charter tipping

[ohkwari09]

Just have a question for any one who cares to respond on tipping while on a charter. What is the correct etiquette for tipping the mate? Also is it normal to tip the Captain? I really appreciate any advice anyone could give me on this subject

[brucehookedup]

If the boat has just a captain you tip him. Restaurant rules apply, good trip, good tip, etc. When there is a mate you would tip accordingly to how things went on the boat, such as knowledge, helpful, funny, etc. Hope this helps. I am sure other people will chime in with their thoughts.

[DoghouseII]

As a part time mate on two boats, tipping accordingly to the fishing is what most people do. However, the mate works strictly on tips (on most boats) and working for 8-12 hours and getting a 40$ tip sucks. The captain and mate cannot make the fish bite and fishing is always fishing not catching.....so try to think of it in those terms as well as the other aspects of the trip as brucehookedup highlighted.

 

[rswanson330]

If I have a good day and the mate was helpful I tip 20% of my share of the charter.   If the mate was outstanding I'll tip 25%.  What I mean by that is if the charter was $800 and we split it between four of us, my share was $200.  I tip 20% of that; $40.  And I feel that I tip more than most.

 

Regarding the captain not paying the mate and a $40 tip sucks... I pay the captain for the charter.  He pays for everything else.  The mate gets what I consider a generous tip.  The deal he made with the captain regarding payment is not my concern.

[reeladdiction2]

Better trip better tip

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[reeladdiction2]

Or is it better tip better trip.....

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[jobsite]

With the cost of charters nowadays, I see no reason why the mate isnt receiving a paycheck from the "base rate". A tip is simply a tip. It should not be depended on as a paycheck. I find it wrong that people do business that way. That would be like me (construction business owner) giving a customer a price to put new siding on their house, they agree and pay a deposit, then when I show up to do the work I put up a sign saying "laborers work for tips" and the homeowner then having to pay 20% of my "contracted price" to pay my employee... even though we already agreed to a price that the job would cost. Doesnt make any sense to me. No matter what business it is - pricing should be clear and in print. Its more fair to everyone that way. Especially the mates. Then the mate gets paid even if the captain failed to find fish. This is the main reason I do not hire charter boats. I have heard of several charter captains complain when they dont get big tips. If you believe your service is worth more, raise the rates. If you want a "tip" provide exceptional service (conversation, education, sightseeing, etc) even if the fish arent biting.

Seems no matter where you go nowadays you see a tip jar out.

Edited May 9, 2014 by jobsite

[Delcojim]

I hate Tipping and also think that the mate should be paid by the captain. But because he generally isn't , if the mate is good , regardless of how well we did , I tip 15% , if he is very good 20%.

[Captain Carl Bish]

Lake Ontario charters are dirt cheap! If you are paying less than $800 for a day of fishing and you had fun...you should tip 20%

The one service I am most familiar with, the captain books the trip, makes lodging arrangements, sets lines, gasses and maintains the boat, cleans the limit of fish, Empties the head, cleans the boat and posts pictures on Facebook.

I think he deserves a $50 tip from each person onboard!

Oh...and he remembers who tips and who doesn't......just sayin'

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[jobsite]

I will put in an eight hour day of building a house, supplying liability, health, vehicle and workers comp insurance, state licensing, fuel to get me to and from the job site, all tools and tool maintenance, staging/ladders and it is three hundred per day. I dont know how 800 for a one day charter is dirt cheap? And then add 200 more for tip?? I can and do fuel my truck to drive from NH, rent a room for a week, fuel my boat and fish on my own for a full week for less than that charter cost. To whom is 800 dirt cheap? I do not agree with that statement at all. Dirt cheap to Donald Trump maybe. But there are a lot of people that love to fish, cant afford a boat and make only 300 per week. Explain how spending a weeks pay for an eight hour fishing trip (split with three other people) is dirt cheap please. Even if you toss in a nights stay - many many places out there are 30 per night per person. And you are seriously including posting photos on the internet as a job skill they should be thanked for? Those pictures are free advertising and with todays phones, it takes all of five seconds to post a photo.

[rustyrat]

I charge very little for my charters. I do not run a mate. Some folks tip, some do not. I dont care either way. But take my fuel, maintenance, repairs, tackle etc, I break even some years. It's up to the customer and I don't chastise them for not tipping. In fact some of my best customers do not tip ands that's just fine with me.

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[rustyrat]

And not including insurance and all those fees. It's up to the.customer.

