Tipping Advice

[Pooch]

For a one week house keeping plan where the only support is fueling the boat and giving us a few minnows every morning we have been tipping at $20 per person a week. That's a $80 tip for four of us using two camp boats. We clean the cabin when we leave.

Wife and I just got home from nine days in the same camp and we left $50 for the folks on the dock. Is this a little "light"?

A couple years ago we had one new chump on the trip and he threw in one dollar. I made up the difference and wouldn't let him ever go with us again for any amount of money.

Informative thread. I'd like to hear from some of the camp owners who frequent this board. What do you owners think? Give us some more ideas as to what's fair.

Pooch

[Obabikon]

Originally Posted by MorganMan

Obabikon, is that the total bill per person? About $1500 bucks a head so the total tip for pilot would be $75 to $150? Not total bill for the group? (group bill for 6 is $9000)

A pilot is not at all what I was talking about. The original question was asked about American Plan resorts... where FIVE or SIX people would be splitting the tip. Those are for the guys that help you your entire trip. I have no clue what's appropriate for a pilot to be tipped.

[Obabikon]

Originally Posted by MorganMan

Obabikon, is that the total bill per person? About $1500 bucks a head so the total tip for pilot would be $75 to $150? Not total bill for the group? (group bill for 6 is $9000)

Everyone tips differently. You need to know how many people you are tipping for. With my employees, there are five people that split the tips. Also, the average trip to our resort does not run $1500. But, when you go to an expensive restraunt you still tip 15%, right?

A group six could easily leave $75 per person, and that'd be a VERY good tip for our resort (that's 5%). Once it's split up, that's really just tipping each person $15 for the trip.


All that said, make them earn it. Don't leave a tip just to leave a tip. If there's a reason you cut the tip out, or lowered it... tell the camp owner. I've been informed before that some type of service wasn't taken care of and that's why the tip was lowered/didn't happen. That makes it easy to go to a staff and say "we need to do a better job". A tip is given to reward good service and ensure good service in the future.

[Northpoint]

I believe that we tipped the cook $5 per day per person and the food service staff about the same.

The guide we generally tipped $100 per day with a small added bonus for evening fishing........sometimes a bit more if the fishing was exceptional or the weather made their work harder. The guide got a $200 bonus for any fish that qualified for a master angler award. Generally we found that the guides took excellent care of my wife and I and this was well worth the expense.

[IaDave]

Originally Posted by Obabikon

Everyone tips differently. You need to know how many people you are tipping for. With my employees, there are five people that split the tips. Also, the average trip to our resort does not run $1500. But, when you go to an expensive restraunt you still tip 15%, right?

A group six could easily leave $75 per person, and that'd be a VERY good tip for our resort (that's 5%). Once it's split up, that's really just tipping each person $15 for the trip.


All that said, make them earn it. Don't leave a tip just to leave a tip. If there's a reason you cut the tip out, or lowered it... tell the camp owner. I've been informed before that some type of service wasn't taken care of and that's why the tip was lowered/didn't happen. That makes it easy to go to a staff and say "we need to do a better job". A tip is given to reward good service and ensure good service in the future.

Do most guests put it on the final bill or hand cash to each individual at the end of the week?

[camp chef]

When ever at a new camp be it hunting or fishing, I got in the habit of tipping the the people that I felt could impact the quality of my experience at the beginning of the week as opposed to when I left.I always had good service and sometimes access that I may not have had.

[new hips]

Last year, 5 guys, $100 to pilot flying in. $100 flying out, he said it would be split between 2 dock hands, owner flew the plane. Another trip, husband and wife were caretakers, she did all the cooking, on a remote fly in, I tipped $200 for the week. Depends on how much they do for you, I tip accordingly. If the boats are gassed and pumped out, I give them more.

[jigstop]

I would never tip a pilot. He owns the plane and sets the price. If he thinks he's worth more. which he might well be, then he should charge more.

For some reason tipping has gotten out of hand at resorts and for guides. If a guide wants more then he should charge more. If a dock boy thinks he's worth more then ask for a raise, if he doesn't get the raise and the resort hires someone else for his old wage I guess he wasn't worth what he though he was.

[v-bay gord]

Originally Posted by jigstop

I would never tip a pilot. He owns the plane and sets the price. If he thinks he's worth more. which he might well be, then he should charge more.

For some reason tipping has gotten out of hand at resorts and for guides. If a guide wants more then he should charge more. If a dock boy thinks he's worth more then ask for a raise, if he doesn't get the raise and the resort hires someone else for his old wage I guess he wasn't worth what he though he was.

Reminds me of the movie "A Christmas Carol" when Scrooge makes some comment like "Are there no prisons, are there no work houses?"

[Fisherman Ted]

As an owner, when guests ask me I too recommend 10% of the trip cost. As stated earlier when you go to a restaurant most people tip at least 15%, if not more for good service.

A full American Plan lodge has far more service and demands than a waiter ever will. From cleaning boats, to cleaning cabins, parking your car, readying your boat, waiting tables, carrying luggage, fishing lessons, running snacks down to the cabins, ensuring you have your favorite beverage at happy hour etc. These staff work very long hours, and cater to guests easily 18 hours a day to ensure you have the best possible trip.

Of course they need to earn it. To answer another question, tips at our resort are always given at the end when settling the bill as they are then split among all the staff.

Tipping has not gotten out of hand at all in my opinion. At an American Plan lodge its all about service. Its a service industry unlike any other. Where-else are you interacting with a dock-hand at 5 AM, guide all day, waitress at lunch and chef at dinner? Without the service customers would never come back. I hold my employees to the highest standards so you the guest will have a memorable trip. Tipping the staff lets them know so.

Fisherman Ted