Do you tip marina staff?

[AndrewB]

The thought had never occurred to me: well not for routine tasks like taking lines, filling up with fuel etc, though I've given the odd bottle of booze for a special favour. But a current thread on the US CWBB board shows its evidently normal practice in the States.

Now I'm wondering if I've been committing a serious social gaffe over here. Do you tip?

The US thread suggests that stinkies are much better tippers than raggies. For that reason they get better treatment in marinas.

 

[Magic_Sailor]

No, nor have I seen anyone doing it.

The USA is a tipping society.



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[jimi]

I do'nt although I drop in a bottle of wine if returning from France or at Xmas ..

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[tcm]

I never used to.

But in southern France, with a bigger boat (which often have a professional skipper using somone else's money) it seems much more of the norm - to the extent that one marina manager in Marseilles actually said (in french) "I normally get a tip!"

I found that in the publicly owned marinas, offering a tip is met with puzzlement - in Nice for example they were very embarassed, didn't know what to do.

A few euros seems acceptable - and often completley unexpected, as it should be, really. In Port Vell, Bareclona, the electricians totally rewired a quayside electric block to allow us to use electric with a wire shorter thasn 30metres - i gave them 10 euros. But in many places, they take the lines, and rush off, so it's obviously nowhere near as "bad" as in the states where (in restaurants) they are askance if the tip isn't the ful 10-20% regardless of if the service was good or otherwise...

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[Stingo]

I did when my boat broke it's stern line and tried to make love to the boat next to it. The marina staff intervened and received a bottle of wine each.

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[snowleopard]

off the end of the pontoon ;-)

i think the handing over of cash tends to cause embarrassment in the uk but a tin of biscuits for the marina office or other such payment in kind goes down very well.

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[Guest]

Re: off the end of the pontoon ;-)

I think perhaps cash at Xmas might go down better than a tin of biscuits....

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[doris]

I would suggest that a case of wine to the boss, for distribution round the boys and girls of the marina, at Christmas will get you a lot brownie points for the next season. Heaven help us if marinas become like restaurants in the US where you are almost assaulted if you leave anything less than 15%. Certain places in NY are now expecting 20% but then the front office staff there live on gratuities father than salaries. Can't see that working with the Brits and MDL!

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[Gunfleet]

20%? Just how much does all this 'have a nice day' tosh cost?

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[gary_yank]

All of this talk of tipping at a marina is new to me, must be an East (US) coast thing. Most of the marinas in the Pacific Northweast coast do not expect such a gift. What would you be tipping for? You dock your own boat, tie up and hook up if needed, and they watch-if that.

Having said that I did give a case of beer to the man that worked at a marina for recovering my tender when some kids untied it, and others, to let them drift.

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[Trevor_swfyc]

A tip for the bar waitress may well be acceptable and well recieved, but tipping marina staff sounds like I've got this big boat which you can't afford and here's a tenner as I won't miss it. As many posts have said a bottle of wine says thank you for a special favour.

Also I am sure respect, courtesy and a smile /forums/images/icons/smile.gif goes a long way and is a far more acceptable way to treat marina staff.

Trevor

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[charles_reed]

Not on your Nelly

Either you're the victim of a spoof or you've been reading something written by one of those socially insecure New York neurotics

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[qsiv]

Likewise - a case of wine to be shared around seems well received. I'm sure they do it for everyone - but I'm always pleased to see that lines have been watched, parcelling adjusted over the winter months.

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[DeeGee]

Interesting point, Andrew...
Tipping has been traditional where the staff are not particularly well paid, or the person concerned has done that bit extra, not required by his job (diametrically opposite to Jobsworth fellas).
I had occasion to examine the marina accounts in some close detail recently, and was amazed by the amounts claimed for staff costs, including overheads. It is clear that however high the marina fees, the staff aren't getting much of it.
I think I will reconsider how I behave, whatever the world might or might not be doing, as our marina is manned by helpful, cheerful guys who are always happy to advise or hold onto something - much more than I can say for the management!!

Giving someone a fiver, accompanied by the expression 'buy yourself a drink' - removes most of the embarassment some feel at giving and receiving - you are not giving someone money, but a drink!! But, please, no cheapskate tins of biscuits!

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[AndrewB]

Tipping arms race.

First you tip, they are really pleased to be appreciated, you feel a glow of satisfaction.

Next you tip because the other guys did, and you don't want to seem stingy.

Finally you tip because management have cottoned on and pay their staff less, so they need the tips to provide a decent wage.

If tipping is the norm, so be it. In a restaurant or taxi, you know the real cost is 15% above the advertised price. That's the way things are - ultimately nothing is gained by 'routine' tipping. Except perhaps the power to withhold a tip if the service has been unusually bad, at the risk of being unable to use that service again.

But I like to know where I stand.

 

[tcm]

Re: Tipping arms race.

agreed. It's this nonsensical approach to tipping that is unsettling. Was the fiver in the restaurant a nice gesture - or mean? They still seem very pleased in most restaurants in the uk if you leave a quid, nothing or ten quid or twenty- it makes no difference. How much EXACTLY do they want to be paid? I do wish they'd say.

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[sailbadthesinner]

Re: Tipping arms race.

i resent the whole thing
despite which i tip often in pubs and always in restaraunts unless service has ben bad.

i want to say, but donot

look you took the job as a waiter. you get paid a wage by your employer. why should i
a) pay you extra just for doing your job
b) feel guilty if i dont
c) supplement your bosses profit and allow himto pay you lessand i have to make up the shortfall.

i know it is recognised in most restaraunts to tip. but i would hate to get to the state where i had totipeveryone.apparently on cruises ( in the us)you can pre pay your tips to everyone???????
apparently everyone expects a tip who is not 'O' class. i would hate that.

do a job charge a rate or add a fixed charge and tell us how much you eant.

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=red>Ok brain let's just do this and I can get back to killing you with beer.</font color=red>

 

[tcm]

Re: charter tips

in the big boat mags, they advertise megayachts for rent at $20,000 a week and upwards and the contracts specifically mention a tip and say it isn't included. I thought it all bollox until emma got a blimmin tip of $3000 tax free for three weeks cooking and cleaning the bogs. Blimey. I am clearly destined to spend my life as a bewildered tight git.

 

[sailbadthesinner]

Re: charter tips

aaaaaaah
well that is bloody gobsmacking
assuming that the pay is ok and she is treated decently

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=red>Ok brain let's just do this and I can get back to killing you with beer.</font color=red>