This topic came up within another thread and I felt inspired to bring it up. I am shocked to see passengers refuse to tip their server in the dining car. Dining on a train is no different than any other sit-down restaurant, where tipping is common. In fact the conditions make it much more challeging for the entire dining car crew to provide us with our meals. While travelling in a sleeping car the cost of the meals are included, not the tips. Tipping on the train is a bargain compared to a cruise. On a cruise you are expected to tip three people in the dining room, based on an established scale provided by the cruise line. They provide preprinted envelopes to hand out on the last night. Next time tip $2 for breakfast, maybe $5 for lunch and a little more for dinner. Let tour table guest see that you are tipping. peer pressure works. I gave my server $5 for lunch and I had a very friendly and attentive server for the remainder of my trip. Don't forget your cabin attendent either, they are available almost 24 hours a day. I find travelling on a train a special experience. A few extra dollars for tips sends a great message to the crew and they pay it back with smiles and service. Has anyone else experienced similar situations?
Posted by Mr. Toy (Member # 311) on :
I think most of us here do tip our attendants, but the reminder is a good one.
In the diner I usually tip 15% or so based on the value of the meal and adjust upward the better the service, as I would in any restaurant. But I see a lot of travelers who fail in this basic courtesy.
The standard for a sleeping car attendant is $5 per night, but I know these guys and gals work very hard, so I tend to give more.
I also like to tip coach attendants a dollar or two. They rarely get tips, and their faces really light up when they get a "note" of appreciation.
------------------ Trust God, love your neighbor, and never mistake opinion for truth. -Mr. Toy
The "standard" is $5 per night? Where did that come from? I always tip $10 per night with a maximum of $20 for the trip unless the attendant disappears for most of the time.
Posted by CK (Member # 589) on :
pauir, Well Said! Many times I have observed people not leave any tip or tip just one dollar for two people at a full meal. Often these same people are the first to complain when they feel they don't get the service they deserve. Actually, they get far better service than they do deserve!
Posted by dilly (Member # 1427) on :
Yes, many passengers do unfairly stiff train personnel when it comes to tips.
But let's not forget that Amtrak employees are infinitely better paid than, say, the guy behind the counter at your local Starbucks. Tipping on trains is strictly voluntary. You should never feel it's "required."
I try to be as generous as possible when someone does a good job. But some crew members simply don't merit a reward.
When a dining car server is rude, lazy, or totally incompetent? Or when a sleeping car attendant does a two day disappearing act?
Sorry, no tip.
Posted by Geoff Mayo (Member # 153) on :
I agree with all of you mostly. Firstly, a tip is a *reward for good service*. It's *not* a requirement of the meal. Poor service, no tip. Average service, average tip. Excellent service, excellent tip. If you don't tip somebody that gives you good service, well they shouldn't be expecting it anyway, but it'll make the next encounter sweeter if you do.
$5 is the more common figure I've heard (and use). OTOH I rarely need car attendants, maybe twice a day to make up or fold up the bed, that's all. If they were bringing you food, especially from the diner, then that is a different matter.
BTW how are the tips divided in the diner? I've had an extremely surly head waiter but my actual server was brilliant. When I left a tip for her, he actually collected it. I'd be extremely annoyed if he pocketed it.
Geoff M.
Posted by CK (Member # 589) on :
The sleeper attendant does more than just help w/ the beds. Sometimes passengers forget that a good attendant also makes the coffee, provides sodas, juice, ice, & snacks, keeps the restrooms & showers clean & stocked w/ soap & towels, etc. They also answer questions & help passengers w/ their luggage, and provide for a safe environment. The tip they receive should reflect that they provide for these services too.
Posted by Mike Smith (Member # 447) on :
If the sleeper attendant has coffee perculating or lets me plug it in by 5:00 am, then he almost always qualifies for an extra $5 over the $10 per 24 hours (my wife and I = 5 + 5). Anything above and beyond will qualify for another $5.
$2, $3, and $5 are the norm for the diner meals.
Posted by KA6BGJ (Member # 662) on :
I tend to agree with what has been said here. CK your thoughts on the sleeping car attendant were well said. You brought up a very good point by stating that the sleeping car attendant does a lot more work "behind the scenes" than the traveling passenger might realize.
