tipping

[danball]

What is a proper tip for a roomette passenger for the dining car and the train car attendent and should one tip at the beginning of the trip to insure better service?

 

[roadman3313]

Welcome to AU... The amount is up to your discretion, however personally for meals I consider the price and amount I would tip if I were paying the listed price for the meal. I'm sure others do it differently or look at a flat tip for service.

My Personal Opinion... tip at the end of your journey or if you'd like to tip in advance tip part in advance and more at the end. Reason I suggest this is tipping in advance doesn't mean you will receive better service. Some will put in the extra effort while others will see it as they have already received their tip so they will give you the average level of service.

With tipping after you can base the amount on your tip based on the actual level of service received. Again, everyone has a different method and amount they like to tip... it really is based on your preference and the level of service you feel you received and the appropriate amount that would recognize that with the on board service staff.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Diner waiter/steward: Up to $5/meal, usually $3.

Sleeper attendant: Up to $20/night, usually $10.

Coach attendant: $0.

Operating crews: $0.

Lounge attendant: $0.

RedCaps: Up to $10, usually $1.5/bag.

 

[rrdude]

Diner waiter/steward: Up to $5/meal, usually $3.

Sleeper attendant: Up to $20/night, usually $10.

Coach attendant: $0.

Operating crews: $0.

Lounge attendant: $0.

RedCaps: Up to $10, usually $1.5/bag.

What? Wait? Huh? Remember, you are reading another member's "opinion of the proper tip". Your experience should dictate what you tip. The OP is not far off (now it's MY opinion) but will offer mine, bolded, in the same format, below:

Diner waiter/steward: 15 to 20% of the normal PRICE of the meal. Perhaps a little more if the meal check total is small, or they let you "hang out" and drink coffee / wine when you are really fini.

Sleeper attendant: Up to $20/night, usually $10. IF THEY DO THEIR "JOB."

Coach attendant: They deserve a tip, in my estimation, again, based upon length of trip, and service provided.

Operating crews: $0. Agree

Lounge attendant: Tip based on service. You buy a beer, tip accordingly. You have a few, and he/she has it "ready and open for you" before you hit the counter = bigger tip. Tip like you would in a bar.

RedCaps: Up to $10, usually $1.5/bag. That's a good range, IMHO

 

[amamba]

I generally tip $5 for both me and my H for breakfast and lunch in the diner, and $10 for the two of us for dinner in the diner. If I am traveling alone, I would do $3 for breakfast, around $3 for lunch, and probably $5 for dinner.

I do $5 - $10 night, per person, for the SCA.

 

[shinkansen]

How does one determine good service for a coach attendant?

 

[Blackwolf]

How does one determine good service for a coach attendant?

I've only once tipped a coach attendant. Usually, the type of service that is rendered is pretty minimal; open and close the vestibule door, issue seat tickets, generally police the car. It is not an easy job, I understand this! But most badger the passengers (who in turn badger the crew,) and are not the friendliest. But! Once in a great while, a coach attendant shines! They are friendly, professional, approachable, respectful, take great care in the cleanlines and functionability of their car, and will personally greet you after you're seated to introduce themselves. Those are the coach attendants I tip, and the tip comes with a thank you so they know why. And then, I tip according to how I would tip a sleeper attendant.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

How does one determine good service for a coach attendant?

I've only once tipped a coach attendant. Usually, the type of service that is rendered is pretty minimal; open and close the vestibule door, issue seat tickets, generally police the car. It is not an easy job, I understand this! But most badger the passengers (who in turn badger the crew,) and are not the friendliest. But! Once in a great while, a coach attendant shines! They are friendly, professional, approachable, respectful, take great care in the cleanlines and functionability of their car, and will personally greet you after you're seated to introduce themselves. Those are the coach attendants I tip, and the tip comes with a thank you so they know why. And then, I tip according to how I would tip a sleeper attendant.

I once had a sleeper car attendant who didn't do much of anything, had a snarky retort for almost everything, and spent most of her time elsewhere on the train. The one and only time I requested anything from this attendant she blew me off and passed my request to another staff member. The other employee went and got my ice without a single snarky reply or roll of the eye even though she already had multiple coach cars to manage. At the end of the trip I simply walked past the whiny and useless sleeper attendant and handed her tip to the coach car attendant instead. Best $20 I ever spent.

 

[SarahZ]

I tipped a coach attendant when he moved me to a new seat. I was next to a guy who smelled like he'd spent a week in a barn, and he was sprawled across half my seat, fast asleep, when I returned from hiding in the lounge car.

