Tipping Dockside

Well, most restaurants of any size have formal systems and the wait staff sees copies of everything. It's more the mom and pop but also being in countries with less sophisticated restaurant systems. Marinas aren't use to tips on the card and many don't even have a space for you to put it.

I haven't watched Kitchen Nightmares but did see one of those type shows where the owner of the counter service restaurant was keeping all the money from the tip jar.

Thanks for this thread. Went to a marina yesterday and asked the dockmaster to send me a golf cart to take me to the yacht (foot boo-boo). While I ordinarily would have expressed sincere appreciation, this time I did so verbally, as well as with a tip. Not sure I would have thought to do that without this thread having reminded me.

People like this do exist, and it's my pleasure to help them spread their reputation:



Sorry for the divergence from boat related tipping.

Bran....

I am a consumer, not a captain of a charter boat. My local club/marine would fine or\ remove me from its roster if I tipped our launch driver on a per delivery basis. Check with your fellow users. Ask what they do and match it. Omit the paid captains, I understand their incentive. This does not apply to ports you visit. I very fortunately own a 50, I usually give $50 when I back into the slip - mine own formula. I have a dinghy if I have to anchor out.

Obviously a far different environment than the one we live in here. What business really is it of anyone else that you tip, unless there's a published rule against it like most grocery stores have now. And we're not captains of charter boats either, just "consumers" as you word it.

Well I might get flamed for this, and should probably stop now! I am a little tired of the expectations of having to tip every where, I think it has gotten out of control.
Over the years I probably have been tipping less and less amount wise. I have found that your attitude and how you treat people matters almost as much, personal relationships and being an accommodating Captain goes a long way. I have also been doing group tips in the Marina's that I spend a large amount of time in, one tip when I leave, I hate to be reaching in my pocket every time someone comes too or drops something off at the boat.
Now granted I have many years in the industry and cultivated these relationships for a long time. One thing I learned early on, and this from another well known Capt. while we were still very Jr., always write a nice card, the cash may go in the pocket but the accolades can go on the wall or be used to show management that they are doing a good job. I remember going into Crown Bay many years later and still seeing my card on the wall!
A tip earned is worthy, a tip that is expected/required is unworthy!

No flaming. Some agreement, some disagreement. You're known by those serving you so they know you do tip at the end.

The amount of our tips certainly reflects the service. Fortunately, we've had good service almost all the time at marinas. A better percentage than perhaps middle tier restaurants.

If we're staying somewhere for days, we certainly don't mean to imply that we tip constantly for every small thing done throughout the stay. We will tip upon arrival if it's somewhere we're not well known and along the way for non-routing things of extra effort. Then prior to leaving we will hand deliver to each employee who has helped a tip reflecting our overall gratitude. We do make a point to tip any we are aware won't be there at that time in advance. And if we miss any, we put it in a sealed personally addressed envelope and make sure the other employees will tell the missed person we left it in the office.

Certainly places where you have relationships are much different than those you're visiting for the first time. At new places we tip more frequently throughout the time there as it provides extra opportunity to thank those providing the service and talk to them.

The one place we don't agree with you is in the tipping lesser amounts. We do know people at those income levels have been hit the hardest by economic conditions. Now our involvement in coastal cruising has only been since 2012 (lakes only prior) so it's all been post recession. I certainly no many owners have been more conscious of tips including those to their crews. I just find of all the costs of boating that's not the one that to me makes sense to reduce.

Regardless I get the impression that you show thoughtfulness in many ways including reasonable tipping, regardless of how or when it's delivered.

As to cards, we do also, learned from our managing captains who trained us. My wife and others aboard are far better than me with names. We try to make sure we mention each person and toss in something specific on them to show we are thanking them, not just tossing them into a larger card. Fortunately, when in Spanish speaking countries, we have at least one fluent in Spanish aboard and she can write some portions in Spanish.

Back to the OP. If they learn he will tip at the end and generously, then how and when he tips along the way won't be important if he's dealing with the same person over and over. The caveat is that if during his day personnel changes, he doesn't reach the one who took him out that morning.

