Tipping problem in LAX TBIT Lounge [is back]

[RooFlyer]

Re: TBIT 'Qantas' Business Lounge - extremely confused, as are staff

Definitely; and the lurk of leaving change in the shower room when you are shown in was reported by me (and others) about a year ago and jumped on by Red Roo at the time. (RR isn't about at the moment, being the time of year, else I'm sure they would jump on it again.)

However whether or not the staff are paid more to compensate for the lack of tips (would be that way anyway with a majority of Aussie customers) is unknown. Anecdotal evidence of a high staff turnover suggests that maybe the pay with few tips isn't enough.

Yes, it would be good to have a sense of just how much (or how little) these staff are paid before passing judgement.

The basis on which QF have deemed that tipping is not necessary - on US soil - seems to me to require justification.

I'm OK to pass judgement before knowing: Leaving tip 'bait' so lounge users will be 'reminded' to tip, is not on! And I'm quite happy for Qantas to specify that its o/s lounges are, as in Australia, 'tip free' (or, better, 'the obligation to tip - free' )

The issue for me is whether Qantas pays the staff enough to compensate for lack of tips, therefore helping to ensure good staff stay on and a high level of service maintained in the lounge.

 

[timster]

Re: TBIT 'Qantas' Business Lounge - extremely confused, as are staff

I'm OK to pass judgement before knowing: Leaving tip 'bait' so lounge users will be 'reminded' to tip, is not on! And I'm quite happy for Qantas to specify that its o/s lounges are, as in Australia, 'tip free' (or, better, 'the obligation to tip - free' )

The issue for me is whether Qantas pays the staff enough to compensate for lack of tips, therefore helping to ensure good staff stay on and a high level of service maintained in the lounge.

But you (or maybe just me actually) can't have one without the other. If QF pays them adequate 'compensation' for the absence of tips then I'm fine with that arrangement; and if so, staff are doing the wrong thing by fishing for tips. But if QF don't compensate (adequately), then I think QF is doing the wrong thing on American soil - "when (doing business) in Rome, ignore what the Romans do". These staff have jobs that would normally attract tips in the US. And if so whatever the probably-minimum-wage cleaning staff need to resort to in order to put food on their table is fine with me.

I think Australians are universally regarded by Americans in service industries as amongst the worst, if not the worst, tippers they see. I have sometimes been guilty of that. It's not generally deliberate; it's more ignorance / forgetting and paranoia about doing the wrong thing. And of course a feeling that it's a rather stupid system to ensure that people get paid decently; with the proviso that it sometimes results in much better service than I get at home.

But it IS the American way.

 

[Sdtravel]

This is an interesting video on tipping i saw i posted somewhere else previous but it is a little relevant here to. https://youtu.be/q_vivC7c_1k

 

[JohnK]

I can assure you that if I saw $2 left in the shower that it wouldn't encourage me to tip. Far from it as the $2 will find a way into my pocket.

 

[blackcat20]

I found a link to minimum wages in the USA, shown in a table, state by state. In almost half of those states the minimum wage is under $7.50/hour:

State Minimum Wages | 2016 Minimum Wage by State

I wonder how many here could survive on that sort of money. Multiple jobs/massive work hours required, "stamps" or no stamps.



Edit: Not really food stamps, as that has been replaced by an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card, but for the same purpose

I guess the best example is to ask what ~$7.50US p/h in the US equates to in AUD. I think our min wage is about $16.50 P/H. Based on the increased cost of living in AU, is that better or worse than the US equivalent when one considers the tip component

While their min wage is lower than here, their cost of living is also lower. I'm not saying I agree with their wages, but the reality is that expenses in the US are lower than they are in Australia.

 

[blackcat20]

I can assure you that if I saw $2 left in the shower that it wouldn't encourage me to tip. Far from it as the $2 will find a way into my pocket.

My understanding is that staff are allowing customers to glimpse the money before quickly pocketing it. There would be no way for you to steal it.

 

[Milefest]

It's not the customer's responsibility to pay the employee's wage.. Plus I never carry cash, include the service charge in the bill or I won't tip.

 

[JohnK]

My understanding is that staff are allowing customers to glimpse the money before quickly pocketing it. There would be no way for you to steal it.

