Tipping

[BigRedEO]

I will be taking a trip from Cleveland (yes, I'm one of the Ohio train cult "cook" kooks) to L.A. next week and although I've taken several long distance Amtrak trips before, I didn't really utilize this forum until this year. And I would like to know, what is considered the proper amount to tip?

I will have a Bedroom on the Lakeshore Limited to Chicago as well as a Bedroom on the Southwest Chief. What is considered a proper tip to the SCAs? And if I ask for Red Cap service at Union Station to get from the Metropolitan Lounge to my bedroom on the Southwest Chief, what would be a proper tip for a Red Cap?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Acela150]

Me personally I give a tip to a SCA depending on their service level. If they're good I give them $10 per person in the room. As for the RC's I give them $5.

Have a great trip!

 

[Rail Freak]

& for the Dinning Staff, I give 15 - 20 % of the price on the menu!

 

[Pastor Dave]

I've tipped SCA's between $0 and $20 depending on the level of service. I tend to tip maybe 10% in the dining car since the wait staff make a pretty good wage as opposed to local restaurant folks. Again, I take into consideration the quality of service.

 

[the_traveler]

I tend to tip the SCA $5 per person per day (depending in the service provided), Red Caps $1-2 per bag and Dining Car servers 15% or so of the menu price (again depending on the service provided).

I tend to tip maybe 10% in the dining car since the wait staff make a pretty good wage as opposed to local restaurant folks. Again, I take into consideration the quality of service.

While they may "make a pretty good wage", I have yet to see the same server at a local restaurant be on duty from 6 AM to 10 PM, sleep for a few hours, and they do it all over again - for 2-3 days in a row! And most local servers can go home each night, not like a server on a train - who may be away from home for a week or so before getting "home"!

 

[Tony]

I tend to tip maybe 10% in the dining car since the wait staff make a pretty good wage as opposed to local restaurant folks.

Excellent point!

Waitstaff at local restaurants are paid less than even minimum wage, with the expectation that tips will at least bring them back up to the minimum wage level.

The waitstaff on an Amtrak diner car are paid way more than that, and therefore are not dependant on tips to bring them up to minimum wage.

Quite a significant difference.

Now, that doesn't mean one should not show a token of appreciation for their service. I also agree that 10% is more than enough for that especial considering the level of personal attention shown (or not shown).

 

[Guest]

..., I have yet to see the same server at a local restaurant be on duty from 6 AM to 10 PM, ...

I have.

I stopped at a restaurant for breakfast, came back to the same restaurant for dinner, and the found the same people still working. I guess the point that long days are not an Amtrak exclusive.

But I have never, ever, seen a server at a local restaurant get paid the same hourly wage as on Amtrak. Never.

 

[roomette]

..., I have yet to see the same server at a local restaurant be on duty from 6 AM to 10 PM, ...

I have.

I stopped at a restaurant for breakfast, came back to the same restaurant for dinner, and the found the same people still working. I guess the point that long days are not an Amtrak exclusive.

But I have never, ever, seen a server at a local restaurant get paid the same hourly wage as on Amtrak. Never.

Tipping is optional. Always.

 

[Rail Freak]

OOOH YEAAAH. Give me bad service & all bets are off!!!! I've had a few like that, SCAs, DS(waiters), LSA & RC. My money aint gonna hop from my wallet to yours for no service or bad service & that's a fact!!!!

 

[Pastor Dave]

I tend to tip the SCA $5 per person per day (depending in the service provided), Red Caps $1-2 per bag and Dining Car servers 15% or so of the menu price (again depending on the service provided).

I tend to tip maybe 10% in the dining car since the wait staff make a pretty good wage as opposed to local restaurant folks. Again, I take into consideration the quality of service.

While they may "make a pretty good wage", I have yet to see the same server at a local restaurant be on duty from 6 AM to 10 PM, sleep for a few hours, and they do it all over again - for 2-3 days in a row! And most local servers can go home each night, not like a server on a train - who may be away from home for a week or so before getting "home"!

