Attaching Candy Bar to Tip- yes or no?

[namowal]

I've been told some people attach a candy bar to the cabin steward's cash tip. 
I also hear two opinions about the practice:

1.  It's a fun gesture (provided the actual tip is generous- a big Milky Way bar is no replacement for cash)
2. Don't do it!   It's condescending (they're capable of getting their own candy) and/or weird (you don't throw in a Hershey bar when you tip, say, the cab driver or the person who cuts your hair.)
   
   Do anyone do this?  Unless I hear otherwise I'm leaning on the just leaving a cash tip, but maybe I'm being too cynical?  

[clo]

I'm a newbie but I thought that gratuities were automatically added to one's bill.  No?

[Philob]

Just leave the cash and a write a nice review for the steward.

[donaldsc]

7 minutes ago, namowal said:

I've been told some people attach a candy bar to the cabin steward's cash tip. 
I also hear two opinions about the practice:

1.  It's a fun gesture (provided the actual tip is generous- a big Milky Way bar is no replacement for cash)
2. Don't do it!   It's condescending (they're capable of getting their own candy) and/or weird (you don't throw in a Hershey bar when you tip, say, the cab driver or the person who cuts your hair.)
   
   Do anyone do this?  Unless I hear otherwise I'm leaning on the just leaving a cash tip, but maybe I'm being too cynical?  

 

If you were working at a place where you depended upon  tips for your wage and you received a proper tip, what would you think if someone also gave you a candy bar.  I suspect that you would be insulted.

 

DON

[mom says]

I'll take #2. If you want to tip someone with cash over and above the autograts, then by all means do so. But candy bars? These are grown men and women, not children.

 

Using the comment cards to compliment the person's service will be much more valuable than a Snickers bar.

Edited October 28, 2019 by mom says

[clo]

Just now, mom says said:

I'll take #2. If you want to tip someone with cash over and above the autograts, then by all means do so. But candy bars? These are grown men and women, not children.

Agree.  A hand-written note of thanks, IMO, would be more appreciated.

[ilikeanswers]

If you don't know a person giving food is not a great idea. You don't know if that person has allergies or food related health issues (eg diabetes) or plain doesn't like that food. I once knew a girl who hated chocolate and for her birthday everyone would chip in for a box of really nice chocolates. She would spend the rest of the day giving them away one by one insisting each of us should take one😆. 

Edited October 28, 2019 by ilikeanswers

[ReneeFLL]

3 hours ago, clo said:

I'm a newbie but I thought that gratuities were automatically added to one's bill.  No?

You're a newbie with over 4,000 posts?

 

To the op. I would give an extra tip if you want to, but I would also leave a nice note for them. It would also mean more to them if you made positive comments about them in the post survey and any comment cards you are given.

[WatchHill]

A nice written review and $$. Never a candy bar, IMO, it's insulting.  The person who receives the candy might have allergies, not like candy or be on a restrictive diet. 

 

Darcy

[Sif]

An extra tip sounds great, a candy bar not so much. Looking back on my days in the food service industry, I think if I got a candy bar with a tip I'd think "Uh, thanks. I'm an adult by the way." I probably wouldn't even eat it because to be honest, if someone is weird enough to tip me with a candy bar, they might be weird enough to have tampered with it. Probably paranoid, but that's just me.

 

The best "extra" tip that you can give aside from cash is a 5-star review.

[DirtyDawg]

38 minutes ago, Sif said:

The best "extra" tip that you can give aside from cash is a 5-star review.

 

A review - NOT this 5-star

 

Edited October 28, 2019 by DirtyDawg

[CruiserBruce]

#2. A tip, maybe a personal thank you, AND, most importantly, make sure they are mentioned in any reviews or comments their boss might see. That is VERY important to the crew member.

[spookwife]

when I sail over holidays, I always bring an assortment of  homemade chocolates and hard candy.  I leave them on the desk with a note that  offers them up to the steward with our compliments.   sometimes they  will take a piece or two, sometimes they don't.   the last night I pass what's left around in the Lounge.

 

the only way I'd give candy or any edible something to a specific individual is if I had established a rapport with them from prior cruses and knew what their favorites were.  

[Krazy Kruizers]

We do not remove the gratuities (hotel service charge on HAL) so that anyone whom we choose to give extra cash to can keep that money.

 

I would not attach any kind of candy bar to anyone's tip as their religion may not allow them to eat candy.

[iancal]

Forget the extras.  Go with cash only.   

 

Would you leave a candy bar for the waiter at a restaurant at home.

[ldubs]

I wouldn't add a candy bar and it has nothing to do with religion.  It just is not very elegant or tasteful (no pun intended). 

[pacruise804]

13 hours ago, clo said:

I'm a newbie but I thought that gratuities were automatically added to one's bill.  No?

Most lines have auto gratuities/daily service charges which are added (or prepaid) to your cruise.  Most people tip extra for room service delivery (not part of the tipping pool) and some tip extra for bar service or exceptional cabin service/dinner service.

 

3 hours ago, spookwife said:

when I sail over holidays, I always bring an assortment of  homemade chocolates and hard candy.  I leave them on the desk with a note that  offers them up to the steward with our compliments.   sometimes they  will take a piece or two, sometimes they don't.   the last night I pass what's left around in the Lounge.

