Here we go again - tipping question

[Andrew NOLA]

What currency to tip in?

USD$ okay?

 

[JimP]

What currency to tip in?

USD$ okay?

US dollars are fine, the outfitter will exchange it for rand.

I'll tip the PH in $100's and have taken rand to tip my tracer and the help and for spending if we stop at a store or something. You can get the South African rand from your bank but you do pay a service charge at some of the banks, mine does it for nothing.

 

[mark-hunter]

USD$ okay?

USD speaks all languages my friend!

Keep small bills in pocket, for local touristic tours. While some will say 20 dollar bill to have available, I think 1, 5, and 10 dollar bills are much better for the purpose.

 

[DieJager]

Always tipped in Euros

 

[Brian]

I tip 5% these days. I used to tip 10 %,
15-20 ? I wouldn't even tip God that much.

Over the last 5 years I asked several Ph's in different camps what they thought was a fair for a tip, "What should the average working-man hunter give for a tip".
They all said, "5%".

Did you know that about 12-15 years ago 1 USD equaled 10 ZAR, now 1 USD is worth about 19 ZAR. The RSA outfitter expenses are mostly in Rands. (ZAR) That means that South Africa out fitters are getting nearly twice as much $$$ as they did fifteen years ago, for our South African hunts.

( Our USD is going nearly twice as far in South Africa. The out fitters never adjusted the exchange rate over the years with the real value of the USD. They are smart we are dumb!)

So what was once a $1,000 USD tip is now a $2,000 tip ( It is 2x as big in ZAR as was 12-15 years ago. That is just one of the reasons that I am happy to pay my 5% tip . It is the same as a 10% tip of 12 years ago.

Many of us travelling hunters spend 250,000 hunting/tourism dollars at least, in a life time of hunting in Africa. Travelling hunters pour a ton of money into the African economy, . I'm just saying. Brian

I have been thinking about and investigating the tipping issue and while I am probably outlier on the subject, I would like to share them with you.

As far as I am concerned the tipping protocol is drifting, under pressure from the outfitters, away from it's purpose.

Tips are to reward good service from the staff and are not to be based on the over all price of the safari or to subsidize any fiscal shortfalls in the operator's business.

As I mentioned before, the international value of the Rand is about half of what it was when I first hunted in Africa about 18 years ago. Conversely the USD is worth twice as much, a 10% tip then is like a 20% tip now.

I don't think that the outfitters cost have gone up much, other than fuel. If I am wrong I would like to hear an outfitter clarify it for me.

Regardless, the tip is not for the outfitter, it is for the staff and there is a tendency for some to lose sight of this fact.

The insidious "drift" that I am referring is also happening in the restaurant industry in North America. They are trying to get the customer to subsidize the business more than reward good service from the staff which was the original traditional purpose of the tip.

Another way to put it is some times business seem to hope that the more the customer tips the staff the less the business has to pay them.

In my opinion the tip for good service should go up with inflation but it is the outfitter/business who is responsible for keeping the staffs wages apace with inflation.

( Obviously the market pressure for lower prices, "cheaper hunts" makes this even more challenging. I know about this, I am a retired business owner, manufacturing metal fabricating machines. My son now owns the company. FastCut CNC Inc.)

The tip is for the staff not the outfitter. When I already have paid the outfitter's bill I feel right about tipping the staff for good service. I don't feel right about paying more on top to help the outfitter meet his obligations. That is what the the price of the hunt is for.

I don't expect everybody to agree with me on this, which is fine, it's a discussion.

I remind the African hunting industry that the business is driven by the international hunters not by the Africa outfitters, same as any international business. The market is the source.

I look forward to hearing everyone's reaction to my point of view.

Your opinion has just as much value as mine, more if you have more information, experience or insite than I do.

Brian

 

[Stormy Kromer]

This is straight from the Lodge where I am going next week. I follow it to the letter. The owner bills it to me and gives it to the staff on our behalf. He asks that the guests do not tip directly. I'm sure he has his reasons. I did slip my PH some extra US currency when he returned us to the airport.

Here is what our lodge says about tips.



Tips to PH and staff are totally at the hunter's discretion

However, we normally recommend the following tips:

PH: Minimum of $125 US per day

Driver: Minimum of $50 US for the full duration of the hunt.

Chef: Minimum of $150 US for the full duration of the stay. This is to be shared by your whole group.

Skinners: Minimum of $30 US per skinner for the full duration of Safari. There is normally one skinner per hunter.

Maids: Minimum of $30 US per maid for the full duration of the Safari.