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I have a question: Why do we tip guides?
We don't tip our doctors or dentists, we don't tip our auto mechanics, nor do we tip countless others from whom we purchase goods and services.
We do tip waiters and waitresses, taxi drivers, and the like.
So what's the defining factor that determines who gets tipped and who doesn't?
Why do we tip guides at all?
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Joined: Mar 2013
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Good point.
They aren't waitresses slinging hash for minimum wage.
"Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys"........P.J. O'Rourke
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Good point.
They aren't waitresses slinging hash for minimum wage. Actually, a large percentage of guides and outfitters and transporters work for even less than minimum wage. When you factor in the time that's invested versus the taxable earnings received, most who are in the outdoor services industry are earning below the poverty level, in terms of an hourly pay scale.
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
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I tip everyone. Especially, those who deserve and need it.
Proud to be a true Sandlapper!!
Go Nats!!!!
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Campfire Tracker
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Because they work hard, and don't otherwise make a lot of money. It can be a real tough job. Tipping 'em is customary, if they work hard for ya.
Guy
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Joined: Sep 2003
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Campfire Ranger
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Pretty simple. Because they babysit you for 10+ hours a day.
If people stopped tipping, they'd just price it into the cost of the trip.
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Joined: Sep 2003
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Campfire Ranger
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Good point.
They aren't waitresses slinging hash for minimum wage. Actually, a large percentage of guides and outfitters and transporters work for even less than minimum wage. When you factor in the time that's invested versus the taxable earnings received, most who are in the outdoor services industry are earning below the poverty level, in terms of an hourly pay scale. When I first started guiding, I made $600 a month in salary. It was damn hard work, and no way I could have made it without tips. Now I make almost that much daily.. so staying in it pays.
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Pretty simple. Because they babysit you for 10+ hours a day.
If people stopped tipping, they'd just price it into the cost of the trip.
Actually, it's more like a 24-hour-a-day job, in terms of watching over a client and making certain that they have a safe experience. For me, I'm worn out at the end of a nine month season, after non-stop watching over clients 24 hours a day, each day and every day, during the course of a nine-month season. It's exhausting work, paying close attention to clients and how they conduct themselves. And, it pays very little. However, it's a lifestyle and not really an "occupation". I would rather be a guide/outfitter than serving in any other type of employment.
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Campfire Tracker
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Having just completed my 34th year of guiding let me give you a few answers that immediately pop into my head: A guide will spend 24 hours per day with you for a week or more, cooking your breakfast, cleaning the dishes, answering all your questions, leading you across streams, up hills and through brush while carrying your lunch and extra gear for you, sitting and looking for game while you take naps or read a book, fix your lunch, pick up the trash you threw down, find game for you, judge it so you don't shoot the first young one you see, show you how to stalk it, watching the end of your barrel because he has seen way to many unintentional discharges, make sure you are shooting at the correct animal, track it and even finish killing it if necessary, share in your excitement, skin and clean it, carry it back to camp on top of your extra gear that it now too heavy for you to carry all the way back, loaning you his dry clothing because yours is wet, pulling off you boots,fix your supper, cleaning the dishes again, answer more questions, do the dishes again, prepare hide for taxidermist, go outside in the dark and rain to make sure the hide is staying dry -- all the while keeping a positive outlook and a smile. FOR A LOT LESS THAN MINIMUM WAGE
Phil Shoemaker Alaska Master Guide, Alaska Hunter Ed Instructor FAA Master pilot www.grizzlyskinsofalaska.comAnyone who claims the 30-06 is not effective has either not used one, or else is unwittingly commenting on their marksmanship.