Here's your flame. As you've been reducing your tips, salaries for low wage workers have been stagnant (reducing when you consider inflation especially in rent and automobile expenses), while upper-management and executive salaries have been going through the roof. Result: the headline in last Sunday's Newsday was that workers can no longer find places to live near the Hamptons. That means that workers can no longer afford to work there. Jobbers will be adding "travel time" onto bills, substandard service will be had in clubs and restaurants, and people who have never seen a mop before will soon be cleaning their own vacation homes. I just called the customer service line of a major window company and spent over an hour listening to ads telling me how good a company they are. (Meanwhile their sales line gets you to a human immediately) Need I tell you the blasting they're getting on every internet site I can find, because they won't hire humans to service their customers. Lower tier workers need jobs and help. If they don't get it the "S" is now climbing back up the ladder. Several years ago I made the decision to refuse work from any but the best employers, and I'm not alone. In recent years I've seen quite a few boats sit on the docks come weekends, because their owners try to go cheap with per diem captains and now can't find one.

There is your next wrinkle start dealing with their equipment yourself or team up with someone who can and scoop all tey work. You and your expired ticket would never need to leave the dock again

In this case, why don't you just charge what you think your effort is worth instead of hoping for a tip?

We must have learned that from the same guy!

Yeah, I'm going to get into the window and door manufacturing business. lol. Thankfully I don't have to leave the dock again (although I will for certain people). Some things are in your blood. It's what you are. Everything else is just a job, and I'm done doing "jobs".

Leeky said "In this case, why don't you just charge what you think your effort is worth instead of hoping for a tip?"

Two answers, Our business is "personal services". As such you want to know you're appreciated. The other is that the business has a certain rate. The guy with a brand spanking new 6 pack license charges the rate, or he may even try to undercut the rate. So when people hire by price the guy with experience will lose work. However, I expect boaters to recognize the difference between the Newbie and a guy with 25 years of professional experience and tip accordingly. If he doesn't, then he doesn't need me and I don't need him. Once word is out on him and all he can get is the Newbie, he'll learn the difference (especially if an emergency happens).

If you do charge what you're worth, why would you accept more than you're worth?

Your "personal services" business is still just a job. Do you think that people that have other types of jobs are less deserving of appreciation? I've never received a tip in my life, but I have always given every job I've had my best effort without expecting more payment than I signed up for.

All in your business do not charge the same rate. I remember that you've said on YF that you organized the captains in your area to charge the same rate, but that's not true everywhere. So, what it sounds like you have is a basic rate that is lower than what you think you're worth with a hidden fee; the hidden fee is the tip. If the person that hires you doesn't tip the amount you want, do you tell that person that you want more?

What I do is way more than a "job". Some people think they're hiring a captain to take them from here to there. For them any captain will do. I don't work for those people. It's sort of like the difference between a cook and a chef. It's not about giving your best. It's about giving your best and your best being better than average. When I first broke into this business I took a deck job for $7 an hour, because that was the rate. Almost every day the boss handed me an extra $20 to $100 cash because he knew I was worth more than he was paying (the rate).

Yes rates vary (especially from area to area) and you'll always find the P/T Newbie that'll give their services away while trying to break into the business, That's because there's little if any organization. But there's a general average rate most places. The gratuity is not a "Fee", and no I don't tell them I want more. I expect people to pay me what they think I'm worth. If they pay me just my rate, I know that they're not pleased with my service and I don't work for them in the future. If they pay me more I know they appreciate my services, and they'll become high priority clients. To me what I make isn't dollars. They're just a measuring stick of appreciation.

Surely if you give someone a price to do a job it is a price that includes a monetary and or supplementary benefits (meals, travel etc) figure that you are happy to do the job for there should be no reason if they pay up as agreed for you to feel that somehow the clients have not been satisfied with the services you provided at the price you offered to do it for?

When I give a price to do a job it's the minimum I'm willing to do the job for. If 'Jim' pays me just that and 'Bill' pays me that plus a gratuity, who would you expect me to give priority to in the future? If a launch operator will take 'Jim' to his boat for nothing but his salary, and that's what he gets, but 'Bill' slips him a $5, Who do you think is going to get better service? I didn't create the system of tipping. Do not most jobs pay "bonuses", especially at Christmas? Up here most launch operators (and boat captains) are out of work and living off what they made during the summer when Christmas comes around.

Those who object to giving gratuities could encourage businesses to raise their prices so they can afford pay a living wage and hire enough employees to serve everybody adequately using only average effort, but I think even that would be thwarted by the employers not passing on that extra money. I haven't heard of many (any) marinas paying their launch operators $1,000 a week, but with rents starting upwards of $1,300 a month that's the minimum income needed to live on Long Island.

It's supply and demand; capitalism at work. Don't help the launch operators make a living, and eventually you could find nobody taking the job and you swimming to your boat.