Tipping Protocol On Shore Excursions

[Elaine5715]

5 hours ago, wowzz said:

They mave have tipping cultures, but tips would not be at the US level. 

 

Many countries have a mandatory service charge while sneering at the idea of tipping

[Elaine5715]

6 hours ago, wowzz said:

As a result of increased American tourists, and their insistence on introducing their tipping culture, regardless of local norms. 

You are welcome

[BirdTravels]

14 hours ago, sverigecruiser said:

If the guide also own the company I really see no reason to tip.   

Why does it matter if the guide owns the company? A proper gratuity is expected on all shore excursions

[cruisemom42]

8 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

Why does it matter if the guide owns the company? A proper gratuity is expected on all shore excursions

 

Etiquette rules for tipping business owners:

 

What Is a Tip Credit? (bizfluent.com)

[wowzz]

57 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

A proper gratuity is expected on all shore excursions

Says who ?

[wowzz]

1 hour ago, Elaine5715 said:

Many countries have a mandatory service charge while sneering at the idea of tipping

Examples please.

[Elaine5715]

6 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Examples please.

 

6 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

When added by the establishment, the service fee is likely more than 10%.  It seems the common suggestion is 10% to 15%.  I'm OK leaving 10% but probably would not have them remove a service fee to accomplish that.

 

What I honestly don't understand are the number of Brits I encounter who complain about tipping in American restaurants.  

 

5 hours ago, LHT28 said:

but  do check if the service charge (tip) has been added  to the bill 

Some places in the UK  add that it should be noted on the menu usually at the bottom

 

[wowzz]

4 minutes ago, Elaine5715 said:

 

 

 

You do know that you have not posted anything, other than previous quotes? 

[Sailing12Away]

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

Examples please.

Not sure if it was sneered at per se, but in May we were in London eating at Dishoon (https://www.dishoom.com/covent-garden/). At the end of the meal we wanted to add on a tip, but they wouldn't let us. 

 

"Oh, thank you that's so kind, but you're already charged the sitting fee so no need."

[navybankerteacher]

2 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Why does it matter if the guide owns the company? A proper gratuity is expected on all shore excursions

The properness of a gratuity is not an absolute.  An employee of someone you hire is utterly different from an individual in business for himself who you hire. If the guide is self-employed, the fee he quotes is all his - and should reasonably be seen as fully adequate.  If you hire a firm, the guide they assign might reasonably be seen as deserving of a gratuity reflective of the effort he devoted to making your experience better than the bare minimum.

[lenquixote66]

23 hours ago, Traveling Fools said:

What is the tipping protocol for shore excursions booked directly with the provider.  Example, You book a tour directly with tour operator who also is the sole owner and guide.  The agreement is you pay cash directly to the provider/owner/guide for the tour.  Is an additional tip expected or warranted?  just wondering

I always tip. It is similiar to tipping the owner of a Barber shop for cutting your hair.

[Elaine5715]

2 hours ago, wowzz said:

You do know that you have not posted anything, other than previous quotes? 

I answered your question

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, Sailing12Away said:

Not sure if it was sneered at per se, but in May we were in London eating at Dishoon (https://www.dishoom.com/covent-garden/). At the end of the meal we wanted to add on a tip, but they wouldn't let us. 

 

"Oh, thank you that's so kind, but you're already charged the sitting fee so no need."

Did you noticed  on the menu?

 

"An optional service charge of 12.5% will be added to your bill. Every penny of this is shared between the team in this restaurant. (Service charge is entirely optional. If you feel the service is in any way lacking, you need only ask, and the charge will be removed.)"

[navybankerteacher]

36 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

I always tip. It is similiar to tipping the owner of a Barber shop for cutting your hair.

If you “always tip” then, of course, you always tip. But an employee of a barber has a different relationship with a person who is getting a haircut than has the barber himself. 

[lenquixote66]

1 minute ago, navybankerteacher said:

If you “always tip” then, of course, you always tip. But an employee of a barber has a different relationship with a person who is getting a haircut than has the barber himself. 

If you have a service rendered by the owner of an establishment and tip that person to me it is the same as tipping an owner of a tour service.

[ldubs]

9 hours ago, LHT28 said:

but  do check if the service charge (tip) has been added  to the bill 

Some places in the UK  add that it should be noted on the menu usually at the bottom

 

Thanks for the heads up.  I've seen that too.  

[Traveling Fools]

11 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Why does it matter if the guide owns the company? A proper gratuity is expected on all shore excursions

 

Once again, BirdTravels I respectfully disagree.  There are countries where tips are not customary, expected, have already been included in the tariff, or are even considered offensive. 

 

9 hours ago, Sailing12Away said:

Not sure if it was sneered at per se, but in May we were in London eating at Dishoon (https://www.dishoom.com/covent-garden/). At the end of the meal we wanted to add on a tip, but they wouldn't let us. 

