Tipping the Van Driver?

[wheelsup]

"and it's apparent to me now that it's more just to not look bad, which I kind of find humorous"

Well, you could make the argument that one doesn't want to be a scab cause it makes them look bad, too. Peer pressure. Whatever. What your fellow man will think about you if you do something is a powerful motivator in society.

I would say there are other ethical and moral issues in being a scab. Of course, you could then say there are ethical and moral issues with not tipping the van driver.

If you tip the van driver, why not tip everyone you come into contact with on a day to day basis? Maybe I should tip the guy that lets me into a line of traffic? Should I tip the lady at blockbuster who rings me up? Tip the mx guy at my apartment for coming to fix my water heater (I did give them a case of beer at Xmas though)?

 

[mikecweb]

Wheels,
I don't think you should focus so much on people doing it just not to look bad. I think you should look at the person doing the job. Yes your company paid the service to bring you but how much is the driver going to see. Alot of times those guys depend on tips. Grabbing your own bag to help the guy out is one thing but if in the back of your mind your thinking if i lift my bag I'll end up saving a buck or two, i'm sorry but you can slice that anyway you want it, it's still being cheap. Its just the social norm that they get paid less because they are going to receive tips. Sometimes you gotta accept social norms. It may be more comfortable to walk around naked but is that socially acceptable?

 

[Bumblebee]

My point in the original and subsequent posts was that people tend to tip automatically for the ride to and from the airport, and it's apparent to me now that it's more just to not look bad, which I kind of find humorous.

When the van driver comes to the back and loads the bags and gets the door, that is above and beyond giving me a ride from door to door. I have had them just pull up and look at us, so we load the van and don't tip.. If a little person or lady is doing the job, and can do the extras they get a tip. If they do not do the extras, they don't get a tip (even if we load the bags, they can get the small bags open and close the doors etc. . . ) I treat every one the same way. As far as tipping to not look bad, I believe if you are not in your company uniform, you can tip or not tip as much as you like, but our industry is a service industry and that requires professional courtesy. By stiffing the van driver a buck while in uniform (bull if you can't afford a buck a day) you do not reflect well on your company.

Just my opinion . . .

 

[wheelsup]

Wheels,
i'm sorry but you can slice that anyway you want it, it's still being cheap.

To show you just how cheap I am, I bring an entire loaf of bread with me on trips!

I might start packing some dollar bills from now on. I stopped tipping while on first year pay in part because of the moral issues I had with doing it and in part because well, I just didn't make that much money. Second year pay is a bit different, I've started to loosen up a bit in what I spend money on. Spending $6-$10/trip really isn't that much when you look at it. While on first year pay I had to make every dollar count.

 

[staplegun]

Everyone should also remember that tipping is tax deductible!:rawk:

Kevin

 

[wheelsup]

Everyone should also remember that tipping is tax deductible!:rawk:

Kevin

Well sorta - I would have to lie on my tax returns to be able to deduct more than my standard deduction. So tipping directly will come out of my pocket - not to say that is a "bad" thing.

 

[RPM]

Just to be clear, I'm looking at this from the perspective of where I work at and my experience as a professional pilot. I never made less than a van driver, so I'll give ya that. I'd say that's a good excuse. If you can't afford to tip, then don't.

Would you and wheels not got upset had I said "You're seen as loser at UPS if you don't tip". Or how about, "You're seen as a loser as a major airline pilot if you don't tip". I guess that's really where I'm coming from. If you make so little that the van driver makes more than you then I can see your point.

Nah, I totally agree with you there....on your payscales at UPS, not tipping would look bad.

 

[GaTechKid]

I tip because of peer pressure rather than because I believe the van driver is deserving of it. It's pretty sad that the van driver makes more than me, yet I'm the one who has to tip them. I'm sure my view will change as I progress up the career ladder.

 

[Alchemy]

No offense man, but that's some pretty twisted logic. Strippers make more than I do too but.....ahhh nvermind.