When we stopped in Kansas City at 10:30, I politely asked if I could have a different seat and provided my reason. The coach attendant located an empty seat pair and told me to go ahead and sprawl out since he wouldn't need the other seat until Trinidad. I gave him $10, and I ended up keeping the seat all to myself for the entire trip from KC to ABQ. I'm not sure if the tip made the difference, but it was pretty nice of him if that was the case.

He's since been promoted to LSA (is that a promotion?). He's been on every single SWC trip we've taken, and we always enjoy his witty announcements.

As far as regular tipping goes, we tip the dining staff like we would any other server (15-20%, depending on service) and $10/day to the SCA. Our last SCA got $15/day because he was so awesome.

 

[danball]

Thanks for everyone's input. Seems to me the old adage is in play, give for what you get.

 

[AlanB]

He's since been promoted to LSA (is that a promotion?). He's been on every single SWC trip we've taken, and we always enjoy his witty announcements.

Yes, in the sense that you get paid more money. But you also have far more responsibilities too! Including the fact that you are responsible for your inventory and any shortages in the cash draw.

 

[shinkansen]

Good infomation to know, but sadly, I now need to recalculate my costs for my cross-country coach trip.

 

[Gingee]

We have had to make up our own bed a few times. Sometimes the guy or girl doesn't return in time. Sometime we tell them we will do it when we are ready. If a attendant goes out of the way for us, yes we will tip him or her. If not, then they get their regular salary.

 

[Roger That]

It's always annoyed me that they want to make up your room hours before you reach you destination. Sometimes I'd like to lay down until I get there. I mean, I totally understand why they do. It's the end of their shift and they won't get paid another dime.

Oh wait a minute, they would get paid $20 by me if they would wait until we arrive. How long's it take to make a room up? 15 minutes? That come out to a rate of $80 per hour. Not bad! I stay longer than my shift many times until the work gets done a receive nothing extra.

I put my own bed up and down as I wish during the trip and never request anything of the SCA. I'd happy to tip $20 at the end of my ride if I can exit my bed to the door. Never had a taker. No one seems to want to go the 'extra mile' to satisfy the coustomer.

 

[TimePeace]

It's always annoyed me that they want to make up your room hours before you reach you destination. Sometimes I'd like to lay down until I get there. I mean, I totally understand why they do. It's the end of their shift and they won't get paid another dime.

Oh wait a minute, they would get paid $20 by me if they would wait until we arrive. How long's it take to make a room up? 15 minutes? That come out to a rate of $80 per hour. Not bad! I stay longer than my shift many times until the work gets done a receive nothing extra.

I put my own bed up and down as I wish during the trip and never request anything of the SCA. I'd happy to tip $20 at the end of my ride if I can exit my bed to the door. Never had a taker. No one seems to want to go the 'extra mile' to satisfy the coustomer.

I don't think it's about the tip.

In one case, when you are exiting at a stop in mid-route, the roomette has to be ready for the next passenger, who may be shown to the room literally a couple of minutes after you get off. Would you rather have to wait a few minutes to go to your room? And maybe there are several people exiting at the same stop as you, so the SCA has to make several beds.

In another case - correct me if I am wrong... the SCA is "off the clock" the minute the train stops at the final station on the run. Maybe they'd rather leave then instead of hanging around not getting paid while making several beds.

 

[Roger That]

Maybe they'd rather leave then instead of hanging around not getting paid while making several beds.

They never do. I ask. They have no interest. I always ask before the final destination.

Have you never worked late for no extra pay? I do it all the time.

 

[TimePeace]

Maybe they'd rather leave then instead of hanging around not getting paid while making several beds.

They never do. I ask. They have no interest. I always ask before the final destination.

Have you never worked late for no extra pay? I do it all the time.

Never do what? Want to go home? No interest in staying late to make the beds?

And how is it that you would feel if you board the train with several others and are told to wait in the corridor, or elsewhere, while they SCA gets your rooms ready. It's going to have to be one or the other - either let them make your bed before exiting, or wait when you get on (at intermediate stops).

Work late without pay? No, because I am paid by the hour. No one expects me to. Staying late to finish up is something salaried employees do, and they also leave early when they are caught up and it suits them. And in the case of the SCA, paid by the hour, no hours can be logged after the train finishes the run (I am not sure of this, someone correct me if I am wrong).

 

[Roger That]

Maybe they'd rather leave then instead of hanging around not getting paid while making several beds.

They never do. I ask. They have no interest. I always ask before the final destination.

Have you never worked late for no extra pay? I do it all the time.

