To Tip, Or Not To Tip!

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To tip, or not to tip!? It is a common question asked - even if not aloud. Those of us who have been working in a hotel long enough can see the question clouding your eyes, or we see it in the uncertain hand movements toward your wallet or purse. Well thank your lucky stars you read my blog, I'm about to clear some things up for you!

Let's start with the obvious ones, and work our way into the foggier realms.

When you pull up in the drive and a bellhop rushes over to greet you, unloads your car, and delivers your bags - this is a big obvious YES for a base tip. To take this a step further...if you're traveling with a family and it takes more than one bellhop, or one bellhop more than one trip, to get all your bags to your room - this is a YES for a big tip. Now, for those of you with a heart, keep in mind most bellhops are paid minimum wage and rely heavily on tips.

If at any point during your stay you order food (in the room, by the pool, in the restaurant, at the bar) - a big obvious YES for a base tip. Follow the standard restaurant tipping rules - if you're a big annoying party, you better tip a hell-of-a lot more.

Now it gets a little more tricky...

If your hotel has a concierge desk, keep in mind it is there sole job to print you directions and book you restaurant reservations. These do NOT require tips. A rule of thumb: if you think you're asking them to do something relatively common, it doesn't require a tip. Why? They often get kickbacks from local restaurants and tour companies for the number of people they send over. If, however, you're asking them to book something they're unsure about, or something they spend more than 10-15 minutes working on, or something they need to do research on - a tip HELPS, especially if you're going to be using their services again during your stay.

Some hotels don't have a concierge, pushing most of these duties to the front desk agents. At properties with good customer service, these front desk agents will offer most, if not all, of the same duties a concierge desk would. Keep in mind, however, it is not their primary job and they often have phones ringing, guests trying to check in or out, and paperwork to fill out. A tip GOES A LONG WAY with front desk agents. However...printing directions or boarding passes, NO tip required - it only takes 2 minutes.

By the way, if you have the gumption to ask a concierge or front desk agent to book you a whole new leg to your vacation (i.e. new city, new hotel, rental car, a show) - you BETTER TIP them for this extremely time consuming, complicated, unrewarding task.

The maintenance crew, in most cases, do NOT require a tip. I'd say one big exception: plunging a toilet. Additionally, if the property is smaller and there is not a maintenance crew on duty 24 hours a day, and a front desk agent or houseman has to come up to the room and plunge your toilet, YES YES YES BIG TIP! When was the last time you had to be that close to a strangers dirty toilet?!

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