How much to tip

[eaglemountainman]

I look at a gratuity as just that, a stipend or gesture to show appreciation for a job well done, to supplement his wages. I do not consider myself to be the guide's sole source of income for the week that I'm using his services. This is especially true in a 2x1 or 3x1 situation. I would be very curious to know what kind of salaries the outfitters pay their guides. Surely they budget staff salaries into their overhead before they set the price of their hunts.

 

[jolemons]

I look at a gratuity as just that, a stipend or gesture to show appreciation for a job well done, to supplement his wages. I do not consider myself to be the guide's sole source of income for the week that I'm using his services. This is especially true in a 2x1 or 3x1 situation. I would be very curious to know what kind of salaries the outfitters pay their guides. Surely they budget staff salaries into their overhead before they set the price of their hunts.

In the continental US, most guides will be paid $100-$150 per day. There is some disparity between outfitters in pay and benefits; some guides get room and board, some have to use their own vehicle and fuel, etc. It is not uncommon for guides to have full-time jobs elsewhere and to only guide seasonally, often using their vacation time. They do this because they enjoy guiding, but also for the tip money. There is a shortage of good guides in the industry, especially working for outfitters and in regions where low tips are to be expected.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[wyosteve]

From my perspective, it doesn't matter who guides me- owner or other-, if they do the job they deserve a tip. I've posted this before, but when I guided archery elk hunters, after deducting for taxes, fuel, etc. I was making less than $3 per hour. If the current rate for guides is 100-150 per day, that still breaks down to around $10 per hour. I don't think many on this forum are working for that kind of wage!

 

[bozeman]

lol...…..

 

[Laramie]

Average guide pay is $100 to $200 per day, including room and board while the guide uses his personal vehicle. Most of the guides I know do rely on tips to make it worthwhile. $100 per day in the lower 48 is a good starting point for a big game hunt. Percentage of total cost doesn't really figure in imo.

If your guide puts you on a nice bull on day 2 of a 5 day hunt, please consider that in most instances he won't have another hunter to guide for the remaining 3 days. Base your tip accordingly.

Most of the guys I know and have worked with, work their guts out for their clients. However, I am a firm believer that you should never encourage someone to stay in a job they aren't good at. If you get bad service, don't feel obligated to tip anything. If you get great service, tip what you can.

 

[MattB]

As stated, 10% of the hunt cost for typical hunts. I reduce the % for the really expensive hunts.

 

[Gobbler36]

Effort, quality of experience, and how that person made me feel as a client all factor into this. Piss poor effort yields a piss poor reward, I’ve done 5% and I’ve done 20%

 

[Reburn]

In Iceland it is considered an insult to tip the wait staff.

True however the guides still had their hand out.

 

[KHNC]

Guide here. Total tip of 15-20% of the total cost of the hunt. About 3/4 of that given to the guide, with the balance going to cooks, housekeeping, etc.

Nothing is more frustrating than guys that save up for a guided hunt without budgeting for a tip.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

I assume your outfitter doesnt pay you to guide either correct? So, average cost of hunt is 5k these days. You want a 1000.00 tip with 750.00 going to you for a 5 day hunt? And most hunts are 2x1 as well. So, lets double that. Ok, now i see why i dont use outfitters and guides these days.

 

[WeiserBucks]

This whole discussion is a joke. Why should anyone, anywhere, in any profession EXPECT a tip?

When you buy an alternator for your truck do you give the guy behind the counter 10%? Of course not. If anyone in any line of employment can't survive without tips, get a better job, period.

Tips are just another example of welfare and people feeling entitled. I don't tip, ever, for anything. I pay the advertised price and expect to receive the service commensurate with the price.

 

[Nomadx2]

This whole discussion is a joke. Why should anyone, anywhere, in any profession EXPECT a tip?

When you buy an alternator for your truck do you give the guy behind the counter 10%? Of course not. If anyone in any line of employment can't survive without tips, get a better job, period.

Tips are just another example of welfare and people feeling entitled. I don't tip, ever, for anything. I pay the advertised price and expect to receive the service commensurate with the price.

I'd check your food delivered to your table before eating it ...

 

[WeiserBucks]

I'd check your food delivered to your table before eating it ...

I get the food and eat it before they find out that I'm not going to give them anything extra for a job that they agreed to do for an agreed upon salary.

 

[Nomadx2]

I get the food and eat it before they find out that I'm not going to give them anything extra for a job that they agreed to do for an agreed upon salary.

