How to impress a flight attendant

[bossreggie]

The lovely habit that some restaurants have of including the tip within the bill (in which case it's generally generous, and inversely proportional to the quality of the service) really gets up my nose.

That really annoys me too. I hate it when the bill says 15% service included or whatever the % is. It seemingly EVERYWHERE in the USA... and creeping into UK.

It actually encourages me not to tip.

I will tip for good service. I don't need to be asked to.

 

[notzac]

I've given chocolates to flight attendants on one occasion (J -> F op-up on QF), and told the lead FA what had happened and that it was for all the staff in F and that I had no further expectations beyond them enjoying it..

I think the nicest thing you can do for FAs generally is use your manners during the flight and thank them at the end of the flight. If you were in receipt of particularly good service, make a point of writing in to thank them - I would imagine that doing so would mean much more than random strangers offering candy..

 

[bossreggie]

I've given chocolates to flight attendants on one occasion (J -> F op-up on QF), and told the lead FA what had happened and that it was for all the staff in F and that I had no further expectations beyond them enjoying it..

I think the nicest thing you can do for FAs generally is use your manners during the flight and thank them at the end of the flight. If you were in receipt of particularly good service, make a point of writing in to thank them - I would imagine that doing so would mean much more than random strangers offering candy..

If you are in F anyway, AND do all you have said above, PLUS give a box of chocolates. I assure you it is appreciated.

See, to me.... I'd feel weird giving them IF I'd received something first. Then it MAY come across as per hadensydney's earlier post.

Each to their own. I shall continue the giving of the chocolates on EVERY flight. I have NEVER had any FA or CSM be annoyed or upset that they have received them. To be fair, quite regularly I am told that it has "made their day".

 

[amaroo]

Having said that...in general I consider tipping to be a disease, which simply allows some people to pay their workers less than they should. The lovely habit that some restaurants have of including the tip within the bill (in which case it's generally generous, and inversely proportional to the quality of the service) really gets up my nose.

Earlier this year we were in London & just about every restaurant we dined had a SC (service charge) of 12.5% or 15% already applied....up until the last night we sucked it up as the service & food was excellent.

On the last night we dined at a place that was well below standards & wasn't worthy of any additional SC, tip or whatever else they want to call it. When I got the bill it had the obligatory 12.5% SC added, I stop the waitress told her the food & service was unsatisfactory & I wanted the SC removed. She looked at me like I was taking food out of her mouth but went & did it.

 

[juddles]

...She looked at me like I was taking food out of her mouth but went & did it....

In some places you would be taking food out of her mouth.

Where I live in Sth America the tip included in the bill goes into a kitty, which is then split to form the major portion of the wages of the staff. Not just your waiter, but all the staff on deck. If you get bad service or are a tight cough you can request to have the tip excluded from the bill, which is accepted without question. This does mean however that you are penalizing all staff equally, even if it is just the **** who served you that was the problem child. However, part of the kitty is taken by the establishment, so if you really liked a particular waiter you can either give them an addittional separate tip which they keep all of, or you can request the standard % tip be left off the bill, and instead give the tip again direct to the staff member, so they get all of it.

I agree that auto % tips included in a bill may remove to a degree your power to reward (or not) according to the level of service, but just be aware that in many places this may be the sole or predominant source of the staff income.

 

[bossreggie]

Still not 100% clear here mate - chockies only to that FA who hands you your drink? Chockies to all in your cabin? Chockies to entire crew?

I GIVE them to whomever brings my drink. I expect that they will share them with their colleagues which is why I usuall make the comment about not eating them all yourself.

 

[Simo]

When I was overseas a week and a bit ago I gave one of the wait staff at the restaurant a sneeky tip.

He looked after us at breakfast and also at dinner every night.

On the last night there I said to him i wanted some Balut (Philippines traditional food).

He said I can organise it for you.

That's why I gave him the tip.

I gave him 1000 peso's. Nearly a weeks wages for him and he then wanted to give it back to us but we insisted that he keep it.

I would prefer to give it to the person who made my time enjoyable at the hotel resort or what ever.

But on the other hand I understand the gardener and the person who washes the dishes and cooks the food gets nothing extra from all his work.

I refuse to give a tip when the person asks for it.

 

[amaroo]

In some places you would be taking food out of her mouth.

Where I live in Sth America the tip included in the bill goes into a kitty, which is then split to form the major portion of the wages of the staff. Not just your waiter, but all the staff on deck. If you get bad service or are a tight cough you can request to have the tip excluded from the bill, which is accepted without question. This does mean however that you are penalizing all staff equally, even if it is just the **** who served you that was the problem child. However, part of the kitty is taken by the establishment, so if you really liked a particular waiter you can either give them an addittional separate tip which they keep all of, or you can request the standard % tip be left off the bill, and instead give the tip again direct to the staff member, so they get all of it.

