Tipping Guide

It seems like there maybe should be a difference if the PH is also the outfitter as he making money on the day fees, meat, trophy's ect. as opposed to a hired PH.
 
Yeah.... I hear ya. But I don't know for certain that there is really any sure way to know all of those things. I also left behind my extra 30-06 ammo.... 3 boxes.... That would retail for around $250 in South Africa. Ammo is crazy expensive there, and the variety is not great from what I understand.
 
It seems like there maybe should be a difference if the PH is also the outfitter as he making money on the day fees, meat, trophy's ect. as opposed to a hired PH.
Jeff,

I would disagree. I think that the work done as the guide should be properly recognized. If the individual happens to be the outfitter, then that person is doing the outfitter role when they are not guided us. Now, if one felt that the services provided while guiding were not up to snuff, then I would adjust the tip accordingly.
 
I said maybe, as I wasn't sure and wanted to get others input. You make a good point. I think I feel a little for the freelance or hired PH as I know they don't make much. Thanks for the input.
 
Very well presented Jerome. Also speaking as an Outfitter/PH, it is a subject of high importance but fragile balance. Your guidelines apply very well to Tanzania and the kind of hunting safaris that we offer. The figures fall right into what i generally advise my guests.

To simplify (only applies to my structure), it boils down to a tip-budget of 15% of the entire safari cost for a safari 16-days or longer and 20% for a safari 15-days or shorter. The safari cost would be all costs excluding air-fare. The tip budget would include all staff serving the client (office staff/field staff/PH).

Ultimately though, tips are at the discretion of the guest and all staff are well informed of this fact and should accept anything given, as a bonus to their salaries.

Your tipping guidelines will do us all a great service bwana. Cheers.
Here is an article that I wrote about tipping, feel free to comment and discuss this subject further, give your opinion or share examples of what you have given as a tip.


Tipping Guide

Tipping is something that I get asked about quite regularly, I believe this is because there is a lot of conflicting advice and confusion surrounding this topic. I have heard complaints, usually from hunters who are very satisfied with their hunt, but then have felt pressured to leave more of a tip than they were comfortable with or even told what they should leave. I will let you know what I think the beneficial or normal practices are and expose some of the less ethical ones. I will try to clarify a rather ambiguous subject so that you can make an educated choice as to how much of a tip you wish to leave, because after all it is a choice.

What is tipping for?
Tipping is a good thing, it is a straight forward way to encourage great service. However tipping looses it's most important purpose when others start deciding or dictating who should get tips, how much you should give or pooling tips and redistributing them however they see fit. These practices do not allow workers to make that connection between their effort and their compensation, after all what is a tip for?

Tipping is customary but it's also discretionary
In the hunting industry a tip is customary and should always be figured into your budget during the planning stages of your hunt. That being said, a tip is also always a reflection of the level and quality of service that you have received during the entirety of your hunt and should not be considered mandatory. It should however be a VERY rare occasion and a completely bungled hunt, due to human error, not nature or weather, when skimping on a tip should be considered acceptable. You should absolutely inform the owner or person in charge if you are dissatisfied to the extent that you do not feel that a tip is deserved by anyone involved in your hunting safari.

Why is tipping so important?
The reason is simple, P.H.'s, trackers and camp staff derive much of their income from the tips they receive which creates the incentive for them to perform at their highest level for each and every client. After all we must remember that hunting is a service industry. The custom of tipping has evolved over a long period of time and is responsible for creating an environment of ever evolving higher standards and better quality of service, leaving behind those who are less than hard working. I would like to point out however than if your P.H. is also the owner of the hunting outfit, you still need to give him a tip as you would with any other P.H., based upon your overall satisfaction no more, no less.

