Tip for room service?
 

Do you tip the guy who brings your room service meal in a nice hotel? The bill says "service charge included" but there is a space to add an additional gratuity. I've always added 10% since it's an expense account and I'm not sure the guy would get anything otherwise. But with times so tough for a lot of companies, including mine, I'm thinking about adding 5%, or zero. Terrible faux pas?

will you want a second order from them?

Call the front desk and ask?

"Service charge" that is itemized on a room service bill to me means "tip taken care of".

I always slip the guy a bill. Always.

Most Room Service charges include a set fee "delivery charge" + usually 18-20% "service charge" or "gratuity" automatically.

I don't usually order room service, but if I do, I don't tip above the set included service fee unless the service is above and beyond. If you get a burger, and there's no ketchup when the guy brings it up, and then he runs down and grabs you some and brings it back 2 minutes later, heck yeah that's worth a couple bucks. But if they knock on your door and throw a cold plate of french fries at you, then no way.

How much? (to Dottore)

This is one topic that always bugged me. I never order room service when I'm alone (on business) but sometimes with the wife on vacation we'll splurge.

Who gets the 18% that's added automatically? That in itself is a nice tip but the delivery person always holds his/her hand out for more...WTF?

Depends on the built in charge. But the guy that bring the food to my room always gets at least $10.- from me for his efforts.

If there is no service charge on the bill, I make sure he gets the going rate.

I agree with Dott.

can't afford the tip, stay home ;)

Now I'm not usually a cheap b*stard but I always ask the server: " Are you covered here?" If he says yes, then no extra tip. And they always say yes.

As North American we tip too much in Europe & Asia.

A tip story from last week. I was dining with a client at a restaurant in Ft Lauderdale on 17th St. When we went for the valeted cars, my client said he would get it. The valet brought the 2 cars which were each no more than 30 ft away - business was slim. My client gave him $5. The valet said: "Is this for both?"

Ian

I do not tip until the day that I check out. Usually I tip $5 bucks per day stayed.

I always give the guy a tip, cash!

So, do you HIGH ROLLERS leave a cash tip for your "houzekeeeepeeeng" staff in a hotel?

+1

I'm not loaded but I've always been a good tipper. I've worked in several tip-dependent occupations starting very young, so it's just in my code of living. The thought of saving a dollar or two by being a cheap bastard is antithetical to me. :cool:

Only on international travel.

Or, as the prostitute said to the leper, "Don't forget the tip."

I always tip the housekeeping well on the first night. This assures me that the room is good for the second night.

Room service gets at least a couple of bucks as does the porter. Just my version of good manners.

Tough economic times means you should screw service folks?


Unless its a situation with a large party at a restaurant, and the tip in added on automatically, I always tip in cash. And I always tip, and I tip well. Oddly, I always get fantastic service as well. Huh.

The reason a gratuity is added on a large group bill in a private room or otherwise in a restaurant is because of the extra staff it takes to serve the guests. That doesn't mean the person making the reservations or taking care of the bill shouldn't seek out the lead server and tip them if all was good or better. Of course, this would not apply to a banquet where you bought in individually unless you feel compelled.

I think the "service charge" for room service is to differentiate from the restaurant or coffee shop prices. True, the room service menu may not even be the same or same prices, but nevertheless, if there wasn't a "penalty," everyone would stay in their room. Again, it takes extra staff to bring, serve and remove the service cart.

That has nothing to do with the person bringing the food. If they are polite, quick and efficient, they deserve to be treated as such with a tip. If there is something wrong with the food or service, it should be explained to the staff, not just stiffed.

The tip rate should be commensurate with the already in place charges. The server will keep the tip whereas the charge will be kept by the hotel, some of it may be pooled to the staff.
So, if the server makes 2 trips to your room, I should think 5% is plenty as opposed to 15-20% in the dining room for continuous service. However, 5% of a $20 item for a single occupant would be a dollar. One has to be prudent here.

"Keep the tip." The punchline is: "Keep the tip."

That's as bad a screen doors on a battleship. SmileWavy

We're all FANTASTIC tippers, but that's the question the thread is asking. Is the built in 18-20% charge (not including the other $5 built in charge) on a room service charge a 'tip"?

And the joke is...

"What did the leper say to the prostitute?"

Not the other way around


Botched that one...

I tried to explain the difference between a fixed gratuity and a service charge.

No, no, no.

The leper said "keep the tip".

The prostitute said "don't forget the tip".

I tend to tip well when I first arrive or use a service for the first time. The word gets around, and if you're staying for more than a night, then it's a great way to ensure that you get good service.

I'd rather grease the wheels to start with than wait and see and tip accordingly.

