Get unlimited access to the latest travel industry news and analysis, comment on articles and sign up to newsletters.
Register for free
Already registered? Login here or below.
Having difficulty logging in? Try these tips, or contact support@ttgmedia.com
Participants on small-group adventure tours often encounter individuals who contribute to their trip, but the tipping process can be awkward. Andrew Doherty looks at how agents can better prepare clients and add value to their booking.
Small-group adventure tours are often less formal and more flexible than escorted tours, enabling travellers to experience activities that may not be suitable for larger groups.
On these holidays, clients may encounter various individuals during their travels, from the trip leader and local guides to activity managers, hotel porters and catering staff. But when it comes to knowing what to tip each of these people, things can get tricky.
Helping your customers to understand the complex nature of tipping can make them feel more comfortable before they travel and make their experiences more seamless. Questions they might ask include who they should be tipping, how much they should give and how best to approach the process.
Here, three of the UK’s leading small-group adventure operators give their insights into how agents can best explain the tipping process to their clients.
Chris Godrich, business development manager at Intrepid, discusses the content the operator shares in its pre-travel notes. restaurants and local guides.
“We encourage tipping as it means a lot to the people taking care of your clients, which in turn will inspire excellent service,” he says.
However, pre-trip guidance varies for operators, as seen in Explore’s advice. Yvonne Ramsay, senior operations manager at Explore, says: “In our pre-tour notes, we recommend agents point out the section on contributing to a kitty, which the tour leader will then collect and manage.
“The trip leader makes sure the tipping is done fairly and in accordance with a particular destination’s customs. It’s also important to make sure clients don’t double tip when it has already been included within the holiday price.”
There are pitfalls for customers who haven’t been fully briefed before travelling, explains Polly Davies, owner of Marco Polo Travel. A travel agent for more than 20 years, Davies has an extensive knowledge of small group touring.
“Part of being a good travel agent is to make sure your clients have actually read the trip notes,” she says.
“You should go through their budget to ensure they have enough to cover the costs of tipping. It’s important as there could be areas where it would be hard to get money – for example, remote locations with no cash machines or banks.”
Having a firm grasp on the nuances of tipping is vital, says Explore’s Ramsay.
“Clients may feel that they owe more to a full-day guide rather than the group’s driver, who perhaps needs the money more. When training our leaders, we discuss fair tipping, such as taking into account the workload of the service, the time the service lasts and the wages earned – for example, a city guide earns much more than a chambermaid.”
When it comes to Intrepid’s policy, Godrich explains that agents should encourage clients to tip lower-salary workers such as restaurant staff, hotel porters, maids and taxi drivers.
“It is difficult to determine who clients should and shouldn’t tip by job title as again this will vary from country to country. And bear in mind that there are some countries, such as Japan, where tipping is not customary.”
When discussing the trip’s activities with your clients, such as cycling tours, eating out in restaurants and overnight stays with locals, Godrich explains that money isn’t always necessary.
“Intrepid suggests bringing a small gift as a token of appreciation for homestays rather than offering a financial reward,” he says.
In terms of how tipping can vary geographically, Ramsay explains that Explore’s guidelines change depending on the culture in question.
“In the US and Canada, tipping is pretty much a way of life and often people expect a higher amount, which we indicate in our trip notes. In other countries, there is no tipping culture; for example, in New Zealand we don’t even run a kitty.”
Mike James, operations director at Exodus Travels, explains that it’s important to make sure clients have enough money to cover tipping not only for themselves but for any family members too. He says: “When an amount is suggested, it’s normally for each person. For a family, the cost can add up. Unfortunately, as a tip is an undefined gesture of goodwill, the idea of child discounts doesn’t really apply.”
When it comes to tackling the subject with clients, Godrich explains that being open is key.
“It’s important to be upfront from the start so that clients can get a full understanding of the country they are visiting. It’s important for agents to remind clients to forget any preconceived ideas from their own country.”
Being tactful when discussing tipping with clients is important. However, agents should be able to advise clients on how to go about the tipping process in destination, adds Davies.
“What I do is pick up an envelope, put my tip in it, then pass it around to the others on the tour,” she says. “It’s good if somebody does a little speech to thank the trip leader as well. I would recommend the group nominates the most outgoing individual to avoid any anxiety for more shy clients.”
Exodus’ James shares this piece of advice for agents: “The key thing in the end is that it’s up to the client to decide. If they have been delighted with the service, they should feel free to tip more than what the guidelines suggest. If the service has been poor, they should not really tip at all – although we know people do, especially with our British customers, as they still hate to think they may have caused offence.”