 

the only way I'd give candy or any edible something to a specific individual is if I had established a rapport with them from prior cruses and knew what their favorites were.  

How are you able to brink homemade foods?  I thought any food brought on the ship had to be in factory sealed packages.

 

I have brought wrapped miniatures/snack size m&m's and wrapped peppermints for cabin consumption (sometimes you don't want a heavy dessert).  I keep them in dishes on the vanity and let the steward know to help him/herself or share with other staff if it is something they are interested in.  I don't know if any is taken or not, but it is offered as a gift - not a tip.

 

In December my husband and his coworkers gather at a local bar for a lunch meal and stay for a happy hour.  I come after the team lunch and bring homemade saltine candy and rice krispy treats to share.  We have offered our servers/bar tenders and it is well received.  This is always separate from the tip and just a way to share holiday cheer.

[Tapi]

Ok I’m going to differ. Like many, I worked for tips in my younger years. Patrons would mostly tip me In cash, but once in a while someone would leave me something odd, like chick-fil-a free sandwich coupons, and yes, even candy bars. I always got a kick out of these out of the ordinary extra tips as long as they were not  in lieu of, or a replacement for my tip. 

Now, as an Airline Pilot, I obviously don’t work for tips anymore, but I still get the occasional passenger who brings candy or cookies for the crew. And even though most of the time I don’t eat what they bring, it’s greatly appreciated, and it tells me that they care, even if all they did was stop at the store by the gate right before boarding the flight. These days, when so many passengers just walk right by me and off the airplane without even smiling or saying thank you, little tokens of appreciation like that sometimes make my entire day!
 

So to the OP: YES! Attach that candy bar to the cash tip! Don’t short change them and make the candy bar THE tip, but as long as they are tipped according to the service provided, I believe that the candy bar on top of the tip will put a smile on their face. Even if they don’t eat candy, they’ll probably find someone who does! 
 

 

Edited October 28, 2019 by Tapi

[LoisGriffin1]

If you know what they like then go for it but don’t purchase a random candy bar. 
 

I tip and also complete the forms telling their managers about great service. It goes towards promotion opportunities and extra time off the ship. That’s worth so much more than candy.

[sanger727]

I vote no on the candy bar. I get what Tapi is saying. I'm also in a field that has a customer service aspect where we aren't allowed to accept anything monetary. And people do bring in cookies/cakes/etc for us from time to time. It's a nice gesture. But what's really good about it is they bring it in to the communal area where anyone who would like one can take one. But no on feels obligated to take one or give it away. There was actually and incident a couple years ago where our longest lasting employee was retiring. A community member brought him in a very large and nice box of chocolates as a gift on his last day.  He has diabetes.  So he spent the rest of his last day giving away all these chocolates and couldn't enjoy any of them. A card would probably have been more appreciated.  I like the idea of having candies or whatever with a general "if you like one help yourself". But not as included in the tip.

Edited October 28, 2019 by sanger727

[TNcruising02]

No, I would not add a candy bar to someone's tip.  I would also not add trinkets or misc items.  I don't go to a restaurant and leave candy for the person who serves my food.  I am not sure why anyone feels the need to leave anything other than cash, which is what everyone can use.

[slidergirl]

I had a guest who felt it was special and totally appropriate to tip with kitchen magnets from his home town (Annapolis, MD)!!!  Stupid and insulting.  When a bellman only receives $5/hr in a tipped position, he can't use that magnet to pay for food.  I was tipped with a lovely red lobster with "Annapolis" across it's belly.  Our back office trash can became very "magnetic" during his stay...

 

I'm in the "don't leave anything other than cash and a 'well done' comment card.   However, if you can't help yourself and have to leave candy, PLEASE check to see if what you want to leave is Halal.  It used to be that Hershey bars were Halal, but you now have to check to see if they still use Vanillin (OK) or you got a batch that has new natural Vanilla (NOT OK).  Hershey Kisses are OK, M&Ms are OK (from what I remember).   Go to a website where you can check if a product is Halal or not.  At least that way, those employees who are observant Muslims could eat the candy if they wanted to.   Kind of like if you knew there were employees who were observant Jews, you'd want to make sure the candy you gift is Kosher. 

(I learned about the Hershey bar when buying supplies for nightly s'mores at work - we also had Kosher marshmallows)

[2wheelin]

First, lets assume the tips have been left in place or tip has been given. On top of that, comparing whether you would leave a restaurant worker something is ridiculous. They have access to the corner drug store to purchase whatever they need/want which a cruise employee does not. I would much rather get a little treat than a note which BTW only serves to make the giver feel better (superior). Comment cards excepted. 

If they don’t want to keep the treat, they can always share.

[Elaine5715]

I would go so far to say that no American cheap candy milk chocolate type bar be given to any non US crew member used to better quality and dark chocolate treats.   

[jocap]

Yes. We got to know some crew really well on 2 cruises, and were told that a small gift, especially of sweets/chocolate, made them feel wanted. Two of them had never received such a gift, even on Christmas Day; I was there when one of them was given chocolate after that conversation, and the person was so moved, that I've always given something since then.