When to tip
Most people give their tip at the end of the hunt, which makes sense because it should be based upon overall satisfaction. There are some hunters who swear they get better service by offering a portion of the tip at the beginning of the hunt to the trackers and skinner, as an incentive. They explain to the hunting team that they will be well compensated at the end of the hunt in addition to what they have already received if they work hard and do their very best. Even if they spend no more than they had planned to originally, they believe this method to be an effective stimulus that makes the team want to work harder. This may be of particular importance with the skinner who often gets little attention, even though the fate of your trophies rests in their hands. My thought is that this theory is hard to prove as you will never know how hard the hunting team would have worked for you otherwise but perhaps that is not a concern if you spent no more on your tip by doing it this way. But there are definitely risks, such as a member of your hunting team, with cash in hand, may decide to take an impromptu vacation which has been known to happen.

This tip has nothing to do with tipping
Here is my tip to you which has nothing to do with tipping! Your behavior has more to do with the outcome of your hunt than your tip. You should know that the outcome of your hunt is highly dependent upon the performance of your entire hunting team and that the effort they put forth from one hunt to another can be drastically different depending on how they "feel" about the hunter as a person. It's not always about money, just being nice goes a long way too. How important it is that the P.H. and hunting team perceive you positively, for whatever reason, is not something that you will ever hear discussed, but it is really a factor that can play a huge role in how hard the hunting team works for you and how successful your hunt is.

From the moment you arrive it is important to go out of your way to have warm and friendly interactions with the staff... and I mean all of them. Remember they work together, live together and are often related to each other, if you are disrespectful to one person they will all know about it in short order. Not to say that you shouldn't complain if there is something that you're unhappy about, but I suggest you take it to the P.H. or lodge manager and let them deal with it.

Preferred form of payment for tipping
A tip should be given in cash or can be given with traveler's cheques. If a voucher system is used by the hunting outfitter, you may wish to ask the outfitter if it matters if that cash is in local currency or US$. You may be surprised to hear that many prefer US$, which should make it easier for you in terms of knowing what you are giving and not needing to exchange currency, however some still prefer local currency as it is hassle for some workers to exchange money depending on the country.

When it is okay to give an item as your tip instead of cash?
It is always very generous for hunters to bring "extras" (such as clothes, knives, cigarettes, candy, even perfume or chocolates for the lady of the house), however these items should not be considered a tip. If you wish to offer an item in lieu of a cash tip the choice should be that of the recipient, for example you might propose leaving behind a pair of binoculars or a nice hunting knife instead of a cash tip, if the person agrees great, but if they prefer cash, you should be prepared to leave the tip in that form. I do believe that those types of "extras", given before or shared throughout the hunt, can buy you a lot of good graces; these small gestures are very well received and just a nice thing to do.

How to make sure your tip gets where you intend it to?
You should make an effort to hand your tip or voucher directly to the person it is for. In this way you can help to insure that your wishes are being respected. It is fine if you wish to put your tip into an envelope or give a group tip to be divided evenly, or as you see fit, for the lodge/camp staff to the house manager if you are more comfortable or if it is too time consuming.

Factors to consider when tipping
- Satisfaction with hunting safari
- Success of hunting safari
- Country where hunt takes place
- Price of hunt
- Number of days of hunt
- Type of hunting safari (plains game, dangerous game or combination of both)
- Number of hunters with PH (1x1, 2x1, etc.)
- Number of non-hunting observers

You may not have as much contact with the lodge/camp personnel as you do with your hunting team but they are still an important component of your whole hunting safari experience. These people should also be taken into consideration when tipping as they care for your day to day needs behind the scenes. The hunting and camp staff are a complete team, each doing their part to make you hunt great and stay enjoyable, however some hunters may be inclined only to tip those who they have had the most contact with (ie. PH, trackers, driver) but it is really a team effort in every way.

Typical personnel to tip
- Professional Hunter
- Tracker(s)
- Driver
- Skinner
- Cook
- Servers
- Maids
- Laundress

Additional personnel you may need to tip
(all of these personnel may not be a part of your hunting safari)
- Meet and greet
- Lodge/camp manager
- Porter(s)
- Game scout/game guards (they expect to be tipped even though they are government employees)
- Tour guide

Who is it normal to tip and why?
A general guideline for me as to who should receive a tip goes back to something I mentioned earlier: the purpose of a tip is to reward and encourage good service. That being said, I believe anyone directly providing service to you should be tipped, as outlined in the list above. This general rule will help you to clarify when or if an outfitter is asking you to tip personnel that should be salaried workers. If someone is driving, cooking cleaning for me or otherwise involved directly in the hunting they should be tipped, however if they maintain the vehicles, garden, pool or other property they should be considered non service employees that the hunting outfitter should pay.

