How much to tip airport lei greeter

[Chester]

How much should one tip a lei greeter at the Honolulu airport (one lei, late night arrival - 11 pm)?

 

I've asked around and gotten very vague answers, such as "whatever I feel is appropriate" and "we've seen tips from $1 to $50". There must be a better rule of thumb than that???

[spleen93]

OK, this one has me stumped - anybody? I would guess somewhere around $5 would be reasonable but I'm really pulling that figure out of nowhere :)

 

Spleen

[bambam]

Like anything in the service industry, 15% is typical...but it really depends on the service received. When we got our lei-greeting in February, the guy put the lei around my neck and Pebble's neck, mumbled an aloha and walked away...before I could do anything....sooooo, no tip. :(

 

If you get someone who puts a little effort into a nice warm greeting, answers questions, takes pictures, offers advice and tips, makes you feel welcome... ;)

 

IMHO......I was prepared to have given $5 or $10, depending on the warmth of the greeting....seems he wasn't interested, so I didnt... :cool:

[Chester]

Spleen - It's not too often that I've seen you stumped. Only a few more days and I'll be on the shores of your beautiful island. Thanks for all of your valuable input on this board.

 

I was thinking in the $5 to $10 range as well. Nice to see that you and BamBam are on the same page. I agree BamBam that much of it depends on how much the greeter puts into it.

 

Mahalo!

[SweetEmi]

Wow!

 

Okay....let me tell you my one experience with this. My friend, her mom, and I drove from Kona to Hilo with a cooler full of leis to greet a group of people coming in. It takes a good 4 hours to drive there and back plus time to make the leis, etc. We got paid for the lei greeting but didn't get a tip from anyone. lol!!

 

Believe me when I say that we did not just mumble a greeting either...Auntie Jo LOVES to talk story and my friend Annette played music and sang for them. (I'm the helper...*smile*)

 

We also did this as a favor and for the price we agreed on and didn't even expect tips. (We could have stopped for a nice lunch though...hehehehehe)

 

Emi

[Maui_Wahine]

Spleen - It's not too often that I've seen you stumped.

I can certainly understand Spleen being stumped, so am I. As a "local", I've never been greeted at the airport with a lei, other than by my husband. I'd guess the same holds for Spleen (sans husband!)

 

One reason I don't post frequently is because I don't do visitor activities (too busy working) and don't want to post anything about which I don't have first hand experience.

[orcatek]

I didn't even know they still did the greetings. Last time I was there, I didn't see anyone getting one. Assumed it was something from old movies/TV.

 

Then again, I would have never thought of tipping if it had happened. Once again, probably based upon my perceptions from TV/movies.

 

Guess will see what happens next week.

[SweetEmi]

Nowadays, it is pretty much a prearranged thing. There are companies that specialize in lei greetings or maybe an organization will arrange for it if they have a group of people coming in. The average traveler won't get a lei greeting and they now aren't right after you get off the plane because they don't let people there unless they have a ticket any more.

 

Yes....times have changed.

Emi

[thecleave]

My husband thinks I'm crazy (well, he probably would think it anyway) that I've ordered a lei greeting for our arrival on 11/18. To me though, it's what happens when you arrive in Hawaii - at least the first time, as it will be for us!

[AlohaCruiser]

I've also ordered a lei greeting for our arrival in Hawaii on tuesday. This is our first trip and maybe our only trip, I want to do it right. Didn't think about tipping the lei greeter, thanks for the heads up.

[MarkE]

I will arrive tommorow and I have arrange for a lei greeting for my wife and I. It is a surprise for her. The company guranteed me they would me us as soon as they could past security. I chose the triple flower leis, from Honolulu Lei greetings. I think this is a must for first time visitors to the islands. Aloha to all leaving in morning for a long day of flying from Florida to Atlanta and the non stop to Honolulu leave on the 7 th on Serenade.

 

http://www.leigreeting.com

[RvrCrzr]

I would have never thought to tip the greeter either. I guess I thought they hung flowers around everyone's neck when they got to Hawaii.

 

I'm pretty sure they could spring for the cost without much trouble. Boat-loads and plane-loads of tourists are dropping their money off daily.

 

What's up with all the tipping anyway? Everywhere you travel these days, people want tips. The "Sandwich Artist" at Subway in Miami had a tip jar!

 

I'm thinking about attaching tip jars to the corner of my Fire Engine. That way when I risk my life to save them...they can toss me a few extra bucks for their gratitude.

 

Sorry for hijacking the thread. It's a subject that kinda burns me. No harm meant. You 'tip collectors' can flame me, but just remember...I'm a firefighter! :-)

[SweetEmi]

Remember...it isn't the State or the Airport who is hiring the lei greeters. IF you arrange a lei greeting, it is more than likely a struggling local just like most of us who live here and is probably their second or third job.

 

My 2 cents...*smile*

Emi

[spleen93]

Agreed. The old days where everybody coming off the plane got leis are long gone .... :) The only times you get a lei now if you pre-arrange and pay for it yourself (or if you have "connections" and have friends/family members meeting you at the airport).

 

Spleen

[bankofdad]

ndjollymon - put that tip cup out there and you'll be surprised. I would definitely take care of you and your crew, just as I would anyone trying to make my life safer and my experiences better (in the case of the FD or PD even more so).

 

Not trying to compare what you do with vacation services (because there is no comparison), just trying to say that I ALWAYS recognize kindness, genuine careness, and sincere service with something extra to take home for the one(s) that make my life easier (and safer in your case).