 

[E_Dawg]

"it's mainly because I don't want to look like an ass in front of the other crewmembers"

So are you saying you look like an ass if you don't tip? Watch out Edawg, you're gonna start getting PM's....

Yes, if I notice a crewmember not tipping, or asking me for a buck so they can tip (with no intention of paying me back), I would consider that to be pretty cheap.

Personally, I spend enough on discretionary items that I would have a hard time justifying NOT tipping on the basis of income.

 

[GaTechKid]

No offense man, but that's some pretty twisted logic. Strippers make more than I do too but.....ahhh nvermind.

Here you have 2 people who are both in the transportation industry. One makes significantly less than the other, yet the lesser paid one tips the other because it's somehow customary. The situation is twisted, not the logic.

Plus the $20 you gave the stripper wasn't a tip.

 

[Alchemy]

Here you have 2 people who are both in the transportation industry. One makes significantly less than the other, yet the lesser paid one tips the other because it's somehow customary. The situation is twisted, not the logic.

Plus the $20 you gave the stripper wasn't a tip.

What about waitresses? Do you think you should tip them if they do a reasonable job? A lot of them probably make more than you too.

As far as the hotel van driver being in the transportation industry, I would argue that they're actually in the hospitality industry, where tips are a lot more common.

Personally I don't care who tips and who doesn't. I'm just curious about your reasoning. It's a personal choice, to each his own.

 

[amorris311]

No offense man, but that's some pretty twisted logic. Strippers make more than I do too but.....ahhh nvermind.

after working in a strip club i can say that first year pay most regionals pay is about 4 months work for some ladies. that is 4 nights a week. guys for some reason keep tipping. how dumb.

 

[blee256]

Also, I can choose to go to a restaurant for food. I cannot choose to not ride the van to the hotel (well I could, but then I would be walking). Plus, the Company doesn't pay for my restaurant meal. They pay the hotel to operate the van.

The company does pay for your restaurant meal. Its called per diem.

 

[Seggy]

I worked at a hotel three years during college and you would be AMAZED what I could do for you if I remembered you from before. How would one be remembered? Take care of me, I'll take care of you.

It is disgusting to hear about guys not tipping. Simply put, disgusting.

Cheap people are my pet peeve.

 

[MQAAord]

I know what it's like to be stiffed. I worked at Eagle for 6 years

When I was at Eagle, I seriously couldn't afford to tip. I could barely afford to eat, pay my rent and put gas in the car. Seriously. I felt really bad though, because I think the drivers DO deserve to be tipped. I always tried to give them a little something if they drove us to a restaurant or something, or the driver in LSE who would always call in our order to the hotel restaurant/bar on the way to the hotel because the night crew got in at such a time that the restaurant quit serving food at the time we were always in the van. So he'd call in our order for us, that way we could eat. We liked that. I tried real hard to have a spare buck for him.

I said that if I ever went to a major, that I'd tip every driver, every time. When I went to AA, I did just that. The entire 12 months I spent there, I gave the driver $1 each way. Sure, it cost a little bit of $, but I wanted to give a good impression of us to the drivers and the hotels. That way maybe they'd be a little more likely to drive us somewhere like a restaurant or the beach or a mall or something.

Now, I won't throw names at people who don't tip. As a new-hire Eagle F/A, I know what it's like to be really poor. I didn't make 10k my first year. So, do as you see fit. But, I really do think it's the right thing to do, and I think it does make a difference in how the properties treat the crews.

 

[stuckingfk]

I worked at a hotel three years during college and you would be AMAZED what I could do for you if I remembered you from before. How would one be remembered? Take care of me, I'll take care of you.

It is disgusting to hear about guys not tipping. Simply put, disgusting.

Cheap people are my pet peeve.

true story here:

My roommate and I would go this bar in Grand Forks a lot. Always would hit up this place before going to other bars. We got great service so we always tipped well. Well, after a few months of that our drinks started to become very cheap.