I have to believe that most people do not realize the work that is being done by the train crew while the passengers are doing other things (sleeping, dining, etc.)
Tipping lets the crew know that just because you (the passenger) did not see him doing all of the necessary work needed to make for a pleasant trip, you are aware of it and their efforts are well appreciated.
Posted by paulr (Member # 2761) on :
Great comments! In our own way we all seem to offer generous tips as a way of saying thank you for good service. Let's hope that our actions spur others to recognize the effort it takes to provide good service at 60 mph. For me, the difference on each trip is the crew and I want to let them know I recognize their hard work. Thanks again for the feedback.
[This message has been edited by paulr (edited 10-15-2003).]
Posted by Geoff Mayo (Member # 153) on :
Fair point about the sleeping car attendant. But at the end of the day we should *only* reward with a tip *if* you get *resonable* or better service. Don't ever forget that tipping is optional and should *never* be expected.
Geoff M.
Posted by MPALMER (Member # 125) on :
ok thanks for the info.
I tend to take short day trips and only go to the cafe if the car is not crowded. I give the cafe attendant a tip but honestly never though to give the coach attendant a tip.
Will consider it from now on... MP
Posted by RRRICH (Member # 1418) on :
I usually tip the sleeping car attendants -- there are two occasions, however, when I may not tip them: 1) If they "disappear" for most of the trip (especially a long (> 1 night) trip) 2) If they don't offer to take my suitcases down to the door before I get off the train at the final destination
Like others have stated, I really don't use the "services" of the sleeper attendants much, except for making and unmaking the bed and taking my suitcases to the door when I leave -- I spend most of my time on train trips in the lounge car -- sleeper room is for sleeping at night and taking naps during the day primarily..
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
I think that is unreasonable, Mr. Rich.
An attendant would have to fail to make my bunk, leave used bedding about for unreasonable time in the morning, stack luggage in the shower stall of a Viewliner in the hope that I and others would "do without", and in general "get lost".
Then that might be cause for a stiff, along with adverse communication to Amtrak.
My "schedule'
To TA/S $5 per person/night (minimum $10 for Deluxe) $3 for each gofer in excess of one per day. $10 for any meal brought to room.
To Diner $2 Bkfst & Lunch; $3 Dinner PLUS 15% of any alcoholic beverages sold.
Posted by JonA (Member # 2690) on :
I could not find my attendent after my Zypher trip. It was the return leg and I am sure he wanted to get home when we hit chicago. I called Amtrak and with his first name and train # got an address at the crew base and mailed him a nice one.
Tipping the folks in the dinning car and bar got me treated like a VIP. It really is a no brainer and works both ways. but it seems I am preaching to the choir:!!!
Jon
Posted by dilly (Member # 1427) on :
Regarding Mr. Norman's comment: "An attendant would have to fail to make my bunk, leave used bedding about for unreasonable time in the morning, stack luggage in the shower stall of a Viewliner in the hope that I and others would "do without", and in general "get lost".
Actually. . .
I've not only "traveled" with car attendants who've pulled ALL of the above, I've encountered one weasel (on the Empire Builder) who suggested I was perfectly capable of making up my own bed before turning in for the night. This, after I'd overheard him say the same thing to the passengers in the room next door.
When I declined to do his job for him, he pulled an attitude, literally threw the bed together. . . and then promptly disappeared until nearly noon the next day.
I guess he must have had amnesia. He tried to pull the same routine all over again the following night.
P.S. During the entire 2210 mile trip, the clown never once put out coffee, soft drinks, or bottled water (he kept the plastic-sealed boxes stacked in an empty compartment with the door closed).
And whenever a paper towel or toilet paper dispenser in one of the rest rooms ran out? You guessed it. It stayed empty.
[This message has been edited by dilly (edited 10-17-2003).]
Posted by CK (Member # 589) on :
Dilly, You've sold me........he "deserved" a big fat zero! I would not have stood for that nonsense. It would have been time for a man to man talk. I suggest that you contact Customer Service and relate your experience. You have a reasonable chance of obtaining a voucher for future travel. It has worked for me in the past when I truly have felt that Amtrak has failed to provide a minimum level of service along the route. I support Amtrak but that does not mean that I have an obligation to support incompetence.
