Tip the Damned Maid! (An article about tipping)

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Once I realized that the hotel van drivers don't tip their pilots for picking them up and dropping them off, I stopped tipping them. Now if that hotel van driver drives me into town to get food, I'll offer to buy him dinner and if he declines I'll give him a tip But for merely doing his fully compensated job? Nope.
I'll tip a waiter 20% if he gives me decent service, 10% if he's terrible. I used to be a waiter, in a state that allows restaurants to pay the wait staff $2/hr, so I know how bad it sucks to not get a tip when you depend on it. BUt to tip people who are making over minimum wage? And be EXPECTED to do it regardless? My grandfather didn't fight at Anzio for this BS.
 
Tipping servers, bar tenders and shuttle drivers is the norm, I've never heard of tipping the hotel cleaning staff.
 
ATN_Pilot said:
I'm pretty sure it's still considered rude there. Stick to whatever the local custom is. And in America, that means you tip unless you're a POS.
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This

Its good to do a little research when going abroad about their social dos and don'ts. I know in India they LOVE tips and you get what you pay for. I tipped the room service guy $10 USD and he was so excited that the entire stay at the hotel I got the best service I have ever gotten.

If you really hate tipping move to China. You will get 5 star service and no tip required. They will even get fired if they are caught accepting a tip.

The only thing that annoys me about American tipping culture is when I go through a QSR restaurant like Chipotle and there is a space for a tip on the CC receipt .
 
ATN_Pilot said:
You're not just cheap, you're a bad person. While you're pretending to care about a "paradigm shift" to justify your cheapness, the worker is getting screwed. It amazes me that some people can live with themselves.
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Wow, is this what defines a person? I can think of worse tha things than not tipping. I do kind deeds because I want to, not because it's customary.
 
Autothrust Blue said:
I judge people hardcore who do not tip van drivers, for whatever reason.
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Not sure if you're joking or not but some people really do judge. I make it a point to always tip van drivers. Maybe once a year i accidentally run out of dollar bills. Also every now and then the driver just sucks and won't lift bags and drives borderline unsafe. Why would I tip for awful service where I have to hold on for my safety or he driver is very rude? And in those rare circumstances someone in the crew usually has a problem with me not tipping.
 
Dan208B said:
Not sure if you're joking or not but some people really do judge. I make it a point to always tip van drivers. Maybe once a year i accidentally run out of dollar bills. Also every now and then the driver just sucks and won't lift bags and drives borderline unsafe. Why would I tip for awful service where I have to hold on for my safety or he driver is very rude? And in those rare circumstances someone in the crew usually has a problem with me not tipping.
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That's when they don't get tipped.

(By me, anyway. Apparently, a lot of people are cheapskates.)
 
Just a thought. Pilots are a collective. The world of housekeeping and van driving is a collective. It is in the best interest of the former to maintain a good relationship with the latter.

I've had van drivers speed to get me to the airport and I've had housekeepers do special favors like laundry and ironing. These folks were eager to help because they had been well-treated by pilots in the past, collectively.

It's not just about custom. Airline pilots embrace collective action when it comes to unions but some fail to see it elsewhere and don't see a problem with not tipping.

The maid that ironed my clothes before a diplomatic flight, that was worth a lot to me. The van driver that sped to the airport, I would have paid a grand not to be late. I didn't have to pay a fortune for these small acts because pilots generally tip well.

You are also tipping to help the next guy.
 
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This thread is interesting, as I knew it would be. I tip very, very well at restaurants, in cabs, wherever its appropriate. Even if the service is pretty crappy, it takes a lot for me to tip below 20%. However, I've only left tips for hotel maids when I've really trashed the room or made their job harder than usual(@JordanD "lo siento"). I've done a lot of traveling, with a lot of people, and never seen anyone leave a tip for the maids. Honestly, I've never even given it thought. My brother who has spent about 10 years as a server and another 10 working in hotels tips servers fantastically but never leaves a tip for the maids when we travel. From my observations, I'd say this is a dying trend and perhaps an older custom that is on it's way out. For what it's worth, more often than not in my experiences the maids do a very crappy service and miss some of the trash cans, don't restock bathroom supplies, ect.

Goonie said:
Don't come to Roswell NM. I got asked by the cabbie if I wanted to buy any meth last night on the way to the hotel. And I was in my uniform.
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Maybe he thought you were on a stand-up.
 
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Goonie said:
The only thing that annoys me about American tipping culture is when I go through a QSR restaurant like Chipotle and there is a space for a tip on the CC receipt .
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Ok, really though what is fundamentally different when tipping the maid vs tipping the guy making your burrito in Chipotle? Both are making a set wage that is not tip dependent. Both are providing a service.

For the record I tip and I tip well...those who either rely on tips to make up a substantial portion of their pay, or who use their own funds or resources to carry out their job. A maid making $10 an hour fits into neither category that I am aware of.

Man that really does make me a POS doesn't it? lol, what a silly, indignant attitude.
 
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