$0.00

 

$10 bucks and a Thanks,

 

$0.00

 

Nobody tips me when I launch or load my boats??? Isn't it on the trailer anyway??

 

This tipping thing has gotten out of control. I haven't received a tip since I was a waiter in 1984. I tip guys who help me dock when I go to stay the night. I tipped a DockMaster last week (more of a bribe). You can't tip everyone. If someone is working hard for minimum wage, a tip helps a lot. Your boat will be in the hands of 5 different groups of people when you take it in. Your bill could be less than the tips if you're not careful.

 

This tipping thing has gotten out of control. I haven't received a tip since I was a waiter in 1984.

That's not completely true. As an airline pilot, while waiting for transportation outside of hotels, it's not uncommon for little old ladies to direct us on how to get their bags. Most guys politely set them straight. I prefer to help them, then turn down the tip and explain my position.

I have a story: After flying a 767-300 from Miami to Atlanta, I was saying "Goodbye" to the pax as they deplaned. A flight attendant motioned to some people in the jetway (couples w/ kids) as if to say, "Well, aren't you going to go down on the ramp, crawl up in the belly of the jet, drag out their baby strollers, drag them up the stairs, set them up for them and totally trash your uniform in a quick 5 minutes?" We do try to get them on their way fast, but my job is fly the jet and say goodbye. If we train the ramp crews that we'll do their jobs, they won't do them.

Soooooooo, after saying goodbye, I did as described above and got the strollers. After they left, the FA scolded me for making them wait. I 'splained to her that they paid more for the taxi driver to take those strollers out of the trunk than they paid me to fly them to Atl and then drag them out of the airplane! They probably tipped $1 per bag to the taxi driver, bell hop, whoever. I make $100/hour while the plane is moving, and nothing else. I flew 200 people for about an hour and 20 minutes. So, for that leg, I made $133 from 200 people. They each paid me 67 cents for my services, including the couples with kids who got to have an airline pilot go out in the rain and get their strollers out of the belly of the aircraft and drag them up the narrow jetway stairs and set them up.

Makes you think. Great! Now I'm pissed.

 

........I had pizza delivered, but not for simply launching.
Kind of a token expecting a job well done, and I got it.
:huh:

 

My feeling is tipping is deserved when services, etc have been done with attention and above the continuously dipping standard in the service industry. When waitstaff goes above and beyond, tip the accordinly, mechanics go above and beyond, let them know it didnt go unnoticed

 

My girlfriend tips like there is no tomorrow. I try and explain that not everyone gets a tip for doing their job. She didn't get it until I threw $10 on the bed after some whoopie. "here's a tip for doing a good job".

 

And you... "Had to change my sig due to GF "issues" with my old one"???

 

Speaking as someone whose 30 year career has been as a frequent flyer/traveler I have learned that taking care of the people who take care of you always pays dividends.

Keep in mind, that does not have to be monetary, or continous. Todd's pizza is a good example. You can buy a lot of good will with half a dozen pizzas (or subs, or soda/tonic/pop) for the kids who handle dock lines at your marina on a Saturday afternoon.

Back to the original question, if it is the guy who services your boat my sense is towards the no end of the scale. If on the other hand you store your boat on a rack and it gets lifted and dunked when you arrive for a day of boating, those guys get tips - frequently! After all what what is a half hour delay in your boating schedule worth to you?

Henry

 

I threw $10 on the bed after some whoopie. "here's a tip for doing a good job".

.

.

 

Regarding tipping in general, the only place it is customary to always tip something is for waitstaff in restaurants. For other type services I try to remember menial jobs I had that a couple dollar tip made me feel nearly human.

The yard guys at our marina who drive the forklifts to launch the boats will only see a tip if I request some additional assistance with something, lifting, carrying, hold the other end of something I can't do alone. I will either give 5 or 10 dollars or bring back some beer. I ALWAYS tip the yard guy who helps me fuel up and pump the holding tank.

WRT mechanics and other service people it would probably be the low pay helper that gets
my tip if they are especially helpful, not the boss.

