Staying at a hotel can be a lot more enjoyable when you have someone to help you. That’s where bellhops come in! They are always ready to help you with your luggage and make you feel welcome. They work hard to make your stay at the hotel as good as it can be. When you’re happy with the service from a bellhop, it’s common to give them a tip. Tipping is a way to show your appreciation for the bellhop’s good work.
In this article, we’ll talk about why you might want to tip a bellhop and how much you should give.
What is the factor considered while giving a tip-
- Try to observe the attitude of bellhops.
- Try to measure the work of bellhops
- Try to distinguish the class of the hotel you are staying
- Figure out fairly treated or not in that hotel
The above factors are described below-
Try to observe the attitude of bellhops:
when someone goes to a hotel and gets a bellhop or hotel staff’s assistance for making their stay comfortable. For that, the bellhop usually desires a tip from the customer. But customers have to consider a few things while giving away their valuable money. Firstly the patron needs to consider whether the bellhop’s attitude towards the custom was hospitable or not. He treated you with respect or not. If you feel that the bellhop’s attitude toward you was unappreciated, you should not think twice, just leave that place without feeling guilty.
Try to measure the work of the bellhop and hotel staff:
Being a customer If you notice that you had brought heavy and clumsy luggage and the bellhop had a hard time while carrying the luggage, you should give him a mouthful amount as a tip. As if there is no bellhop in the hotel, to be a guest in that hotel, you had to carry that luggage to the top floor of your room.
Try to distinguish the class of the hotel you are staying at:
If you are staying in a 5-star hotel and receiving five-styled facilities, you should provide bellhop tips. Five-style hotel bellhops desire to get much from their customers as those who are staying at the luxury hotel are generally people from the elite class. On the other hand, if you are staying in a 4-star hotel and still get top-class service, you should give a tip to the bellhop of the four-star hotel as well. As being in a low position the hotel bellhop deserves a tip as an appreciation for the hard work.
Figure out whether you are fairly treated or not in that hotel:
It refers to you staying in a 5-star hotel but they charge you excess money for every service without making any sense, in this case, you should not give any tip to the bellboy. As the hotel authorities have already taken a lot of money from you it does not make any sense. Thus you don’t need to give any extra money to the bellhop for their work.
Does the bellhop deserve a tip for their duties or not?
Yes, they do. A bellhop is someone who will make your life easy by carrying your luggage to your exact destination. Since they are doing their best to make you feel comfortable while touring, you should provide them with a tip as a token of respect for carrying your luggage. But it is not necessary to give tips to the bellhop. It depends on the psyche of the service receiver or customers.
Customers often want to give tips to the bellhop because they are pleased by the sweet gestures and posture of the bellhop. If the bellhop behaves well with customers; he shows respect to the customer, welcomes customers with a wide smile, and receives the customer command anytime. All these positive attitudes create a sense of satisfaction among the customers and that’s why customers frequently give tips to the bellhop to showcase their gratitude.
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If any customer thinks that the bellhop is doing this because it is their duty and the hotel paid enough for this. Then they are correct in their decision. As said before, whether you should pay a tip to the bellman or not depends on the psyche of the customer. Apart from that, the bellmen are paid by the hotel authorities too, and therefore if a customer wants they can avoid paying a tip to the bellman or bellboy.
According to hotel bellhop salary data bellhop averagely gets $12 hourly from the hotel as a salary. That’s why if you are a patron and you are indecisive while giving a tip, let me assure you, you should not feel sorry for them. If you wish to pay a tip to the bellboy, go ahead and if you are unwilling to pay, you do not need to force yourself.
Difference between the bellhop/ bellman, porter, and valet?
There is no difference in the meaning of Bellhop, bellboy, bellman, and porter. But there is a difference between bellhop/bellboy/bellman and valet and porter in terms of working difference. It means the bellhop/bellman/bellboy works inside the hotel for room cleaning, food services, holding bags, staying inside the lift, and assisting the patron during check-in and check-out. On the other hand, valet and porter are similar in terms of work. They mainly reside outside the hotels. They will call a cab for the patron, park the cars and take the luggage to the hotel lobby. Although the meaning and work of bellhop, bellman, valet, and porter vary geographically, what has been discussed before is usually believed by people about the bellhop and velvet and porter. There are a few inquiries related to bellhop and valet and porter and thus below a few things are discussed to clear the confusion.
Uniforms of bellhop and valet:
Talking about the difference among the dress code of bellhop, bellman and porter, and valet. According to Wikipedia, bellboy dresses are inspired by 9th-century military uniforms. It consists of a “fitted waist-length jacket and a band collar, often double-breasted and trimmed with fancy braid or piping, and rows of close-set brass buttons”. But generally, the uniform of a bellhop or valet, or porter was selected by the hotel authorities. The HR of a hotel will decide what should be the dressing code of a bellhop and valet.
Work of a bellhop inside the hotel and outside the hotel:
According to Wikipedia, The definition of bellhop varies from place to place. Bellhop carries your luggage in hotels, stays in car parking lots, gives room services and does housekeeping work, and so on. Their work varies from place to place. All people are known as bellhops but there are slight differences when calling bellhops. Some people call bellboys, and bellhops to those who stay inside the hotel, and those who stay outside the hotel are called porters and valet. Thus few things to consider while giving tips-
• Tip for bellhops who stay inside the hotel:
In a hotel, bellhops have to do a lot of work. Such as there are bellhops that take the patron’s luggage from the car parking garage to the hotel’s main lobby. If you are thinking of paying a tip to the bellhop in the hotel It depends on the type of the hotel, such as in luxury hotels or 5-star hotels the bellhop desires much from their customer, and on the other hand, low-graded hotels’ bellhop desire less from their customer. Since customers choose hotels according to their ability to pay.