Never do what? Want to go home? No interest in staying late to make the beds?

And how is it that you would feel if you board the train with several others and are told to wait in the corridor, or elsewhere, while they SCA gets your rooms ready. It's going to have to be one or the other - either let them make your bed before exiting, or wait when you get on (at intermediate stops).

Work late without pay? No, because I am paid by the hour. No one expects me to. Staying late to finish up is something salaried employees do, and they also leave early when they are caught up and it suits them. And in the case of the SCA, paid by the hour, no hours can be logged after the train finishes the run (I am not sure of this, someone correct me if I am wrong).

Sorry, I guess I wasn't clear. I'm talking about deboarding at the FINAL destination. So, waiting in the corridor would be only the SCA. I understand no hours can be logged after the train finishes the run. I understand wanting to go home at quittin' time. It's also clear I've yet to meet an SCA who even slightly interested in going the extra mile to make THIS customer happy. And that's fine. I'm just sharing what services I require completed in order to EARN a tip.

 

[TimePeace]

Sorry, I guess I wasn't clear. I'm talking about deboarding at the FINAL destination. So, waiting in the corridor would be only the SCA. I understand no hours can be logged after the train finishes the run. I understand wanting to go home at quittin' time. It's also clear I've yet to meet an SCA who even slightly interested in going the extra mile to make THIS customer happy. And that's fine. I'm just sharing what services I require completed in order to EARN a tip.

So the service can be excellent during the run, but needing to leave the room for a few minutes during the last hour or so (following standard procedure) means no tip. Ok. So long as we're clear.

I'd say it's lucky for most good SCA's that folks as demanding as you are few.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Diner waiter/steward: Up to $5/meal, usually $3.

Sleeper attendant: Up to $20/night, usually $10.

Coach attendant: $0.

Operating crews: $0.

Lounge attendant: $0.

RedCaps: Up to $10, usually $1.5/bag.

What? Wait? Huh? Remember, you are reading another member's "opinion of the proper tip". Your experience should dictate what you tip. The OP is not far off (now it's MY opinion) but will offer mine, bolded, in the same format, below:

Diner waiter/steward: 15 to 20% of the normal PRICE of the meal. Perhaps a little more if the meal check total is small, or they let you "hang out" and drink coffee / wine when you are really fini.

Sleeper attendant: Up to $20/night, usually $10. IF THEY DO THEIR "JOB."

Coach attendant: They deserve a tip, in my estimation, again, based upon length of trip, and service provided.

Operating crews: $0. Agree

Lounge attendant: Tip based on service. You buy a beer, tip accordingly. You have a few, and he/she has it "ready and open for you" before you hit the counter = bigger tip. Tip like you would in a bar.

RedCaps: Up to $10, usually $1.5/bag. That's a good range, IMHO

I don't know what you meant, but I was just posting what I tip.

 

[Roger That]

So the service can be excellent during the run, but needing to leave the room for a few minutes during the last hour or means no tip. Ok. So long as we're clear.

I'd say it's lucky for most good SCA's that folks as demanding as you are few.

I'm not demanding at all. I make only one request. It's never fullfilled. So, it's impossible for the srevice to be excellent.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

It's always annoyed me that they want to make up your room hours before you reach you destination. Sometimes I'd like to lay down until I get there. I mean, I totally understand why they do. It's the end of their shift and they won't get paid another dime. Oh wait a minute, they would get paid $20 by me if they would wait until we arrive. How long's it take to make a room up? 15 minutes? That come out to a rate of $80 per hour. Not bad! I stay longer than my shift many times until the work gets done a receive nothing extra. I put my own bed up and down as I wish during the trip and never request anything of the SCA. I'd happy to tip $20 at the end of my ride if I can exit my bed to the door. Never had a taker. No one seems to want to go the 'extra mile' to satisfy the customer.

Most of the time I'm ready to get off well before arrival, but sometimes I'm tired and just want to sleep until we arrive. In those cases I wish the SCA's were more understanding about letting me use my room as an actual sleeping compartment instead of a set of isolated coach seats. Unfortunately they always want to get done with everything before the train arrives, sometimes WAY before it arrives.

Would you rather have to wait a few minutes to go to your room?

I've had to wait for SCA's to make up my room at intermediate stops. I've also been told I had to let them tidy my room up well before arrival. Sometimes it's not much of an issue, but when it is an issue (because I'm tired or under the weather) it's difficult if not impossible to convince the SCA to leave your room alone until after you've left. At the moment I'm not sure who's actually benefiting from the status quo.

