Gratuity distribution??

[doublebzz]

38 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

 

The amount I would then pay for my dinner would be $62.50.  Not $63.00, if I based my tip on the cost of my dinner including the sales tax charge.

So you're giving a 19% tip on the total bill - I think that's pretty generous.  I assume that's just an example and you adjust your tip depending on the service received.  In Miami, probably half the restaurants automatically place an 18% tip on your bill.  The problem is that when you receive your credit card check some restaurants don't indicate "additional tip" or "tip" included so the unwary may place an additional 15%-20% on top of that.  This has gotten to be somewhat of a scam particularly affecting out of town and foreign visitors.

[rkacruiser]

2 minutes ago, doublebzz said:

I assume that's just an example and you adjust your tip depending on the service received. 

 

Absolutely.  If my dining experience warrants, I will tip a bit more.  If I decide to leave a cash tip, I will also round up to the nearest dollar.  

[hal2008]

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

hal2008,  Allow me to give a concrete example of what I was saying:

 

Cost of a dinner=$50

Sales Tax=5%

wow. This continues.

Quote

$50 x 5%=$2.50         $50 + $2.50=$52.50    $52.50 is what I owe the restaurant's management.  

 

A 20% tip on the cost of the dinner and the tip = $10.50

 

A 20% tip on the cost of the dinner=$10.00

 

I prefer to tip my wait person on the cost of just my dinner.

 

The amount I would then pay for my dinner would be $62.50.  Not $63.00, if I based my tip on the cost of my dinner including the sales tax charge.

 

wow. This continues. No problem. I will engage.

 

Kindly re-read the post which you quoted and objected.

 

It never said tip to be calculated based on ANYTHING.

Simply said "y" in tip.   (BTW, for all its is worth, you and me are in agreement about how to calculate a percentage based tip)

 

Purpose of the post was not to initiate a lesson in how to calculate tip.

 

The purpose was to point out that people who have grown up with USA style culture, have no problem when tip and tax not included in the advertised price.

However, there is a whole different world out there where both tax (or VAT) and tip (service charge) are included in the listed price.

 

This is the reason why we have so many posts/threads about tipping on CC.

 

Not supporting or arguing aganist either of the two.

 

Edited February 26, 2020 by hal2008

[rkacruiser]

1 hour ago, hal2008 said:

(BTW, for all its is worth, you and me are in agreement about how to calculate a percentage based tip)

 

That is good to know.  Thank you.

 

1 hour ago, hal2008 said:

there is a whole different world out there where both tax (or VAT) and tip (service charge) are included in the listed price.

 

Surely.  And, yet some tip still more.  

 

What irritates me are those restaurants that print the "recommended tip" on one's bill when that "recommended tip" includes the sales tax as part of the final figure on which a patron should use to calculate the server's tip.  A patron--not thinking--sees that "recommended amount" and adds it to his/her bill.  Does that help the server's income?  Yes.  Is it an honest statement of what the proper tip ought to be for the dinner the guest enjoyed?  No.  

 

Our discussion has ranged beyond the original topic of this Thread.  I am guilty of participating in this "getting off topic".  I suggest we end this discussion.  I will do as I wish to do.  You may do as you wish to do.  

 

As I have stated previously, I subscribe to the tipping practices on my cruises as many others do and I will continue to do so.

 

Good wishes for Fair Skies and Following Seas.

Edited February 27, 2020 by rkacruiser

[gatour]

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

 

That is good to know.  Thank you.

 

 

Surely.  And, yet some tip still more.  

 

What irritates me are those restaurants that print the "recommended tip" on one's bill when that "recommended tip" includes the sales tax as part of the final figure on which a patron should use to calculate the server's tip.  A patron--not thinking--sees that "recommended amount" and adds it to his/her bill.  Does that help the server's income?  Yes.  Is it an honest statement of what the proper tip ought to be for the dinner the guest enjoyed?  No.  

 

Our discussion has ranged beyond the original topic of this Thread.  I am guilty of participating in this "getting off topic".  I suggest we end this discussion.  I will do as I wish to do.  You may do as you wish to do.  

 

As I have stated previously, I subscribe to the tipping practices on my cruises as many others do and I will continue to do so.

 

Good wishes for Fair Skies and Following Seas.

As per my one point check yesterday.  The recommended tip amount was based on the pre-tax cost of the tab.  This was a local Florida chain that has branched out to a couple of other states.  If I get any other data points, I will post. 

