Is pre-tipping your cabin steward a good idea?

[packer99]

We tipped $10 the first day because we asked for ice and for the balcony divider to be removed. We were also impressed that our room was ready at 12:45pm considering she had 16 rooms to turn in just a few hours.

 

I don't know if that extra $$ made for better service or not through out the week. We never really had any special requests other than the 1st day. We were impressed she remembered all of our names and was genuine sweet person. We chatted with her for a few minutes about her family, how long she works, etc because we were interested. She had a super bubbly personality for someone who works long hours!

 

On the day of disembarkation, we left for breakfast around 7am and she was already working on turning over rooms even though she told us she was supposed to start at 8am. I left her an additional tip at the end.

[LA_CA_GAL]

Why is it so hard for some of you to get the point? The issue some of us have is not about the bartender choosing to give free drinks and how that goes over with management. The issue raised is about "bribery." If you overly generously pre-tip the bartender and then he/she starts giving you a bunch of free drinks, that is not "good policy", but rather it is the bartender using the company's goods to profit himself/herself. If the free drink policy is applied randomly without regard to whether the customer is a big tipper or not, that is wonderful.

 

 

Having worked in bars and restaurants, and being a frequent customer, I know a few things about this.

 

First thing, those that are generous tippers, for the most part, are great customers. These are customers that spend a lot of money, and they tend to bring others to the bar. These are the people the "establishment" wants rewarded. And by "establishment", I mean the bartender and the company. Good business practice is to reward your best customers.

 

As for providing free drinks at "random" is simply bad business practice. For the most part, those that do not tip are just bad customers, and rewarding them makes no business sense. I know this from experience.

 

The point that you just do not seem to get is that rewarding your best customers benefits both the bartender and the company.

[declansdad]

Have you ever been to a casino?

 

Free drinks. Why, numerous reasons, but mainly, it is a good policy leading to increased profitability.

 

Same thing goes for other establishments that provide alcoholic beverages.

 

Why is it so hard to grasp the fact that providing a free beverage is just good practice and stimulates business and profitability?:confused:

 

 

Hey I'm with you on this one.

[Husky61]

You clearly have no idea how hospitality industry operate.

 

And you are avoiding answering the question.

[Husky61]

You looking to walk the plank with me?

 

Granted, we have violated CC rule number one, having some fun with a thread.

 

We can walk it together!;)

[BIGDADDYRICH]

being knowledgeable and experienced in a topic is never a prerequisite to posting wrong information on cc.

 

lol

[Sissaaaaaa]

We always tip the steward on day one. We usually pick a "meeting bar" on day one as well. This will be the bar we meet up at nightly for cocktails before dinner. That bartender gets a very nice tip on the first night, as well as tips throughout the cruise. We always have excellent service.

[Napagirl]

 

I believe in tipping. I did not come from a wealthy family but I've managed to do quite well for myself through hard work and perseverance. I'm at a point in my life where I have the ability to pay it forward, and by God, I do so. People can frown upon my choices or judge me for them but I can't tell you how many times when I was trying to get ahead when I was starting out that those little "bonuses" that kind people offered me meant the difference of driving to work or walking 5 miles. Don't be so uptight. If you want to pre-tip, do so because that's what you want to do and it makes you feel good doing it. Justify it however you want, or don't justify it at all. You don't have to explain yourself to anyone. If you don't want to pre-tip, than don't.

 

I always say - what others think of me is none of my business. :) Those who work in the hospitality biz, and/or those who tip well all know - yes, it can get you priority! If I have a list of things to do - I'm going to do them all. But the one who took good care of me is getting priority and maybe even a little something extra if I can swing it. Like it or not, that's a fact.

[Haoie]

At the least - pretipping isn't likely to make service worse is it? I don't cruise that often but I always give a little extra at the start.

[mojomorris]

Seems like so much blah blah blah posted here.

Geez Louise...pre-tip if you want but DON'T remove tips at the end of the cruise UNLESS you received lousy service. (IMO)

We allocate "X" dollars for tips and usually give a bit out at the beginning to see if it might make a difference. "Meh" type service means we just do the "mandatory" fee/tip/service charge. Friendly attentive service gets more $$ personally handed out at the end of the cruise.

