ILHG
Crew Member
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"
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"
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