Tipping hotel van drivers

[John Pennekamp]

If all I have is a $20 I got out of the ATM, I have two options: Stiff the driver, or ask him for change. I'm sure as hell not going to give him a $20!

Cripe, just get him next time! That's so tacky to ask for change. Kinda like making change in the collection plate in church!

 

[CFI2766]

Wow, seems like this question stirred up a lot of emotion. Thanks for the replies, on both sides of the question.

I'm still a little tight on cash to be tipping regularly, but I will cough up a buck for special circumstances, i.e., going to the mall, or out of their way to get me something to eat on the way to the hotel. I'll probably feel differently next year when I'm off of super-low, probationary period, hazing pay.

 

[Mr Wu]

What about them strippers? $20 for a lap dance and then they want a tip too. WTF!

 

[blueridge71]

When I was an FO on a regional probationary payscale, my philosphy was that I would not tip for rides to/from the airport unless there was exceptional service. My reasoning was that I normally threw my own bags and I considered those trips basic service covered by the airline's contract with the hotel.

On the other hand, if I had to get a van ride to a restaurant or someplace other than the airport, I tipped a buck. In that case, they were doing me a favor.

If you are an FO making less than $30,000 (especially if you are supporting a family), keep your money.

 

[Beetle007]

I admire anyone who refuses to tip.

A tip should never be expected for anything. We lost the battles at restaurants, and are fighting the battle on other fronts (Starbucks, Quiznos, subway, Dunkin doughnuts, van drivers, etc.) When I see a tip cup at McDonalds I will know the war has been lost. To bad I’m not brave enough to stiff people and I only contribute to the problem.

I used to work as a waiter and I hated that my company only paid me 2.13 an hour plus tips. My company should have been paying me minimum wage (without tips) and my customers should have only tipped if they got superior service. I hated the concept of tips because why should some customers pay more than others. And, if they stiffed me, I actually ended up PAYING to serve them because I had to give the restraunt a percentage of my "expected" tips regardless of what I actually got tipped. The restraunt would then share my "expected tips" with other restaurant workers (standard industry practice).

In my opinion, the cost of a product should always include tax and tip. Thanks again to those who refuse to tip.

 

[blueridge71]

I agree.

Rez had it right also.

"Tips" actually means "to insure prompt service." It should not be an expected part of a server's wage. However, that's how it is.

I remember some places used to have signs that asked guests not to tip, saying that their employees were well paid. I havn't seen one of those signs lately.

 

[CA1900]

"Tips" actually means "to insure prompt service."

No, it doesn't:

http://www.snopes.com/language/acronyms/tip.htm

 

[80for80]

You tip so the van driver will take you somewhere to eat...

You tip so the van driver will be on time for the next crew....

Oh, you want the van to be on time to pick you up, but the jacka$$ crew the driver just dropped off stiffed him, creating an attitude of apathy and lack of motivation to rush back to get you... all while your sorry, cold a$$ is wating for the van.... as you think the van driver is a jerk when its really your fellow pilot who you are advocating on this message board.....

You guys are gems.... real pros...

Notice a common theme with this thread? Almost everyone that says they stiff the van driver are pilots for regional airlines. And you wonder why you get poor van service. At my airline, our pilots always tip the driver and we (with very few exceptions) get excellent van service. At one hotel we use at which a few regional airlines also stay (which I understand is an exception to the typical regional hotel, as this is a very nice Sheraton), our crews are on very good terms with the head concierge/van driver and the stories she tells of regional pilots stiffing her is very sad indeed. She does just the minimum required by the contract to service the regional crews because they don't generally tip. Now with our crews, who ALWAYS tip her generously, she will go well above and beyond her call of duty to help us out. She told me once that our crews have priority over the regional crews in getting the van. My crew was going back to the hotel after dinner, when the hotel radioed her saying the Comair had called again wondering where the van was, she told the front desk to tell Comair that they would have to wait until she got back from getting us at the restaurant. The bottom line is that the hotels know which pilot groups are cheap and they do remember when you need their service.

 

[John Pennekamp]

Notice a common theme with this thread? Almost everyone that says they stiff the van driver are pilots for regional airlines. And you wonder why you get poor van service. At my airline, our pilots always tip the driver and we (with very few exceptions) get excellent van service. At one hotel we use at which a few regional airlines also stay (which I understand is an exception to the typical regional hotel, as this is a very nice Sheraton), our crews are on very good terms with the head concierge/van driver and the stories she tells of regional pilots stiffing her is very sad indeed. She does just the minimum required by the contract to service the regional crews because they don't generally tip. Now with our crews, who ALWAYS tip her generously, she will go well above and beyond her call of duty to help us out. She told me once that our crews have priority over the regional crews in getting the van. My crew was going back to the hotel after dinner, when the hotel radioed her saying the Comair had called again wondering where the van was, she told the front desk to tell Comair that they would have to wait until she got back from getting us at the restaurant. The bottom line is that the hotels know which pilot groups are cheap and they do remember when you need their service.

I find it interesting that you stereotype this into a "cheap regional pilots" versus "professional mainline pilots" debate.

I'm sure there are many mainline pilots that don't tip, and many regional pilots that do.

You also mention Comair as an example. I doubt you could prove that a majority of comair pilots don't tip.

I'm not sure about your experieince at your company hotels, but at ASA we use a company called Corporate Lodging for all of our hotels, and they are generally hated in the hotel industry. They strongarm the hotels into lowering their rates, and the hotels retaliate against the crews by doing the bare minimum, regardless of how good they get tipped. If there is a trend among the hotels to treat regional crews poorly, it's probably more situations like this, then a lack of tipping. But thanks for yet another tired rant from a mainline pilot who thinks he's better than us lowly regional scooter trash.

 

[80for80]

I find it interesting that you stereotype this into a "cheap regional pilots" versus "professional mainline pilots" debate.

I'm sure there are many mainline pilots that don't tip, and many regional pilots that do.

You also mention Comair as an example. I doubt you could prove that a majority of comair pilots don't tip.

I'm not sure about your experieince at your company hotels, but at ASA we use a company called Corporate Lodging for all of our hotels, and they are generally hated in the hotel industry. They strongarm the hotels into lowering their rates, and the hotels retaliate against the crews by doing the bare minimum, regardless of how good they get tipped. If there is a trend among the hotels to treat regional crews poorly, it's probably more situations like this, then a lack of tipping. But thanks for yet another tired rant from a mainline pilot who thinks he's better than us lowly regional scooter trash.

The VAST majority of people who posted that they don't tip are regional pilots. I'm sure they are those that do and that there are mainline pilots who don't. Ask the next van driver at a hotel that both regional and mainline use who generally tips the best.