[This message has been edited by CK (edited 10-18-2003).]
Posted by pismobum (Member # 2628) on :
The comparison to a cruise ship is WAY OFF BASE! Cruise ship attendants are at almost NO pay (normally foreign crews - no union representation). Their wages ARE their tips, and cruise ships have pretty much gone to "automatic" tips added to your bill (you can reduce them if you wish). Amtrak crews however are UNION personnel, most probably make more annually than most of their passengers.
While there is nothing wrong with tipping for EXCEPTIONAL service, why is there a tip required because (for instance) the sleeping car attendant DOES THE JOB THEY WERE HIRED AND PAID WELL TO DO, including the "behind the scenes" stuff alluded to above?
Posted by dilly (Member # 1427) on :
Regarding: "I suggest that you contact Customer Service and relate your experience. You have a reasonable chance of obtaining a voucher for future travel."
Actually, I did contact customer service.
They thanked me very much for blowing the whistle. But I received zilch (and I'm a Guest Rewards member, too).
P.P.S. The attendant also had a young woman on board, who seemed to be his girlfriend. After I finally figured out where he'd hidden the soft drinks, and asked him for a bottle, he told the woman to go and get it for me.
Posted by Mr. Toy (Member # 311) on :
quote:Originally posted by CK: Dilly,....You have a reasonable chance of obtaining a voucher for future travel. It has worked for me in the past....
Amtrak dropped its unconditional satisfaction guarantee, so what worked in the past won't work anymore. I think travel vouchers are long gone, except perhaps for the most extreme service problems. Some minor compensation, such as a 10% discount coupon, might be in order, though.
------------------ Trust God, love your neighbor, and never mistake opinion for truth. -Mr. Toy
Actually, the abovementioned trip took place when the Unconditional Satisfaction Guarantee was still in effect.
I probably didn't sound outraged enough. The attendant was such a blatant scam artist that I found him more amusing than irritating.
On the other hand, I wasn't amused enough to give him a tip.
Posted by CK (Member # 589) on :
Dilly & Mr. Toy, I can only relate my experience. In April of this year my wife & I took the SL from LA to Houston in a deluxe sleeper. The restrooms & showers went out of service in our entire car as we made our way into New Mexico requiring all the passengers in our car to use the restrooms & showers in another car. The problem could not be fixed enroute. I wrote Amtrak regarding this experience at the suggestion of our car attendant. I did not expect to receive a reply. I not only received a prompt phone call and a letter from Amtrak Customer Service but I also received a full voucher ($500.+) for the sleeper charge. We only ended up paying for the rail fare. I thought this was more than fair! We plan to use it in conjunction with our GW points for a long "free" trip next year. My point is don't accept someone saying it won't work. Give it a try. It only takes a little time and it can be very rewarding. Go Amtrak!
Posted by hate2fly (Member # 2722) on :
a newbie question:
When do you actually tip the cabin attendants? Do you tip daily at the end of each day? If so, do they always come by a certain time in the evening? Or do you just tip them at the end of the trip?
Thanks.
Posted by mr williams (Member # 1928) on :
No need to tip the cabin attendant every day, just when you leave the train. If they're worth their salt they'll be there to help you off with your luggage, anyway. I agree with those who suggest $5 - $10 a night, extra if they've done any gophering or gone out of their way to be helpgul.
Posted by Geoff Mayo (Member # 153) on :
On a 2-night trip I tip once on the first night, after the bed has been made up, and once when getting off. The idea being that I'll be treated better on the 2nd day... whether that works or not, I don't know!
But that of course depends on getting quality service in the first place.
Geoff M.
Posted by dilly (Member # 1427) on :
It also depends on how much service you expect and require. I've watched passengers attempt to treat attendants as if they were personal slaves.
I've never had an attendant carry my bags, bring a meal to me, balance my checkbook, perform open heart surgery, or do anything beyond simply putting down my bed at night and folding it up while I'm at breakfast.
If you're a low-maintenance passenger, tipping the attendant while en route makes no difference at all.
Posted by Mr. Toy (Member # 311) on :
quote:Originally posted by dilly: I've never had an attendant carry my bags, bring a meal to me, balance my checkbook, perform open heart surgery, or do anything beyond simply putting down my bed at night and folding it up while I'm at breakfast.