Asking your hunting outfitter for guidelines
You may wish to ask your hunting outfitter for some guidelines regarding who and how much to tip, however be prepared for a less than clear response as many PHs and hunting outfitters are uncomfortable providing advice regarding this subject. Always remember that any suggestion is merely a point of reference and not what you should tip, ultimately the decision is yours.

Tipping guidelines to be wary of
Something that I would be very wary of is an outfitter who supplies a detailed and excessively lengthy list of employees who should be tipped and how much. This list may include non service empolyees and in some cases add up to an unreasonable sum of money, not within the guidelines that we discuss below. It may be hard to know if all of those employees actually exist or it may be a sign that some or all of these employees may not be receiving any salary from the outfitter and their only income is being given to them by you and other hunters. It is hard to know where these unethical practices are occurring so it is important to use your best instincts, if an outfitter seems too pushy or they mandate tipping in any fashion, I would avoid hunting with them.

There are some outfitters who, in an effort to avoid inequality or jealousy among camp staff, believe that all tips, including those of the hunting team and camp staff, should be pooled and divided evenly or as they decide, and I am not a proponent of that. I believe there is a hierarchy among workers and I would never hunt with an outfitter who would dictate how my tip should be allocated.

The only way to prevent getting caught up in these types of situations is to ask the right questions BEFORE you book; ask if they have any type of tipping requirements or pool tips. If they say we ASK that you tip a certain way, you're probably still okay as many outfitters do have some guidelines in place and for good reasons, (which I will outline below) but if they have strict or inflexible rules or requirements ask to see them before booking and use your best judgment.

What tipping guidelines are normal and why
Most guidelines concerning tipping have arisen out of necessity and are in place to help the hunting outfitter avoid known problems. These problems can range from workers accumulating too much cash through a long hunting season in the bush and the risks associated with having that cash lost or stolen from them. Some workers, with cash in hand, have been known to disappear half way through the hunting season on an unplanned "vacation" for a few weeks, not so good for the next guy who comes to hunt. Another issue is that alcohol problems are rampant in Africa and it is not uncommon for a worker to binge drink given a pocket full of cash.

Why some hunting outfitters use vouchers
The above mentioned scenarios are a few reasons why hunting outfitters may use a voucher system and ask that you comply during the active part of the hunting season. A voucher may not seem as satisfying to give to a great tracker for a job well done, but in the long run it may be what is in his best interests as well as the hunting outfitters. I personally really like to give someone their tip in cash, but I understand and am willing to give them a voucher as long as I am able to write the amount that I am leaving them and give it to them directly so they know how much I appreciated their hard work, skill and effort. And also for the simple fact that I know that they can keep tabs on what they are owed at the end of the hunting season.

How much to tip on a plains game hunt
There is a lot of advice and theories out there regarding how much to tip, which often creates more confusion than actually helping you get a better grasp on a fuzzy subject. I will share with you my method for how I decide how much of a tip to leave and knowing from the other side of the equation how much people really do leave. This method really works for all hunting safaris from a bargain plains game hunting package all the way up to a big five hunting safari.

I base my tip for the Professional Hunter on the total cost of the hunt, daily rate and trophy fees combined, excluding tax. Using that figure, I multiplying it by:

For professional hunter:
5% for an average tip
6% for a better than average tip
7% for a very good tip
8% plus for a very generous tip

I believe that this method works well because it figures in the cost level of the hunt, the number of species you take and allows for you to express your appreciation by giving you the ability to choose the percentage based upon your overall satisfaction.

