markcw

Hi fellow fodorians!
We are an adult family of four and we will be traveliing from the UK to San Francisco-Las Vegas-New York-Washington in May. I understand the basics on tipping. 1-2 dollars per bag for hotel porters and 15-20% for taxis and eating out (please correct me if i'm wrong). What really confuses me is that we have pre-paid various activities (Grand Canyon Trip, Super Car driving, Segway Tours, helicopter trip etc). Can you kindly advise me the amount we should tip on these events? The cost ranges from 40 dollars to 230 dollars per person and 20% per person would be such a lot of money. Also, rather than give one tip for the group of four, should we tip individually? I have read on the web that we should always tip on every event but I am finding it rather confusing. You advice would be very welcome. Many thanks in advance, Mark.

sylvia3

Have you thought about calling or emailing those tours and asking? They'll know whether it's common (and a sample amount), or whether their provided services are inclusive. Helicopter trips, for example, are usually not additional tips; nothing extra is done, and the personnel are well-paid professionals. Someone who acts as a guide, talks and explains things, performs personal services, etc., usually earn a gratuity.
No embarrassment in asking, right?

markcw

Thanks Sylvia.

happytrailstoyou

Tipping is always a subject of controversy on this forum.

I fear that those who work for tips and those from whom you are buying a service will suggest tipping in amounts that are in excess of what is judicious.

Tipping should reflect your level of satisfaction. You are not obliged to tip for unpleasant, disinterested, or inferior service.

I am providing you with a link that describes sensible tipping. Notice, for instance, that the link suggests a tip of $1-$2 for a parking attendant when he/she delivers your car. I usually give $2, unless I am dissatisfied for some reason. However, when I give $1 a properly trained valet will say "thank you" just as enthusiastically as if I had over-tipped with a $5 bill.

Also, we travel light. When we check into a hotel and are greeted with "Do you want help with your bags?" I say, no. Having wheeled my bag all around the world, I find no need to pay somebody to carry it 40 feet to the registration desk. Usually, there is no problem. However, recently, when booking into Marriott's Rennaisance in Palm Springs, a big young man took an intimidating stance apparently defying me to reject his offer to carry my bags. I asked him to please move out of my way.

In deciding how much to tip tour guides, I assess how much their service added to my enjoyment. A man who drove me around India a few years ago told me I was too generous in my tip to him, but I gave very little to the guide of an escorted tour in Turkey who gave long, boring lectures at historic sights and who spent too much of the tour trying to get my fellow travelers to buy rugs and other expensive souvenirs.

Here is a guide to sensible tipping: http://www.itipping.com/tip-guide-travel.htm

spirobulldog

If you decide to tip, one tip for the group is fine. I wouldn't tip on the Helicopter Tour. I might tip the Segway Guide $10-$20 for the entire group, but I probably wouldn't tip at all.

I never tip at Hotels for maid service. And I try and carry my own bags as much as possible. I always tip at restaurants unless the service is bad.

I have always had a hard time knowing what and how to tip on excursion type activities.

nytraveler

In NYC IMHO you tip cabs and restaurants 20% (the automatic meter for paying by CC in the cab has 20% - then 25% and 30%) as the lowest tip percentage - although you can just insert a different random amount if you want). (Taxis in NYC are cheap compared to those in most major capitals)

For tour guides I would absolutely tip on how good a job they do.

longhorn55

I agree that tipping tour guides should depend on the service you get and that it's not necessary to tip a helicopter pilot (he's a professional). Should you decide to tip a guide, I'd tip $3 - $5 per person and somewhat more if it's an all-day tour. I have never in my life tipped 20% of a tour cost to the guide. Waiters make under $3.00 per hour and need that 15 - 20% tip; tour guides don't.

BigRuss

Longhorn nailed the rationale for tipping wait staff - unlike everyone else you will consider tipping, they make less than the federally mandated minimum wage (it's an exception to the law - tipped staff make a minimum $2.13 per hour, less than 1/3 the normal minimum, and get the rest of their money on tips) on an hourly basis. Thus, tips aren't just thanks, they're necessary components of the compensation. Everyone else gets the $7+ per hour minimum (usually substantially more).

sf7307

I suppose we shouldn't even tip waitstaff in San Francisco (or California) since they earn "regular" minimum wage (which is $10.24 per hour in SF)

nytraveler

Cab drivers don;t get minimum wage - many are self-employed - and their incomes are not large unless they are able to drive 16 to 18 hours per day.

amer_can

Be careful of added gratuities on your food check. Found 20% on our lunch bill in Teton Village while figuring out the tip we would leave. Sometimes it sneaks up on you.. Worked my way through University waiting table and was always very grateful for any tips..Kept my tummy somewhat full most of the time. Also I like to leave cash for the tip as the waitperson may or maynot be the recipient of the tip..Grand-daughter was badly undertipped last year in Montreal and later was reassessed by Internal Rev.for unpaid taxes based on restuarant claim of more given to her!!! Sad commentary on unscrupuled employers!!

markcw

Thank you all so much for your help, which is duly taken on board and much appreciated. mark.