Clear that you know nothing about many service industries such as restaurants. They don't get a salary. They are paid hourly about a 30-40% of minimum wage and most of their income is from tips. This is what motivates the servers to excel at their jobs. Tips have to be reported as income so they are a known factor in the business. Helps the business to weed out poor servers as they won't make it financially.

A smart outfitter will get to know which repeat clients are good tippers when they are successful and will motivate/reward his top guides with those clients.

 

[WeiserBucks]

Your post just cements my point exactly, it's non-government welfare.

 

[Reburn]

I assume your outfitter doesnt pay you to guide either correct? So, average cost of hunt is 5k these days. You want a 1000.00 tip with 750.00 going to you for a 5 day hunt? And most hunts are 2x1 as well. So, lets double that. Ok, now i see why i dont use outfitters and guides these days.

I respect your opinion sir. However there are those of us who dont mind tipping and paying for guided hunts and dont really care to go steep and deep anymore. Maybe I'm just not as gung ho to kill everything, maybe I'm just not interested in chasing the same forkie mulie on public that 5 other groups are chasing. Maybe I'm soft and like to be fed hot homecooked meals and sleep in a soft bed and get a hot shower. Really what I'm paying is the hunting rights to a piece of land and "renting" a nice room. The guide just happens to come with it so the owner is comfortable that I'm not out there acting a fool on his propery.

I asked him who he worked for as I am familiar with the area and know the ranch he guides on. I though 20% is pretty steep until I saw it was turner's ranch. Its like 500k mostly deeded (if not all deeded). Its the biggest ranch in the area. The prices are also higher then any other ranch in the area for the same animals. I just havent looked to see if turners prices are with tax or without. Without would put them in line. I prefer to break out the cook and housekeeper in cash myself and the guides seperately. With those factors Ive probably been at or close to 15%. However when I saw the # i was in a little bit of shock.

At the end of the day there are several factors to tipping which have been covered. The only one that the guides in this thread havent said out right is guys that don't tip generally aren't welcomed back to book hunts. If you find a place you like to go if you get labeled a cheapskate, they mysteriously wont have any open slots that you want to book. Like it or not its just the way it is.

 

[Wapiti1]

Tip what you feel is right. The hunter isn't responsible for the contract a guide has with an outfitter. While tipping has been driven to become standard, it is not. It's the guides job to earn it.

A tip is a goodwill offering for a job well done. The guides that I know and hunt with don't expect one.

They want one, no doubt, and they work for it. But they also know not all hunters are financially equal. A firefighter from Boston isn't able to tip what an oil baron from Texas can. Both give a sincere show of gratitude if they give a tip, but the amounts will differ. Interestingly, sometimes that oil baron is a real tightwad.

I think the 10% notion is a good place to start, but honestly, it's what you can afford. I do agree, don't forget to give the cook a few bucks. They always deliver.

Jeremy

 

[Laramie]

This whole discussion is a joke. Why should anyone, anywhere, in any profession EXPECT a tip?

When you buy an alternator for your truck do you give the guy behind the counter 10%? Of course not. If anyone in any line of employment can't survive without tips, get a better job, period.

Tips are just another example of welfare and people feeling entitled. I don't tip, ever, for anything. I pay the advertised price and expect to receive the service commensurate with the price.

Having a portion of employees wages based on tips gives you, the customer, control and also provides motivation for the employee to perform well or lose tip money. Great servers wouldn't be as great if their wage was guaranteed. Great guides wouldn't be as great if there was no incentive to go above and beyond. They are trying the entire time to make you happy so they get a decent tip.

I get that you expect to get what you paid for but isn't it nice to occasionally get amazing service that is well above and beyond what you paid? Remove the tip and that will become a very rare instance... and your burger/hunt/whatever will cost 50+% more.

 

[WeiserBucks]

I don't go on guided hunts and almost never eat at restaurants. I don't go guided because I simply can't afford it, I don't go to restaurants because 99% of the time the food and service sucks.

Even though the food and service sucks, the staff feel entitled to a tip and almost all customers tip regardless. It's a cycle of entitlement and enabling.

 

[Trial153]

Some people go to some shitty restaurants.....

 

[WesCAtoll]

Hunter and business person here. Nothing is more frustrating than hearing a service person set the expected range of a "gratuity."

Its interesting in general on what jobs get tipped and which dont. You aren't tipping your plumber or electrician, you just expect them to do a good job. I tip based on the experience though. Its not a guarantee so if they tried hard, and were knowledgeable where I learned something ill still tip decent