Staff Tipping at out of State Lodges

[Dave E.]

To clarify my comments.

Waiting until after a deposit is made, then stating what is expected in the way of a tip, is bad form and unprofessional. If the proprietor placed this info in their brochure or provided it to the potential customer, up front, before a booking, that would at least allow the customer a choice prior to his commitment of time, travel reservations and finances.

To me, tips are solely based on the level of service provided ( past tense ) and should be at the discretion of the consumer. Until that service has been provided, groveling for tips is just bad form and unprofessional.

It also tends to make me wonder how woefully underpaid the employees who work for this proprietor are in the first place. If that turns out to be the case, that would call into question the level of service one might expect to encounter and thus, the reason behind the less than forthright way the tipping schedule is being conveyed to already committed customers.

Thanks Guys, Dave

[shawn kempkes]

Put it in another perspective.


The state of Alaska allows fishing guides and lodge staff to be treated as second class citizens and get away with paying shitty wages. The lodge has a three month season and it is expensive to maintain and run a lodge everything has to be flown or floated in.

The standard protocal at lodges in Alaska is to give any tips to the lodge and than the lodge disperses any tips on a proportional basis to the guides, cooks, fish packers etc.
Most guides at some if you try to tip them they tell you give it to the owner.

I think the lodge puts that in the info they send you because they dont tip at all in many European countries and they get alot of people from europe at those lodges.

[JasonB]

Put it in another perspective.


The state of Alaska allows fishing guides and lodge staff to be treated as second class citizens and get away with paying shitty wages. The lodge has a three month season and it is expensive to maintain and run a lodge everything has to be flown or floated in.

The standard protocal at lodges in Alaska is to give any tips to the lodge and than the lodge disperses any tips on a proportional basis to the guides, cooks, fish packers etc.
Most guides at some if you try to tip them they tell you give it to the owner.

I think the lodge puts that in the info they send you because they dont tip at all in many European countries and they get alot of people from europe at those lodges.

That actually makes a lot of sense. I hadn't actually considered your last point, that those lodges get a large number of European guests. That would be reason alone to put it in writing ahead of time; for anyone depending on tips this is a big factor.
JB

[frequent flyer]

A very good question and one that comes up often.

In some countries (e.g. New Zealand), tipping isn't customary in restaurants, hotels, etc. so none is generally expected. The exception is that Americans often make up a large part of fishing lodge guests and many do tip, sometimes raising the expectations of the staff. Same is true in other countries, but the point is customs definitely vary by country.

As to the U.S. full service lodges, I have some experience from having been in the business. I think the bottom line is that tips are customary. Different lodges have different ways of approaching tipping. Some add a fixed percentage to the base charges. I find this distasteful, as it's more like a (sometimes hidden) extra charge that doesn't take into account the quality of service and the guest's actual experience on the trip.

Most lodges have a formula for how tips are divided among servers, housekeepers, etc., so that the guest can just leave a lump sum tip at the end of his/her stay and doesn't have to worry about tipping every person for every service. In our case, the amount of tip was left purely to the discretion of each guest and all of it would go to the staff, with nothing deducted by the lodge itself. Some guests would ask what was customary and our guidance was that, in our actual experience, 10-20% of the guest's bill was what people generally tipped. Almost everyone tipped in that range, with a few who tipped 0 (out of ignorance) and a few who tipped more. Of the people who tipped 0, some would later send a tip with a note saying they hadn't realized that tipping was customary. If in doubt about any of this, don't be reluctant to ask the manager.

Another issue that arises is whether to tip in cash or on a credit card. Cash tips are frequently, in practice, unreported and untaxed income. Credit card tips are more likely to be just like wages, reported and taxed. You and the staff can let your consciences decide what to do. In our case all tips, cash or credit, were reported.

A good fishing travel agent should be one of the best places to ask about tipping customs in various countries and kinds of lodge and outfitting operations - they should definitely know and be able to answer your questions. If they don't know they aren't doing their job or are inexperienced.

All of the above applies to lodge staff. Guides are a separate group, but are often included in whatever formula a lodge uses when they have their own guides. Independent guides are usually tipped separately by the client.

[Sparky]

So, I've read this thread and wonder where is the line between tipping and being responsible for the staff salaries? Hire a guide who does a great job and you give him a tip for work above and beyond. Go to a lodge and a guide is assigned and he drives you down the river in a jet boat and the falls asleep in it while you fish. Yes, I've seen it happen and the lodge want to require a tip for the guide. There just has to be a line somewhere and I wish someone would show me where it is.

[GreggH]

I have a tip Q. If you and your co angler each tip your skipper/guide each day then on the last day your partner does not make the trip are you expected to cover his portion of the tip?Your fishing solo full day.