Eddie Zuskin

 

You threw $10 on the bed!!! Is she still your girlfriend? I'm guessing her fee for putting up with you may have increased substantially following that little analogy/lesson on tipping.:>)

Eddie Zuskin

 

I was trying out my new boat selling slogan "Dump the wife, buy a boat. Be happy!" and she was looking over my shoulder and saw it and well... I had to change it.

 

Ok............, how about the dock hand that fills the boat with fuel; should we tip him/her also? That happens much more often than a mechanic's service.

 

'round here, everyone's off the boat, except me who's fueling. Yeah the lad may hand me the hose, but unless he's with the Admiral toting ice to the cooler, no tip. He's the fuel attendant.
That is his job to hand you the hose and flip the switch.
When you go to the gas station in your rig and fuel -self serve, And pay at the pump or doghouse do you then tip the person there?No.

I agree with the above comment, Tipping has become somewhat out of hand.
My Pizza offering is in a relation building mode, where I truly appreciate great "attention to detail" work. Knowing how my service manager sold the tech on his "attention to detail" I wanted to be the precursor in my offering of a pie to ensure that my boat (as dirty as it is) will be well taken care of.

A phone call to Said Service Manager, 20 minutes ago to inquire on my bill for the recent work solidified my appreciation for a "Job well done!"
The work was beyond what I had expected and the bill was exactly what we talked about before the "going the extra mile" was included.
Sweatshirts are going to be on order for the three involved.

 

Sometimes tipping is more of a gesture of Thanks. I tipped the Captain who helped us deliver our new 48 Sundancer from Stuart to Cape Coral $550.00. His Daily Charge was only $250.00. I gave him $800.00. But He got us across Okeechobee safely in two days which should have take one day due to the incompetence of our water managers.

 

$100 would be paying for it. $10 is a good tip. Unless $1000 would be a fair price, then it's worth the $100 tip.

 

I don't tip when the yard puts my boat in the water. I do tip when cruising and a dock hand goes the extra mile. I frequently single hand and the wife shows up later with the car so we can do side trips. I usually end up on a shopper dock for a couple of hours at some of the places we go and the dock boys are really good at stepping aboard, handling lines and getting me in to a rental slip when one opens up. I usually give the helper $25 and any future services are delivered in an effecient, friendly manner.

 

Tipping is always a subjective issue for everyone. To tip, not to tip is the question. Guess what, there is no hard and fast rule to tipping. :smt024

Service manager and mechanic and fork lift driver do their jobs and get paid a salary and larger per hour wage than a summer dock kid or fuel dock guy. The first three should be professionals and the last two are usually part time jobs.

However everyone likes a little something to know they were appreciated, it does not have to always be monetary. A working relationship and a occasional 12 pack of a favorite adult beverage goes a long way too. :thumbsup: That does not always sit well with some folks moral interpretation, but then that's what thank you notes and fruit cake's are for at Christmas. (2 year old fruit cakes make great anchors). :grin:

 

If I put out a $10 bill in that situation, it would probably cost me two orders of roses and a pair of diamond earrings. . . . .

I agree the tipping thing is getting out of hand. Even restauraunts, the old 15% rule seems to be morphing into a 20% rule. Yikes.

The concept of tipping in the marine service world really got me thinking. What I have heard from people on this forum is probably very true: Tips help you get good service. WTF -> $100/hr labor rate per hour isn't enough? The answer is "no, it isn't." The guys doing a good bit of the work make $10/hr. -> the motor work is done by Mercruiser techs making a real living. . . but everything else? No. . its the goon squad.

This is when I started using independent mechanics and independent boat haulers. Do you need to tip these individuals? In my mind, no --> they are giving a professional bill for professional service. Your money (more or less) goes straight into their checking account. I don't mind at all paying my independent mechanic $100/hr for his time.

Having said that: The first time I used my current boat hauler, I gave him a $25 tip for a $168 haul. Why? Because I cold called him at 1pm on Saturday and he was at my door 15 minutes later. But the reality is the "tip" is repeat buisness.

The other guy I tip is the guy who handles my dock lines when I moor at my favorite restauraunt. Water conditions at this place are frequently questionable, and I need all the help I can get!!