pay 20% of the total upon safe return, plus an extra $20 to drive safely and to maintain the following rules (your list) and report any misbehavior. I might still drive behind the limo at a distance, or at least I wouldn't blame you if you did. Trust, but verify.

You would really drive behind the prom limo??????? Really??????? My DS is with a group of 12 kids and I would never dream of following him to prom. They are skipping the limo this year in favor of driving themselves, but took a limo last year and I wouldn't have let him go if I thought I couldn't trust him enough to get to the prom and back.

 

[Halle]

My DD and DS were married this past year, we paid limo costs, upstate NY the tip is 20%. Call the limo company and ask what the cost of that specific 'free' limo is.

 

[xmlguy]

You would really drive behind the prom limo??????? Really??????? My DS is with a group of 12 kids and I would never dream of following him to prom. They are skipping the limo this year in favor of driving themselves, but took a limo last year and I wouldn't have let him go if I thought I couldn't trust him enough to get to the prom and back.

Who said anything about not trusting your own kid, when there are a dozen other kids and a driver from who knows where on the trip who you shouldn't consider trustworthy. What makes the driver professsional, merely because he/she shows up in a suit and is willing to take the money? You think limo companies don't hire idiots, incompetents and drunks? Feel free to do what you will. I wouldn't trust the driver unless I, (1) knew him/her personally for many years, and (2) see a current DMV report, neither of which is practical or reasonable. I would definitely ask to see the driver's commercial DL, which is required in my state for more than 10 passengers. If you want to trust a driver you don't know from adam, that's your business, however careless and irresponsible that may prove to be. Of course nobody in the back is wearing seatbelts, so a crash with half the kids ejected isn't pretty. Oh, and of course nobody's drinking on Prom night.

I won't get into all the reasons why extra caution is warranted on Prom nights, but let's just say that I've previously been in a position to see the results firsthand when things go wrong, and I might be better qualified than you to judge.

 

[peanut12392]

I do know the cost of the Limo, so I can figure a percentage. I tried to look it up online, but got a HUGH variety of variation in answers there. Thanks for your help!

 

[torinsmom]

Do you know any of the other parents? Seems like you could go in together and come up with a great tip. I can't imagine a few of the 14 students' parents are thinking of tipping also, you know?

Marsha

 

[peanut12392]

I'm sure some of the other parents will offer, but we want to do this. This is a great group of kids and parents and everyone is doing so much (one set of parents own a hall, and they are catering a meal for all these kids, at no charge, I offered money and was told no, they want to do it). Its funny, its hard to really get the use out of a limo! They are getting picked up all together, and then to a park for pictures (parents will meet them to take pics) and then to the hall, where one girls parents will provide the meal, and then to the prom. It would hardly be worth it to pay for a limo, but since it was free, they are trying to make the most of it!

 

[rosanafamily]

Who said anything about not trusting your own kid, when there are a dozen other kids and a driver from who knows where on the trip who you shouldn't consider trustworthy. What makes the driver professsional, merely because he/she shows up in a suit and is willing to take the money? You think limo companies don't hire idiots, incompetents and drunks? Feel free to do what you will. I wouldn't trust the driver unless I, (1) knew him/her personally for many years, and (2) see a current DMV report, neither of which is practical or reasonable. I would definitely ask to see the driver's commercial DL, which is required in my state for more than 10 passengers. If you want to trust a driver you don't know from adam, that's your business, however careless and irresponsible that may prove to be. Of course nobody in the back is wearing seatbelts, so a crash with half the kids ejected isn't pretty. Oh, and of course nobody's drinking on Prom night.

I won't get into all the reasons why extra caution is warranted on Prom nights, but let's just say that I've previously been in a position to see the results firsthand when things go wrong, and I might be better qualified than you to judge.

You are absolutely correct, my husband is a retired police officer and he says you wouldn't believe how many of the drivers are not licensed or are in this country illegally that are driving vehicles with passengers in them. Especially those commuter van type vehicles.

 

[msmayor]

The fact that you're getting the limo for free is a HUGE savings. When we priced out cars for that size group for my daughter, the $$ were in the range of $70-100 pp.

I'd definitely look to each set of parents and ask for $10-15 each as a tip for the guy.