To tip or Not to Tip at an All-Inclusive resort

What is everyone's feeling on the subject when tips/gratuities are
included in the price?

"Mark" <nothoing@Qno.com> wrote in message
news:86pGc.32038$WB5.22001@pd7tw2no...
> What is everyone's feeling on the subject when tips/gratuities are
> included in the price?

I hope it means the service employees are being paid a living wage. I do
know that at some of these resorts, management actively discourages tipping
and cans those who take them anyway.

In the Caribbean, a 15% tip is automatically included in the price, and
rarely have we received substandard service. I like it myself, but then I
don't mind tipping.

I routinely tip the bartender, waiter, maitre de in a discreet fashion so he
will not get into trouble with his superiors. This will usually ensure that
you get superior service. At a Jamaica resort I tipped the waiter $10 on the
first evening there and each evening thereafter I was ensured my choice of
table with fresh cut flowers and unequaled attention. On my last evening I
tipped the same waiter another $10 for the superior service I'd received.
This comes to less than $3 per night for the top-notch treatment. I was
seated and dining while others had to wait for a table. I always had my wine
glass filled when it became empty and furthermore when I returned to the
hotel the following year I was remembered by the man and treated royally
once more. A little goes a long way. If you can't afford to look after your
waiter to the tune of $20 per week I don't think you should be vacationing
at all. The same thing applies to the bar tenders although this is slightly
different as they seem to move from bar to bar. If you are spending the
evening at a bar it doesn't hurt to shoot the man a couple of dollars on
occasion. I found this will place you in the preferred customer ranks. When
there are 30 people standing at the bar and you make an appearance the other
29 non-tippers are faceless in the crowd. Yours will be the face that is
remembered and attended to first. People say that this only goes to reduce
the standard of service for the people who play by the rules and don't tip.
I say if you're cheap in a country where your typical waiter makes about $50
per week while you probably take home 15 to 20 times that amount in the same
amount of time, you should be ashamed of yourself. At a resort in Cuba it
was obvious that everyone was tipping the barman $1 for each round and I did
likewise. This didn't improve my level of service but it sure improved the
level of the barman's lifestyle and that of his family. After all that's why
we really tip these people. The occasional perks you receive from doing this
are just a fringe benefit you get for doing the right thing.
"Mark" <nothoing@Qno.com> wrote in message
news:86pGc.32038$WB5.22001@pd7tw2no...
> What is everyone's feeling on the subject when tips/gratuities are
> included in the price?
>
>

We frequently go to AI resorts. I seldom tip. If a employee has
gone above/beyond what I expect as normal good service, I may leave
a small tip. Remember, these people are paid a wage that assumes
no tips.... and accepting tips may get them in trouble.
What I do not do is "bribe" the staff... Money given in
payment of services already extended is a tip. Money paid in
anticipation of getting better future services is a bribe.
I am very much against such bribes as it distorts the experience
for everyone... The person making the bribe gets (possibly) better
service at the expense of those who follow the rules.
I have found that a friendly word/smile and good treatment of the
workers goes further than a bribe anyway....

Mike



Mark wrote:
> What is everyone's feeling on the subject when tips/gratuities are
> included in the price?
>
>

I do not cash tip. However, since I go to the same resort chain year after
year, I do bring gifts for the staff, especially housekeeping, entertainment
and guest services. I have on a very rare occasion given a staff member
cash (who have become our friends) but that was done "away from the resort"
and only at the end of the stay. I don't make it a habit though as I don't
want to be responsible for anyone loosing their job. I don't cash tip as a
rule as it is matter of principle and I have in fact, already paid for
tipping - hence the "ALL-INCLUSIVE" vacation. It sets a bad precedence for
service, and defeats the All-Inclusive concept.

If you feel the need to tip - stay at a conventional hotel and do so freely.
Or at least do it off property, away from the resort and at the end of the
stay. I do not, however, encourage it. It defeats the purpose for
ALL-INCLUSIVES.


"Mike H" <mhammoc@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:lnFGc.24421$w56.11647@bignews1.bellsouth.net. ..
> We frequently go to AI resorts. I seldom tip. If a employee has
> gone above/beyond what I expect as normal good service, I may leave
> a small tip. Remember, these people are paid a wage that assumes
> no tips.... and accepting tips may get them in trouble.
> What I do not do is "bribe" the staff... Money given in
> payment of services already extended is a tip. Money paid in
> anticipation of getting better future services is a bribe.
> I am very much against such bribes as it distorts the experience
> for everyone... The person making the bribe gets (possibly) better
> service at the expense of those who follow the rules.
> I have found that a friendly word/smile and good treatment of the
> workers goes further than a bribe anyway....
>
> Mike
>
>
>
> Mark wrote:
> > What is everyone's feeling on the subject when tips/gratuities are
> > included in the price?
> >
> >
>
>

"*bicker*" <1NVAL1D@1NVAL1D.1NVAL1D> wrote in message
news:40edd023.331568656@news.comcast.giganews.com. ..

: Wow. Whether you agree or disagree with this guy, you have
: GOT to admire the balls for saying what he said! <grin>

What's there to admire about flaunting your money around? This is all
he's doing. If he wants to show off and tip at an AI resort where
tipping is already included, he should not stay at one. He should go
to a regular hotel where tipping is the norm and receive service based
upon how much you tip.

Ho
> What's there to admire about flaunting your money around? This is all
> he's doing. If he wants to show off and tip at an AI resort where
> tipping is already included, he should not stay at one. He should go
> to a regular hotel where tipping is the norm and receive service based
> upon how much you tip.
>
How does that work anyhow? How do you receive better service for tipping
when the tipping is done after the fact? I guess it goes to show you,
there's no minimum IQ for travelers but apparently most of them have a
minimum level of generosity. I do my tipping discretely. The only ones that
are aware of it are the two people engaging in the process. I guess you all
know now that I'm a tipper (dirty word) but none of you matter because you
don't know me from Jack Shit. I could pass you by on the street and you
couldn't say "Oh there goes that no good stinkin' tipper". That's hardly
showing off, although apparently people don't mind flaunting the fact that
they're stingy.