My thoughts; seems like tipping has evolved into being an expectation in fields that systemically under pay their customer facing staff. Waiters got tips for years because their base pay was very low. Everyone attributes this to ensuring better service but what it really did was subsidize the crap wages paid by restaurants. Service levels are however driven by culture. Australian waiters were getting paid 22 bucks an hour the last time I was there and the service was universally poor, unless you got a non-Australian waitress. Service from waiters in Japan is universally excellent and tipping is actually considered an insult.
Tipping is also a Yankee invention that has spread into some areas in other countries, but certainly not all. A good part of Europe is still very anti-tipping. Tips were originally paid up front to get a table faster, better location or ensure the waiter provided premium service. The Yanks are also very selective about who they think should be tipped, you don't see many of them tipping their mechanic for instance. It seems tipping is reserved for those that cannot survive on their base pay alone, but only if you interact with them face to face. I don't consider that a good thing and have to agree with Dewey.
Choosing to tip your guide is strictly a personal thing, but be aware it is an outcome of the guides being very much underpaid for the work they do, hours put in and the amount of gear they have to supply, including usually a vehicle. It is also only prevalent where a lot of Americans hunt. You never see it when hunting driven hunts in Germany, Hungary, Norway etc with a party of Germans or Norwegians.
Other consideration, he hunt is already over by the time the tip is handed out, unless you are coming back, the tip has no effect on your service. Are you trying to ensure the next guy gets good service? If you want to ensure the tip drives service, clearly set the expectations up front with your guide and tell him how much of a tip is in play if he delivers that. For those where the fun of the hunt is most important focus expectations there but if you went on a guided hunt to get a trophy animal then admit it, at least to your guide. The key elements of what you need to experience to consider the hunt a big success is what you should stress with your guide and it should form the basis of the tip.
Most guys are completely unwilling to do that upfront expectation setting because they find it uncomfortable. Even when they get bad service few say anything, and tip anyhow because it is expected and they don't want to come off as a cheap ahoe. Service has to be truly atrocious before most won't tip and that is a very bad thing all round.
|