Do you tip hotel van drivers?
04-06-2009 | 08:38 PM
#41
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I agree with you. We provide the same service to our passengers. We dont get tipped. I use to overnight a lot in RNO and at this hotel there were crews from Horizon, Southwest, American. In the morning there would be 3 SWA crews, 1 American Crew, and 1 Horizon crew. This was one of those big vans with about 20 crew members. The van drive was a good 5 minutes. I asked myself what was wrong with this pictures. If this guy did 4 trips per hour with crews and other hotel guest, then he's making $80 per hour in tip in addition to other hotel duties. It will take me 7 years to see that at most regionals.
04-06-2009 | 08:41 PM
#42
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04-07-2009 | 10:57 AM
#43
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From: Big...So Big
Three of the guys at my home airport are retired and have pensions, they just drive for golf money and to give themselves something to do. They get $12 hr plus tips to start, and work 10 hour days (the older guys only work 3 days a week). As I said, I always tip these guys. Even at three days a week, these guys are making more than me on my U.I.
04-08-2009 | 06:57 AM
#44
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From: CRJ
I only tip if they actually load/unload the bags (which is most of the time.) Like someone else said, tips are part of these guys' wages. Probably not to a big extent like servers, but similar. I bet the same guys who don't tip van drivers tip poorly at restaurants too. Servers get paid like $2/hr. If you don't tip them, they are not getting paid to serve you. Some customers think that it's not their job to "subsidize" the server's pay... but when you are eating out, you are agreeing to pay for being served... are you not? If you say, "I can't afford to tip." well then you can't afford to eat out. Tips should be considered the cost of eating out, that is just the way it is. Sorry for going off on a tangent. I just really don't like it when I'm on an overnight (although overnights are thing of the past for me) and between the 3 of us (ca, fa, me) I'm the only one who tips. There is a difference between being frugal (good) and cheap (bad)... not tipping service workers is cheap, period.
04-08-2009 | 08:53 AM
#45
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From: single pilot cargo, turboprop
Having said that, if I had more, I'd tip more, but for now most of my tips I give for extra duty (like if they make a stop so I can grab some food, or if they give me a ride to a recreation spot, which going back to the point would be other than routine company business).
04-08-2009 | 08:53 AM
#46
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So you base your personal tipping habits based on the earning potential of a particular drivers proximity to the airport and the amount of people he could drive in a hour? And because he may have the potential to drive a lot more people you feel the need and apparent responsibility to ensure that he doesnt make too much, because obviously 20 an hour for a shuttle driver is just way too much. Do you tip the waitress at a low class diner more that you would at per say PF Changs? Bottom line, if you recieve a service you better pay for it, lest you be relegated to the gutter trash of society. And you hear some dumb FA telling her IOE student likewise you tell her to shut the hell up, the gene pool is tainted enough as it is.
04-08-2009 | 09:02 AM
#47
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Valid point... however, we have a choice to go to a restaurant. We don't have a choice to get a ride to our hotel. This is a tough one, I admit and I'm glad to see healthy debate about it. For guys like Brown, who probably make well over 100K a year, of course, throw them a buck or two. But for poor FO's like me who made $19k last year, those dollars add up... I don't know, it's just a tough situation. I almost always will tip them unless they're rude/not friendly and/or don't help with the bags. However, on those rare times I can afford to eat out, I always tip and for excellent service, I routinely give 25-30%
If you are wondering what those numbers are above, that is the percentage of a "poor FO's" salary would be spent on tips in a year assuming 10-13 overnights a month. "I cant afford to tip" for the most part is a face saving cover for "I suck at life, and dont want to tip"
04-08-2009 | 09:31 AM
#48
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From: GALX
Tip the van driver. Its a buck. You never know when you will need a late night ride somewhere or help finding something in a new town. Not only that but it gives the rest ofyour airine a bad name and sometimes can make a difference even in hotel RFPs. If you take care of them they will take care of you.
04-08-2009 | 09:54 AM
#49
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From: Frenchy plane/ Left
You can call me cheap or whatever but I'm not tipping for something that is in the contract between the hotel and my airline. If we go out to eat or something I ALWAYS tip and tip very well. But to tip for them to take me to and from my place of work???? Um........no. Yes, I still take MORE advantage of that situation and take it off of my taxes.
04-08-2009 | 10:07 AM
#50
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From: CRJ Seat 13D
I try not to blame tardiness on the van driver. Keep in mind, most of these guys/gals have other jobs at the hotel and often times have no idea that a crew needs to be picked up until the front desk tells them. Think about it: If you could, wouldn't you make airport runs your top priority, knowing you will be getting tipped for making the trip?
If they load/unload my bags, I tip. They don't even have to be nice, as I've endured several van trips with a - - h - -e crew members and never once had a van driver turn around and make me tip him twice as much for enduring their wrath.
If they load/unload my bags, I tip. They don't even have to be nice, as I've endured several van trips with a - - h - -e crew members and never once had a van driver turn around and make me tip him twice as much for enduring their wrath.
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