Tipping the hotel van driver

[A-300F4-622R]

I hope they do realize that all Piedmont pilots are cheap - cheap meaning we're earning low wages and can't afford the $336 in tips per year.


In my opinion, per diem is for food expenses that are higher than what they'd normally be when cooking your own homemade meal at home, not for tipping.



There is nothing worse than hearing that trademark dollar bill crackle sound when a pilot pulls it out of his wallet to tip a van driver, no matter how crappy the van service. I give them a "thank you and have a nice day" - that's my tip.

So why did you take the job if you knew the pay was so poor? Surely UND told you that you wouldn't be able to afford to tip the van driver didn't they?

 

[JaceTheAce]

So why did you take the job if you knew the pay was so poor? Surely UND told you that you wouldn't be able to afford to tip the van driver didn't they?

No, actually, I thought I'd be making $200,000 year with 20 days off!!!

 

[Nick]

I really have to agree with A-300 and others on this one, and I'd say that most people I fly with would also agree Jace, that per diem is meant to include tips to van drivers as it is an expense of being on the road on a normal 2-4 day trip.

You say you expect your employer to pay for the tips. Fair enough -- but how?

 

[AngelFuree]

I didn't say they were entitled to anything. I said you're a jerk for not tipping. Not the same thing.

...and I think anyone who tips for appearance, so that others don't think that they're jerks, is a little bit sad.

 

[Bigey]

I am thoroughly amazed by some of the attitudes on this board.

Continue to keep up the great work! The mentality of "i dont get it so they shouldnt get it" is about as asinine as it comes. You wanted to be treated like a professional? Maybe you should start acting like it in all aspects.

 

[AngelFuree]

It's not the act itself you're tipping for, it's the courtesy of the act.

So you're really telling me the one of two ways you'll tip the driver is IF they have to wait for you for a LONG TIME AND SHOW GOOD ATTITUDE?

If they show a bad attitude towards our crew, I will not tip them. Tips aren't required. It seems you're still confused about that. My criteria for tipping is far different from yours.

Comon...i'll let you slide with the non-tipping of pizza drivers, but it seems that every person has to go beyond reasonable means to get a buck from you...

What's wrong with expecting better service as a criteria for tipping?

Would you not give a buck or two to your wife, gf, sister, mom, daughter, grandfather who showed politeness to you and tried to be on time? Didnt think so...

Are you suggesting I tip my relatives?

Does your employer give you per diem?

Per diem is usually in place to compensate for the added expense of having to eat out, more specifically the higher prices encountered in airports/hotels. It's not meant for tipping your drivers. (I guess some companies provide a tipping allowance, but not all)

 

[derg]

If you load my bag, I'll tip. Now, if you're one of the ATL Airport-Area hotel shuttles where you'll pull up to the ground transportation area, I have to load my own bags and then you'll silently sit in your seat as I unload my own bags at the hotel, nope.

 

[AngelFuree]

Many times it is NOT, their job. Many hotels make the maintenance man, security guard, or the desk clerk go get you.

May not be the case, and I'm sorry for them, but I have nothing to do with that. They can complain to their mgmt for assigning them duties outside the scope of their job position.

 

[AngelFuree]

I am thoroughly amazed by some of the attitudes on this board.

Continue to keep up the great work! The mentality of "i dont get it so they shouldnt get it" is about as asinine as it comes. You wanted to be treated like a professional? Maybe you should start acting like it in all aspects.

Your relation of professionalism to someone's tipping criteria is about as asinine as it can get.

 

[Bigey]

If they show a bad attitude towards our crew, I will not tip them. Tips aren't required. It seems you're still confused about that. My criteria for tipping is far different from yours.

I'm not confused. You seem to keep confusing my words however. I'm not saying to tip if they have bad attitude. According to their job title, their job is safely transport you from one point to another. Not to give any sort of customer service. If they do, that's above their duties. If they're nice and courteous, throw them a dollar.

What's wrong with expecting better service as a criteria for tipping?

The service of driving you is complete, what they do beyond that is extra/optional. It should be tipped accordingly. If they're nice and courteous, throw them a tip. If they take you somewhere outside of the norm, throw them another tip. But by asking them to be waiting on your beck and call so you can throw them a dollar, come on, be reasonable.

you suggesting I tip my relatives?

I'm suggesting put the idea of how'd you feel if a relative of yours was in the same position, wouldnt you want them to tip them?

Per diem is usually in place to compensate for the added expense of having to eat out, more specifically the higher prices encountered in airports/hotels. It's not meant for tipping your drivers. (I guess some companies provide a tipping allowance, but not all)

Is there written rules in your contract about how to allocate your per diem? I'm sure pilots are in a trusted position, enough to know when giving a tip is suggested. Maybe if people dont bank on per diem as extra income then it wouldnt be a concern so much of tipping....

 

[Bumblebee]

TIPS:
To
Insure
Prompt (not for making me wait at the airport while the driver does not meet the obligations her employer set for her)
Service (Yes thanks for grabbing my bag, I appreciate your SERVICE)

from an artcle on tipping...