As for the rest of the hunting team and lodge/camp staff I break it down as follows:

For a typical hunting safari:
Tracker: from $5 to $10 per person/day
Driver: from $5 to $10 per day
Skinner: from $5 to $10 per person/day
Lodge/camp staff: $3 to $5 per person/day

Typical personnel for a basic hunting safari:
Hunting team will usually consist of one to two trackers, one driver who may also double as a tracker, one skinner.
Lodge staff will usually consist of one cook, one server, one to two maids, one laundress. The more high end the lodge the more personnel you can expect.

For a big five or concession camp hunting safari:
Tracker: from $8 to $13 per person/day
Driver: from $5 (average) to $10 (generous) per day
Skinner: from $5 (average) to $10 (generous) per person/day
Porter: from $5 (average) to $10 (generous) per person/day
Lodge/camp staff: $3 (average) to $7 (generous) per person/day

Typical personnel for a big five or concession camp hunting safari:
Hunting team will usually consist of two trackers, one driver who may also work as a third tracker, one porter who may also work as a third tracker, one skinner.
Camp staff will usually consist of one to two cooks, two servers, two maids, two laundress. The more high end the lodge the more personnel you can expect.

Additional personnel you may need to tip
(all of these personnel may not be a part of your hunting safari)
- Meet and greet: a tip should be considered for a service outside of your hunting outfitter
- Lodge/camp manager
- Game scout/game guard: $10 per person/day, some hunters give incentives
- Tour guide
 
I am probably a bit different on this subject. I don't like tipping, I am paying the operator enough so that he should be able to pay his staff a proper wage for the services rendered. If at the end of the hunt I feel someone did a job above and beyond what they should do then at my choice I can give the individual a "tip". Just giving a tip to "staff" for doing their job in my opinion is wrong, but know this is not how the world views things. I do disagree with your statement "tip the people he feels played some part during the hunt." First question - What is the hunt? Direct pursuit of the game or also the house boy or maid that does your washing and making the bed? The cook that prepares your dinner or packs the cool box. I could go on and on but I think you get the picture as I see it.
I don't like xpected tips either..I will give a little but paying hunt costs for two plus travel for a working guy can get expensive..Last outfit I went with in Namibia suggested about $30-40 for staff for 5 days and said he didn't get a tip..My tip was lots of publicity for him..If I have to break the bank I won't go...No one ever tipped me for building houses...Some have lots of excess money but a lot of us have a tough time just going..
 
I'd hate to be your waiter....
 
Tips are expected and in some cases it has got way out of hand with the number of people expecting tips. Gratuities are always listed as optional but I don't really think that is the case. I have always tipped but only to those who directly contributed to the safari and stay. I really wish that the gratuities were built right into the price of the safari especially if the outfitter and PH are the same person like in smaller operations. The outfitter knows if his employees are doing their job and could ration out tips accordingly. The price of the hunt would seem more but in reality it would equal out.
 
Jeff, you make a great point. Matter of fact. I bet if an Outfit sold hunts as "All Inclusive", gratuities included it would sell like hot cakes, assuming pricing was fair. Now if service sucked... word would get around.
 
Tips are expected and in some cases it has got way out of hand with the number of people expecting tips. Gratuities are always listed as optional but I don't really think that is the case. I have always tipped but only to those who directly contributed to the safari and stay. I really wish that the gratuities were built right into the price of the safari especially if the outfitter and PH are the same person like in smaller operations. The outfitter knows if his employees are doing their job and could ration out tips accordingly. The price of the hunt would seem more but in reality it would equal out.
I agree..Like I said, I asked the last place I went and they told me what help got so I followed that even though I thought it was a little low...It would be easier if it were built in to daily rates since exchanging money can be a problem..We also took a bunch of clothes ,toys,and school supplies for the help and some cigarettes.....No names but I had an outfit send me a cost quote with tips listed at $1600 for 8 days +vat on daily rates and airport pickup(2 hours)...I thought this should have been included even if it changed prices..I'm not that cheap but I don't want to worry about what I should tip while I'm hunting or maybe offending one of the workers..
 
