Tipping Guide

[channelkat]

Agreed!! The joy of a wonderful hunt can lose some luster when you have to sit and sort out tips for the PH and up to 35 people on staff!

35 people!

 

[Andrew62]

35 people!

When I hunted in Cameroon this past March, at the end of the hunt I asked the outfitter how many people he had on staff that I should tip, he told me he had a staff of 35. It's at that very moment all the excitement of your safari evaporates!!

 

[MarkB]

Now after having the one camp staff safari and the all over SA 5 camps and staff safaris with; I do not remember or am even sure I met safari, both on opposite ends of the safari spectrum, for me starting with the same guys/galls was more pleasurable, you "bond" better seams family like, get to know the staff way better, I still remember the special hard working ones names today. But for tipping these are harder for me, most times for staff I want to tip more than what's stated and more than I am financially capable off.

Sort of sad when after I tip we go home to our "normal" rich life compared to the crew who just worked their ass of so I could have awesome memories and trophies. They go back to living "in the community" mud huts and poverty in our eyes.

MB

 

[Foxi]

One thing I try to ask clients is to include our game scouts.....they live in the Bush 24/7....but only suggest k200 max each...which at moment is around usd 11 to 12....so an extra usd 150 or so...as 10 or 11 depending on comings and goings...peanuts but makes them feel involved and they are very happy....

I completely agree.
But, why doesn't the outfitter do that?
After all, his presence serves to preserve his "business assets" ....
Sorry for the somewhat heretical question.

Foxi
(who would like to read an economic evaluation or an annual financial statement of an outfitter)

 

[mark-hunter]

Tip and be tipped?

Partly a side question.
In my profession I never received a tip. (But it would make me very happy)

So, which professions deserve tipping? And which professions do not?

 

[375Fox]

When I hunted in Cameroon this past March, at the end of the hunt I asked the outfitter how many people he had on staff that I should tip, he told me he had a staff of 35. It's at that very moment all the excitement of your safari evaporates!!

I had around 25 on my Cameroon hunt. When you have that many you don’t tip individually and have no interaction with most of them. My PH said the standard was to leave $1500 for the two weeks for the camp. I did that, on the final morning all staff gathered before I left, my PH announced the tip and had the local camp manager count the money in front of staff before he took it to be exchanged for local currency. I don’t know how it was divided. That’s up to them. That’s why I say to ask the PH before your hunt.

 

[Nyati]

I had around 25 on my Cameroon hunt. When you have that many you don’t tip individually and have no interaction with most of them. My PH said the standard was to leave $1500 for the two weeks for the camp. I did that, on the final morning all staff gathered before I left, my PH announced the tip and had the local camp manager count the money in front of staff before he took it to be exchanged for local currency. I don’t know how it was divided. That’s up to them. That’s why I say to ask the PH before your hunt.

I´ve found this to be the best solution, all hunters in camp contribute to a lump sum, and the employees divide it between them.

 

[Bullhunter]

My PH said the standard was to leave $1500 for the two weeks for the camp.
...
??

??

That it is a "hell of an story". I would lough for one hour...
Thanks good, we dont have that stress in Germany. Here the "tipps" are "mostly unkommen, sometimes forbitten".

We go to an hunt.
We want there an good time.
We dont want to speak about tipping and we dont want to make notes, lists or exell-lists, pp.
Sorry gentleman, this is al "little bit crasy".

My friends and I hunt every year in africa and other places.
We did it very easy and fair:

a.)
We pay for the hunt. Correct and before the hunt.
We are sure, that the outfitter, the PH, etc. is paying his people fair and corretcly, that they can have an "standart living in that country".
And we are sure, that everbody gives hin best. We except this. We had payed for this.
(I did it in my job also, I work for my paying. I give "my very best every single second". I dont takes any kind of tipps, even if I get this offered. Okay, maybe an coffee or an ice-cold coke...)

b.)
We are friendly and correct to every single person in and outside the camp.
Allways.

c.)
Outfitter and PHs get no tips.
If we had an good time, we invited them for an good eating on the last day, in an good restaurant, pp.

d.)
The natives get 20 - 40 dollars at the last day.
And sometimes an beer or coke in the evening.
Sometimes we invited them also in the restaurant also (depent onthe varianty).

e.)
Game scouts, rangers and police-man, pp, get nothing.
That is couroption (one big proboem in Africa, as you know).


