Cole2006

I do not compare the man who mowed the grass with the hotel maid.

If the maid got stuck with "one-nighters" all the time there never would be a tip left in the room.

I find it better to dig into my pocket than try to defend a theory of stiffing the staff. Just my opinion.

Neopolitan

Well, then I certainly hope you don't defend the idea of stiffing all waiters in restaurants "even in the US". I'm still appalled at that idea.

Cole2006

No, N. I was stunned by the notion of stiffing the waiters.

I enjoy my travel more if I take care of the service people according to tipping rules.

There are times I have been disgusted with tipping practices. For example, bus tour guides, boat tour guides telling the passengers that a tip is expected and demanded. I was probably going to tip anyway. I don't need to be ordered to tip.

Why does the bloke working at the snack counter in an airport have a tip kitty out in full view? He expects a tip for handing you a bag of chips and soft drink? This disgusts me.

But I do tip the housekeeping, taxi drivers, waiters, valet...the normal people I don't mind tipping.

kismetchimera

When I am in the US I tip the waiters quite well because I know that they are not paid enough by the restaurants' owners.

At the other hand, when I travel to Europe I am not that generous although that I tip the waiters, taxi drivers, the valet etc..,

However, I dont tip the hotel maid, as a matter of fact, I never thought about it unless I stayed at a small pension and had the chance to speak with her and see her daily..Then is more personal and I dont mind to give her a nice tip when I leave.

BTilke

Milan is one of the most expensive cities in Europe. I can't imagine that chambermaids are truly earning a "living wage" for that town. At any rate, I always tip chambermaids...usually in the 2€ per day range, leaving it daily in the room with a short note saying "for housekeeping" or "for you" with "thank you" written underneath.

What I don't understand are some people who refuse to tip the maids but who DO tip the bellboy who brings their suitcases to their room. Why a guy who puts your suitcase on a cart, takes an elevator up to your room, drops off the suitcase and leaves somehow manages to earn a tip while the woman who cleans your toilet gets nothing is beyond me. I know plenty of businessmen who follow this practice.

mari5

I've often wondered if the wrong person gets the tip one leaves in a hotel room...when the housekeeping person there THAT day was not the one who cleaned the room the day before.(and should get it) We often just stay one night.,,,,(and I'm ashamed to say we tip most other service people, but have some questions about the housekeeping people!)
Waiters in Europe make a profession out of waiting tables, are very proud, and are very well paid a salary. Europeans don't tip much, but do "round off the bill".
Different in the U.S....we usually do the 20% in restaurants, unless the service was quite bad. (or if the waitperson takes our bill and payment and says "Did you want change"?,,,instead of "I'll be right back with your change"." (Just a little Quirk we have &gt)
Well, as with some other discussions, tipping questions can also open up a big "can of worms".

Xander

I wasn’t planning on returning to this subject since I seem to have stirred up issues that I didn’t intend to do; however, I feel a need to clarify a point or two. I promise that this will be my last comment in this area; and, unlike some, who say that this is their last word and then go on and on, I will keep my promise.

I said that “I never tip a waiter for ordinary service even in the US especially because most of them act as though you owe them a tip”. I didn’t say that I ‘stiffed’ waiters routinely; if I receive exceptional service from a US waiter, I leave exceptional tips; if I receive mediocre to average service, I leave them nothing, and hope they learn from the experience. Most of the time, my partner, who is embarrassed by my judgmental qualities (this should give some people the opportunities to make some typically snide comments), leaves them a tip after I’ve left the table. All of you people who don’t believe in tipping chamber maids really don’t have any room to comment here.

As for how long I have been posting, you don’t have to post to read posts. I have only come across one person who is consistently rude; he was banned under his original name because of his insulting comments and now posts under another one. I admit that I used to post under another name, and I had issues with this person, I now use this name because it is as close to my real name as I could find.

The idea that I was trying to get across (and clearly not doing it well) was that I don’t understand people refusing to tip those who do work that they probably would refuse to do themselves and then justifying it by saying that these people make a living wage and don’t deserve more.

The thing that prompted my original search was what to do about the concierge who makes reservations and acquires tickets that, honestly, I’m too lazy to do on vacation. I wondered what was appropriate and whether to tip each time or only at the end; thankfully, all of you grinches who believe people don’t deserve recognition for doing their jobs well, will make this a really happy time for some service people in Italy.

Neopolitan

My apologies for misunderstanding your other post then. For some reason I thought that when you said "I never tip a waiter for ordinary service even in the US especially because most of them act as though you owe them a tip”, that that meant you never tip a waiter for ordinary service even in the US. I guess I was wrong. Sometimes we tend to read what was written rather than what was meant to be written. It's still totally unclear to me, but so long as you understand what you meant.

And the part that really didn't make sense to me was that while you talk about tipping those who only make minimum wage, you seem to have no qualms at all about NOT tipping those who clearly make only a fraction of minimum wage. That's the part that I really didn't get and frankly still don't. To suggest that people SHOULD tip service people who make a minimum wage, but then not tip for people who make even less because tipping is not only suggested but even taxed by our government for income when it is only implied, is more than I can figure out as being OK.

BowenLinda

I always tip the cleaning staff. Why? Two words: bodily fluids. I have a friend who has worked in both motels and hotels, and the stories she has told me are, uh, interesting regarding the state of guest's rooms.

ira

>if I receive mediocre to average service, I leave them nothing,<

Hmmm, mediocre and average are pracically synonymous.

In the US waiters are paid less than minimum wage. They work for tips. That is why people leave 15% or so for average service and more for above average.

In most of Europe, waiters are paid more than in the US.

The 15% Service Charge goes to pay the staff.

A Tip is something that you leave for above average service.

You give a concierge a tip for doing something extra, eg, tickets to a sold out show or reservations at a well-known restaurant that you couldn't get yourself.

You give a waiter a tip for suggesting wines that are better complements to the food, and cheaper, than the ones you might have chosen.

You tip the chambermaids for picking your dirty towels up from the floor and cleaning out the tub that you didn't rinse.

You tip cab drivers for not taking the long way around.

You tip the pilot for a safe landing in rough weather.

olive_oil

Ira,

tip the pilot? Is that to make up for their loss of pension plans?

Olive Oil

kismetchimera

Shall we start a collection for the poor underpaid pilots?