Understood. Sneaky trick. There would be no way I would tip them.

 

[blackcat20]

It's not the customer's responsibility to pay the employee's wage.. Plus I never carry cash, include the service charge in the bill or I won't tip.

You can pay the tip with credit card at the conclusion of your meal (though I prefer cash as I can give it directly to my server).

 

[badseed]

Everyone saying that living costs are lower in the US clearly haven't lived in California or New York...

On my last trip I had dinner on the Amtrak Empire Builder with a young woman earning the absolute minimum $2.10 (at the time), plus tips, at a diner in Minot, North Dakota. From November through to March the place is a frozen wasteland (it was -20 when we rolled through), and on blizzard days she'd get nothing in tips. Whilst the employer is 'meant to' top up their wage to just over $7 an hour in practice that doesn't always happen. And being the US the funding for auditors to keep tabs on all of this is constantly being cut by the tea-partiers.

I'd hope that Qantas ensures that their employees, or those employed on their behalf are paid a decent wage well above minimum.

 

[drron]

In have had 6 months in NYC and definitely eating is cheaper than Sydney or Melbourne.
Low paid workers in NYC generally live outside the city and commute so don't have the costs of accommodation in NYC.

 

[Milefest]

You can pay the tip with credit card at the conclusion of your meal

But don't you see the problem in that? The person who is not paying a reasonable wage for their staff is now responsible for fairly distributing tips..

(though I prefer cash as I can give it directly to my server).

I agree but my problem is cash is that it's insecure, inconvenient, clunky etc. It just creates another hoop for the consumer to jump through. I can totally see why Australians are bad tippers, the vast majority of people pay with card.

 

[Kangol]

I agree but my problem is cash is that it's insecure, inconvenient, clunky etc. It just creates another hoop for the consumer to jump through. I can totally see why Australian's are bad tippers, the vast majority of people pay with card.

There has never really been a tipping culture in Australia, which is probably why you think Australians (no apostrophe) are "bad tippers".

 

[earlyriser]

This likely happened to me about a month ago in LAX. There was money in the bathroom and it was taken as I entered. I had no cash left and didn't tip, but felt guilty at the time and would have returned to tip if my partner had any cash left. Wow.

 

[blackcat20]

But don't you see the problem in that? The person who is not paying a reasonable wage for their staff is now responsible for fairly distributing tips..

Yes, which is why I said I tip in cash.

 

[drsmithy]

Re: TBIT 'Qantas' Business Lounge - extremely confused, as are staff

It is a huge stress point with us, as we don't want to do the wrong thing . Africa is easy on the whole - just tip everyone heaps - I view it as transfer of wealth from the first world to emerging economies! in the USA it is much more confusing outside of easy categories like bellboys and waiters and taxis. Also should you tip shower staff at Dubai - I hadn't even thought of it and if you should is US$ OK. Another thing to worry about!

Yes. Tipping is stressful to those from non-tipping cultures who do not want to offend. This sort of behaviour - if true - is clearly an attempt to try and leverage that stress.

 

[drsmithy]

Re: TBIT 'Qantas' Business Lounge - extremely confused, as are staff

And this is the reason employees don't want that $10/hour job to be $15/hour.
And the same reason that consumers with $$ don't want to increase the wages because companies will simply replace people with robots, or find new ways to increase productivity.

IMO if you need tips to survive - you're not living within your means and/or clearly need a new job.

"Have you tried just not being poor?"

 

[UP4014]

Re: TBIT 'Qantas' Business Lounge - extremely confused, as are staff

Yes. Tipping is stressful to those from non-tipping cultures who do not want to offend. This sort of behaviour - if true - is clearly an attempt to try and leverage that stress.

Tipping stressful your kidding, relying of the goodwill of customers to tip is stressful.

Matt

 

[opusman]

Re: TBIT 'Qantas' Business Lounge - extremely confused, as are staff

A small sign on the inside of the door saying "Qantas advises that gratuities are not required" would go a long way to solving the problem...

 

[Sdtravel]

A small sign on the inside of the door saying "Qantas advises that gratuities are not required" would go a long way to solving the problem...

Cause the same staff wanting tips certainly wouldn't remove or forget to put it out would they.