Tipping - A Hospitality Hot Potato

As a founding member of Conscious Leaders Scotland (bit.ly/CLScot) “Bringing together purpose-driven, stakeholder-first businesses, that believe people and prosperity should be harmonious” I am more aware of ethical (or unethical) behaviour in the workplace than ever before, and one big old ethical hot potato in the hospitality industry is tipping.?Receiving, not leaving, that is.

This has been well covered in the restaurant industry, but is the-same-but-different in the world of luxury travel.?

For starters, working in the world of private service and / or with (U)HNWs the tips given to staff can be quite significant, anywhere from ￡500 upwards to well into the thousands.

Usually given at the point of their departure, the principal guest will arrange a lump sum to be shared amongst the staff and generally will give this responsibility - and the cash - to the most senior member of staff.?

It’s safe to say that money doesn’t bring out the best in people.

There is no moral dilemma here, the recipient knows exactly what the right thing to do is, but temptation rears its ugly head and the next thing you know they’re boasting about an extravagant shopping trip on Facebook while the remaining staff are left out in the cold.?

With this in mind we have come up with a few handy tips.

FOR THE TIPPERS

When tipping, discretion is the name of the game, but being too discreet can result in the scenario outlined above. In addition to this, simply leaving a tip isn’t always quite enough, a quiet word of appreciation to the team members who have looked after you is far more meaningful and appreciated. More classy.

At this point each staff member can be given their tip individually, ensuring what you intend each person to receive will actually get there. If it isn’t possible to go around each person then leaving tips in an envelope with the name of each recipient is a good idea.

But giving all of the tips to one person, particularly out of sight of the other staff, is where things can and do go wrong. If this is the only option then you may write your intended instructions on the envelope so that the primary recipient is under no misconceptions that the contents should be distributed.?

FOR THE PRIMARY RECIPIENT (Usually the house manager or head butler.)

This is your moment to shine, or to fall from grace.

As the team leader you have a duty of care to your staff, and the treatment of them is a reflection upon you. They will have worked at least as hard as you (often harder), and unless it was directly specified that this tip was yours and yours alone, you know it is for dividing up amongst the entire team, and that includes those working behind the scenes who often don't see the tips that the front of house staff do.

If you are struggling to divide the tip up then you might suggest to your team that you all head out to a restaurant together and the tip is used to pay for that.

If you choose to act unethically then remember that the money (or your new purchases) are temporary delights, but compromising your moral code is permanent.

And don’t forget the old Shakespeare?(The Merchant of Venice, 1596) phrase - ‘The Truth will Out’.

FOR THE STAFF

If you suspect that your tip has been kept in full or in part then you should politely raise it with the person who you believe has received the tip.

If your enquiry is met with a denial then you should go up the chain and quietly express your concerns to their boss.*

(*Naturally, this advice may not be advisable under all circumstances.)

FOR PROPERTY OWNERS / MANAGERS & MANAGEMENT COMPANIES

A simple written policy which is understood by all staff members should be in a visible communal workplace such as the kitchen. My suggestion would be something like;

'TIPS POLICY’

‘All tips must be brought immediately to [nominated person] who will hold a discussion with a third staff member present to ascertain whether the tip was intended for that individual alone, or intended for distribution amongst other staff.

Failure to follow this rule will result in a formal warning.’

• If you have any thoughts on this, bad experiences with tipping, or advice on how to do it correctly, we'd love to hear it in the comments section.