Personal Touches

[slidergirl]

On 4/10/2023 at 9:07 AM, Biker19 said:

Some hand out $2 bills for the same effect.

I received a couple of $2 this winter at my Lodge from some yahoo.  $2 won't even buy me a cup of coffee up here - chocolate sure won't do it, either.

[evandbob]

It's pretty hard to cash a $2 bill in a foreign port, some places it's impossible.  But staff will still smile and give profuse thanks when they receive any gift, it's part of their training and expected reaction.

 

Prepaid tips, extra cash if warranted and 10's on post cruise surveys next to their name are the best way IMO, to show appreciation.  No candy, bible, comb, etc.

Edited April 11, 2023 by evandbob

[Mum2Mercury]

- All staff like tips.  

- It's hard to believe staff wouldn't like tips attached to a Hershey bar even more. 

- It's hard to believe staff would complain about the type of chocolate in a gift ... that requires a special kind of entitlement.  

[mom says]

1 hour ago, Mum2Mercury said:

It's hard to believe staff would complain about the type of chocolate in a gift ... that requires a special kind of entitlement

The staff are trained in good manners and courtesy towards all guests. It is drilled into them. They would never voice such a complaint within hearing of any guest. What they actually think, and discuss amongst the other crew numbers is something else entirely.

 

Not unlike the unmourned pillow chocolates. I wouldn't call them crap in front of our steward.  But DH and I are free to voice our opinion between   2 of us in private.

[ldubs]

If we are talking candy bars as opposed to all chocolates, I would go with Cadbury.  

 

 

[donaldsc]

16 hours ago, ticketsunlimited said:

 

Hershey chocolate product are all junk.

 

DON

[Joebucks]

This always comes up, and I don't know how I feel about it. To get a candy bar in addition to a $20 bill is certainly a gesture of good will and a nice treat. However, I think some people stretch this candy bar thing. "They don't have access to a Hershey bar and they want it." Do "they?" I'd wonder how American workers would feel if they were paid in food items that they may or may not want.

[VMax1700]

I tried Hershey's once and still regret it. 😟

 

#1 selling chocolate/candy bar according to gooooogle is Snickers.

[tropicalkerry2002]

Cadbury. from BRITAIN!

[Mum2Mercury]

10 hours ago, mom says said:

The staff are trained in good manners and courtesy towards all guests. It is drilled into them. They would never voice such a complaint within hearing of any guest. What they actually think, and discuss amongst the other crew numbers is something else entirely ...

Even if they don't want it themselves, I don't think anyone's upset by receiving "extra". 

2 hours ago, Joebucks said:

... I'd wonder how American workers would feel if they were paid in food items that they may or may not want.

No one has suggested candy bars in place of tips ... this is an "extra".

[ticketsunlimited]

2 hours ago, Joebucks said:

This always comes up, and I don't know how I feel about it. To get a candy bar in addition to a $20 bill is certainly a gesture of good will and a nice treat. However, I think some people stretch this candy bar thing. "They don't have access to a Hershey bar and they want it." Do "they?" I'd wonder how American workers would feel if they were paid in food items that they may or may not want.

I’ll give it a try the next time I find an American cleaning my room on a cruise. The candy will be rotted or melted by the time that happens.

[mjkacmom]

2 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

I tried Hershey's once and still regret it. 😟

 

#1 selling chocolate/candy bar according to gooooogle is Snickers.

I like snickers, especially frozen. Hersheys tastes like vomit. I’m an American who gets chocolate from Amazon overseas of local shops that carry Cadbury and such (the American Cadbury is trash).

[VMax1700]

22 minutes ago, mjkacmom said:

I like snickers, especially frozen. Hersheys tastes like vomit. I’m an American who gets chocolate from Amazon overseas of local shops that carry Cadbury and such (the American Cadbury is trash).

Oh yes baby!  Frozen Snickers is great.  Another great frozen treat is Cadbury's Twirl. (Cadbury's Flake coated in chocolate)  When frozen it becomes crisp and really melts in the mouth............😋

[no1racefan1]

To answer the OP question: I've never done anything extra to personalize tips, but I do always give extra tips. I honestly think what you are doing is fine and thoughtful. Is a candy bar going to be everybody's cup of tea? No. But that doesn't mean it isn't thoughtful and it's not hurting anyone. I like that it is consumable and not some trinket that the staff has to figure out what to do with.

 

I've worked in customer service nearly my whole adult life. When I received cash tips (which was rare in the positions I've worked) I was thrilled. When I've received candy/chocolate, I thought it was nice and would usually eat it or give it to a coworker. In some positions I was not allowed to receive cash or anything of value, but customers would still bring candy or sometimes send flowers as a thank you. One time a customer had a pizza delivered to the front desk...totally random. Did he know what kind of pizza I liked? No. Did I eat it and enjoy it because I was a poor college student? You bet I did!

 

Honestly in customer service it feels good just to have people be nice to you, because there are far too many people who are rude/entitled/condescending!