But don't forget that the attendant refreshes the room between riders with fresh soap, towels, bedding, etc. They also clean the toilets, haul heavy boxes of ice, sodas and juice through the train to the beverage stand and bring in a stack of newspapers in the morning. You benefit from all of this work whether or not the service is provided to your room directly.
I had one attendant stay up all night nursing a failing air conditioner on the California Zephyr, and when it died completely she spent the next day arranging partial refunds for everyone in the car. She was extremely dedicated.
The attendant's "shift" covers a complete round trip, so they do all of these things 24/7 for several days straight. Except for the night the train is turned, they get about four or five hours of sleep, which is interrupted by middle of the night station stops.
So I have nothing but admiration for these people, and I tend to cut them a little slack if they don't always perform to perfection. Unless they screw up completely, a tip is definitely in order.
------------------ Trust God, love your neighbor, and never mistake opinion for truth. -Mr. Toy
[This message has been edited by Mr. Toy (edited 10-21-2003).]
Posted by dilly (Member # 1427) on :
You misunderstood, Mr. Toy. I don't mean that a good attendant doesn't deserve a tip as you're finally leaving the train.
I've encountered some excellent attendants. But also some total deadbeats, like the aforementioned guy on the Empire Builder and another clown I once rode with on the Lake Shore Limited.
At this point of the thread, we're talking about multiple tipping (at various times during the trip) as extra insurance that they'll give you more "personal service" and treat you right while on route.
But that hinges on whether you have extra tasks that you hope to entice him into doing (haul your twelve steamer trunks, bring you nonstop meals and snacks, clean up the room after your kid has an accident).
If all you require of him is to assemble and disassemble your bed, I doubt that slipping him an extra five spot, in mid-trip, will spur any otherwise lazy attendant into keeping the public shower cleaner or an empty communal coffee pot filled.
[This message has been edited by dilly (edited 10-22-2003).]
Posted by Mr. Toy (Member # 311) on :
quote:Originally posted by dilly: If all you require of him is to assemble and disassemble your bed, I doubt that slipping him an extra five spot, in mid-trip, will spur any otherwise lazy attendant into keeping the public shower cleaner or an empty communal coffee pot filled.
Yes, I misunderstood. You are correct in that regard.
------------------ Trust God, love your neighbor, and never mistake opinion for truth. -Mr. Toy
I'm certainly not a "high-maintenance" passenger. All I want is my bed to be set up in the evening and taken apart in the morning. All I meant about "better service" was along the lines of "Good morning, Mr Mayo, how are you today?" kind of politeness, rather than the "excuse me, you're in my way" kind of attitude that I have had from one attendant. As I've already said, I don't know if it makes a difference, but that's my preference.
Geoff M.
Posted by dilly (Member # 1427) on :
If you have to pay an Amtrak car attendant five bucks just to get him to say hello, humankind is closer to mass extinction than we think.
Posted by rmiller (Member # 341) on :
I think a tip at the end of the trip is the thing to do if you don't require meal service in your room. That way, you keep them hoping your tip will amount to something.
I'd tip the attendant providing meal service the same as I would the server in the diner.
Posted by 20th Century (Member # 2196) on :
When we rode the Coast Starlight from Oakland to Santa Barbara we had dinner served to us in our room. The attendant was most accomodating. Therefore my tip was also most accomodating. On a previous trip from Seattle to Oakland we also tipped well for the same reason. Recently we took a Celebrity Alaskan cruise. The crew seemed as if they could not do enough for you. This made for a very enjoyable trip. We didn't at all mind the suggested tipping policy provided by Celebrity. Service is a very important part of the journey for a passenger. It "makes" the trip. I did observe some very unpleasant passengers in my travels being unfair to the crew (train, ship, or plane). It does make the job unpleasant for the crew. Unfortunately, they are hopefully trained to handle it. My worst experience was in First Class (used my American Advantage miles). The flight attendant was definitely the problem. Demanded my pillow because I was not using it at the moment,and spilled a drink on me on a very smooth flight. I kept my cool. Her co-worker apologized for her.
Posted by Geoff Mayo (Member # 153) on :
I think I'll give up at this point. Saves on stress.
when they get a "note" of appreciation.