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Joined: Mar 2013
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Having just completed my 34th year of guiding let me give you a few answers that immediately pop into my head: A guide will spend 24 hours per day with you for a week or more, cooking your breakfast, cleaning the dishes, answering all your questions, leading you across streams, up hills and through brush while carrying your lunch and extra gear for you, sitting and looking for game while you take naps or read a book, fix your lunch, pick up the trash you threw down, find game for you, judge it so you don't shoot the first young one you see, show you how to stalk it, watching the end of your barrel because he has seen way to many unintentional discharges, make sure you are shooting at the correct animal, track it and even finish killing it if necessary, share in your excitement, skin and clean it, carry it back to camp on top of your extra gear that it now too heavy for you to carry all the way back, loaning you his dry clothing because yours is wet, pulling off you boots,fix your supper, cleaning the dishes again, answer more questions, do the dishes again, prepare hide for taxidermist, go outside in the dark and rain to make sure the hide is staying dry -- all the while keeping a positive outlook and a smile. FOR A LOT LESS THAN MINIMUM WAGE That's a good explanation, but my question remains, "Why?" Guides sell a product that includes all you described above and maybe more for a stated price. What is it about guiding that makes us feel compelled or obligated to pay more in the form of a tip? A Hospice nurse does pretty much all you describe and much, much more for much longer periods of time in most cases. Why don't we tip Hospice nurses?
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Campfire Oracle
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Campfire Oracle
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Because when the trip is over at the Hospice I will be dead. Should I end up dead on a hunting trip I'll likely not be tipping the guides either.
"Dear Lord, save me from Your followers"
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Joined: Mar 2013
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Because when the trip is over at the Hospice I will be dead. Should I end up dead on a hunting trip I'll likely not be tipping the guides either.
Well, I don't think that dog will hunt  , but just in case, change "Hospice Nurse" to "Extended Care Nurse" or "Home Health Nurse." Why do we tip a guide but not a nurse?
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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Having just completed my 34th year of guiding let me give you a few answers that immediately pop into my head: A guide will spend 24 hours per day with you for a week or more, cooking your breakfast, cleaning the dishes, answering all your questions, leading you across streams, up hills and through brush while carrying your lunch and extra gear for you, sitting and looking for game while you take naps or read a book, fix your lunch, pick up the trash you threw down, find game for you, judge it so you don't shoot the first young one you see, show you how to stalk it, watching the end of your barrel because he has seen way to many unintentional discharges, make sure you are shooting at the correct animal, track it and even finish killing it if necessary, share in your excitement, skin and clean it, carry it back to camp on top of your extra gear that it now too heavy for you to carry all the way back, loaning you his dry clothing because yours is wet, pulling off you boots,fix your supper, cleaning the dishes again, answer more questions, do the dishes again, prepare hide for taxidermist, go outside in the dark and rain to make sure the hide is staying dry -- all the while keeping a positive outlook and a smile. FOR A LOT LESS THAN MINIMUM WAGE That's a good explanation, but my question remains, "Why?" Guides sell a product that includes all you described above and maybe more for a stated price. What is it about guiding that makes us feel compelled or obligated to pay more in the form of a tip? A Hospice nurse does pretty much all you describe and much, much more for much longer periods of time in most cases. Why don't we tip Hospice nurses? Fair question -- and I don't know many guides who do it for the tip. It is simply one of those American foibles. My wife and I argue over it regularly when we dine out -- I claim a tip is for extra ordinary service while she thinks we owe the waiter or waitress 15-20 %. In the end it is simply a matter of personal choice.
Phil Shoemaker Alaska Master Guide, Alaska Hunter Ed Instructor FAA Master pilot www.grizzlyskinsofalaska.comAnyone who claims the 30-06 is not effective has either not used one, or else is unwittingly commenting on their marksmanship.