 

Disclaimer: sometimes people would bring homemade treats and I would smile and thank them and then throw them in the trash after they left. I'm not that trusting, people! But I still always appreciated them showing kindness.

[LHT28]

OP  if it make you happy to give treats to the crew  go ahead

they will accept it graciously 

 

We just give  extra tips at the end of the cruise with a note of thanks  as well as good scores in the cruise comment cards

 

YMMV

[slidergirl]

I'm the one who got the $2.  I've also received (along with my co-workers) refrigerator magnets from one guy who thought they were an appropriate tip to remind us that he came from Annapolis, MD.  Of course, in front of a guest, we smile and gush our appreciation for such a unique tip.  In the back office, we say what a cheap twit he is and toss the magnets in the trash can.  Chocolate - at one time I was actually allergic to it.  As a personal tip, it sucked.  Giving a box to the staff NOT ATTACHED TO A TIP was nice.  We had a few of those (Georgia pecans, a box of Chobani yogurt from a Chobani exec, cookies from Levain in NYC, etc.  But, they were never delivered as part of a tip.  

 

take the money you paid for that Hershey bar and give it to the staff as part of an extra tip!!  They won't have to fake the appreciation and will be able to send it to their kids for college 😉

[ldubs]

I'm on the side of giving cash as opposed to gifts.  I think the OP "packaging" additional $$ with a candy bar, is not worth getting into a tizzy.     

[lenquixote66]

We have never ever conceived of giving chocolate or any other food item.

We give cash 

[dunrobbin]

6 hours ago, tropicalkerry2002 said:

Cadbury. from BRITAIN!

Or Australia!

[jsn55]

Unless it's specifically tailored to someone, anything but cash is a waste of money and effort.  As an example, I've never been impressed by 'generic gifts'.   I find that rather arrogant and annoying.  Yesterday, via FedX, I received a super-ugly 'throw' from American Express in honor of being a customer for 50 years.  Beautifully wrapped, the thing's 'pure cotton' from Portugal, the whole package probably cost $150 and I'll just give it to Goodwill.  I would have appreciated 50K points much more.  I would consider that a thoughtful gift.   

 

But the point of this thread is to share what people like to give with their cash tips on a cruise.  Beyond me why certain people feel they have to judge what others think or do.  There's no right or wrong choice, it's just interesting to read ... and isn't that what a forum like this is for?  

Edited April 13, 2023 by jsn55
thought

[shorne]

32 minutes ago, jsn55 said:

Unless it's specifically tailored to someone, anything but cash is a waste of money and effort.  As an example, I've never been impressed by 'generic gifts'.   I find that rather arrogant and annoying.  Yesterday, via FedX, I received a super-ugly 'throw' from American Express in honor of being a customer for 50 years.  Beautifully wrapped, the thing's 'pure cotton' from Portugal, the whole package probably cost $150 and I'll just give it to Goodwill.  I would have appreciated 50K points much more.  I would consider that a thoughtful gift.   

 

The point of a gift is to show goodwill by trying to please the recipient. That requires an appreciation of the recipient's taste. A friend would be expected to know something about what would please you; a corporation would not and could not. So indeed the corporation should not have tried, in this commercial context: money or something similar to money would indeed have been better.

 

Tips also occur in a commercial context, and they should be given in cash. Words of appreciation do not go amiss, and the world would be a better place if they were uttered more often.

[donaldsc]

23 hours ago, slidergirl said:

I'm the one who got the $2.  ge 😉

 

We always tell people not to tip w $2 bills as they are a pain for the crew member to deal with as opposed to "real" money.  As a person who has received $2 bill tips what are your thought about the matter.  Would you prefer two $1 bills as opposed to one $2 bill.

 

DON

[slidergirl]

22 minutes ago, donaldsc said:

 

We always tell people not to tip w $2 bills as they are a pain for the crew member to deal with as opposed to "real" money.  As a person who has received $2 bill tips what are your thought about the matter.  Would you prefer two $1 bills as opposed to one $2 bill.

 

DON

I would have preferred a nice "thank you" instead.  $2 is an insult.   

I keep trying to give them to people when they ask for change, but they decline.  I may have pay cash at the grocery store and feed them into the register to get rid of them 😹

[navybankerteacher]

$2 bills have always been oddballs. In the 1960’s the Navy used to specifically include them in the cash distributed on paydays - the intent being to make the area around a base aware of the contribution Navy pay made to the local economy.  Not sure how effective that effort was.

[electro]

5 hours ago, slidergirl said:

I would have preferred a nice "thank you" instead.  $2 is an insult.   

I keep trying to give them to people when they ask for change, but they decline.  I may have pay cash at the grocery store and feed them into the register to get rid of them 😹

I don't understand why the US has a currency denomination that people refuse to use. It is kind of bizarre. Since no one wants them, why aren't they taken out of print?

I lived it Colorado for 4 years and really missed having a $2 denomination. I always ended up with a wallet full for $1. Now I don't use cash much so it doesn't matter.