[GeorgeCharlie]

A Cruise Critic article on gratuities - updated Jan 08, 2020.

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=261

 

A couple of years ago I had a conversation with a cabin attendant (different cruise line) and he said he had turned down an opportunity to work on with one of the premium cruise lines. Although he would receive a higher salary in lieu of tips, he would actually end up taking home less money - this was because tips were not taxable !!

[Spire2000]

There are an awful lot of people posting things as absolute facts without any sources to back any of it up. Much of it is contradictory too.

 

Tipping culture is weird.

[KroozNut]

On 2/23/2020 at 12:50 PM, RocketMan275 said:

What difference does it make as long as the percentages are agreeable to the crew.

 

How does one determine whether the breakdown is agreeable to the crew or not? 🤔

 

On 2/23/2020 at 12:50 PM, RocketMan275 said:

Tip early, Tip often, Tip a lot.

 

...And then tip some more! 😉

[*Miss G*]

2 minutes ago, KroozNut said:

How does one determine whether the breakdown is agreeable to the crew or not?

 

Signup and retention rates.

[KroozNut]

On 2/25/2020 at 9:04 AM, RocketMan275 said:

One of the complaints about tipping has been that it's too difficult to calculate the tip.   Many are too mathematically challenged to figure that 10% of a $15.00 check can be calculated by moving the decimal place one digit to the left.  A twenty percent tip is the 10% doubled.  

 

Not to mention that everyone these days carries around a portable calculator with them (i.e. cell phone), so it's easy to whip that puppy out and punch in the calculation for your answer... voila!

[KroozNut]

46 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

 

Signup and retention rates.

 

Do not agree that this is a reliable way to determine this, but if it works for you...great!

[gatour]

As another data point.  I went to a different restaurant yesterday that I am a regular at.  I never noticed it before but they also have recommended tip amounts.  Again the recommended amounts were based on just the food/drink total price and NOT the food/drink price + tax.

[*Miss G*]

10 hours ago, KroozNut said:

 

Do not agree that this is a reliable way to determine this, but if it works for you...great!

 

It answers your question and has nothing to do with me.  Just like gratuity distribution.

[RocketMan275]

13 hours ago, KroozNut said:

 

Not to mention that everyone these days carries around a portable calculator with them (i.e. cell phone), so it's easy to whip that puppy out and punch in the calculation for your answer... voila!

Many CC posters have indicated a major aversion to carrying around a cell phone on a cruise ship.  Part of the problem is the belief in precision in calculating tips.  If the bill is $15.65, a 10% tip would be $1.56.  Just tip a buck fifty.

[RocketMan275]

14 hours ago, KroozNut said:

How does one determine whether the breakdown is agreeable to the crew or not?

When the cruise line experiences difficulty in finding crew, then you'll know it's not agreeable.

It's far less accurate to interview random crew members unless you can have a very large sample size.

In addition, one never knows if those interviewed are telling the truth.  There's a big incentive to tell passengers what the crew member thinks they want to hear or to make adverse comments hoping for a gift.

[Toofarfromthesea]

The whole tip on sales tax thing is the very definition of a tempest in a teapot.  If you tip 20% and the sales tax rate is 8% the difference is 1.6%.  Which is $1.60 on a $100 check.  Personally, if I am spending $100 for dinner, $1.60 either way is barely worth noticing, let alone making it a big deal on a message board.

[HamOp]

1 hour ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

The whole tip on sales tax thing is the very definition of a tempest in a teapot.  If you tip 20% and the sales tax rate is 8% the difference is 1.6%.  Which is $1.60 on a $100 check.  Personally, if I am spending $100 for dinner, $1.60 either way is barely worth noticing, let alone making it a big deal on a message board.

Good point.  Kinda puts it in perspective.

[CruiserBruce]

2 hours ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

The whole tip on sales tax thing is the very definition of a tempest in a teapot.  If you tip 20% and the sales tax rate is 8% the difference is 1.6%.  Which is $1.60 on a $100 check.  Personally, if I am spending $100 for dinner, $1.60 either way is barely worth noticing, let alone making it a big deal on a message board.

Quit injecting logic and reason into the discussion....it only makes sense of things!!!😄😄😄

[victory2020]

On ‎2‎/‎24‎/‎2020 at 6:06 PM, rkacruiser said:

 

Leave a gratuity based on the price of my dinner plus the sales tax charged?  Are you kidding?