Good point!

 

[fredevad]

On my recent Texas Eagle trip I tipped my SCA $10/day ($20 one day for an awesome-exceptional-beyond-the-call-of-duty act). Some of you may know him from his regular route on the Empire Builder - O.C. Smith.

In the diner, I generally tipped $2 for breakfast, $3 for lunch, and $4 for dinner (even though I had the exact same meal for lunch and dinner - gotta love those Angus Burgers). Except on the last day (of 4 with the same crew), I think I tipped about $7 (emptied my meal gratuity budget envelope) at lunch for outstanding service throughout the trip and contributing to a memorable ride.

 

[GG-1]

Aloha

I once left a waitress a penny under an upside down glass full of water. I wanted her to know I did not forget, and was very upset at her treatment of us at our table.

 

[Guest]

Everyone on the train makes a good living wage with good benefits so it not necessary to tip unless you feel they have gone above and beyond. Just because they are away from home for long periods and working every shift doesn't account for the much more than $10-15/hour (every hour on the train, even sleep) extra that they get paid versus normal jobs.

 

[guest]

They work 16-20 hour shifts, so they still aren't paid enough! I would tip 10 dollars per room per night, adjustable up or down depending on service and amenities (e.g., is the coffee available at all hours?, etc.) For really poor service, a very small tip is more insulting (and more obvious) than none at all, which just looks like an oversight. In the diner, I'd tip 1 or 2 dollars per person, per meal, unless wine is ordered, in which case I'd double that.

 

[alanh]

I actually don't think the tip should depend on what the server is making. Someone at a diner makes much less in tips than someone at an expensive restaurant (because the meals are cheaper), but the work is largely the same. By that reasoning, you should just tip all servers a flat amount, regardless of the price of the meal.

 

[BigRedEO]

Thank you all. I just wanted to know what the standard was for SCAs and Red Caps. When it comes to the Dining Car, I always tip %20 of the total value of the meal.

 

[lthanlon]

For exceptional service, which I received recently from Chris on the Empire Builder, I tip $20 a day.

 

[dlagrua]

The waiter/waitress gets 15%-20% of the posted menu prices. Our standard tip for the SCA is $10 per night. The attendent comes in the room for about 5 minutes to put the beds down and 5 minutes to put them back up. I believe that tip is sifficient as I wish that I made $1 minute in my line of work. The Redcaps get $2-$3 per bag and thats for a minutes worth of work. In my estimation that's very generous and all Amtrak workers are paid far more than similar jobs in the private sector. On some trips we've even met some former professional white collar workers that are now SCA's

 

[Rail Freak]

For exceptional service, which I received recently from Chris on the Empire Builder, I tip $20 a day.

Is that for 1 or 2 people?

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I actually don't think the tip should depend on what the server is making. Someone at a diner makes much less in tips than someone at an expensive restaurant (because the meals are cheaper), but the work is largely the same. By that reasoning, you should just tip all servers a flat amount, regardless of the price of the meal.

I understand where you're coming from but this method sounds a little too simplistic to me. For instance would you really tip the same amount for a single lunch basket drop as you would for a five-course evening meal with specialty cocktails and exotic desserts? One meal demands all of sixty seconds to plop on the table and they're done with you. The other could require a couple dozen visits spread across two hours or more to properly tend your table.

 

[Rail Freak]

I The other could require a couple dozen visits spread across two hours or more to properly tend your table.

Was this dinning experience on the EB,CZ or CS???

 

[lthanlon]

For exceptional service, which I received recently from Chris on the Empire Builder, I tip $20 a day.

Is that for 1 or 2 people?

Just me. Chris was a great SCA and was attentive without being obtrusive. It was quite cold outside and he checked with me several times to make sure the roomette temperature was to my liking. What I found most impressive was that as I was leaving the dining car, he was passing by and overheard me asking about how late the lounge car was open so I could get a Pepsi. He got one for me. All in all, I think the guy earned his tip from me.