I have hunted North America only and that includes Alaska and Western Canada. I am planning my first Safari and this article was and is a real help.
 
Let me second the newbie gratitude for this thread, from someone who is also planning his first hunt in Africa.

What I've learned is that tipping in Africa is optional, but expected. This means tipping custom there is much like it is in the US, except that here we aren't expected to tip everyone in sight. You don't tip the people at the front desk of a hotel or restaurant counter or a busboy. You're expected to tip the bellhop, maid, and waitress, and other employees may share in those tips outside the customer's reckoning.

Here in Alaska, I'd expect to tip the assistant guide who led me on the hunt, and maybe camp cook and assistants; but I wouldn't tip the master guide, who ran the business. But maybe that would be wrong, since I've never been on a guided AK hunt.

It sounds like in Africa you're expected to tip everyone in sight. If you stiff them or slight them on a tip, they'll probably show their resentment; you'd be embarrassed ever to go back there and probably unwelcome if you did.

One thing I don't understand is why your own modest means should influence how much you tip. (I'm of modest means myself.) Sure, a multi-millionaire can afford to give more, but if you can't afford the trip to a country where tips are expected, then you shouldn't go. I'm budgeting tips into the cost of my hunt, based on info I've found here and elsewhere.
 
On my first safari this last may I used the tipping guide that is on the forum here and it worked out fine. I used US dollars to tip my PH and a local farm where we did a half day of hunting with cheetah's which was fantastic. Other than that I used South African rand to tip everyone else and since I took 10,000 rand over for tips and local stores and attractions it worked out quite well.
 
Excellent post Jerome.
Argentina outfitters are likely to promote the idea of tipping. Poitahue Ranch understands tipping as bonnus incentive like any other performance bonus policy at corp world. Its a way to price over performance and the evaluation is made by the client. As simple as that.
Our ranch suggests a guideline cause we always receive the same question about what would be a std tipp.
Our suggestion is that all gratuities are voluntary and we use a guideline that goes for a 10% (of hunt booked) for ur personal guide and 5% to be split in between lodge staff group.
But again, this is a guideline for those who want to tip after a successful hunt at our ranch.
 
That is a good thing in Germany: "We have no tipping culuture".
Thanks good.

An tip here is: "You did an great job, thank you sir. Can I invite you for lunch / coffee / pp."
And thats it.

I did it exactly so and Africa and: "End of the story".
(I know it sounds an little bit hard, but it works for me. And I go to some hunting places two times in an year. No problems.)

I think, every Operator have to pay his people correct and good.
He got mutch money for an hunt, exspacaly in Afrika.

Of course: Then I see an very poor tracker, he will get some dollars in his hands at the end of the hunt. That is okay.
But not for the PH, etc.
Not 10% of the hunt cost, that is crazy!
 
Thanks for this super article! I'd love to hear more from other members about what they have actually left as a tip. How much, how many days, trophies taken, etc. I'm planning a safari for 2010 and this is a big question mark in my budget.
Just a quikie- Does anything change if the ph is the owner?
 
Just a quikie- Does anything change if the ph is the owner?


There are differing opinions on this.

In my mind, the Outfitter acting as PH is taking upon himself what could be called double-duty...having to work earlier and later than if he was "only" the PH.

He will be dealing with land-owners, dealing with employees, paying bills etc.

So I tipped my PH without any consideration to what he might otherwise be earning as the Outfitter. This might go the other way, if the Owner/PH is not up to the task, and makes a major compromise in trying to pull it off.

If the Owner is also guiding you, he is working his literal butt off in the process, trying to create a happy client from every angle imaginable. If he pulls it off, I think he deserves a full tip!

My $0.02 as always.


Tim
 
I agree Tarbe. It doesn't matter that the PH is also the owner if he is guiding you then he gets a tip if his performance warrants it.
 
Tarbe is correct in my mind if the owner is your PH then you would tip him as if he were not the owner, he still has to pay staff wages and cover things like fuel cost and in Africa that's not cheap.
 

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