Tipping point – Travel Africa Magazine

If there may be one factor that provides travellers sleepless nights on safari it’s the tipping conundrum: who, how and what’s truthful? So we sought the opinions of tour operators, lodge homeowners and camp managers to assist resolve this perennial concern

“If ever there was a subject that makes the [insert your nationality here] sweat under the collar and feel socially awkward it has to be gratuities,” says David Cartwright of ATI Holidays. “The thought of causing offence by giving too little, paying too much or inadvisably proffering a tip is enough to keep you awake at night.”

Often problematic, definitely contentious, the ethical dilemma of tipping is one which has been troubling travellers to Africa for many years, a “dark cloud that sits over you during your entire holiday”, as one Travel Africa reader put it: figuring out who to tip, how a lot and whether or not it’s higher to make use of gratuity bins or not?

Perhaps the most effective place to begin is: what precisely is a gratuity? According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a tip is: “A sum of money given to someone as a reward for a service.”

‘Reward’ being the operative phrase. “While there is an element of expectation, tipping is discretionary and we feel that guides and general staff should only be tipped on the basis that you are delighted with their service and not simply as a matter of course,” says Safari Consultants’ Rob Slater.

He cites two causes for this view: “First, we are trying to encourage the companies we use to pay their staff appropriate wages. Second, we believe that a gratuity is a reward for good service, and to simply tip for the sake of doing so breeds mediocrity.”

How a lot?
To compound the problem for the confused traveller, completely different corporations and lodges advise various quantities. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a arduous-and-quick reply. “I still struggle with what to recommend,” says Cartwright. “Suggesting a figure leaves me staring at the floor, or vaguely mumbling some or other percentage, for fear of offending the sensibilities of the individual and placing undue pressure on them to pay more than they can comfortably afford.”

I can really feel your collective shoulders hunch: “If they don’t know, how am I supposed to?” But worry not. Based on the responses obtained from the 20-plus Africa specialists polled, there’s a common rule of thumb available:
• Guides/drivers – US$10 per day per traveller
• General workers  – US$10 per day per traveller

This is barely a information, nonetheless. While, your tour operator or host could advise an quantity that is kind of than this ballpark determine, you don’t need to abide by it. It is your alternative how a lot you tip, if in any respect.

There are different issues. Regional variances, for one: what’s an excessive amount of in Uganda might not be sufficient in Botswana. In Zambia a service cost is obligatory, included in your invoice and distributed amongst workers accordingly so, theoretically, there is no such thing as a want for something additional.

Private guides ought to obtain extra (assuming they’ve performed job), as she or he could solely be guiding one or two folks, relatively than six. Sometimes, there will likely be assistant guides – do you have to want to present your appreciation to them, a decrease quantity than the principle information is completely acceptable.

Additionally, whereas staying in 5-star lodging could naturally counsel a gratuity ought to be increased, most of our specialists felt {that a} tip shouldn’t be relative to the price of a visit, however to the standard of service.

How to offer
Having established how a lot you wish to give, how do you guarantee the proper folks obtain it? While the traveller has to deal with completely different insurance policies somewhere else, the final consensus is: tip guides immediately and use the communal gratuity field for common workers. If the lodge doesn’t have a communal field, speak to the supervisor about the most effective strategy.

“Often travellers feel weird about tipping and how to do it, which they don’t need to,” says Gemma Heyns of African Bush Camps. “If tipping is in person, eye contact, a solid handshake, a few words of appreciation followed by the handing over of the tip is the best method. The days of a secret handshake to discreetly transfer the monies are no more.”

She provides: “Putting the monies in an envelope helps to make the tipper more comfortable in that the amount is not immediately revealed.” A notice explaining what the gratuity is for can also be nicely obtained.

While providing a present – resembling a wildlife guide – will likely be appreciated, it’s no substitute for money and may solely be made along with a tip. Likewise, whereas US {dollars} and euros are readily accepted, the place potential tip within the native forex. Exchanging cash, particularly for these dwelling remotely, isn’t at all times easy – and a proportion of your tip will find yourself in a banker’s pocket.

Going above and past
A gratuity, says Heyns, ought to be in recognition of somebody going above and past. For instance, “in the middle of the bush, beautiful cuisine is often produced with limited fridge space, running on minimal power, with the added challenge of an elephant eating the last watermelon, which was intended for dessert. Defeating the challenges faced is worthy of being tipped.”

But keep in mind, tipping shouldn’t be compulsory. “If your guide is rude and inattentive, feel free to not tip at all,” says Nikki Mayer of Seolo Africa. “He or she does earn a wage and the lodge administration admire the truth that tipping reinforces nice hospitality. Likewise by not tipping, you’re doing the lodge a service in letting a information know that they should up their sport. “

Our finest recommendation is to ask earlier than you journey, or on arrival on the lodge – to keep away from that embarrassing dialog on departure. However, the quantity steered shouldn’t be definitive – give what you’ll be able to afford and provided that you’re feeling the service deserves it.

As Mayer says: “Paying a tip should be a happy event – after all, you pay a tip out of gratitude.”

By Phil Clisby