USMCFLYR

I don't know what you think van drivers make but I certainly didn't make as much as the pilots. That job depends on tips. I didn't even make minimum wage. I think you are wrong for not tipping the van drivers - but that is just me.

USMCFLYR

The Juice

Dude, that's the funny thing. My crew knew nothing about the call the driver made to me. He made it on his own without any prompting by anyone. That is why I thought is was so out of line because as you said, 4:14:59 is my God given right.

freezingflyboy

Oh wow. That changes things a bit I'll agree with you, van driver is out of line.

Boomer

I agree, and that's why I don't tip the unpleasant ones - so maybe they won't come to work the next day.

To those that say "I always tip because they save my life every day" - do you still tip when the driver...

• is 20 minutes late and you know it's only 5 minutes from hotel to airport
• drops you off in the "rain lane" instead of under the overhang/awning
• drives like a mad fool
• offers no information when you ask "what's around the hotel?"
• tells offensive jokes or stories, or swears at other drivers
• yanks your bag away from you
• drives around the airport two more times looking for more people to pick up

These are some of the behaviors I would not want to reward.

Just wondering if other folks know they're lowering the bar on the van-driving profession by tipping the bad ones the same as the good ones.

Boomer

Do you really think those guys are "having a good time"?

In addition to saving a couple bucks on tips, they're doing all they can to save even more bucks on their own food and entertainment.

The trips to the ice machine are to keep their balogna and cheese cold so they can still make sandwiches on day 4 of the trip.

They are using powdered eggs to make that omelet with the coffee maker so they don't need to buy a $5.00 bagel at some overpriced airport "bistro"

And they stay in their room because they know that if they go downstairs to eat with the crew they'll be called "tightwads" or "cheap bastards" for ordering the smallest bowl of soup on the hotel menu ($6.00 with airline discount) and heaven forbid they don't want to be cornered into buying a $25 round of beers at the hotel bar!

A lot of the guys "who would rather rot in their room" are probably a lot more dedicated to their own family's financial survival than they are to partying with the crew while the wife is home alone raising the kids.

Your post gives them no respect.

boilerpilot

I'm not in this situation, but you can't judge others so quickly. Yes, that particular $6 might not make or break the bank, but you have to realize that financial responsibility, especially when you're stretched thin, depends on being responsible consistently. $30 a month saved from tips, $30 from hotel food, $30 from hotel drinks, $30 from airport coffee, $30 from airport food, it all adds up, and those are just a few examples. You have no right to judge other people for their financial decisions.

And frankly I don't see why we should reward a van driver being on time, lifting your bags, and getting you to and from the hotel without violating any major traffic laws. That's his/her JOB. A good van driver for me is one that goes out of their way to explain points of interest around the hotel, is willing to take me to one of those said points of interest, and does things above and beyond like reattaching all my bags, offering me water, or things like that.

I don't reward the driver with a piece of candy simply because he didn't say anything obtusely racist on the van ride over. That's being civil and a descent human being, you don't deserve a tip for that. I don't tip you simply because you arrived on time. That's your job. I don't tip you for picking up my bags (which I have to do multiple times a day, even without obnoxious aircraft swaps), not running red lights, and not waiting half an hour to pick up another crew. Those things are all your job.

Now here's an idea though: why don't we start tipping the station crews for when they call the van prior to our arrival, knowing that its a 20 minute van ride, so that we can get picked up right when we walk outside? That truly is going above and beyond, something that I would gladly hand out a couple bucks for.

USMCFLYR

Dang....
I never did ANY of those and still only got a $1 tip ($0.50 from the F/As)
No....and from a person who worked for those tips I wouldn't reward that type of behavior either; but then again I don't always tip a certain % no matter the service. I tip based on service.

USMCFLYR

USMCFLYR

Boiler -

Because it is a service industry and we Americans tip service related jobs. We (at least I didn't) even get paid minimum wage because it was expected that I would make up money on tips - just like the bellman and the waitresses in the coffee shop. Do you tip the taxi driver who might take you out to eat (and how much did that taxi cost you or your crew)? So my crews were nice enough to tip again if I took them to eat (AGAINST THE RULES) because it saved them money. Another $3.50 in my pocket saved them a $20 cab ride maybe? Personally - I would have rather made more money and NOT accepted tips. At least that way I would have some idea of how much I was going to make that day - or that week - or that month so I could figure some type of budget. Instead - I go to work for 8-10 hrs making a little over $25 that day/night maybe and get a few trips to the airport with people that DON'T tip and my day of work was pretty shot. At least I could COUNT on that $3.50 per crew coming through the hotel from the airline crew.

If that last sentence is true then I wish you would had been part of my crews then. I knew when they were coming in and I was always standing at the escalator when they came down the flight and had the van sitting right out front for them (ah....good old pre-9/11 days). They never hefted their own bags into my van and rarely opened their own doors (they had to be quick). I gave the best service I could and it didn't matter if I got stiffed or if some BIG spender gave me $5 for that nearly 20 min tour of grand Oklahoma City on the way to the airport Hey....we're all just trying to make a living out there.

USMCFLYR

FlyJSH

I guess I am only half cheap. I don't tip the regular to and from the hotel. But I DO tip if the driver offers to stop enroute at a 7/11 or McD's drive through. And if I use the van to go out, the driver gets $5 for walking distance and $10 for a short "cab ride" (and I tip each way).

By the by, maids don't make a ton of cash, do you tip them for cleaning out the trash or changing those "sticky" sheets?

USMCFLYR

[QUOTE]The maids made much more than minimum wage at the hotel I worked out so I doubt they were tipped - or at least I doubt it was figured into the expected pay. Some maids are tipped for sure; ever been on a cruise (vacation type that is). We even had a class on how to/how much to tip the service.
I'm sure that anyone can find instances on times that they do/don't tip; but there is NO doubt that our society generally tips service personnel. Around Christmas time I remember news stories on TV about how you should tip or gift your mailman, local baker, dog walker, crossing guard, etc....

USMCFLYR