Paul MilenkovicAnd tips beyond 15% are not reimbursable. We keep having these "how much should I tip" discussions, our local Lucius Beebe and E. M. Frimbo's seek to discourage the timid with their expansive tipping recommendations and shaming of the more parsimonius, and I am weighing in with what the State of Wisconsin considers to be a proper meal tip.
OK, but what do you tip privately when UW is not picking up the tab? 20% has been standard for many years and does not make one a Beebe wannabee or mean they are "shaming" anyone.
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
Private sector typically follows a close derivative of the Fed Government GSA Standards and related tables which I believe are averaged at $60-65 this next year. Unless of course the private sector employer is a cheap bastard and there are some out there. First and Last day of travel if half day of work your per diem is cut in half. If more than half day of work then you can charge the full amount.
http://www.gsa.gov/portal/category/100120
Currently tips are limited by some employers to no more than 20% but there are some nowdays that allow 22%. You cannot tip for a meal that has a service charge or built in gratuity for having above so many people present.
First Class travel is authorized domestically if you can justify it with a business case. For example in Dallas I can expense a Chauffered Black Suburban to and from the Airport to pick me up and drop me off because it is cheaper than DFW Airport Parking. Yes Uber would probably be cheaper but I would rather have adequate insurance in case of an accident. Amtrak First Class is a hard sell unless it is Corridor Service and so far I have only been able to sell Amtrak for my employer when the assignment was along the NEC. I could fly into a cheaper airport like Philly, board Amtrak for a more expensive city like DC or New York and they are OK with it.
I can justify First Class airline tickets in some cases as well. Not an issue with my current employer as long as I have a business case. But yes it is true some employers forbid First Class anything without major foopah to get past it. I can always justify a Full Size rental car because I pair up with 1-2 other people usually on it and I am tall guy so......no pushback there.
schlimm Paul Milenkovic 15% may be long gone for some, but it remains a cap on reimbursement by governmental sources for business entertainment. An example of this would be taking a recruitment candidate out for dinner on behalf of a public university. Our system uses a per diem limit, which includes taxes and tipping. Pretty limited @ $28/32.
Paul Milenkovic 15% may be long gone for some, but it remains a cap on reimbursement by governmental sources for business entertainment. An example of this would be taking a recruitment candidate out for dinner on behalf of a public university.
Our system uses a per diem limit, which includes taxes and tipping. Pretty limited @ $28/32.
What I speak of is meeting over dinner with a candidate for a position being interviewed by current employees of a department. That form of "entertainment and dining" is reimbursed, but per diem does not apply to this situation, receipts are required.
On account of both restricted budgets as well as maintaining a sense of decorum in use of public money to the Legislature overseeing us (although the funds for this kind of thing may come from private donations), expenditures are very rigorously scrutinized. The concern is that public employees are getting a free, perhaps lavish meal out of a job interview dinner, but it serves a very important function. A candidate is often much more candid about their present situation and future plans at dinner than other settings.
And tips beyond 15% are not reimbursable. We keep having these "how much should I tip" discussions, our local Lucius Beebe and E. M. Frimbo's seek to discourage the timid with their expansive tipping recommendations and shaming of the more parsimonius, and I am weighing in with what the State of Wisconsin considers to be a proper meal tip.
But Amtrak travel on long-distance trains is a long-shot for business travel -- any mode of first-class travel is verbotten, which I guess leaves out sleeping cars, and as for spending extra time getting there and back, leaving one's lectures in the hands of colleagues or the course T.A. is only OK up to a point.
Is it ironic that a certain government-supported mode of travel with its tipping (how much do you tip your flight attendant?) is outside of consideration by government drones?
If GM "killed the electric car", what am I doing standing next to an EV-1, a half a block from the WSOR tracks?
Paul Milenkovic15% may be long gone for some, but it remains a cap on reimbursement by governmental sources for business entertainment. An example of this would be taking a recruitment candidate out for dinner on behalf of a public university.
GERALD L MCFARLANE JR The base tip amount has been at 20% for over 10 years now, if not slightly longer, 15% is long gone, but you adjust your tip based on service, but only in the U.S....though we're moving to the world wide standard of no tipping with employee wages being adjusted accordingly(as well as the price of food in a restaraunts case).
The base tip amount has been at 20% for over 10 years now, if not slightly longer, 15% is long gone, but you adjust your tip based on service, but only in the U.S....though we're moving to the world wide standard of no tipping with employee wages being adjusted accordingly(as well as the price of food in a restaraunts case).
15% may be long gone for some, but it remains a cap on reimbursement by governmental sources for business entertainment. An example of this would be taking a recruitment candidate out for dinner on behalf of a public university.