Another thing to consider while paying a tip is that you should provide them with a tip depending on the weight of your luggage. It means, if your luggage is quite heavy and fragile, you should provide them with a little more than what you usually pay to the bellhop. If your luggage is not loaded with things, you can provide them less as a tip.
• Tip for hotel bellhops who stay outside the hotel:
If you have to tip a bellhop who stays outside the hotel. It means in the car parking lot and opening the car’s door and holding patron luggage in the hotel lobby; if it is their responsibility. In this case, you should pay less than what you pay to the hotel bellhop. Staying at the parking garage and opening your car’s door is generally less hectic than what the hotel’s bellhop does inside the hotel. In other words, a hotel’s bellhop has to do more physical work than a car garage bellhop does in the parking lot.
How much do you tip for hotel luggage?
When it comes to tipping hotel staff for luggage assistance, the general guideline is $5-7 per bag. You may choose to tip more if you have a lot of luggage or if the staff went above and beyond in helping you with your bags. It’s also good to note that this is not a strict rule and the amount you choose to tip should be based on the level of service you received. If you received excellent service, you should tip more, and if you received poor service, you may choose not to tip or to tip less.
Do you tip bellhops for holding bags?
It is customary to tip a bellhop or porter for holding your bags, even if they are only holding them temporarily while you check-in. The general guideline is $1-2 per bag.
Tipping the bellhop or porter who holds your bags is a good way to show appreciation for their service. Keep in mind that the amount you choose to tip should be based on the level of service you received and how comfortable you felt while they held your bags.
How much do you tip a 5-star hotel bellhop?
The general guideline for tipping a bellhop or porter at a 5-star hotel is $2-5 per bag. The expectation for the service level in these types of hotels is generally higher, so many people choose to tip on the higher end of that scale. Some people may choose to tip more if they have a lot of bags or if the staff went above and beyond in helping them with their bags.
However, it’s worth noting that the amount you choose to tip should be based on the level of service you received, and not just the hotel’s star rating. If the bellhop or porter provided exceptional service, you may want to tip more, and if they didn’t meet your expectations, you may choose to tip less or not at all.
Is $5 a standard amount- for giving tip to the Bellhop?
According to wages statistics it claims that in the United state of America, the minimum wage of an employee is $7.25 per hour. Since a tip is a supplementary income for a bellhop, then if they get 1 to 10 dollars as a tip it is good enough for them. After knowing the standard amount to pay you can decide based on that how to distinguish bellhop work. It means if you are paying a bellhop who carries your luggage to the door of your room and the luggage were heavy, you should provide him with a minimum of $5 to 7 per luggage, and then if you are thinking to tip a bellhop who opens your car’s door by without doing any hard work, you should give him minimum $2 to 5 per bag.
Should I give a tip to the bellhop after or before the service?
It would be better if you give a tip to the bellhop after getting the services. As usual, how much to tip a bellhop depends on the value of the work. If the bellhop had carried your heavy and clumsy luggage to the hotel doorstep and hereafter you should provide the tips after figuring out how difficult the work was. But then again when to give a tip entirely depends on the psyche of the patron; if he thinks he should give tip before work, they can do so. And if the patron wants they can give a tip to the bellhop after getting the service. So it depends on the customer’s likeness in this matter.
Can I hand over a gift instead of money as a tip?
Yes, you can do so. You can contribute to the bellhop or valet as a gift instead of money as a tip. Often it happens that the patron carries a debit card or credit card instead of cash. In this case, you can offer the bellhop any present which can be the equivalent of a tip. These things are discussed below-
• Travelers can Transfer tips via online payment:
If the traveler does not have any cash with them, they can make an online payment. In Europe people get online payment facilities; there are few agencies through which they can make transactions. Such as apple pay, payment gateways, digital wallet, etc
• Traveler’s belonging can be equivalent to a tip:
So when you find yourself without cash and at the same time you are unable to make online transactions. In this case, being a traveler you can offer gifts to the bellhops. Gifts like t-shirts, pens, or any traditional foods that you get while traveling around or any kind of gift cards and sweet notes and flowers can also be delightful gifts to offer as a tip.
When should I avoid tipping the bellhop or hotel staff:
- You should avoid tipping the bellhop under some circumstances:
- If the hotel bill includes the services charge.
- If the hotel charges you extra money without any reason
- If the service was low graded
In these kinds of situations, you should avoid tipping the bellhop or hotel staff.
Is it rude not to tip a bellhop at hotel?
Not tipping a bellhop or porter at a hotel is not considered rude, but it is considered customary to tip them for their services. Bellhops and porters rely on tips as part of their income and it is a way for guests to show appreciation for the service they provide. If the service was not up to your satisfaction, you may choose to tip less or not at all.
However, it is important to remember that these are the people that help you with your luggage, show you around the hotel, and often provide other helpful information and services.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, it can be said that giving tips entirely depends on the customer. If a customer wants they can give a tip after or before getting the services. But at the same time if any patron thinks that the bellhop does not deserve a tip as the hotel authorities have already provided them salaries for showing a level of courtesy. They can avoid paying tips to the bellhop. Often it happens that the bellhop’s behavior was satisfying and to showcase a level of gratitude, you should give them a small amount as a tip. Apart from that, sweet gifts can be offered instead of money as a tip.