EmilyPost

Someone said: >

That's just bad juju. Leave a few dollars on the credenza before leaving your hotel room in the morning, each morning, so the woman who is cleaning up your mess and making order out of daily chaos, gets the little extra you're offering.

happytrailstoyou

Oops. Must be an impostor. Emily Post would never express herself in this indelicate way.

HTTY

Steamedcrab

amer_can makes a really good point - always check to see if an automatic gratuity has been added to your bill before tipping. In most places this happens when you have a party of 6 or more, but it also happens a lot of times on holidays.

And it's true that you have to consider that wait staff in the US are mostly paid low wages and earn most of their money from tips, but that doesn't mean you can't vary the tip based on quality of service. I usually tip an average of 20%, but a not so good waiter will get 15%, and one that has done a horrible job, added bogus items to the bill, or skimmed money from my change will get a lot less.

EmilyPost

HTTY, my response was perfectly delicate considering the question being posed.

EmilyPost

>

Steamedcrab: This is stealing. This has Never happened to me nor to anyone I know, not even in London nor Rome. I wonder why it has happened to you? Terrible experience, I'm sure, but rather than stiffing the server on a tip I would suggest you speak to management instead.

gelatolover

Tipping: once a subject of much bickering with my hubby. He's always been the one assigned to tip, just because it's a lot easier to take his wallet out of his pocket than for me to dig into my purse. I've always thought that he tipped based on his mood, while I've always wanted to have some kind of consistency.

Until maybe two years ago, when we've more or less established our own tipping rule. (Caveat: this is all personal, and what may be normal to us may seem strange to you).

Porter: $1-$2 a bag, but we always end up giving $5 for 2 bags, $10 for 4 bags.
Valet: $2.00 - $5.00
Maid service: $3.00/day if no-frills/basic room, up to $5 for a bigger "luxury" room at a posher place
Taxis: 30%. More if he helps with our bags, or if he's polite and friendly.
Restaurants: Min of 20%, usually 25% and up. 30% if the bill is really cheap.
Tour Guides (e.g., Segway, food tours, pub crawls ;-), half-day bus or boat tours): $5/person, or at least 10% of the cost of the tour, up to 20% for extraordinary service).

Once, we left a tip for the hotel maid (about $3) and it was still there that night. We left it again the next day, and lo, and behold, it was still untouched. Finally on the third day, I left a bigger tip with a thank you note for the maid. Ever since then, I always make it a point to leave a thank you note with the tip. Easier done the night before since it's always a mad rush to leave the hotel in the morning.....

Regarding OP's question re tipping individually or as a group, for my family of four (two kids, 20 and 18 y/o), we always tip as a group.

This probably sounds weird, but before each trip, I try to bring a bunch of $1 and $5 bills- stored in a quart size ziploc bag in my purse. Easy to dig out to hand to hubby in case he needs it.

If we go on a tour with a separate tour guide and driver, we always tip the driver too (same or a little less than the tour guide's tip).

happytrailstoyou

HTTY, my response was perfectly delicate considering the question being posed.

Nor would she be defensive, though defensiveness in this instance is understandable.

HTTY

Luv2travel15

Hi Mark, tipping is a matter of personal preference and it is different here in the USA than in Europe. I know that it is not expected in Europe but we always tip because we do here in USA. Typically, if I have booked a private tour and sharing the tour w/ others then I add 20% onto the tour price for the entire group, not pp.

You know what the "usual" procedure is for valets, porters, etc. so you are all set there. As far as any of the tours you mention (helicopter, etc.) I would suggest that you or someone in your party of 4 collect the total amount due for that tour and add a tip. It would be much easier doing this if you are all compatible and have no issues about tipping.

I just booked a private limo to pick up my family who are traveling to DC today to sightsee. When I was pricing the different limo companies, they all automatically added 20% tip to the base price of the pickup. Agree w/ gelatolovers suggestions.

Don't worry about it, have a great time on your trip. Do what you think is best for your group. No one has ever refused a tip! LOL