ACY Tipping percentage was about what you would expect for a typical restaurant. Most dining car passengers who tipped did so in the 15-20% range. On my train (Auto Train), the passengers never saw a price for meals, so they estimated a value based on their own idea of the normal cost of the same meal in a typical restaurant. Those who did not tip tended to bring that average down. I didn't work lounge cars, so I don't know about the averages there. Coach attendants often got through an entire long trip without receiving any tips at all, in spite of helping with luggage, etc. Typical for a sleeping car attendant was anywhere from $5-10 per berth and up. Additional service, such as meals delivered to the room, traditionally merited an additional tip, but the amount could vary widely and the tip was never guaranteed. There is a significant number of passengers who do not tip, so it was always impossible to predict what one could expect from trip to trip. it was also impossible to predict who would tip. Among the general public, those of limited means were often reasonably good tippers. A few very wealthy people were very generous, and we knew a few of them who were frequent repeat riders. There were also some obviously very wealthy people who seemed to feel that tipping would diminish their wealth, & behaved accordingly. Among employees who travel on pass, I found that Conductors, OBS, and station personnel were the most consistent tippers. Headquarters personnel were inconsistent. Reservation agents may have been worst overall, although one res. agent in particular rode our train with her family fairly regularly & they were generous tippers. It's also interesting that the best tips were usually received by men, with African Americans generally doing better than others. This was often discussed among us, and it was often acknowledged that the women were just as capable, and sometimes received lesser tips in spite of clearly superior service. We attributed this to traditional attitudes because we didn't know how else to explain it. I've been retired 2-1/2 years. No telling how accurate these numbers might be now, or whether they would apply to trains other than the one where I worked. Tom
Tipping percentage was about what you would expect for a typical restaurant. Most dining car passengers who tipped did so in the 15-20% range. On my train (Auto Train), the passengers never saw a price for meals, so they estimated a value based on their own idea of the normal cost of the same meal in a typical restaurant. Those who did not tip tended to bring that average down. I didn't work lounge cars, so I don't know about the averages there. Coach attendants often got through an entire long trip without receiving any tips at all, in spite of helping with luggage, etc.
Typical for a sleeping car attendant was anywhere from $5-10 per berth and up. Additional service, such as meals delivered to the room, traditionally merited an additional tip, but the amount could vary widely and the tip was never guaranteed. There is a significant number of passengers who do not tip, so it was always impossible to predict what one could expect from trip to trip.
it was also impossible to predict who would tip. Among the general public, those of limited means were often reasonably good tippers. A few very wealthy people were very generous, and we knew a few of them who were frequent repeat riders. There were also some obviously very wealthy people who seemed to feel that tipping would diminish their wealth, & behaved accordingly. Among employees who travel on pass, I found that Conductors, OBS, and station personnel were the most consistent tippers. Headquarters personnel were inconsistent. Reservation agents may have been worst overall, although one res. agent in particular rode our train with her family fairly regularly & they were generous tippers.
It's also interesting that the best tips were usually received by men, with African Americans generally doing better than others. This was often discussed among us, and it was often acknowledged that the women were just as capable, and sometimes received lesser tips in spite of clearly superior service. We attributed this to traditional attitudes because we didn't know how else to explain it.
I've been retired 2-1/2 years. No telling how accurate these numbers might be now, or whether they would apply to trains other than the one where I worked.
Tom
Thats generally what I tip....20% for Diner, $10 a night for Sleeping Car per person. Only exception is when staff member or service is exceptionally bad. Only had the issue once on a Sleeping Car.
Unfortunately the Dining Car I can't tell a lot of times if it is poor training or poor service. So I give them the tip most all the time as it is not easy dealing with the public, epecially when they are hungry.
I edited my post above, with a bit of additional information.
I don't remember the percentage used in the IRS computation of our theoretical tips. Even though Auto Train passengers never saw a bill for their meals, the amount was accounted on the dining car paper work, and a total cost for each meal was reported. Auto Train tips are cash because there is no bill to which you can attach the credit card charge.
The IRS may assume a tip was left every time, but at what percentage? I may be wrong, but seems to me it was like 8%. I know in most restaurants tips left on credit cards are reported as income. Tips left in cash are up to the server to report, or not, as he feels appropriate. The wife and I generally pay for meals on a credit card but leave tips in cash.
ACY Amtrak's official policy is that employees may accept tips, but may not solicit them. Tipping is not required, but tips are always appreciated. The amount, and whether to tip at all, is the customer's choice. It might be noted that tipping is traditional and customary on American passenger trains. Even if the customer does not tip, Amtrak assumes that a tip was left, and notifies the IRS so that it is assumed that the employee got an appropriate additional percentage of income. That may be hard to believe, but it's true, and the employee will have a hard time disputing the Company's word if there was no tip. In sleeping cars, the same traditions are observed. Tips generally reflect the amount of service provided. Tom
Amtrak's official policy is that employees may accept tips, but may not solicit them. Tipping is not required, but tips are always appreciated. The amount, and whether to tip at all, is the customer's choice.
It might be noted that tipping is traditional and customary on American passenger trains. Even if the customer does not tip, Amtrak assumes that a tip was left, and notifies the IRS so that it is assumed that the employee got an appropriate additional percentage of income. That may be hard to believe, but it's true, and the employee will have a hard time disputing the Company's word if there was no tip.
In sleeping cars, the same traditions are observed. Tips generally reflect the amount of service provided.
Tom,
You worked in service jobs with Amtrak for years. Could you inform members what percentage or fixed amount was typical in your latter years? And which clientele tipped the best? The worst?
Your question might get better answers, and fit better, in the PASSENGER forum,
Just suggesting.......
Doug
May your flanges always stay BETWEEN the rails
When traveling overnight on Amtrak, is it customary to tip dining car staff as you would in a normal restaurant (15% and up)? Also, if you have a sleeping compartment, do you leave a tip for the service attendants?
Modeling the Pennsylvania Railroad in N Scale.
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