TIPPING.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 18 September 1926, Page 11

TIPPING.

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 r traveller, .knows bow and when to tip, ’ but. many people barely know the firstthing about the tipping, system, and either grossly overtip. or do- not .tip at all. The man who overdoes'ifc is, for obvious reasons, a curse to hid neighbour; the man who does not f.ip at”all is rather a mean fellow, /md hi-s ] blood be upon his own head,' for his journeying about the earth will be quite uncomfortable. Ten per cent, is the golden rule in tipping—you simply can't go wrong. After all £5 per week is not a vast sum to a- man whose hotel bill amounts to £SO per. week. Some people give a little more .if they have particular reason to show their satisfaction, and no harm is done, but to hand out IQs notes to pageboys for some trifling service, when (kl would be ample recompense, is merely to brand oneself “profiteer.” The valet usually has a fixed scale of charges for cleaning and pressing clothes, and 10 per cent, as a. tip answers here. The floor.' - waiter should be tipped according to services rendered. Ton per cent, per meal is usual. The chambermaid, if efficient, should be given Is a day perhaps a little more lor any special services. A married couple in a British home usually gives 10s P cr week. The liftman should be tipped at the rate of 2s 6d per week. - Concerning the hotel under-porters,, who shift vour luggage on coming in and going out, tip in accordance with the amount lifted, say, at the rate of 6d per trunk and 3d " per hand package. This applies to the station porter who imfohns you that his charge is a dollar for shifting your luggage a matter of 50 or 6(byards from boat train to. taxi. A London taxi-man is satisfied with the 10 per cent. rule. 6d up to os. and 1® for a milling in the neighbourhood of Ids. Don't hold out a handful; of. silver and say : “Help yourself.” In Fran ce in n early 'every ca se the 10 per cent: is added automatically on to the bill. lii tta.lv sometimes 15 per v cent., or even 2() per cent.' is added. .It frequentlv happens that the servants at hotels where the automatic 10 per cent, is added to the bill expect more in addition!. On tlie other hand, in a .British hotel it is enough to leave 10 per cent, of one's account with a manager for distribution.