Tipping in Italy

[euro cruiser]

What about a driver? We have a private driver taking us to Rome for a day. The site suggests a tip. It will just be hubby and I with the driver. Thanks for input.

Sites that cater to English-speaking clients, especially Americans and Canadians, suggest tipping because it helps them - they can show potential drivers that they are doing what they can to get them more money, without those funds coming out of the company coffers.

[Virtopia]

Thanks for this great thread as I was wondering how to tip for my upcoming trip.

[sail7seas]

What about a driver? We have a private driver taking us to Rome for a day. The site suggests a tip. It will just be hubby and I with the driver. Thanks for input.

 

Assuming the car is safe, clean and your driver delivers a safe, pleasant ride, I definitely would tip him/her.

[Hlitner]

Sites that cater to English-speaking clients, especially Americans and Canadians, suggest tipping because it helps them - they can show potential drivers that they are doing what they can to get them more money, without those funds coming out of the company coffers.

 

Oh my! Now you becoming even more cynical than moi :) It is even a bit crazier in France where those in the tourist industry will happily take the "over" tips from North Americans (and even put their hand out for more)..and then privately trash the "stupid" North Americans who "think their money can get them everything."

 

Hank

Edited February 29, 2016 by Hlitner

[euro cruiser]

Well, the RIL lovers are going to go ballistic when I say this, but they are one of the biggest offenders. Of course, they are an American company so the business model is American, adapted only as necessary to the Italian market. The model is to have few actual employees, to keep costs low, and use independent contractors for the most part. The independent contractor funds the operation, in a sense, as they come to the transaction with the only tangible asset, the vehicle. They carry the cost of purchasing and maintaining it while RIL does the work of marketing the service and collecting the payments.

 

As there are multiple firms providing essentially the same service, the competitive advantage that RIL strives for is to have the most fluent (in English) and entertaining drivers. In order to attract the best of the best, rather than pay them more than competitors do they promise to do all they can to get the clients to tip, and to do so as lavishly as possible.

 

To an American consumer it all makes perfect sense - you pay a premium to get the best. An Italian, on the other hand, would be marginally appalled, at the least.

Edited February 29, 2016 by euro cruiser

[Hlitner]

Well, the RIL lovers are going to go ballistic when I say this, but they are one of the biggest offenders. Of course, they are an American company so the business model is American, adapted only as necessary to the Italian market. The model is to have few actual employees, to keep costs low, and use independent contractors for the most part. The independent contractor funds the operation, in a sense, as they come to the transaction with the only tangible asset, the vehicle. They carry the cost of purchasing and maintaining it while RIL does the work of marketing the service and collecting the payments.

 

As there are multiple firms providing essentially the same service, the competitive advantage that RIL strives for is to have the most fluent (in English) and entertaining drivers. In order to attract the best of the best, rather than pay them more than competitors do they promise to do all they can to get the clients to tip, and to do so as lavishly as possible.

 

To an American consumer it all makes perfect sense - you pay a premium to get the best. An Italian, on the other hand, would be marginally appalled, at the least.

 

We could start an entire new topic on the ethics that surround cruise excursions. Many cruisers may not be happy if they new a lot of the truth. For example, in Puerto Vallarta (a port we know well because we live there a few months every year) the largest local tour provider is called Vallarta Adventures. They are a top notch company and also regularly used by those of us who live in the region if we want a tour. But that company has to sign exclusive agreements with most cruise lines which prevent them from selling their tours directly to a cruiser (easily done online or by a phone call). The reason is that the cruisers usually pay a premium for the tours....the extra money going to the cruise line. And it is the same in many ports where the cruise require/request that the major tour providers refuse to sell directly to cruisers.

 

As residents of PV, when we want to book a tour through Vallarta Adventures we have to actually provide some proof (i.e. local address, local phone number, etc) if we want to buy a tour (at a lower price then paid by cruisers).

 

Hank

[chefestelle]

I wouldn't mind some input about excursion tipping, actually!

 

 

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[Hlitner]

I wouldn't mind some input about excursion tipping, actually!

 

 

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The truth? If you are a fellow American you are going to overtip no matter what we say. If you are a Brit, an Aussie or a Kiwi you will undertip no matter what we say. Americans have been conditioned to tip and tip big! Nowhere else on earth do folks routinely tip 18-20% and think its fine. And we Americans have been conditioned to think that folks are grateful and love us for big tips...when the reality is that in many parts of the world they laugh or smirk behind our backs and think we are fools (but they still take the money). Meanwhile, the locals resent the fact that Americans (and many Canadians) over tip and mess up their culture of minimal tipping.

 

So after you finish your excursion feel free to tip your guide 5-20 Euros and your driver another 5 Euros. You will feel like you have done the proper thing, those that receive their tips will politely accept the offerings (and think you are a fool), and life will go on. But here is something to consider. As a long time international traveler we try to use the local culture as a guideline. And we suggest looking outside CC for tipping guidelines as many here are totally dedicated to their own tipping culture as opposed to what is proper in the areas to which they travel.

 

At the risk of getting in trouble with the mods we are posting a link to an enlightening article on the Rick Steves site (we often recommend the Steves guide books).

 

https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/money/tipping-in-europe

 

Hank

[chefestelle]

This is what I've heard and read. Only in Australia have the locals admonished me openly and, though I've been conditioned otherwise, I work hard when I'm there to tip according to custom. That, of course, is why I asked for our European members to chime in (and those of you who have lived or travelled so extensively overseas that you have shucked our entrenched Canadian and American customs in favour of local practices).

 

 

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[cruisemom42]

This is what I've heard and read. Only in Australia have the locals admonished me openly and, though I've been conditioned otherwise, I work hard when I'm there to tip according to custom. That, of course, is why I asked for our European members to chime in (and those of you who have lived or travelled so extensively overseas that you have shucked our entrenched Canadian and American customs in favour of local practices).

 

 

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I give you full marks for trying to find out what's appropriate. It is difficult sometimes to know all the nuances of local practices. The main thing is that you are trying to understand. Just going in with that attitude will help. Too often on this board we hear of people who go with at least a minimal understanding that tipping is not the same in Europe as in the US and yet are determined to do it their way anyway....

 

Edited to add: As someone already said on your thread on tipping in France, 5% would be a nice recognition of a good tour in most cases.

Edited March 6, 2016 by cruisemom42

[euro cruiser]

The truth? If you are a fellow American you are going to overtip no matter what we say. If you are a Brit, an Aussie or a Kiwi you will undertip no matter what we say. Americans have been conditioned to tip and tip big! Nowhere else on earth do folks routinely tip 18-20% and think its fine. And we Americans have been conditioned to think that folks are grateful and love us for big tips...when the reality is that in many parts of the world they laugh or smirk behind our backs and think we are fools (but they still take the money). Meanwhile, the locals resent the fact that Americans (and many Canadians) over tip and mess up their culture of minimal tipping.

I'm still hopeful that people can learn, grow, and change their ways if they want to. Generally reading comments on these forums would lead one to believe otherwise, as some people are so vehement about their positions, regardless of what contrary information is provided to them. However, I think that the more moderate among us tend not to bother posting, so we mostly hear from the extremes on issues like this. Edited March 6, 2016 by euro cruiser