AND on future cruises I'll be looking for "that guy" handing out $100 bills....:)

[Cruisin' Chick]

We have not had one of these threads in at least a week. In answer to your question - pre-tipping is an absolutely useless worthless gesture as long as you do tip at the end of the cruise. It doesn't hurt but does provide absolutely no benefits as the cabin attendants are paid to provide good service in the expectation that they will be tipped in the end.

 

That said, you have and will continue to get replies from people who are convinced based on absolutely no experimental evidence that the only reason that they get good service is because they pretip. I guess that as long as they believe it, no harm is done and they feel that they are putting something over us post cruise tippers.

 

See - I did this entire post without using the "b" word.

 

DON

 

I always wonder about this too every time one of these threads come up. We have never, ever pretipped. We keep on our autograts (ever since they were instituted as a change from the "stuff the envelopes" activity on the final day of the cruise) and if we find the service exceptional we'll put money in an envelope and/or write out "consummate host" cards for the crew member(s). We also understand that the cabin steward is busy getting several cabins ready so we're not going to start listing our wishes for him to fulfill when we first meet him or her. If a faucet isn't working or something similar for maintenance, we'll let him/her know. But other than that, we know we'll be taken care of.

 

Some tasks such as removing any cans in our fridge we're perfectly capable of doing on our own and placing the cans up on the tv shelf or the desk. Takes maybe twenty seconds and very little effort.

[babyher]

I always say - what others think of me is none of my business. :) Those who work in the hospitality biz, and/or those who tip well all know - yes, it can get you priority! If I have a list of things to do - I'm going to do them all. But the one who took good care of me is getting priority and maybe even a little something extra if I can swing it. Like it or not, that's a fact.

 

 

Agreed

 

Did my time behind the bar, and yes .....there are rewards for being a "good" customer. The places I worked it was encouraged and even insisted upon by the owners.

 

Of course you treat every customer professionally and with respect , but you are gonna go the extra mile with the big spenders who are in all the time and bring in a lot of people (read revenue) , than you will with the guy who comes in once every blue moon with a coupon from the Penny Saver making sure everything he orders is included in "The Special" . Then takes out his calculator and figures out 15%....20%....

[ithaca gal]

A legit promo on the house is always rung into the system by an authorized person (usually a manager or supervisor), properly accounted for and charged to a designated promo account. Anything not punch into the POS or done under the table is not going to go well for the employee if caught.

 

This is absolutely correct. In March, my friend and I received free drinks almost every night in the casino. And every time our room number was rung in because the casino hostess asked for it so that she could sign for it and account for the free drink.

 

Yes, the cruise lines often give away free drinks. However, getting a Bloody Mary the next day (he didn't take my SeaPass card) and then ordering three beers and being charged for one doesn't seem to follow authorized promotional drink procedure. She says this happened throughout the cruise. The bartender may or may not have been "going rogue" for the nice tips.

 

Maybe this is how that cruiseline operates -- anything is possible. But it seems like their accounting and inventory would be a nightmare. Just sayin'. I love to tip and be nice to the crew and I don't mind being given a free drink on the up and up. Maybe my honesty isn't a good thing? Wait, no. It is.

[grillinchillin]

I think those who do not pre tip and complain about those who do are ignorant of the obvious - upfront money talks.

Edited April 16, 2016 by grillinchillin

[sfaaa]

Doesn't seem that you do if you didn't understand the concept of bartenders providing the odd free drink.

 

Is he authorized by his employer to give out free drinks or bottles of beer under the table without punching them in as promo? If you think this is how things are done, then you have no concept on the subject of F&B cost control, inventory management and internal theft prevention procedures.

[declansdad]

Is he authorized by his employer to give out free drinks or bottles of beer under the table without punching them in as promo? If you think this is how things are done, then you have no concept on the subject of F&B cost control, inventory management and internal theft prevention procedures.

 

 

I think you have no concept of how things really work.

[ithaca gal]

If you really think that the cruiseline has encouraged this bartender to hand out free drinks to you "throughout the cruise" because you are tipping him handsomely, you should include it on a survey or a letter to the cruiseline.

 

My bet is that he wouldn't have a job for long.

 

But if you think it is okay, go for it.