Tipping tour guides

[Ozwoody]

Reading some of the comments re tipping here, makes me blink a little.

I somehow think people are on different thought lines.

I think you have to differentiate between, there are two types of tipping.

 

Most people are against tipping as in the USA culture, ie: tipping as a form of wage, rather than just pay a living wage up front, which I agree is contrary to the Aussie way of life.

 

As for the other type of tipping, it’s a little more difficult to explain.

In normal way of life when we go shopping, people who serve us, only interact with us a short time, and only to sell the product you chose to buy, no we don’t tip them, they’re just doing their job,

 

However, there are other people who are just doing their job, who interreact with us over a longer period of time.

How they fulfill that role can make or break your personal experience.

For example, Waiters in a restaurant, people in the recreational & travel industries, tourist guides, for example.

 

They can just serve you, like, just take your order then serve food and walk away, or they can spend the time to make your visit wonderful and memorable, ie: To go the extra effort, and above just serving you.

The second type of tipping, recognises this excellences service.

 

Now before you say, well I don’t get that for doing my job!

Have you every been given bonus at work or a pay increase, because your boss appreciated you?

Well, if you did, you just got one of the second tips, ie: recognition for excellent service.

 

So yes, I believe there is room in the Australian culture for tipping, a small tip of around $10/day is small fry in our day, but goes a long way in their lives, for its recognition.

 

You know that add on TV re the girl in the servo and the block of chocolate left for her.

Yep, “Made Tha Day”.

 

Tips don’t have to be money, as shown by OP, a gift card, or as someone else said, a box of chocolates, sends the same message.

 

Well, that’s MHO anyway.

 

Regards John

 

[lyndarra]

8 minutes ago, Ozwoody said:

You know that add on TV re the girl in the servo and the block of chocolate left for her.

Yep, “Made Tha Day”.

7 minutes ago, Ozwoody said:

 

"Made tha day"??

I believe she said "Love you dad".

[Ozwoody]

9 minutes ago, lyndarra said:

"Made tha day"??

I believe she said "Love you dad".

Thanks lyndarra

Must be my hearing, but the example is still valid, showing appreciation.

 

John

 

[lyndarra]

Just now, Ozwoody said:

Thanks lyndarra

Must be my hearing, but the example is still valid, showing appreciation.

 

John

 

Initially I had the same problem until I asked a friend, with excellent hearing. It then made sense.

However, would he have done the same if she was not his daughter?

 

[Ozwoody]

18 minutes ago, lyndarra said:

Initially I had the same problem until I asked a friend, with excellent hearing. It then made sense.

However, would he have done the same if she was not his daughter?

 

Call me an Old Softy, but I prefer that he would.

Serving in a job like that late at night is a lonely boring job.

[SinbadThePorter]

46 minutes ago, Ozwoody said:

They can just serve you, like, just take your order then serve food and walk away, or they can spend the time to make your visit wonderful and memorable, ie: To go the extra effort, and above just serving you.

The second type of tipping, recognises this excellences service.

 

But that's not where tipping culture finishes up. It ends up as it does in the US where the idea of excellence amounts to saying ""have a nice day" as the hand is extended for a mandatory 20%.

[cruiser3775]

I think we really have to take into account the differences between the US and Australian conditions when it comes to tipping.

 

In Australia, with a reputable company that tour guide probably makes $60,000 a year or more, is probably in a permanent job, gets their employer's contribution to superannuation, gets sick leave, parental leave, long service leave and holiday leave and some other benefits I can't bring to mind at the moment.

 

In the US, people can be legally employed on wages as low as $9 an hour, in jobs with no benefits or rights, and the worst thing about not tipping is the fact that, in the US, their taxation system taxes them not just on their base earnings, but on the expectation that they are also getting maybe 15% of their income on tips (depending on what the job is).  So if you don't give them that tip, they are still going to be taxed as if you did.

 

When I first went to the US decades ago, a 10% tip was fairly standard.  In 2023, when people often pay by credit card, they have the suggested tip amount already set up when they present your electronic bill, and now the minimum in most places I went to this year was 20%.  Most of them also suggested 25%.   The percentage is getting higher all the time.

 

Given our very different set of working conditions, do we really want to encourage this in Australia for overseas travellers?

 

 

[MicCanberra]

It is what it is, whether we like it or not some jobs encourage tipping despite them getting a decent wage and all the benefits, others jobs do not.

 

One thing to note is that any tip should be money, otherwise (chocolates or such) it is a gift.

[Aus Traveller]

3 hours ago, Ozwoody said:

Thanks lyndarra

Must be my hearing, but the example is still valid, showing appreciation.

 

John

 

We have always heard it as "Love you Dad". 😁

[Gwendy]

10 hours ago, Worldtraveler 4727 said:

PROBLEM SOLVED: I purchased a gift card from Coles for our tour guide! 👍🏻

Great idea 

[MicCanberra]

Who watches ads or even takes notice of them. Not me if I can help it. 

Not happy Jan.

 

 

[yarramar]

14 hours ago, Worldtraveler 4727 said:

PROBLEM SOLVED: I purchased a gift card from Coles for our tour guide! 👍🏻

I cant speak for the tour guide but if I had one client that gave me $10 per day as a tip and another that gave me a $30 gift card (even if it WAS Coles rather than Dan Murphy) I would say thanks to both but inwardly sneer at the $10 per day and be really grateful for the gift which would make my day.