I agree that auto % tips included in a bill may remove to a degree your power to reward (or not) according to the level of service, but just be aware that in many places this may be the sole or predominant source of the staff income.

Fine dining in Covent Garden, London isn't Latin America.....just yet.

If I was charged the typical rate of Sth America restaurants I'd probably pay a tip ratio that had three figures however, what this establishment charged could have feed a small latin american country for a month. Sorry, poor service & food at high prices should never be awarded.

 

[markis10]

I have deleted a large number of posts from multiple (3+) parties that are off topic and could be viewed in the Internet world as being a personal attack when there is no other context. Please stick to the subject at hand and attack the topic not the member, unpaid holidays from AFF (that qualify for zero FF points in any program) are available for any member that continues to act in a way that's not in the long standing tradition of the AFF community compliments of the mod team.

 

[medhead]

Doesn't anyone seriously think. $5 box of chocolates is going to influence someone to deviate from professionally carrying out their role? A bit if judgement is required here I think. I've given chocolates to a male FA who provided awesome service, just happened to have some Haighs to give out for Easter to family and the FA got them. Nothing expected in return, especially as it was as we were de-boarding.

But to go back to the point about influencing a professional relationship. In one of my jobs we used to spend days driving hundreds of km on dirt roads to avoid the appearance of having our decisions influence by taking something from a company, ie a 1 hour flight on the company aircraft. The fact that that the flight greatly increased our effectiveness and assisted carrying out our duties wasn't really considered. So I'm firmly of the view that proper consideration of the situation is required rather than blanket determinations of undue influence.

[the AFF app, let me think I deleted the deleted quote to be sure, to be sure]

Sent from the Throne

 

[tuapekastar]

When I was overseas a week and a bit ago I gave one of the wait staff at the restaurant a sneeky tip.

He looked after us at breakfast and also at dinner every night.

On the last night there I said to him i wanted some Balut (Philippines traditional food).

He said I can organise it for you.

That's why I gave him the tip.

I gave him 1000 peso's. Nearly a weeks wages for him and he then wanted to give it back to us but we insisted that he keep it.

I would prefer to give it to the person who made my time enjoyable at the hotel resort or what ever.

But on the other hand I understand the gardener and the person who washes the dishes and cooks the food gets nothing extra from all his work.

I refuse to give a tip when the person asks for it.

You eat balut? :shock: I have seen and smelled balut, but have not been able to bring myself to eat it. You're a braver man than me Simo!

 

[oz_mark]

You eat balut? :shock: I have seen and smelled balut, but have not been able to bring myself to eat it. You're a braver man than me Simo!

You lightweight.

 

[Simo]

You eat balut? :shock: I have seen and smelled balut, but have not been able to bring myself to eat it. You're a braver man than me Simo!

When i had it i had no idea what it was they just gave it to me and even prepared it as well.

I like about 14 to 16 day balut

A few weeks ago I had soup number 5 (bulls balls soup)

 

[Hvr]

When i had it i had no idea what it was they just gave it to me and even prepared it as well.

I like about 14 to 16 day balut

A few weeks ago I had soup number 5 (cows balls soup)

Shouldn't that be 'bull's balls'?

 

[Simo]

Shouldn't that be 'bull's balls'?

Yep that's correct edited that...

 

[Flying Fox]

That really annoys me too. I hate it when the bill says 15% service included or whatever the % is. It seemingly EVERYWHERE in the USA... and creeping into UK.

It actually encourages me not to tip.

I will tip for good service. I don't need to be asked to.

Totally agree. I was shocked the first time too and then get really annoyed at it every since.

I normally pay via CC but when I see the 'auto-tip', I wip out cash and pay the exact amount for the meal out of spite.

 

[bigjobs]

sarcasm is hard to detect in the written word.

OT:

on a QF flight to PER tmw. I am going to give each FA a peck on the cheek as I board and as they bring my lunch around.

will report back on how well this impresses them.

10 pages now ... lololol

 

[jb747]

I normally pay via CC but when I see the 'auto-tip', I wip out cash and pay the exact amount for the meal out of spite.

Not sure that it's out of spite, but that's exactly the effect the auto tip has upon me.

 

[jb747]

on a QF flight to PER tmw. I am going to give each FA a peck on the cheek as I board and as they bring my lunch around.

I look forward to the result.....

P.S. I hope your surname is Clooney.

 

[drron]

Not sure that it's out of spite, but that's exactly the effect the auto tip has upon me.

Well I certainly did it out of spite at a NYC Chinese restaurant.Menu said 15% gratuity,bill came with the amount rounded up.I calculated what 15% was to the penny and paid in cash at the front door.The manager had a go at me about not paying the correct tip so in a raised voice told him exactly why I had calculated the tip to the exact penny mentioning lousy service and lousy food.The line to get in got noticeably shorter.