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The impetus for tipping

Martin2D

Martin2D

Clueless About Life
Joined
Feb 19, 2007
Messages
1,288
Location
NJ
Just wondering what you all had to say about this that I have been thinking about a lot. I work at a casino/hotel as a valet driver and it can get quite dull driving in circles all day long, so I do a lot of thinking.

This is how it happens:
A car pulls in to the valet pit
A doorman asks you if you're staying over
Gives you a ticket to claim your car
Doorman checks luggage if there is any
They get tipped anywhere from $1-100 almost every time
Valet takes the car into the garage
Customer presents ticket
Valet brings car down
Doorman puts luggage in car if any
Person tips valet usually $1, sometimes $1-5 - while doorman gets at least $5 for loading luggage if there is any

What I don't understand, is that you are entrusting your vehicle, which costs at least a few hundred to many thousands of dollars to someone and you tip $1. However, you entrust your luggage, which I would say would probably be a maximum of two thousand dollars, but much less on the whole and you tip more. Has the American society come to not care about their vehicles that much that they would only tip $1 for their investment. Do they not think that a valet will not recognize cars that do not tip well versus those that do? The whole situation perplexes me and I wish for you to shed some light on this question.

It's not that these people are destitute and can not tip. Most of them are VIP's that spend upwards of $100,00 a quarter at the casino and receive free parking. These VIP's are a GUARANTEED $1 especially. How does one justify receiving a free $20 comp and not reciprocate this comp to a better tip for the person performing the service?

Just in case you were wondering, the order of worst tipping cars is:
1. Jaguar
2. Lexus
3. Mercedes Benz

Do I have too high expectations because I work in this industry or are these people simply unappreciative?
 
Martin2D said:
Just wondering what you all had to say about this that I have been thinking about a lot. I work at a casino/hotel as a valet driver and it can get quite dull driving in circles all day long, so I do a lot of thinking.

This is how it happens:
A car pulls in to the valet pit
A doorman asks you if you're staying over
Gives you a ticket to claim your car
Doorman checks luggage if there is any
They get tipped anywhere from $1-100 almost every time
Valet takes the car into the garage
Customer presents ticket
Valet brings car down
Doorman puts luggage in car if any
Person tips valet usually $1, sometimes $1-5 - while doorman gets at least $5 for loading luggage if there is any

What I don't understand, is that you are entrusting your vehicle, which costs at least a few hundred to many thousands of dollars to someone and you tip $1. However, you entrust your luggage, which I would say would probably be a maximum of two thousand dollars, but much less on the whole and you tip more. Has the American society come to not care about their vehicles that much that they would only tip $1 for their investment. Do they not think that a valet will not recognize cars that do not tip well versus those that do? The whole situation perplexes me and I wish for you to shed some light on this question.

It's not that these people are destitute and can not tip. Most of them are VIP's that spend upwards of $100,00 a quarter at the casino and receive free parking. These VIP's are a GUARANTEED $1 especially. How does one justify receiving a free $20 comp and not reciprocate this comp to a better tip for the person performing the service?

Just in case you were wondering, the order of worst tipping cars is:
1. Jaguar
2. Lexus
3. Mercedes Benz

Do I have too high expectations because I work in this industry or are these people simply unappreciative?
Click to expand...

You should be grateful anyone tips you. Tipping is for exceptional service. If you stop thinking about tips and concentrate on providing exceptional service, you'll find things will take care of themselves.
 
I would say high risk, but I'm not really sure how I feel about the pay. I would say if I worked year round, I would make approximately what a private with more than 4 months makes. Military service is also very respectable and commendable, while valet is worthless. I mean, we're comparing apples and oranges. In an ideal world, the military should make more, but I guess the government can only do so much.
 
slowhand said:
You should be grateful anyone tips you. Tipping is for exceptional service. If you stop thinking about tips and concentrate on providing exceptional service, you'll find things will take care of themselves.
Click to expand...

See, that's not true. I'm by far the most personable, and really only English speaking valet. Working hard and doing what you're supposed to does not guarantee good tips, a pay raise, or promotion in any line of work.
 
Martin2D said:
slowhand said:
You should be grateful anyone tips you. Tipping is for exceptional service. If you stop thinking about tips and concentrate on providing exceptional service, you'll find things will take care of themselves.
Click to expand...

See, that's not true. I'm by far the most personable, and really only English speaking valet. Working hard and doing what you're supposed to does not guarantee good tips, a pay raise, or promotion in any line of work.
Click to expand...

I worked in the service industry for years, and as much as I don't like to, I have to agree with Martin. Good tippers tip well regardless, and crappy tippers tip poorly regardless. Of course there are exceptions, but for the most part, this is true.
 
JHolmes763 said:
AVB said:
Good question. Do you think the Military is over or under paid?
Click to expand...
The enlisted ranks are very underpaid.
Click to expand...

at the risk of propagating a threadjack, no, I don't think the military is underpaid. I believe the pay is barely adequate. I didn't join for the money, nor did I stay for it. It met my needs at the time.

In that vein, how many here have sacked groceries at the PX for tips? As a single sailor in Hawaii, I used to caddy golf (naught more than a 2 legged mule) and crewed sailboats at K Bay for tips and loved it. I earned good money at both, relying on the good graces of the officers who hired me. I wonder how I may have influenced the decisions of the Admirals, whose sailboats I crewed.

However, paying a man $5 to haul a suitcase a few dozen feet just chaps my ass.
 
I'm really not sure who is the unappreciative character in this play.

I worked service and retail for years. Any tip given was greatly appreciated. There are good tippers, bad tippers, and those who do not tip at all. It's part of the job. Just work as hard as you can, do the best you can, and treat people well. If you're looking for monetary rewards in your job, you're in the wrong sector.

I think the expectation of a tip is almost as bad as those who refuse to tip. It's selfish and rude.

Working hard and doing what you're supposed to does not guarantee good tips, a pay raise, or promotion in any line of work.
Click to expand...

No it does not, but it certainly helps and it sure beats being the guy who tries to cut corners left and right and takes a smoke/coffee break every 20 minutes.

:)
 
Working as a server, I agree with martin. There are certain jobs where tipping is expected. I only make 3.75 an hour because it's expected I'll get tipped enough to at least make minimum wage.

To the original question it does seem pretty lopsided, but if anything I think the patron deals a little more personally with the doorman, as you just get their keys and drive off? I don't know but i bet it has to do with some sort of psychological aspect.
 
I usually err on the side of over-tipping as i feel very blessed in many ways, and those folks doing this work are basically just hard working folks scratching out a living.

Martin, i'll give ya a tip:













Go get a cigar and relax :thumbs:
 
We do not really have tipping down this way.
Although saying that if I personally receive particularly good service from a waiter/waitress I always give what I think is a generous tip.
 
Having worked through college as a waiter, I generally tip a little better than most. I find the rule for the valet is $4-5 bucks and the baggage guywill get a $1.00 per bag from me, and I drive a Toyota FJ, and the wife has a Toyota Rav4, nothing spectacular. Having been on both sides of the coin I feel for waiters/waitresses...it's the coffee shop slugs, and convienence store, ice cream shop people that get my goat, seems a tip jar is everywhere.
It is fun rolling up in the FJ and the valet's eye's light up, I usually crack, "If you bring it back with mud on her, I'll toss you some extra."
 
Hell, I like countries such as Japan where you don't tip AT ALL... and despite not expecting to be paid extra for doing their jobs, they offer fantastic service.

Tipping in general is just employers shifting the responsibility of who pays their employees for the job. It's a little odd if you think about it.
 
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