In other words, to an Aussie, a tip means nothing but a gift, no matter how small, is appreciated.

[MMDown Under]

3 hours ago, yarramar said:

I cant speak for the tour guide but if I had one client that gave me $10 per day as a tip and another that gave me a $30 gift card (even if it WAS Coles rather than Dan Murphy) I would say thanks to both but inwardly sneer at the $10 per day and be really grateful for the gift which would make my day.

In other words, to an Aussie, a tip means nothing but a gift, no matter how small, is appreciated.

I agree I take small thoughtful Australian gifts overseas with me for friends, as well as cabin stewards. 

[onlyslightlymad]

17 hours ago, MMDown Under said:

Just the accent.  You may need a interpreter!  

Oh c'mon the Aussie accent's not that bad.  I can mostly make it out just fine.

[Worldtraveler 4727]

5 hours ago, yarramar said:

I cant speak for the tour guide but if I had one client that gave me $10 per day as a tip and another that gave me a $30 gift card (even if it WAS Coles rather than Dan Murphy) I would say thanks to both but inwardly sneer at the $10 per day and be really grateful for the gift which would make my day.

In other words, to an Aussie, a tip means nothing but a gift, no matter how small, is appreciated.

I didn’t know what Dan Murphy was— had to look that one up— but glad to know my idea/gesture will ultimately be appreciated. Thanks for that 👍🏻

[lyndarra]

3 hours ago, onlyslightlymad said:

Oh c'mon the Aussie accent's not that bad.  I can mostly make it out just fine.

How about if they start speaking Bogan?

[MicCanberra]

If you do any tours overseas such as Gate 1, Cosmos, Trafalgar, Globus, Colette,  APT, etc they always have a recommendation of how many $ per day for the driver and for the guide.

As a someone who does these tours, that is what I provide.

Here in Australia sometimes there is a line that says 'tip not included' , if they state that then we feel a tip is expected and we  tip accordingly to the usual rates.

[ceeceeDee]

13 hours ago, Aus Traveller said:

We have always heard it as "Love you Dad". 😁

That's exactly what she is saying.

[ceeceeDee]

12 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

Who watches ads or even takes notice of them. Not me if I can help it. 

Not happy Jan.

 

 

Have a heart, Mic. I appear in TV commercials! It's my job when I can get a gig.

[MicCanberra]

I have as well, actually more like promotional ads.

[Jean C]

18 hours ago, lyndarra said:

Initially I had the same problem until I asked a friend, with excellent hearing. It then made sense.

However, would he have done the same if she was not his daughter?

 

Hahaha, we have the same ad in NZ. It also took me a while to decipher what she said 🤔

[LittleFish1976]

12 hours ago, yarramar said:

I cant speak for the tour guide but if I had one client that gave me $10 per day as a tip and another that gave me a $30 gift card (even if it WAS Coles rather than Dan Murphy) I would say thanks to both but inwardly sneer at the $10 per day and be really grateful for the gift which would make my day.

In other words, to an Aussie, a tip means nothing but a gift, no matter how small, is appreciated.

 

I'm the opposite. I'm sensitive to these gestures looking like charity which is why I would never ever give someone a gift card to a supermarket as a tip or 'gift for service'. To me, that's what you might give someone begging on the street if you didn't want them to buy drugs with cash if you gave it to them.

 

Good to know that you would 'inwardly sneer' if someone tipped you $10 per day on a tour! I'd be pleased and think they must have been happy with my service. If someone gave me a supermarket gift card I would think they were making the assumption I couldn't afford to feed myself or my family. I'd be insulted if I was gainfully employed and proud of my work.

 

 

[sayaguru]

Even though we are not a tipping culture I find tips are expected. When on a tour I see it written in most countries that "even though tips are not customary in this country. etc etc". Of course it is still up to your own discression. 

I was surprised in Vietnam that people didn't tip (well on the day trips I did). 

 

The travel industry does expect tips. It annoys me a bit in countries where the wages are good. I'm wondering if tour companies get an amazing price BECAUSE the company knows people will tip? 

Sometimes the suggested amount is ridiculous. 

On a river cruise of 150 people the suggested tip for the lady organising the tours (not doing them) was 1-2 Euros per person per day. While that doesn't seem a lot. That's 150-300Euros a day TIP. That's 1050-2100 Euros a week.

Some people wouldn't earn that as a wage. 

[Sallyandtex]

6 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

If you do any tours overseas such as Gate 1, Cosmos, Trafalgar, Globus, Colette,  APT, etc they always have a recommendation of how many $ per day for the driver and for the guide.

As a someone who does these tours, that is what I provide.

Here in Australia sometimes there is a line that says 'tip not included' , if they state that then we feel a tip is expected and we  tip accordingly to the usual rates.

When we booked Insight and Trafalgar,  we had those automatically included, (like cruising here.). When we were finished up in Canada insight, the envelopes still got passed around as most hadn't paid the expected tips. So, if it's part of the fare I think it should always be included

I wrote on the front that we already paid those (hundreds of dollars each for host and driver), and as the tour manager was less than average I didn't want to leave extra....we still felt guilty for  no good reason.

It's always a topic that makes me uncertain , uncomfortable and the system is unfair for the workers.

[MicCanberra]

For tours like that, we prepay when possible. We stick to the company proposed range when we cannot prepay, if we thought they did a great job, then they get more, than If they did a poor job but it would still be within the range of what the guide proposed.