The Traveler’s Guide to Tipping Hotel Concierges
As a traveler, navigating the etiquette around tipping can be tricky, especially when it comes to hotel staff like concierges. Concierges provide valuable services, from making restaurant reservations to booking tickets for popular attractions. But how much should you tip them for their efforts? This guide will break down the essentials of tipping hotel concierges.
Why Tip Hotel Concierges?
Hotel concierges often rely on tips as a significant portion of their income. In many cases, concierges, like other tipped workers, are paid less than minimum wage by their employers, with the expectation that tips will make up the difference.
Concierges frequently go above and beyond to assist guests, taking on challenging tasks like securing reservations at fully booked restaurants or finding tickets to sold-out shows. Tipping is a way to show appreciation for their hard work and the extra mile they often go for guests.
How Much to Tip
Unlike some services where there’s a bill to calculate a percentage tip from, concierge services usually don’t have a set cost. So how much should you tip? Here are some general guidelines:
- For simple tasks like making an easy restaurant reservation, a tip of $5-10 is appropriate.
- If the concierge secures a hard-to-get reservation or tickets to a popular show, consider tipping $25-40 to recognize the extra effort.
As an alternative to set amounts, you can tip a percentage, such as 20%, of what you would spend on the service they arranged (e.g. 20% of your restaurant bill or ticket price). - For truly extraordinary service, like helping you rebook a missed flight or locating a lost child, a more substantial tip of $50 or more may be warranted.
While these are good baselines, it’s also important to be aware of local tipping customs. Average tips can vary by location – for example, the average restaurant tip is a bit lower than the standard 18-20% in places like Hawaii (14.8%) and Washington D.C. (14.9%). In contrast, the average is higher in states like West Virginia (17.3%) and Idaho (17.4%). Adjust your concierge tips accordingly.
When to Tip
In general, it’s best to tip your concierge immediately after they provide a service. This shows prompt appreciation and avoids undervaluing or overvaluing their service by tipping too soon.
If you prefer to tip a lump sum at the end of your stay, be sure to keep track of the services the concierge provided over the course of your visit. When tipping during checkout, let the concierge know what services you’re tipping them for.
Tipping for Bad Service
Tipping for Bad ServiceEven if you receive poor service, it’s generally still appropriate to tip, albeit a smaller amount than you would for good service. Remember, concierge wages are often below minimum wage, so they depend on tips.
If your concierge makes an effort to fulfill a challenging request but is unsuccessful, still consider tipping for their time and effort, even if they didn’t ultimately achieve the desired outcome.
How to Tip
The method you use to tip your concierge may depend on the hotel’s setup. Here are a few common options:
- Cash: Tipping cash is easy and discreet, but requires you to have the right bills on hand.
- App: Tipping apps like eTip allow you to tip digitally without worrying about having cash. You can often tip at your convenience – before, during or after the service.
- Front Desk: If you can’t locate your concierge at checkout, you can leave a tip with the front desk and request that it be given to the concierge.
The Bottom Line
Tipping hotel concierges is an important way to show appreciation for the vital services they provide. While tipping customs vary, a good rule of thumb is to tip $5-10 for simple requests, $25-40 for more difficult asks, and potentially more for truly outstanding service.
No matter how much you tip, the most important thing is to ensure your concierge receives the tip and understands it’s in recognition of their efforts to make your stay exceptional. Treat your concierge well and your thoughtfulness will likely be returned in kind on your next visit!
To streamline tipping at your property, consider implementing a digital tipping solution like those offered by www.jethotelsolutions.com. Digital tipping makes it easy for guests to show appreciation and for hard-working staff to get the recognition they deserve.