[335i-boy]

I have been to the states and understand the tipping protocols in restaurants and hotels.

There seems to be another emerging protocol when having cars valet parked.

Have a read of this thread:

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=457826

I refuse to have my car valet parked here. Couldn't imagine having a checklist like this one if I had no choice though.

[kaishang]

I think those people in that thread are getting worked up about nothing.

In general I don't valet park. Some places you have to, like I stayed in a city centre hotel in Adelaide where you had to valet park. No tip and no problems.

Likewise in the US, there are many hotels where you have to valet park. $2-$3 when the car is returned seems to keep people happy. Again, no problems. Infact even in the US with a tipping culture, I was staying at the Fairmont Seattle (which is a pretty upmarket hotel) and the guy who returned the car cleared off before I could even give him a tip.

This $40 tip in the linked thread seems totally ridiculous. You might get your car out of valet 3 times a day, what are you going to do, hand out $120/day in tips? Nobody in their right mind, even in the USA, is going to tip $40 for valet parking.

Most of the time, since I'm in a hotel, I have stuff in the car including valuables. It's never been nicked. WTF would happen to a hotel which has only valet parking and stuff gets stolen when cars get parked there? Hotel would go out of business.

[335i-boy]

Originally Posted by kaishang

I think those people in that thread are getting worked up about nothing.

In general I don't valet park. Some places you have to, like I stayed in a city centre hotel in Adelaide where you had to valet park. No tip and no problems.

Likewise in the US, there are many hotels where you have to valet park. $2-$3 when the car is returned seems to keep people happy. Again, no problems. Infact even in the US with a tipping culture, I was staying at the Fairmont Seattle (which is a pretty upmarket hotel) and the guy who returned the car cleared off before I could even give him a tip.

This $40 tip in the linked thread seems totally ridiculous. You might get your car out of valet 3 times a day, what are you going to do, hand out $120/day in tips? Nobody in their right mind, even in the USA, is going to tip $40 for valet parking.

Most of the time, since I'm in a hotel, I have stuff in the car including valuables. It's never been nicked. WTF would happen to a hotel which has only valet parking and stuff gets stolen when cars get parked there? Hotel would go out of business.

Agreed. Consensus is still around the the same tip when buying an average drink at a bar.

I think though the OP is very much more concerned with his seat and mirror positions, thus his tipping "schedule", more so than any theft.

He does seem to carry alot of emergency money in his car though. He certainly sounded surprised when another member suggested that things may get stolen from cars when valet parked. In saying this he still seems not be bothered much by any theft of his "emergency cash".

[cruvon]

guys don't forget the minimum wage in the US can go as low as $6 per hour in some basic trades so that in part explains the tip culture out there to supplement their income. I suppose the tipping culture is good for businesses to reduce their manpower overheads but the differential ends up being borne by the customer and the worker, might be good or bad depending on how one looks at it especially if a $6 hourly wage+ tips would lead to a higher income than a fixed minimum $12 hourly wage like here(is it $12 or $18 minimum hourly wage here?) .
But true those valet parking tips are quite gross

[kaishang]

Originally Posted by cruvon

guys don't forget the minimum wage in the US can go as low as $6 per hour in some basic trades so that in part explains the tip culture out there to supplement their income. I suppose the tipping culture is good for businesses to reduce their manpower overheads but the differential ends up being borne by the customer and the worker, might be good or bad depending on how one looks at it especially if a $6 hourly wage+ tips would lead to a higher income than a fixed minimum $12 hourly wage like here(is it $12 or $18 minimum hourly wage here?) .
But true those valet parking tips are quite gross

Oh I agree, you do have to tip for stuff in the US - it's different but not better or worse and things - esp restaurant meals- still work out a lot cheaper in the US even with tips. You can have a decent restaurant meal for $20 and even with a tip it's well under $25.

But still, no normal person tips $20 or $40 to the valet.