Tipping Concierge?
 

We will be going on vacation next week to Sedona AZ and are staying at a place that has a concierge that has helped us make several tour and restaurants reservations throughout our planning. What is the appropriate tipping scale to show our appreciation and when should we give it to her? This is our first time using a concierge to help with this kind of thing and we really appreciate everything she did.

One site says:
Hotel Concierge
The tipping amount given to a hotel concierge for special services can vary. The tip amount depends on the difficulty of the task you've requested, but typically they should be tipped no less than $5 to $10 for making restaurant reservations or booking theatre tickets. (If the concierge can get you in to see a sold-out show, the tip might be generous indeed

Agree on a minimum of $5 to get reservationns or tickets - and considerably more if it's a place with a waiting list or tickets to something sold out.

I have tipped up to $300 - but for solving major problems (organizing a dinner for 25 in a private room at 3 hours notice - when an admin had made arrangements for the wrong night).

If the Concierge has already done several things for you I would start with $25 at a minimum - then work up depending on what else she does.

Thanks for the help! When should it be given to her? When we arrive or when we're ready to check out and have done everything she's arranged?

I do things when they happen - since you never know exactly when someone is on duty. If when you check in you have to get tickets or resie confirmations from her give the first amount then.

If you do other things pay as you go.

Remember that TIPS supposedly stands for "to insure proper service". If you tip on arrival for what has already been done, you are likely to get even better service for the tasks you request as you stay there.

"Remember that TIPS supposedly stands for "to insure proper service""

Actually, this is an urban legend and appears to have no basis in fact.

You tip concierge's after they provided a service.

That's why I clearly said "supposedly" -- yes, I know it is an urban legend, but in this case that expression would apply to the tipper's favor.

"concierge that has helped us make several tour and restaurants reservations throughout our planning"

I would tip for these services upon ARRIVAL and then tip as each additional, new service is performed. Better to oil the wheel before it squeaks!

Hope this helps...
Debi

My apologies if this is a dumb question, but suppose I just ask the concierge for a restaurant recommendation in the neighborhood, or a local map. This is usually a quick, easy question, so does this call for a tip?

A simple question or giving you a map should not neccessitate a tip. But from the experts:

&quot;More upscale hotels typically have a concierge who assists travelers during their stay, but some people don't realize they accept tips, and others &quot;wildly overtip,&quot; Walther says. <b>The National Concierge Association </b> recommends tipping anywhere from $5 to $20, more when the concierge does something extraordinary.

<u>If you're just asking for a recommendation on where to eat lunch, a tip probably isn't necessary</u>., Walther says, but if the concierge gets you theater tickets and a table at a top restaurant after the show, $20 to $30 might not be inappropriate.

Walter Sanders, of Diners Club International, agrees.

&quot;If a concierge could get me tickets to 'The Producers,' I would consider that miraculous. You're talking about a very generous tip there,&quot; he says.

Hope this helps...
Debi

Re: &quot;to insure prompt services&quot; = TIPS

I just remembered a scene on tv from &quot;Third Rock from the Sun&quot; where Harry goes into a restaurant with a stack of $1 bills [forty of them I think] and explains that this is the waiters' tip -- BUT everytime the waiter does something wrong...Harry takes away a dollar bill. The waiter, of course, displeases Harry and soon loses dollar after dollar wwhich only frazzles the waiter which causes him to lose more dollar bills. It was hilarious!

I often think that he had the right idea!

Debi

Debi, if you don't mind another concierge question: Although we rarely take advantage of their services, I had the occasion to do so a few years ago. Prior to arriving at the hotel, I had called the front desk to ask a few questions, and the next thing I knew I was being transferred to the concierge desk and a very nice woman offered to book two tours for me. So this was done prior to our arrival. Once there, it turned out the person I had dealt with was off that week. Since we had limited experience in this area, we weren't sure what to do. Had she been there, I would have tipped her, but since I had a bad experience in the past with a tip not reaching the right person, I didn't leave anything. I guess that was probably not the right thing in retrospect, but how should that have been handled? I should mention that we told the manager how helpful she had been to us.

Judy,

An interesting situation. It was professional of the concierge not to mention to you that she would not be there at the time of your stay...that would have seemed tacky -- so she handled it well.

Telling the manager of her good services was a nice thing to do and may have been noted in her personnel folder which would have benefited her at some point.

I guess what I might have done was asked for the concierge's name -- full name-- and then wrote her a check for a gratuity and left it in an envelope with the manager. {I would not have left cash, sorry but it's my suspicious nature of to think cash might never have gotten to her.}

Remember, this one is just my opinion only.
Debi

&quot;yes, I know it is an urban legend, but in this case that expression would apply to the tipper's favor.&quot;

My point is that it's nonsensical and isn't consistent with how people are tipped in America.

Mike, now I'm really confused. I didn't realize this was going to be such a big issue.

My innocent attempt to help was to suggest that the poster tip upon arrival for the services already rendered (and I don't think that's out of touch with reality -- many people do that). And because there is this logical (at least to me) reason to do that, then the concierge will realize that this person is likely to tip well for the future services rendered and will go out of his way to provide even better service than he might otherwise. If he doesn't tip on arrival, the concierge has every reason to suspect that this person won't tip at all or will tip very poorly as many other people do with a concierge.

I'm sorry if using that old &quot;To insure prompt service&quot; is throwing you. It is not unlike using that adage when tipping upon arrival at a hotel to get a better room or tipping the maitre'd at a nice restaurant or nightclub. It may not be the way it is done anymore, but it really does work (especially in Vegas) and here was one place where it not only will work, but just seems fair at the same time. As others have said, your concierge may not even be there when you leave. Why not make your presence known on arrival and properly thank (tip) him for the work he has already done for you?

Neo...I think you have it right. It makes sense to me...no matter what TIPS stands for or where it originated.

Debi