Another tipping question: concierges
 

Do Europeans (and other non-Americans) normally tip for hotel concierge services, such as booking tickets or making reservations?

Let the food fight begin.

I suppose not if these people already make a "decent wage" according to the usual rationale for not doing so which we are continually lectured about.

OR, they don't because they don't want to "ruin the local economy as the Americans have done in Ireland" and that is a direct quote from a Fodorite, too.

It seems so much easier if individuals are allowed to decide, on their own, how much a service warrants but...

Guidelines help one make a personal decision, for example:

I ordered room service for the first time ever on my recent trip to Ireland. It was delivered in 20 minutes, and was exactly right.I thought it was worthy of a tip, but it was brushed off. No big deal, but if I had known it wasn't expected, I wouldn't have offered.

So, Elberko, you only tip when it "is expected" is that it?

That's fine if that is the "guideline" you follow; some folks have more need of tipping guidelines than others so. I don't and I never will. This is the same reason I never "watch to see what other people are doing" for tour guides and such. If someone wants to "brush off" a tip that is up to them; it has absolutely no bearing on whether or not I feel the service "deserves" a tip IMO.

OK, I still don't have an answer about concierges in Europe.

Never if you are like me.

I thank them, can go to a handshake.
I consider it part of their job and therefore don't tip.
And if they don't help I don't come back to that hotel.

BTW : is a concierge a clerk like the guy a reception desk in English ? In french a concierge is somebody with specific tasks like looking after the building but not doing a staff work.

I had a cognac recently with the receptionist at 1 am. He was nice and I didn't want to drink alone.
We chatted, it made him pass the time and I found it 'cool'.

That's my idea of tips. I also (sometimes) propose a waiter to have a glass of wine from the bottle we order.

>>BTW : is a concierge a clerk like the guy a reception desk in English ? In french a concierge is somebody with specific tasks like looking after the building but not doing a staff work.<<

I'm referring in general to the staff members at larger hotels who might make dinner reservations, secure tix for an event, etc.

Just as an example: I had a stopover in London, staying at the Intercontinental, and thought that I'd kill some time by doing touristy tour of Buckingham Palace, since I could easily walk to it. I asked the concierge about tix for the tour, and got them for me at a time that was convenient for me.

Sometimes on the US, you might give him a small gratuity for something like that, but I wasn't sure what the protocol was in London.

<In french a concierge is somebody with specific tasks like looking after the building>

In the US, a concierge is a staff member in a hotel who has he specific job of assisting guests with arrangements outside the hotel: theater tickets, restaurant reservations, tours, etc.

In the US I have tipped the concierge when he provided what seemed to me to be excellent service. I have no clue if Europeans do the same in Europe. In the example you provide, vincenzo, I probably wouldn't have tipped him, but that's what makes these discussion so hellish--it's a personal choice, with few guidelines.

I often wonder if the non-tipping Europeans so prominent on these Fodor's boards are representative of Europeans as a whole...

Wo: do the French tip their concierges, at the holidays, say? Just curious. In the US people give their doormen and supers tips at the holidays, but agonize over how much is appropriate. (We don't really have the French sort of concierges--doormen and supers are the nearest comparable positions.)

NewbE

By holidays, do you mean Christmas?

I mean the time of the year when there is more than one big holiday on the calendar in the space of a month: Christmas, New Year's, Hanukah, probably others of which I am unaware.

chartley,
Americans don't HAVE to say Christmas until next year. ;)

We tip the xoncierge for extraordinary service. Making a dinner reservation is expected. Above and beyond that, it is our policy to tip.

No you would not tip for a hotel concierge doing their job in Europe, unless they get us something very difficult (lunch with the queen maybe). We also do not tip out postmen or our dustmen.

I've been watching some terrible old films on youtube and there is an American one which talks about some sort of network of European concierges who can solve many problems, this might be a great example of cultural cross over.

Do Americans tip their dustmen and postmen at the major festival?

The term concierge is French and, in fact, the standards are set by a French organization (for hotel concierges, not building ones) to get the official certificate and gold key pins.

This nothing like a night desk clerk at any hotel. So no, in France, there is not just the one meaning for concierge as in an apt building, they have concierges in top hotels, also.

I rarely use them anywhere and when I have, it has been for trivial things (directions to bus stop, want to mail a letter, etc), so have never tipped one in any country, although I am rarely in a hotel that has one.

don't know what Europeans do re tipping

This is the international organization, it began in Cannes and its administrative offices are in Paris. They even have conventions.

http://www.lesclefsdor.org/

Their executive committee consists of the chief concierge at the Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris.

<Do Americans tip their dustmen and postmen at the major festival?>
First of all, a trophy for the term "the major festival", I am adopting it immediately. Who could possibly take offense? (Don't answer that.)

Postmen, yes. As government employees they can't accept cash, nor, I think, anything worth more than $20--is that right?

What's a dustman?

>>Do Americans tip their dustmen and postmen at the major festival?<<

It's not uncommon to give a letter carrier a small gift -- homemade cookies, etc., thought I don't think they expect it. I think cash is considered bad form, and might get the person in trouble for taking it.

Dustmen = trash collectors? If so, I never tip them, but I have heard of people giving them a case of beer, or something like that, if they've done a good job and not dented up the waste cans.

We give Christmas boxes (of money) to our dustmen and postmen, just as we do to our other domestic servants.

Downton Abbey lives!

I wonder if I am representative of fellow Europeans.

So actually my advice is meaningless unless there come hundreds of Europeans backing me.

However being well raised I'd say that 40 years ago my parents would tip the dustmen. I also tipped the firemen (well bought a calendar) until they asked for a crazy amount.

Now I don't buy any calendar don't tip anybody and don't allow Mormons or Jehovah witnesses in my house.
I don't even tip the cleaning lady anymore.

But again you just have my post - you don't have to believe me or you can think I am a scrounge.

I have not met a stupid candle for quite a long time.