Same goes for a bar... when I first walk in and order drinks at a busy bar, I make sure that my first drink order has a $10-20 tip along with it that goes into the tip jar, and that the bartender sees it happen.

After that you could be the last guy in the back of the crowd, but if you need a drink, you'll get awesome service and bumped up to the front.

The punch line is "that's as bad as screen doors on a submarine"!:p

[QUOTE=jeffgrant;4659220]I tend to tip well when I first arrive or use a service for the first time. The word gets around, and if you're staying for more than a night, then it's a great way to ensure that you get good service.

I'd rather grease the wheels to start with than wait and see and tip accordingly.




the acronym " tips" is " to insure prompt service".

Big tipper that you are Dottore, care to explain the apparent chasm between this post" It is slightly ridiculous that the food industry is able to subsidise their payroll costs in this fashion because of the widespread expecation that people will leave a 15% tip no matter what. Why not just add 15% to menu prices and be done with this mendacity? What other industry explots our gullibility to this degree?"
And the current one in which you say that you tip a bill for the time and effort?

Hah! This does work. Many years ago we used to frequent a beer joint that had cheap pitchers on a week night. The thing is, they only put out about 20 pitchers that night. So, to get one and not buy by the mug, we'd give the waitress a few bucks to get started. We always had a full pitcher of beer and we used them up pretty fast.

This used to be the Oarhouse in Santa Monica off National Blvd.

No, no, no....
The punchline is: "Well she's got worms too, but I love to fish!"

i have never ever ordered room service in my entire life. if i am in another city, i hit the pavement looking for somewhere else to eat, besides my hotel room. i have made it a hobby to "eat like the locals".

room service food appears to be overpriced everytime i check out the menu for kicks.

Sorry, Milt, I did the ol' "shoot to the end and don't read anything and blab your fat mouth off" thing. SmileWavy

Simple. I much prefer a system in which tipping 15—20% is not expected. But in NA it is. And I am a realist.

But I will not tip if the service is poor. That may have been missing from my previous post.

+1
A little goes a long way...

I just got back from my honeymoon in Pismo Beach, stayed at a 5 star resort and always slipped the guys a few dollars. Yes, everything came with a "gratuity included" reciept, but, The bonus for taking care of them anyways? They noticed our car was filthy from the drive up from LA, ash from the Santa Barbara fires etc. So they detailed the car inside and out... As a courtesy. We called front desk and asked about DVD's very late one night, lady says I'll pick out a few and have them delivered, if you don't like them tell us, we'll bring more. She called 5 min later and said your movies are on your door step! With pop corn and chocolates.
Word gets around a hotel/resort, if you're taking care of them, they enjoy taking care of you. Same goes for restaurants....
I'm just sayin

"Gunga, gunga lunga . . . " is all they get from me.;)

If you leave a tip for the "room cleaners" at disney they will make animals out of the towels..... :D

I always add "extra" in the palm. Not alot, but enough to keep them interested. Denis in #14, Milt in #19, Jeff in #25, and 911 freak in #34 are right.

If your going out, or if your staying in, if the service is above acceptable, and if you consider yourself "taken care of", tip the staff. Screw the "added" gratuity. Doesn't really need to be alot (relative) but I have found everything above to be true. Small thoughts count, the service improves, the bar staff responds more quickly, and the tip goes up. This includes hotel cleaning staff. Funny what they can take care of for $2/day

Karl
88 Targa

One of the 1st things I learned in college when my buddies were bartending, it didn't happen to me, but one of my good friends straightened out a friend with said one night that he had just enough money for 3 drinks, just the drinks, nother for a tip. I've bartended and worked other gigs where I earned tips, so I understand how much a tip means, plus, my father always told me to ever leave coin, always round up.

Now, why would you order room service, I always look forward to heading to the bar for dinner...

General rule of thumb is if you don't know what an appropriate tip should be, tip the equivalent of the price of a pack of cigarettes in whatever locale you're in.

'course now days that is getting quite pricey.

But, yes, you should tip RS guy even if a gratuity is added. The added gratuity is usually shared with the kitchen staff, maids, janitors, service bartenders, operator, etc. Perhaps a bit less if they're adding 15%+, but still you should tip him. That way he won't spit in your food the next order he brings to you;)

Oh yeah...another thing. A cash tip is usually more appreciated than adding a tip to a credit card or hotel receipt. Reason: If no tip is added to a credit bill, then most rest/bars assume 8-10% and calculate accordingly for tax reporting purposes. Whereas, if you leave the tip on your credit card, the waitstaff tip is reported in the actual amount. Plus some establishments payout the tips on a weekly basis if they're on the hotel or CC bill.

Trust me...cash talks.