Meals in the room?

[Willbridge]

Shared tips with the dispatcher or shop guys? That's an 'eye-opener' to me...not saying it wasn't done, but as a dispatcher, I would consider it a 'bribe', and never would accept it...

My boss was a wheeler-dealer. He knew I assigned the work strictly by the contract and he never pressured me to do otherwise. But if there was a chance for some side deal he would have taken it. I enjoyed his stories about his CB&Q days in Chicago.

 

[Georgie]

If i have a meal in my room and all is good i tip at that time. $1.00-$2.00 does not seem sufficient to me.

How much do you tip your flight attendants?

 

[AmtrakBlue]

How much do you tip your flight attendants?

Flight attendants have a cart. Flight attendants don’t have to walk through several cars rocking & rolling while carrying the food. Flight attendants don’t have to make up beds.

 

[Georgie]

Flight attendants have a cart. Flight attendants don’t have to walk through several cars rocking & rolling while carrying the food. Flight attendants don’t have to make up beds.

Flight attendants hand deliver 3+ course meals to each guest (and yes, sometimes the dessert is on a cart); Amtrak workers sling a bag of awful microwaved food at you - sometime on time; flight attendants are also running back and forth up to 16 hours with multiple food, beverage and amenity requests. Flight attendants are often injured during turbulent conditions and continue to serve through mild to moderate turbulence. Flight attendants DO make up beds - sometimes in the dark; and they hold your babies, and clean your mess in the bathrooms; and provide lifesaving CPR and first aid.
But if you are thinking of flight attendants with a cart in the economy section … well, I’ve never seen a cart in economy on Amtrak. You have to get your own rocking and rolling butt to the cafe cart. I WIN!!

Hey, if I get exemplary service on the train, I’ll tip - especially if they carry my bags (that happened once). But they are not minimum wage restaurant workers where I should be guilted into subsidizing their income with an undeserved tip. I’ve never received quality customer service on Amtrak. They behave like we owe them something … and they have a fairly decent and reasonably well paid careers.

 

[jis]

Flight attendants have a cart. Flight attendants don’t have to walk through several cars rocking & rolling while carrying the food. Flight attendants don’t have to make up beds.

I don't think a cogent argument can be made based on what they have to do, in favor of tipping Amtrak SCAs. The tipping certain groups of service providers while not others often has more to do with carrying on traditions rather than any other logic to it.

Are you sure you lived and worked in New York where " tips" and "sharing" off the books is a way of life?

There is always a fine line between a tip and a bribe ("bakhsheesh" vs. "ghoos" are the term used in India, though the first term is used as an euphemism for the second quite often). Even around here a few people have argued for tipping as soon as they get on the train with the expectation that as a result of their action they would get better service. That in my view falls on the "bribe" side of the "tip" - "bribe" continuum.

 

[Georgie]

… tipping certain groups of service providers while not others often has more to do with carrying on traditions rather than any other logic to it.

There is always a fine line between a tip and a bribe ("bakhsheesh" is the term used in India for both). That in my view falls on the "bribe" side of the "tip" - "bribe" continuum.

Great reply Bob Dylan ~ no bakhsheesh paid forth!
✔Old tradition is an Interesting perspective - there must be some great stories from those days. Employees must have been more eager to provide a positive experience back in the day; (dare I ask, pre-unionization? Ugh, sorry no, pre-capitalistic self-servitude ~ it dribbles down resentfully).

My great-grandfather was a conductor in the early 1900’s. I WISH I had more to share on his career and experiences of early rail travel.

I know customer service, and have worked in it world wide all my life. I can say as an expert … Amtrak fails miserably. I tip well for great service, nothing less … it’s a good practice for society and the future of service based industries…while we still have them.

 

[PVD]

In this country, we generally tip categories of workers. Redcaps, bellpersons at hotels, barbers/hairdressers, masseuse, food delivery people, waitpersons... T&E on trains, airline crews, and many others, no. We don't use a means test, or income criteria. That has been the longstanding custom here. I don't know why so many people try to find reasons beyond the sensible one (poor service by that person) to avoid tipping.

 

[Georgie]

If i have a meal in my room and all is good i tip at that time. $1.00-$2.00 does not seem sufficient to me.

I apologize with my “do you tip flight attendants“ response - although it is absolutely valid. If the CSA helped carry bags at boarding, introduced themselves and the sleeper compartment; offered answers to questions and trip information; answered call-light request within a reasonable amount of time and all done with a positive and helpful demeanor… a few dollars for food delivery should say, “Hey, Thanks” … and if the whole experience was undoubtedly wonderful, slip him/her an additional $$+/- when you disembark.

At the end of the day: it’s totally up to you.

 

[Willbridge]

I've received good service on Amtrak in all classes of service and in dining cars. When that happens I'll tip regardless of the facts of their pay and benefits. I've also received perfunctory or miserable service, so no tip, knowing that they're still receiving their pay and benefits.

One of the things that keeps the Pioneer in discussion has turned out to be recollections of good service on that train from the Seattle-based personnel.

 

[me_little_me]

In this country, we generally tip categories of workers. Redcaps, bellpersons at hotels, barbers/hairdressers, masseuse, food delivery people, waitpersons... T&E on trains, airline crews, and many others, no. We don't use a means test, or income criteria. That has been the longstanding custom here. I don't know why so many people try to find reasons beyond the sensible one (poor service by that person) to avoid tipping.

But, unfortunately, the definition of "service" has deteriorated. Everyone wants tips. Does someone who just scoops ice cream in a cone deserve a tip for doing that? What about the clerk at the bakery who just grabs the pastry you wanted and puts it in the bag? Or someone who hands you the boxed pizza that someone else cooked and boxed? All those places that now have tip containers continue to amaze me!

Those are not a long standing custom. That's just a "get in on the action" for employees who are in positions that don't deserve tipping but whose employers are just plain cheap!

We have a local ice cream place that apparently pays their employees decently so the tip box is donated 100% to charity. Kudos to the boss and kudos to the employees. They probably do that because we have so many people that think dropping a dollar in a box is a good alternative to making real donations to charity and pushing for living wages - so they want to assuage their consciences.