 

"Oh, thank you that's so kind, but you're already charged the sitting fee so no need."

 

An excellent example.  In many European countries tips (AKA: service charge) is included in the price you pay.  However, in those countries and if you are paying in cash, it is customary to leave any SMALL coinage change. (The Euro has 1 and 2 Euro coins) And, in the United States tipping service are increasingly becoming common, as are tipping amount guidance printed at the bottom of your bill, or displayed on the tablet used to place and pay for your order.  The reason for this is to minimize incidents of service employees to whom tips constitute the bulk of their salary from being stiffed by cheap Charlies, travelers from countries where tipping is not customary or expected, or senior+ citizens who aren't in tune with current tipping protocols (For example my deceased stepfather.   He always insisted on leaving the tip, but was stuck on the old 10% norm long after 15% became the norm.  DW or I always secretly made the adjustment.)

 

7 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

If you “always tip” then, of course, you always tip. But an employee of a barber has a different relationship with a person who is getting a haircut than has the barber himself. 

 

Exactly!

[wowzz]

42 minutes ago, Traveling Fools said:

However, in those countries and if you are paying in cash, it is customary to leave any SMALL coinage change.

Hmm - a bit of a generalisation.  The Spaniards I knew from our time actually living in Spain, would pick up every coin, down to the last cent !

[Sailing12Away]

9 hours ago, LHT28 said:

Did you noticed  on the menu?

 

"An optional service charge of 12.5% will be added to your bill. Every penny of this is shared between the team in this restaurant. (Service charge is entirely optional. If you feel the service is in any way lacking, you need only ask, and the charge will be removed.)"

Didn't notice, nor were we given a choice. Card was being scanned, and usually they hand the machine back to you to choose US$ or local currency and can add extra at that point. They just handed back my card, all done. That's when the conversation happened, a wee bit too late if we did want to remove the charge that we didn't realize was already added in the first place.

 

Generally speaking, when we're in the UK we just 'round up'. So if the bill was 42.32, we'll tell them to charge it at 45. It's not an egregious amount, but the little bit seems to make nearly everyone smile a bit wider. When paying cash, as someone already said we leave behind the coins, including the 1-2 dollar ones.

[Elaine5715]

13 hours ago, wowzz said:

You do know that you have not posted anything, other than previous quotes? 

 

12 hours ago, Sailing12Away said:

Not sure if it was sneered at per se, but in May we were in London eating at Dishoon (https://www.dishoom.com/covent-garden/). At the end of the meal we wanted to add on a tip, but they wouldn't let us. 

 

"Oh, thank you that's so kind, but you're already charged the sitting fee so no need."

 

11 hours ago, LHT28 said:

Did you noticed  on the menu?

 

"An optional service charge of 12.5% will be added to your bill. Every penny of this is shared between the team in this restaurant. (Service charge is entirely optional. If you feel the service is in any way lacking, you need only ask, and the charge will be removed.)"

 

2 hours ago, Traveling Fools said:

 

Once again, BirdTravels I respectfully disagree.  There are countries where tips are not customary, expected, have already been included in the tariff, or are even considered offensive. 

 

 

An excellent example.  In many European countries tips (AKA: service charge) is included in the price you pay.  However, in those countries and if you are paying in cash, it is customary to leave any SMALL coinage change. (The Euro has 1 and 2 Euro coins) And, in the United States tipping service are increasingly becoming common, as are tipping amount guidance printed at the bottom of your bill, or displayed on the tablet used to place and pay for your order.  The reason for this is to minimize incidents of service employees to whom tips constitute the bulk of their salary from being stiffed by cheap Charlies, travelers from countries where tipping is not customary or expected, or senior+ citizens who aren't in tune with current tipping protocols (For example my deceased stepfather.   He always insisted on leaving the tip, but was stuck on the old 10% norm long after 15% became the norm.  DW or I always secretly made the adjustment.)

 

 

Exactly!

Three more examples

[wowzz]

19 minutes ago, Elaine5715 said:

Three more examples

Examples of what ?

[ilikeanswers]

On 11/2/2022 at 11:09 PM, Traveling Fools said:

I know in LBC (life before cruisers) tipping was not customary in the Social Islands. BUT, the influx of hundred of thousands cruise ship passengers as distorted that customs.  I doubt locals tip, but it has become increasingly more expected from foreigners. 

 

I still follow the local tipping customs no matter what is expected/hoped of foreign tourists and when I visited French Polynesia I did what the locals do which was not to tip and no one batted an eye. The prices are already high, they have covered all their costs and factored in profits, not to mention most of the tour companies are family run businesses or sole traders so they are practically owner operated. Tipping in countries where it is not the norm just jacks up prices and can cause discrimination against local patrons. There is really no reason to tip where tipping is not the norm.