Best wishes from Berlin.
We are here for an exibition.

 

[375Fox]

My PH said the standard was to leave $1500 for the two weeks for the camp.
...
??

??

That it is a "hell of an story". I would lough for one hour...
Thanks good, we dont have that stress in Germany. Here the "tipps" are "mostly unkommen, sometimes forbitten".

We go to an hunt.
We want there an good time.
We dont want to speak about tipping and we dont want to make notes, lists or exell-lists, pp.
Sorry gentleman, this is al "little bit crasy".

My friends and I hunt every year in africa and other places.
We did it very easy and fair:

a.)
We pay for the hunt. Correct and before the hunt.
We are sure, that the outfitter, the PH, etc. is paying his people fair and corretcly, that they can have an "standart living in that country".
And we are sure, that everbody gives hin best. We except this. We had payed for this.
(I did it in my job also, I work for my paying, I dont takes any kind of tipps, even if I get this offered.)

b.)
We are friendly and correct to every single person.
Allways.

c.)
Outfitter and PHs get no tips.
If we had an good time, we invited them for an good eating on the last day, in an good restaurant, pp.

d.)
The natives get 20 - 40 dollars at the last day.
And sometimes an beer or coke in the evening.
Sometimes we invited them also in the restaurant also (depent onthe varianty).

e.)
Game scouts, rangers and police-man, pp, get nothing.
That is couroption (one big proboem in Africa, as you know).


Best wishes from Berlin.
We are here for an exibition.

What is the VAT tax rate in Germany? Paying a mandatory 19% VAT seems much more stressful to me. I really don’t understand the European resistance to tipping when you pay this every day in your home countries.

 

[DonPablo]

Our outfitter had a suggested tip sheet and separate envelopes for each person/group and the amounts were reasonable. Each PH brought their own tracker and I noticed every time I went back to the skinning shack my tracker was skinning my animals. I noticed that the sheet listed skinners separately so I asked my PH about it and he said there are other skinners who prepped hides, skulls and such. I have my tracker extra.

 

[JimP]

Our outfitter had a suggested tip sheet and separate envelopes for each person/group and the amounts were reasonable. Each PH brought their own tracker and I noticed every time I went back to the skinning shack my tracker was skinning my animals. I noticed that the sheet listed skinners separately so I asked my PH about it and he said there are other skinners who prepped hides, skulls and such. I have my tracker extra.

With all the "tipping guides" that I have seen here and in camp I haven't seen one that really shows what the tracker should get.

Granted, if every shot is perfect and a single shot is all that is needed for each animal then perhaps the guides for them is about right. But one misplaced shot or bad hit and that tracker is going to earn his tips and more.

On my last hunt I had a kudu that just refused to die. It was a good shot through both lungs but he held in there. My tracker followed him for more than a mile before we got into a position to finish him off. I also made a bad shot on a cull animal and a couple hours later we had it in the truck.

When it came time to settle up tip wise I gave my tracker close to double what was suggested plus a Leatherman Wave that I carried with me. In my book he earned it and more.

 

[DonPablo]

With all the "tipping guides" that I have seen here and in camp I haven't seen one that really shows what the tracker should get.

Granted, if every shot is perfect and a single shot is all that is needed for each animal then perhaps the guides for them is about right. But one misplaced shot or bad hit and that tracker is going to earn his tips and more.

On my last hunt I had a kudu that just refused to die. It was a good shot through both lungs but he held in there. My tracker followed him for more than a mile before we got into a position to finish him off. I also made a bad shot on a cull animal and a couple hours later we had it in the truck.