Have you never worked late for no extra pay? I do it all the time.

My job is the same way. I'm on-call 24/7/365 but it makes no difference how many hours I work in a given week because the pay is always the same. Same thing for nearly everyone else in my entire department. So it strikes me odd to see folks so focused on which minutes are paid minutes and which minutes are not in a tipping position. But I guess that's what's important to some folks.

Work late without pay? No, because I am paid by the hour. No one expects me to. Staying late to finish up is something salaried employees do, and they also leave early when they are caught up and it suits them. And in the case of the SCA, paid by the hour, no hours can be logged after the train finishes the run (I am not sure of this, someone correct me if I am wrong).

Maybe this is something Amtrak should reconsider (I feel the same way about airlines as well) because it seems like giving another half-hour of clean-up pay to their SCA's might make a world of difference to employees and sleeper customers alike.

 

[danball]

I wanna go home

 

[AlanB]

It's always annoyed me that they want to make up your room hours before you reach you destination. Sometimes I'd like to lay down until I get there. I mean, I totally understand why they do. It's the end of their shift and they won't get paid another dime.

Oh wait a minute, they would get paid $20 by me if they would wait until we arrive. How long's it take to make a room up? 15 minutes? That come out to a rate of $80 per hour. Not bad! I stay longer than my shift many times until the work gets done a receive nothing extra.

I put my own bed up and down as I wish during the trip and never request anything of the SCA. I'd happy to tip $20 at the end of my ride if I can exit my bed to the door. Never had a taker. No one seems to want to go the 'extra mile' to satisfy the coustomer.

Roger,

It's not quite as simple as you'd like it to be. Yes, I won't deny that part of it simply that they do want to go home and the idea that Amtrak isn't paying them anymore.

However, for an SCA it's not quite like someone at a regular job. For most people, it's an extra hour on an 8 or 9 hour day. For an SCA it's an extra hour on an 18 hour day. They only guaranteed 4 hours of sleep per night. Yes, sometimes they manage to squeak out a few more, but again it's not like an 8 hour day ran over for an hour.

Next, you hit the fact that if they start doing it for one person, they could well end up with 5 or 6 wanting to do it the next time. Now it's not an hour anymore.

Next, it's an issue of the fact that they don't have time to do it. In most case, I grant not all, the train sits on that platform for maybe 10 to 15 minutes after the passengers are discharged. The SCA has several other tasks to complete in that time and get off the train with their own luggage. If they don't get off the train because they couldn't finish everything because they let your bed go until you got off, now they're going to the yard with the train, instead of either heading home if it's the end of their run or to the hotel for a few hours of rest if it's the midpoint turn for them.

Now they're stuck in the yard and have to find a way to get where they're going, instead of having access to the transportation options that are available at the train station. So that extra hour that you paid them for just became 2 or 3 hours.

And in some cases if it's the mid-point turn, they don't get many hours at all to rest. Consider for example the NY crew on the Lake Shore Limited. If the train is on time, they get in at 9:45 AM. Again, they've gotten 4 hours of sleep, maybe 5 if they're lucky. By 10 to 10:15 that train is on its way to the yard for cleaning and servicing. The SCA basically ran to the hotel for a few hours of sleep, knowing that he/she has to be back IIRC, at 7 PM to start prepping things for the 9:30 departure.

So at best, they've got 9 hours to have lunch & dinner, and sleep for a few hours. If they let you wait until the last second, that guarantees that they're going to the yard with the train. And by the time they finish with the other things that they have to do, walk out of the yard and get to the hotel, they're lucky if they get to the hotel by 11 AM now.

Now not all turns are quite so bad, some do get to overnight, but still when you've just worked all those hours with only 4 hours of sleep you want & need to get to that hotel knowing full well that you've got to do it all over again on the return run.

The Auto Train is one of the worst, as they arrive at 9:30 AM scheduled and I think that they have to be back at 2 PM, might even be earlier than that. Granted that train doesn't go to the yard and with no stops, they do get a few more hours of sleep 11 PM if they're lucky otherwise 12 to 5 AM. But still those guys and gals want & need a few minutes of downtime.

Finally, Amtrak procedures require them to have all the beds made by the end of the run. It's not an option for them to grant. Other people are waiting to do their jobs on that arriving train and the SCA needs to be gone for them to do their stuff.

 

[amamba]

My SCA on my recent silver run was very accomodating. He asked if he could make up the beds when we came back from breakfast, and I asked him if he could give us a little more time. He was very nice, said no problem, and came back around Wilmington to do it.