 

Thank you for all you do!!!!!!!!!!!!:D

[RvrCrzr]

Thanks!

 

Really, I'm a great tipper. I understand the whole thing, but it just seems to be getting out of hand. Where do we draw the line? The only people I have to tip at home is the food service personnel if I go out to eat dinner. I don't tip the mailman who walks to my doorstep when it's -40 F. I think he deserves a tip more than some of these others.

 

Example of one of cruisings BIG tipping scams:

Port of Miami, FL

My family pulled up in a Super Shuttle with 8 people in it. Baggage Handler (gouger) wanted me to pay him $60 to move our suitcases from the curb they were all ready piled on, to the cart that was 5' away. That's $60, for about 2 minutes work! We ended up paying him $40, and he was still ticked off about it, and didn't appreciate it at all! Is this how someone wants to be treated when they start their vacation experience????

 

This is a scam that the cruise lines need to STOP. I know these robbers don't work for the cruise line itself...but they can certainly fix this problem. (RCI)

 

NOTE: This all happened AFTER two days spent on Miami Beach paying tips to absolutely EVERYONE on that strip of sand! (yes, even the "Sandwich Artist" at Subway)

 

I never paid so much money to have my suitcases moved around. I tipped the cab driver who dropped me off at the airport, the one who picked me up at the destination airport. (who actually swore at my bags) The bellboy who 'took them away from me' (after I already dragged them inside the hotel lobby), the other bellboy who caught me at the elevator trying to move the bags downstairs the next morning, the SuperShuttle driver to the port, THEN the robber at the Port! This doesn't include all the drink/food tips handed out during our stay at the hotel, or the guy who dragged me a chair 6' to the 'perfect' spot on the beach, or the bike rental guy, or....

 

All this tipping, and I hadn't even made it to the ship yet! (where I can tip everyone onboard...but most of them earn it)

 

I love cruising, but this TIPPING thing drives me crazy.

 

End of rant.

[orcatek]

$60, how many bags. Baggage usually is $1 per bag. He would have been really ticked with me. I might give more if my bags were very heavy, or he did something special.

 

I've already posted my rant on this in another thread.

 

I tip for good service, tips should never be expected - they are earned. Many have forgotten that. That being said, I usually get good service, so the dollars tend to flow.

[spleen93]

$60!!? Wow ... :( That means that all the bellhops and baggage guys that have handled my bags have been severely disappointed with my tips to date ... ;)

 

Spleen

[bankofdad]

$60 is crazy for that! I did notice that the bagage handlers at Port of Miami were a lot more vocal about geting a good tip "to ensure your bags made it where they're supposed to be". That's not my idea of good service, that's a threat, and I agree that the cruise lines should do something about that.

 

Miami Beach IMHO is the worst place I've ever been to for "expectations" for tipping. We stayed at the Fontainbleau Hilton this past Spring for a week post-cruise (we have stayed there many times before, but this past time is the last), and it was the worst I'd ever seen for the level of service received. I ranted about the service there on that trip on a different board). Like several have said, good, kind, genuine service deserves a good tip, but I also agree that the expectation, without the good service, is very annoying.

Still think you should think about the tip cup on your fire engine.....:rolleyes:

[RvrCrzr]

I agree. I do tip for good service as well. But that SCAM going on at the Port in Miami is CRAZY! The handlers basically threaten you in a nice way, that if you don't give what they request, you will never see your bags on the ship.

 

There was 8 people in the shuttle x about 2-3 bags per person. He demanded $60, or "you may being buying new clothes in the islands mon!" We gave him $40, and he was very VOCAL about not being happy. He was just throwing the bags too! A couple hit the cart and flew right off. He did it BECAUSE I was still watching too! I complained to RCI at the port, but they just said, "They don't work for RCI, so there's nothing we can do." I still say BS on that!

 

Boarding a ship should be something to look forward to. To me, getting on and off is a horrible travel experience nightmare.

 

PS...all our bags made it too the ship, but MINE (guy in charge of tipping) arrived REALLY LATE, so I couldn't change for LATE SEATING dinner. I wonder how that happened?

[RvrCrzr]

I guess a lei greeting would be really cool. If you have to hire someone to do it these days, I guess that's what you have to do. A few dollars tip would be fine by me. I'm sure it's a nice handmade 'real hawaiian flower' lei, and my wife would love it. All part of making her Hawaiian dream trip the most I can. I'm in!

 

Who do I contact?

[spleen93]

Old thread: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=74694&highlight=lei

 

Just FYI - most leis used by greeters these days use Thai orchids. Much cheaper than Hawaiian grown flowers. Lowers the cost of the lei which means lower prices for you. The lei itself is still handmade (no machines that can string a lei, AFAIK)

 

Spleen

[mamaev05]

Excuse my ingnorance, the only time that I have been to Hawaii, we went on a business rewards trip and we were greeted with hula girls bearing leis and kisses. How do you arrange for a lei greeter ? I have seen on the boards that some lines are greeted on board with leis,flowers for the girls and shells for the guys. Thanks for the info.

[SunPacific]

Yes, yes, that's my question, too? How/where do you order and how far in advance must it be done?:)

[SweetEmi]

If you go to the link Spleen supplied above, there are a few suggestions. I'm sorry, but I've never hired one before so I can't give a comparison or anything.

 

Emi