Tipping at lodges

[ILHG]

I have read some previous postings on the subject. Most were to do with day trips & also times are changing so fast the advice is probably out dated. (I have had the same hair cut for 20 yrs, so I know I am slow on changes) I know this would be a great place to get insight on what/how to tip when you are at a lodge for a 3-4 day trip. Every year at the end of the trip I am always faced with how to tip? To me a Charter is simpler. A lodge is a different story..

To be honest I don't like the idea of tips being split between all the staff at the lodge. Staff at lodges get paid a wage to do a job & don't see why the cook or room cleaner should get a tip. I think we are in an age where tipping has gotten crazy & employers subsidize employee wages with tips. (People need to be paid a decent living wage & tipping is allowing employers to avoid do it.) Also when you consider most folks wage & then cash that they don't have to claim for taxes, some of them can be doing very well. Lodges charge enough money they should be paying their staff a proper wage.... (Rant Over)

Guides on the other hand are a completely different story. They are the ones who make or break a trip. When I look back at a trip I couldn't tell you anything about what supper was like, or ever if the bed was comfortable. What I remember is time in the boat with the guide. Typically a tip is for someone who is exceeding expectations & went over & beyond what is expected. That said it is not based on how many fish you catch but on how hard they have worked & the quality of time on the water. I have had some great guides who will stay out when the bite is one or put in some extra time to get "That fish" for the day. I have also had guides who watch the clock the whole time and made sure they did not spend an extra minute on the water, or ran out of bait, or was miserable & was long over due to go home or get a visit from the old lady....

In summary I would like input on how a person should tip at a lodge when you are happy with the guide. (I already know how to tip when you are not happy with a guide).. Also is it wrong to meet the guide privately & give them cash & tell them its only for them? Or if you need to put it on a credit card is it wrong to speak to the manager & request the tip go 100% to the guide.

Honest feedback please. If I am wrong on this I want to know so I can have some self reflection & try not to be "That Guy"

 

[BCI]

From a quick google search from some of the better lodges;

PASTE;

Gratuities are a reflection of how you have enjoyed your trip. Over the last few years, the gratuity for a guide has ranged from $60 to $90 per guest per day. The gratuity for the shore staff has ranged from $50 to $65 per guest per day. You are welcome to bring cash and we have a safe for our guests who require. You can also add gratuities to your room charges at the end of your trip and pay by credit card.

 

[BCI]

And from another site also in BC;

PASTE;

As always, gratuities are not a requirement and should be based on the level of service provided. As we frequently receive inquiries on gratuities, we offer the following guidelines. Guides are generally tipped individually and separately from the staff tip pool. While amounts vary, guide gratuities generally start at $250 per trip per guided guest. Staff tips are pooled and distributed to all employees, excluding guides and the Spa attendants. Staff pool gratuities generally start at $250 per guest for the trip. Spa team member tips generally range between 15-25% of the service fee.

END PASTE.

You really do need to tip the inside staff, just as you would your restaurant server (who distributes to cooks, dishwashers, bartenders, etc) and as you would your hotel housekeeping staff.

Until there is a standard where the staff get paid a significantly higher wage (ala Australia) the staff rely on your tips to make a decent wage. If you would prefer to see all lodges pay their staff a wage where a tip would not be required, you should expect the cost of your lodge booking to increase proportionally to cover the increased operating expense for the lodge. There is no free lunch in the equation, and it all trickles down to the consumer in the end.

 

[adanac]

Always found that minimum for a job well done should be at least 50 a head per day, based on two - three guests on the boat. Put in lots of hours prepping bait, tying leaders etc after the days fishing is over .

 

[scott craven]

While amounts vary, guide gratuities generally start at $250 per trip per guided guest

So on a 3 day trip the guide get's $750.00 x 2 guests = $1500.00 ???
sorry that seems excessive.

 

[ILHG]

Thanks BCI. I have seen similar suggestions as you pasted below when ever I go to a lodge. Its nice to get feedback from both people who visit lodges & also the folks on hear who actually work them.

I respect what you are saying regarding lodge staff & wages. I just find it troubling on the expenses these lodges spend on high end stuff, which "IMHO" is just a waste. Yet they don't pay the staff proper? An example is a hot tub on a floating remote lodge in Haida Gwaii. The cost to run one of them out in the middle of no wear seems like a waste. Also I don't find 6 guys sitting in a hot tub to be a good time....

 

[ILHG]

So on a 3 day trip the guide get's $750.00 x 2 guests = $1500.00 ???
sorry that seems excessive.

That's what I thought to. A charter owner operator has lots of cost to cover & if he has to put miles on to find fish,,, well gas in not cheap. The cost of a lodge is huge & if you have to add that much at the end of the trip it becomes the straw that breaks the camels back...

Lastly when you consider its tax free, that's a ton of money..

 

[Stizzla]

I just heard from advTHXance on this topic and he said the you should bathe the guide in “riches beyond his wildest expectations ” if those aren’t available, a blank cheque would suffice!
Kidding. Hope you’re having fun Colin.

 

[BCI]

So on a 3 day trip the guide get's $750.00 x 2 guests = $1500.00 ???
sorry that seems excessive.