When it came time to settle up tip wise I gave my tracker close to double what was suggested plus a Leatherman Wave that I carried with me. In my book he earned it and more.

Because each PH brought their own tracker, it gave me the impression that the "tip" was all of what he made that 5 days. I suppose the outfitter may have paid him something but I can't help but feel like that wasn't the case.

 

[Mopani]

On my last hunt I had a kudu that just refused to die. It was a good shot through both lungs but he held in there. My tracker followed him for more than a mile before we got into a position to finish him off. I also made a bad shot on a cull animal and a couple hours later we had it in the truck.

That explains precisely what a tip is for. A hunt costs a lot of money especially one were big five animals are concerned, so one can expect that every person involved gives his/her utmost to make the client successful and happy. If an outfitter or ph tells the client even before the hunt has commenced, the tip is normally in the region of xxx, then I know what kind of person I‘m dealing with. And think to myself it might be the best to cancel the booking.

 

[medvedhunting]

What is the VAT tax rate in Germany? Paying a mandatory 19% VAT seems much more stressful to me. I really don’t understand the European resistance to tipping when you pay this every day in your home countries.

when in roma do like the romans is an expression that worth is weight of gold in here ...

 

[Mopani]

What is the VAT tax rate in Germany? Paying a mandatory 19% VAT seems much more stressful to me. I really don’t understand the European resistance to tipping when you pay this every day in your home countries.

Because VAT is an Government tax. Tipping is something completely different, not comparable to tax. In the US guest are forced to tip in order to keep the waiters/waitresses alive 'cause the employers just pay them a pittance.

 

[375Fox]

Because VAT is a Government tax. Tipping is something completely different, not comparable to tax. In the US guest are forced to tip in order to keep the waiters/waitresses alive 'cause the employers just pay them a pittance.

Yes tipping is something completely different. We are encouraged to pay a discretionary tip for service. You are forced to pay a required high sales tax on every purchase. I’d think it would be a nice change for you to actually know who that money is going to when you can hand it to them in person as a thank you at the end of a safari.

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

If I’ve learned anything from this thread it’s that staff must dread the arrival of Continental European clients..

 

[Mopani]

If I’ve learned anything from this thread it’s that staff must dread the arrival of Continental European clients..

I disagree. In general Europeans are very well liked by staff, outfitter and ph. I‘m a resident of South Africa which means I‘m permitted to hunt on my own. Obviously I always take a local guide along, he knows both the area plus the animals. Tips are small but the local blacks are always happy when I‘m back again.

 

[Borderer]

We have 20% vat in the UK. It is normally included in prices quoted for personal items and quoted separately for business items, as businesses can reclaim VAT.

I find the whole tripping thing very difficult as it is just something I am not used to. It gave me a bit of a shock when a waitress in Joburg brought my tip back to me and said it wasn’t enough, then when I didn’t give her any more she told me not to come back again.

I suppose a cultural thing.

Tipping gamekeepers and stalkers is normal here though, you are normally told what to tip though - £40 per day seems to be the usual. The difference is that I have always been told only to tip the head keeper or stalker and let them divide it up.I suspect often unfairly.

In my own line of professional work, I would be dismissed if I accepted a cash tip. Wine or whisky is allowed from a long standing client as long as it is declared but never cash. I used to work for a firm that made everyone give any gifts from clients to a pool, which was shared amongst the admin staff. Was particularly galling when a client sent a case of claret to me in the office at Christmas.

What is the VAT tax rate in Germany? Paying a mandatory 19% VAT seems much more stressful to me. I really don’t understand the European resistance to tipping when you pay this every day in your home countries.

 

[VertigoBE]

If I’ve learned anything from this thread it’s that staff must dread the arrival of Continental European clients..

It is not the impression I have, Europeans are actually quite appreciated.
But yes Americans are very well seen, due to their tipping.

Im not a big fan of the automatic 10-20% tipping as done in the US, it becomes too much a part of someone’s expectations and important part of their income.

But when I’m in Rome, I’ll tip as Romans do. Especially when I was satisfied and wish to come back another day.