Reward-Tipping
This is the most common form of tipping and the most significant in terms of the
monetary amounts involved. In this form of tipping, the worker provides the service and
then the consumer determines how much to tip him. Tipping of waiters, taxi drivers and
barbers, in addition to many others, belongs to this group. The economic justification for
reward-tipping is that it improves service quality. It can do so as long as the tips are
positively correlated with service quality.​

to be fair here is some more, but I think for drivers, the first applies

Price-Tipping​

In this sort of tipping the tip is also given after the service is provided, as in rewardtipping.
In some cases the borderline between the two categories is not clear, but the idea
behind price tipping is that tips are in fact the price of the service, not an incentive to
provide better service. Tipping hotel bellman or airline skycap for carrying the luggage,
or a doorman for stopping a taxi, belong to this group. Taking the example of the
bellman, often the customary amount is specified as a certain price per bag. The service is
quite homogeneous, and therefore it is not likely that the reason for tipping is to ensure
service quality. After all, the bellman just brings bags from point A to point B. The tip is
given to the bellman as the price of his services, not to induce him to provide higher
quality of service.​

 

[Bigey]

Your relation of professionalism to someone's tipping criteria is about as asinine as it can get.

Really? I think the suggestion behind your lack of tipping stands perfectly clear. A professional will address the issue of not tipping because of a personal matter or a rational explanation (i.e. not having the money). The immaturity of not tipping because "i dont" shows how unprofessional some can be.

 

[AngelFuree]

I'm not confused. You seem to keep confusing my words however. I'm not saying to tip if they have bad attitude. According to their job title, their job is safely transport you from one point to another. Not to give any sort of customer service. If they do, that's above their duties. If they're nice and courteous, throw them a dollar.

I agree.

The service of driving you is complete, what they do beyond that is extra/optional. It should be tipped accordingly. If they're nice and courteous, throw them a tip. If they take you somewhere outside of the norm, throw them another tip.

But by asking them to be waiting on your beck and call so you can throw them a dollar, come on, be reasonable.

I didn't say that. Go back and read.

I'm suggesting put the idea of how'd you feel if a relative of yours was in the same position, wouldnt you want them to tip them?

No, I would hope that if my old grandfather was driving a hotel van people would load their own bags.

 

[Bigey]

I agree.

Glad we're finding some middle way.

I'll only tip the drivers when they're really nice and drive me to a nearby restaurant - OR - they've been waiting for our crew for a long time outside AND they manage to show good attitude.

No, I would hope that if my old grandfather was driving a hotel van people would load their own bags.

Agreed, but would you not hope he still get a tip?

 

[AngelFuree]

Really? I think the suggestion behind your lack of tipping stands perfectly clear. A professional will address the issue of not tipping because of a personal matter or a rational explanation (i.e. not having the money). The immaturity of not tipping because "i dont" shows how unprofessional some can be.

My not tipping doesn't require some petty justification (e.g. I don't have money, I don't carry cash). I think it's silly that you suggest a professional should have such justification for not tipping rather than having a valid reason to not tip based on lack of satisfaction in service and I especially think it's silly that you define maturity based on tipping criteria.

 

[AngelFuree]

Really?

Yes, really. Read it again. I wrote it.

I've tipped drivers before when they've been waiting outside the airport for a long time AND they show a neutral/good attitude.

I have NOT tipped drivers before when they've been waiting outside the airport for a long time AND they have shown a moody/bitchy personality to our crew.

Make sense?

Regardless, it's their duty to wait outside for the crew. I'm not obligated to tip them for doing that, but I do appreciate it and have thanked the nice ones with a couple of bucks.

 

[Bigey]

My not tipping doesn't require some petty justification (e.g. I don't have money, I don't carry cash). I think it's silly that you suggest a professional should have such justification for not tipping rather than having a valid reason to not tip based on lack of satisfaction in service and I especially think it's silly that you define maturity based on tipping criteria.

What do you suggest to those that literally cant afford to tip (1st year FO)? That's a legitimate reason I think...If it's based off of lack of service, like i said, it's justified.

And how do you find it silly? As people mature we learn when certain behavior is appropriate or inappropriate, agreed? I find it inappropriate not to tip when the action calls for it (above and beyond the norm of the job).

 

[AngelFuree]

What do you suggest to those that literally cant afford to tip (1st year FO)? That's a legitimate reason I think...If it's based off of lack of service, like i said, it's justified.

And how do you find it silly? As people mature we learn when certain behavior is appropriate or inappropriate, agreed? I find it inappropriate not to tip when the action calls for it (above and beyond the norm of the job).

The lack of tipping should never need to be justified. Again, it's optional.

By you saying so, you're suggesting that not tipping DOES require justification. Why would it require justification? So that your peers don't think you're a cheapskate/jerk?

 

[Bigey]

Yes, really. Read it again. I wrote it.

I've tipped drivers before when they've been waiting outside the airport for a long time AND they show a neutral/good attitude.

I have NOT tipped drivers before when they've been waiting outside the airport for a long time AND they have shown a moody/bitchy personality to our crew.

Make sense?

Regardless, it's their duty to wait outside for the crew. I'm not obligated to tip them for doing that, but I do appreciate it and have thanked the nice ones with a couple of bucks.

I see your point more clearly now. I think we're finding we more so agree than disagree.

My point was being under the idea that they HAD to wait for you and HAD to be nice for you to give a tip (i.e. if they hadnt of waited, and were just nice, they didnt deserve a tip). Does that make more sense now?

 

[Bigey]

The lack of tipping should never need to be justified. Again, it's optional.

By you saying so, you're suggesting that not tipping DOES require justification. Why would it require justification? So that your peers don't think you're a cheapskate/jerk?

I think this is where we're going to agree to disagree.

I feel that not tipping, it should be justified. The position they work is one with an expected tipping service. If they are nice and courteous, they deserve the tip. If not, then no. But it shouldnt be that they're nice and courteous yet the person still finds it optional.

I'm not saying for the person to make a scene if they dont receive the tip, but i think it's extremely POOR taste to not tip.

I dont tip because of what others think. I tip because i think of what it's like to be in their shoes. I understand how much a dollar means to them vs. how much it'll mean to me.