TIPPING.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 5033, 29 September 1926, Page 1

TIPPING.

A WORD TO TRAVELLERS* SOME USEFUL INFORMATION. The hospitality officer of the Gordon Hotels,, London, has contributed the following to the “Landmark,” the organ of the English-speaking Union : The man of the world, the seasoned traveller, knows how and when to tip, but many people barely know th®, first thiing about the tipping system, and either grossly overtip or do not tip at all. The man who overdoes it is, for Obvious reasons, a curse to his neighbour ; the man who does not tip at aU is rather a mean fellow, and his blood be upon his own head, for his journeying about the earth will be quite uncomfortable. Ten p'e.r cent, is the golden rule in tipping—you simply can’t go wrong. After a,ll, £5 per week is not a vast sum to a man whose hotel bill amounts to £5O per w'eek. Some people give a little more if they have particular reason to show their satisfaction, and no harm is. define, but to hand out 10s notes; to pageboys, for some trifling service when 6d would be ample recompense is, merely to bra,nd dneself “profiteer.” The valet usually has a fixed scale of charges for cleaning and pressing clothes, and 10 per cent, as a tip answers her®. The floor waiter should be tipped according to services, rendered. Ten per cent, per meal is usual. The chambermaid, if efficient, should be given Is a day, perhaps a little more fdr 'any special services. A married couple in.a British home usually gives 10s per week. The liftman should be tipped at the rate of 2s 6d per week. Concerning the hotel underporters, who shift your luggage on coming in and goring out, tip in accordance with the amount lifted, say, at the rate of 6d per trunk and 3d per hand package. Thisi applies to the station porter who informs you that his charge is a dollar for shifting ybur luggage a matter of 50 or 60 yards from boat train to taxi. A London taxi-man is satis,fled with the 10 percent. rule, 6d up to ss, and I'si for anything in the neighbourhood of 10s. Don’t hold out a handful of silver and say : “Help yourself.” In France in nearly every case the 10 per cent, is added automatically on to the bill. In Italy sometimes 15 per cent., or even 20 per cent., is added. It frequently happens, that the servants at hotels where the automatic 10 per cent, is, a,dded to the bill expect more in addition ! On the other hand, in a British hotel it is enough to leave 10 per cent, of one’s account with a manager for distribution.