 

Restaurants that print on your dinner check a "suggested gratuity at 15%-18%-20% amounts" are always suspect to me.  I check what my dinner has cost before sales tax is applied and will tip based on that amount and NOT on the "suggested" amount. 

 

 

  

And, its impolite to imply that the crew of HAL are poor people.  These people are trying to improve their financial situation for the benefit of their families and themselves.  

I have had in depth talks with many crew members. They are actually considered wealthy in their countries. Many have businesses that their families run. Most are highly educated. One was a science teacher from Peru who made much more money working as a waiter than he could ever make as a teacher.

[rkacruiser]

41 minutes ago, victory2020 said:

I have had in depth talks with many crew members. They are actually considered wealthy in their countries. Many have businesses that their families run. Most are highly educated. One was a science teacher from Peru who made much more money working as a waiter than he could ever make as a teacher.

 

While I have not spoken with crew members in depth, over the years, I have learned that they work on the ships because their earnings exceed what they could earn in their home country.  I can confirm that some are trained professionals and are well educated.

 

I recall a conversation with my Dining Room Steward on Volendam whose goal was to earn enough money to allow him to open his own restaurant in Indonesia.  I think about Ronnie often and wonder if he was able to reach his goal.  

[donaldsc]

On 2/23/2020 at 7:04 PM, moosegrin said:

I have had a few interesting conversations over the years with HAL employee's about the gratuities that we pay per day on the rooms.   

Basically, all employees, except that the captains leadership team, managers and entertainment staff, are in the gratuity share  pool.   Each of those employees are assigned point shares by job function.    Your room primary steward has x number of point shares and his assistant has something less than x points.    Each of the primary table waiters will have the same point shares and their assistant something less.  Employee's behind the scenes like the kitchen staff, engineer room, laundry etc, are also assigned (lesser) point shares.   Basically, the closer you get to the customer and the more likely to impact customer satisfaction, the higher the share point value you get.    So,  HAL sums up all the  $ from the daily room gratuities ship-wide,   then sums up all the employee point shares and every employee in the share pool gets their mathematical  portion of that total ship-wide pool.  So all cabin stewards will get the same share from this daily room gratuity.   It is important to understand that the behind the scenes employee's deserve and will get a share of the room gratuities.   And it is a SIGNIFICANT portion of their pay.  

 

Please , please, please do not zero out the room gratuity on your bill.  If the carpets were clean, if the tables were clean, if the cafe food was good,  put something in the pool for these folks.      Now, if you found that the room steward or waiter did an exceptional  job, then feel free to discretely put an  envelope with cash  in their hand and tell them you appreciated their service.    It will   be very much appreciated, and they may occasionally forget to report that money  to the big ship- wide pool.    Also, their advancement is somewhat based on their names showing up with positive comments in your end of cruise evaluation.  "Frank did a great job cleaning our room" is much better than, "the room was always clean".    And wouldn't you want Frank to be someday managing the other room stewards?   

 

 This is solely my understanding as related to me by  unnamed employee's and does not reflect the views of HAL, their staff or management.    I would like to hear replies  if anyone else has heard of this point share system  from HAL employees.  

 

Are you sure about engineer room.  They are professional and technical.  They should not get tips.

 

DON

[whitford]

It is simple for me not sales tax so not an issue. If you have a sales tax do the math as above.

[navybankerteacher]

On 3/28/2020 at 5:59 PM, donaldsc said:

 

Are you sure about engineer room.  They are professional and technical.  They should not get tips.

 

DON

I believe you are correct.  The deck and engineering personnel are professional seamen - rather than “service providers” who share in the pool intended to cover service compensation.

[navybankerteacher]

On 2/27/2020 at 11:06 PM, KroozNut said:

 

Do not agree that this is a reliable way to determine this, but if it works for you...great!

A person’s willingness to sign on for a job is a very reliable way to determine his satisfaction with the compensation terms.  The fact that it might not pay as much as he would like is not relevant — it is obvious that if he had a more desirable option, he would take it.

[doublebzz]

26 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

A person’s willingness to sign on for a job is a very reliable way to determine his satisfaction with the compensation terms.  The fact that it might not pay as much as he would like is not relevant — it is obvious that if he had a more desirable option, he would take it.

And what if doesn't have "...a more desirable option..." but desperately needs the money to feed his/her family?