By the time I left there I basically drank for free. Still would tip, but our nights always started out great because of that bar.

For those of you who want a dollar amount. Our bill would be $20-$30 for 50 drinks.

 

[kellwolf]

I tip cause it's the decent thing to do and it's customary. If someone didn't tip the driver, I'd think he's a loser.

Well, then, I'm a "loser." Bluntly, I can't afford the extra $1 or 2 a day. Now, if the driver takes me somewhere to eat, the mall, etc, yeah, I tip then. If it's just to the airport and back, I generally don't. It's not a principle or anything. I'm flat out broke. He's getting a minimum wage, but so is the McDonald's guy. Should I tip him, too? What says who should get a tip and who shouldn't? Servers at restaurants don't make minimum wage, so I generally tip well there. Van drivers do. Should I start tipping gate agents that get me on flights, too? Why don't I get tips from the passengers when we pull into the gate 10 minutes early?

If that makes me a loser, fine. But at least I can buy something other than Ramen noodles for my wife and kid.

Oh well, so much for this one not turning into a pissing match like that other place.

 

[Seggy]

I know what it's like to be stiffed. I worked at Eagle for 6 years

When I was at Eagle, I seriously couldn't afford to tip. I could barely afford to eat, pay my rent and put gas in the car. Seriously. I felt really bad though, because I think the drivers DO deserve to be tipped. I always tried to give them a little something if they drove us to a restaurant or something, or the driver in LSE who would always call in our order to the hotel restaurant/bar on the way to the hotel because the night crew got in at such a time that the restaurant quit serving food at the time we were always in the van. So he'd call in our order for us, that way we could eat. We liked that. I tried real hard to have a spare buck for him.

I said that if I ever went to a major, that I'd tip every driver, every time. When I went to AA, I did just that. The entire 12 months I spent there, I gave the driver $1 each way. Sure, it cost a little bit of $, but I wanted to give a good impression of us to the drivers and the hotels. That way maybe they'd be a little more likely to drive us somewhere like a restaurant or the beach or a mall or something.

Now, I won't throw names at people who don't tip. As a new-hire Eagle F/A, I know what it's like to be really poor. I didn't make 10k my first year. So, do as you see fit. But, I really do think it's the right thing to do, and I think it does make a difference in how the properties treat the crews.

Amber I DID NOT mean to call anyone a name. Sorry if I hurt you.

What I guess I was REALLY trying to say is yes we are ALL poor as we start out in this industry. Let's face it. Even making $40,000 grand really isn't that much money with the amount of time and our own money we have invested in this.

We are all poor as we start out.

But it is different in WANTING to tip someone and not being able to afford to than NOT tipping someone because you feel they are giving you something that is your right. Do the right thing. If you can afford to tip do it. If you don't because you think these people are here to lift your bags and cart your butt to the airport, you will get what you deserve down the road.

When I am captain, I will make sure the new hire FOs and FAs have enough money to tip the drivers. Set the example

Once again Amber, I guess I should have made it clearer in my original post. There IS a BIG difference in NOT being able to afford to tip AND not doing it because 'you have rights as a crewmember.' If you can't afford it, the captains should take care of it.

 

[DE727UPS]

"Well, then, I'm a "loser." Bluntly, I can't afford the extra $1 or 2 a day"

And that van driver from the Hurstbourne Holiday Inn in SDF was specifically complaining about "Northwest Pilots". There ya go...hehe.

Like I said before, my initial comments were more in line with my background. I can't say as I've ever been in a financial situation where I couldn't afford to give the van driver a buck, so it just naturally doesn't go over with me well to hear people aren't doing it when it's something that I thought was customary in the industry. If I had ever been a regional F/O with a family, maybe I'd understand where some of you are coming from better. I say now, I do understand it better.

No offense to Kellwolf, you're one of the good guys.