I often get questions about tipping at the Polynesian. It can be confusing to people that don’t travel a lot or are not sure if they are tipping the right people the right amount. Not every position is a “tipping position”.
It is ironic that I feel like tipping is ridiculous but I actually think I tip better than the average person. I guess I feel like it is not the fault of the person doing the service that their employer made them have to rely on tips to get paid. I think they should all be paid well for the job they do by the employer and if they do something extra special they can get something extra. There are some resorts in Hawaii that I have heard have gone to no tips. It seems to work out better for the guest and the employee. I don’t expect that Disney will ever consider it so let’s look at what information I have about tipping.
I will start with a position that people often try and tip but is not a tipping position. If you try and tip them you are jeopardizing their job. That position is Club Level staff. They are no allowed to accept tips and even if someone brings them a personal gift or insists on giving them a tip it has to be reported to their Manager. Disney policy does not allow them to keep the money. If someone is caught keeping the money they are subject to termination. As far as gifts to the Club Level Staff here is their response to how they handle it.
“As far as gifts go, some guests will give gifts for the entire staff to enjoy, (usually food of some kind). While we are technically not supposed to accept these either, management usually looks the other way as they feel if a guest went through the trouble of shopping and bringing or shipping a gift, and it is for all to enjoy, that we can accept it with gratitude for their thoughtfulness and appreciation. If a guest leaves a specific gift for a cast member and it is of value, we have to advise our managers of the gift and value and then it is up to the manager to decide if we are able to keep it or not. According to our company policy, we are only able to accept 1 gift of value a year and it cannot be over a particular amount. (If they say we can’t keep it, I don’t know where it would go or what would happen to it.) In the past when I received a gift of value, it was approved for me to have it and I had to receive a release paper from my manager to take it home. We work as a team and while it may seem to someone that one concierge person is doing all the work, it is usually more than one person. It’s just the one concierge person ends up being the one that coordinates all the requests and bookings, makes sure it is completed and replies back to the guest. It’s great when we are recognized as individuals as sometimes the one concierge person may be the only one working on a particular guest and no one else needed to assist. It can also be disappointing when another cast member is recognized for all the hard work one cast member or the team did together, but we also understand that maybe the guest did not see or understand that there is a team working together, not usually just one individual. I can tell you, a concierge that works at night is not the one in the computer at 7am in the morning making all the special priority seating bookings like Cinderella’s Breakfast etc. They may place the request on the list for the am crew but unless they normally work in the IPO or are doing a turnaround shift, they will not be the one booking the request. This is where the teamwork comes in play. When guests state in their emails or conversations they wish to bring us something to thank us for our service and assistance, We always state that gifts are not necessary as our assistance is part of their reservation booking. We also let them know how much we appreciate their thoughtfulness. We have to be careful in receiving gifts as management has brought it up in the past that we are not here to do things for guests in expectation of a gift or tip and we should make sure that we do not convey to guests that tips and gifts will give them better service. We are subject to discipline, not excluding termination, if management believes that we are giving guests extra gifts and room deliveries etc just because they gave us a tip or gift. Room deliveries for welcome, birthdays, anniversaries and special occasions are now monitored more closely as well as more standardized to make sure all guests are getting the same type of amenity and that the amenity is appropriate to their occasion.”
Tipping Positions
Positions at the resort that are on tipping status are Bellmen, Valet, Bartenders and Restaurant Servers. Technically Housekeeping is not a tipping position but they allow it.
Remember that these positions rely on those tips so don’t forget them when you use their service. I hear horror stories about people not tipping especially the servers and it seems to be much worst during Free Dinning times of the year. I can’t even begin to tell you how much they hate Free Dinning because of what it seems to bring out in people and how they treat servers. Just about every server I have ever spoken to say they take a huge hit to what they make because of people hardly tipping or not tipping at all.
So how much should you tip?
After reading a few different articles this seems to be the default amounts I have come up with. I would say personally I do a little more than what is recommended but that is up to you to decide.
Bellmen: Some say $5 per person and more if the bags are big. I usually go with $2 a bag and if they are big bags add a dollar or two.
Valet: $2 when you get your car. I talked to someone who said a buck or two when you drop off the car also because it usually will be a different person than the one who brings it back to you and hopefully the gesture of appreciation will turn into them taking care of your car when they park it.
Restaurant Servers: 15% – 20%. I usually do 20% and more if the service is above and beyond. Their job is tough. Heck, any job dealing with the hungry and thirsty public is tough but also as a server, don’t take the last bad customer out on me when I sit down.
Taxi Drivers: 15% of whatever the fare was and a little more if they are handling your bags.
Bartenders: For a bottle to be opened and handed to you it is usually $1 a bottle. If they are pouring it in a glass than $2 would be better. If they are mixing up drinks than 20% of the cost and if there is a lot of work going into the cocktail than you might want to do a little more. Also remember to tip each time and not just the first or last round. If it is busy, be patient, ready with your order, polite and ready to pay for it.