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Joined: Jan 2012
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Having just completed my 34th year of guiding let me give you a few answers that immediately pop into my head: A guide will spend 24 hours per day with you for a week or more, cooking your breakfast, cleaning the dishes, answering all your questions, leading you across streams, up hills and through brush while carrying your lunch and extra gear for you, sitting and looking for game while you take naps or read a book, fix your lunch, pick up the trash you threw down, find game for you, judge it so you don't shoot the first young one you see, show you how to stalk it, watching the end of your barrel because he has seen way to many unintentional discharges, make sure you are shooting at the correct animal, track it and even finish killing it if necessary, share in your excitement, skin and clean it, carry it back to camp on top of your extra gear that it now too heavy for you to carry all the way back, loaning you his dry clothing because yours is wet, pulling off you boots,fix your supper, cleaning the dishes again, answer more questions, do the dishes again, prepare hide for taxidermist, go outside in the dark and rain to make sure the hide is staying dry -- all the while keeping a positive outlook and a smile. FOR A LOT LESS THAN MINIMUM WAGE That's a good explanation, but my question remains, "Why?" Guides sell a product that includes all you described above and maybe more for a stated price. What is it about guiding that makes us feel compelled or obligated to pay more in the form of a tip? A Hospice nurse does pretty much all you describe and much, much more for much longer periods of time in most cases. Why don't we tip Hospice nurses? Fair question -- and I don't know many guides who do it for the tip. It is simply one of those American foibles. My wife and I argue over it regularly when we dine out -- I claim a tip is for extra ordinary service while she thinks we owe the waiter or waitress 15-20 %. In the end it is simply a matter of personal choice. My girlfriend and I argue about the same thing, but she's prone to insisting that I save the money for her and to not tip the waiters or waitresses. So, it's kind of flip-flop from what your relational life is, Phil.
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Campfire Ranger
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That's a good explanation, but my question remains, "Why?"
Guides sell a product that includes all you described above and maybe more for a stated price.
What is it about guiding that makes us feel compelled or obligated to pay more in the form of a tip?
A Hospice nurse does pretty much all you describe and much, much more for much longer periods of time in most cases. Why don't we tip Hospice nurses? Don't confuse guides with outfitters. The outfitter is the restaurant and the guide is the waiter. The guide gets paid little because he makes tips. Except a guide will spend gas, time and energy in the off season scouting. Some outfitters are their own guide... some outfitters will have 10 clients and 10 guides in camp. I wouldn't tip an outfitter. Kent
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Joined: Mar 2013
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Fair question -- and I don't know many guides who do it for the tip. It is simply one of those American foibles. . . In the end it is simply a matter of personal choice. No, it's more than that, Phil, it is a universal foible. It is universally recognized that some classes/occupations are tipped and some aren't. What is it about guiding that seems to relegate it to the category of needs to/must/should be tipped?
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Campfire Tracker
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You are free to tip anyone any amount you want to. End of story.
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Campfire Ranger
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Simple. Guides offer a service we enjoy. As do waitresses. I dont know anyone who enjoys going to dentists and drs.
The government plans these shootings by targeting kids from kindergarten that the government thinks they can control with drugs until the appropriate time--DerbyDude
Whatever. Tell the oompa loompa's hey for me. [/quote]. LtPPowell
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The tips I've given the guides I've been lucky enough to have are some of the best dollars I've ever spent.
Kurt
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Fair question -- and I don't know many guides who do it for the tip. It is simply one of those American foibles. . . In the end it is simply a matter of personal choice. No, it's more than that, Phil, it is a universal foible. It is universally recognized that some classes/occupations are tipped and some aren't. What is it about guiding that seems to relegate it to the category of needs to/must/should be tipped? Possibly it is the physical work/service aspect ? Guides are a funny mix in that they are hired both for their knowledge and expertise as well as for their service. Some clients want to be an integral part of the hunt and pitch in on everything and are usually a pleasure to hunt with -- while others expect you to wait on them hand and foot. Guess which one guides prefer ?
Phil Shoemaker Alaska Master Guide, Alaska Hunter Ed Instructor FAA Master pilot www.grizzlyskinsofalaska.comAnyone who claims the 30-06 is not effective has either not used one, or else is unwittingly commenting on their marksmanship.
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