That would be $250 per guest for the entire trip. Not for each day. (The first example was daily, the second example was for the entire trip).

 

[BCI]

Thanks BCI. I have seen similar suggestions as you pasted below when ever I go to a lodge. Its nice to get feedback from both people who visit lodges & also the folks on hear who actually work them.

I respect what you are saying regarding lodge staff & wages. I just find it troubling on the expenses these lodges spend on high end stuff, which "IMHO" is just a waste. Yet they don't pay the staff proper? An example is a hot tub on a floating remote lodge in Haida Gwaii. The cost to run one of them out in the middle of no wear seems like a waste. Also I don't find 6 guys sitting in a hot tub to be a good time....

Three's so much that goes on behind the scenes (I investigated it thoroughly one time when considering purchasing a lodge). The diesel generator which powers the facility must be sized to handle the anticipated heavy load at the lodge (when everyone is off the water and the kitchen is in full swing). As such if they don't have a significant load on the power system at all times, it's not good for the generator. You'll find the thermostats in your room tuned up when you return from fishing, and you'll find the hot tub running etc regularly. These let the generator see a load in off-load times so the diesel doesn't slobber up the cylinders (similar to why you wouldn't idle a diesel powered tportfish all day everyday slow trolling).

Couple this with bringing in fuel, food, frozen herring at cost of $1 a piece.... chartering airplanes (DASH-8, 737, Cessna Citations) from the city to the destination, Sikorsky 76 helicopters at about $3000 per hour...

There's not much profit in the business at the rates they charge... that's why so many of them shut down.

The nature of a seasonal business, in a remote location where everything has to be brought in, set up, operated, and shut down in 100 days...

 

[Foxsea]

So on a 3 day trip the guide get's $750.00 x 2 guests = $1500.00 ???
sorry that seems excessive.

He said per trip not per day.
$250 per trip X 2 guys = $500.00, is it not?

 

[scott craven]

Ok, even at that it seems rich ?
In a typical 90 days season a guide would make $15K in tips ?

 

[pescador]

End of a 4 -6 day trip to Nootka for 2 of us we leave the front desk $100 or give $20 to each person who did something special during our stay. My sense is we are the exception. I’m not at a full service lodge but mostly self service. I don’t use guides though.

 

[Dogbreath]

1-never use guides therefore ZIP

2-$100 cash for inside & docks staff

Some of the figures quoted in posts above are beyond ludicrous especially for wait & housekeeping staff

Note that I work part time as a limo driver so am more than familiar with cash tipping

 

[ericl]

Most day boats are 6-8 hours while lodges are 10 hours for a full day. If you are uncomfortable enough about certain aspects of a lodge trip to "make up for it" by leaving dodgy tips, perhaps you should choose another trip. At the end of the day, it's all about how well you sleep at night. At lodges I follow the recommendations.

 

[CVmike]

The inside staff keep the whole place going. If you aren’t noticing all the ways they’re making your trip better, or the ways they go out of their way to serve you then maybe you are being ‘that guy’.
Talk to a few of them. I’m the type of guy who is annoyed when I get tip prompts when someone hands me my black coffee at a coffee shop, but I think you’ll find the lodge crew are more than your average service workers.

 

[ILHG]

The inside staff keep the whole place going. If you aren’t noticing all the ways they’re making your trip better, or the ways they go out of their way to serve you then maybe you are being ‘that guy’.
Talk to a few of them. I’m the type of guy who is annoyed when I get tip prompts when someone hands me my black coffee at a coffee shop, but I think you’ll find the lodge crew are more than your average service workers.

I agree with what you are saying & don't want to get distracted or derail the thread. All I was saying is that the staff get paid to do job X. Not at all down playing the importance of their work. Just most people get paid a wage to do a job, which is to keep the place of employment running at top efficiency. Anyone who has pride in their job will do this.

Anyways, my main question is how would or do you tip?

 

[ILHG]

Most day boats are 6-8 hours while lodges are 10 hours for a full day. If you are uncomfortable enough about certain aspects of a lodge trip to "make up for it" by leaving dodgy tips, perhaps you should choose another trip. At the end of the day, it's all about how well you sleep at night. At lodges I follow the recommendations.

Makes a person wonder why they don't just charge a higher rate that includes the recommended tips from lodges. That way folks make a decent wage & there are no surprises, or stress on how to tip & you know what the trip is going to cost. If someone gets a reputation because they don't give a $500/trip tip (based on 2 guest) & then guides are not going to bring them to the big fish or what ever else then this is were things get stupid. Then that way if someone blows your mind & you tip them it actually means something. Now leaving "Dodgy Tips" is a matter of perception which is why I started this thread...

 

[casper5280]

Tip what you can afford and feel comfortable with. You don’t have to break the bank. Tipping has just gotten out of hand. Tip this and tip that, for **** sakes a guy need s second job just to pay all the people that think they should be tipped.
Don’t even get me started on the places that all ready add the tip in for you. People don’t even have to do jack **** and they still get tipped.
If you do a good job and go the extra mile you get tipped. Period. Believe me I have no problem not leaving a tip for ****** service and will be glad to tell you why you didn’t get one. On the other hand good service and your getting a good tip.

 

[fishbadger]

+1 on the excessive nature of some of these tip suggestions,

fb