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[Absolut40]

I will put in an eight hour day of building a house, supplying liability, health, vehicle and workers comp insurance, state licensing, fuel to get me to and from the job site, all tools and tool maintenance, staging/ladders and it is three hundred per day. I dont know how 800 for a one day charter is dirt cheap? And then add 200 more for tip?? I can and do fuel my truck to drive from NH, rent a room for a week, fuel my boat and fish on my own for a full week for less than that charter cost. To whom is 800 dirt cheap? I do not agree with that statement at all. Dirt cheap to Donald Trump maybe. But there are a lot of people that love to fish, cant afford a boat and make only 300 per week. Explain how spending a weeks pay for an eight hour fishing trip (split with three other people) is dirt cheap please. Even if you toss in a nights stay - many many places out there are 30 per night per person. And you are seriously including posting photos on the internet as a job skill they should be thanked for? Those pictures are free advertising and with todays phones, it takes all of five seconds to post a photo.

Could't have said it better myself

[Sk8man]

The age old practice of "tipping" in our society has always been an option and up to the customer not the service provider. I should think that many charter guys who are in the business for the right reasons would agree with that. Jobsite has made some very good points and has backed his opinion with very effective examples. The charter captains that I know and others I have known both on fresh water and salt water alike are in the business because they love what they are doing (i.e. fishing) and most are very good about sharing information and their knowledge and maintaining good customer relations so that they get return business and that word of mouth begets more business when customers are happy and satisfied....and that doesn't always mean just catching a whole bunch of fish. Good charter captains also treat their help fairly (where they have mates).

 

With that said, the northern climate (e.g. upstate NY) is not the most productive charter location (vs. Florida, California, etc.) considering the weather patterns (frequent high wind velocity, rough water etc.) and charters have to make their money during a very tight seasonal interval characterized by "blow -offs", "no shows" cancellations, and various other situational factors that affect their ability to make money. Many of the guys i have known have basically chartered to pay for their boats and equipment and perhaps make a little extra if they have a good year. There is also a lot of unseen things involved in the business which in other jobs might generate "overtime" pay. Something often forgotten by customers and charter "wannabees" alike is the time spent prepping the boat between and after customers leave, rigging/re-rigging of fishing equipment, mopping up puke, and all sorts of other things not encountered in most ordinary jobs.  When you figure up the time spent in total a full charter day may end up being an 18 hour day (counting travel etc.). When you add up the time, expense for fuel, equipment costs, none of these guys is making "NFL salaries"....it often amounts to tax "write -offs" for many depending on the year. I return to the issue at hand...."tipping" - if a captain is highly dependent on "tipping" to make his money there is either something wrong with his rates or changes are needed in his business plan.  For some folks going on charters just coming up with the basic money to do it (shared with others) is difficult and they may not have the money to throw around on exorbitant tips. From a business standpoint it doesn't seem to make good sense to make people "nervous" about the expectancy of large "tips"...it can be a business "killer" heading off potential customers and keeping others from repeating the experience of telling their friends how great the experience was...only that it was way too "expensive" (regardless of the actual cost). People never like to feel that they are being "pressured" to come up with money but they are much more amenable to "rewarding" service providers when they feel they should. Just my take on it....

Edited May 11, 2014 by Sk8man

[jobsite]

Well said, Sk8man.

To be clear, I definitely am not saying charter captains shouldnt charge for the behind the scenes labor... my main points were #1 -tipping should be voluntary. #2 - mates shouldnt depend solely on tips for a paycheck. #3 $800 base rate plus $200 tip is not "dirt cheap" for a day of trolling on Lake O. At least not to the average angler.

[reeladdiction2]

I have 40 grand invested. In the past 2 years. Fished oh maybe 15 times last year. And 3 this year. Still putting money in the boat. 2200 a trip. Should of just paid the 800 a trip would of caught more fish.

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[PeltHunter]

If your paying to go fishing you probably don't know all that much about fishing, thats why you're paying someone to take you. I understand that you're paying maybe 800 for a trip but you aren't going on a charter trip yourself, if you are you're probably a real prick and that explains why you don't want to give a tip, but honestly these captains aren't making a ton of money I've been with a few filling there boats up and they spent 700 bucks just in gas, then you have boat repairs, gear, wages for the mate theres a lot of cost in there so don't **** about the price to begin with. If you have a mate who is outgoing, gets the job done and provides a good day of fishing to you and your buddies I don't see why it would be a big deal to each throw him a 20 or 25 dollar tip they're providing you with a service and experience you probably couldn't provide for yourself and definitely not for $900 for a group of 4. We go on a charter trip every couple of years just to see what people are doing differently and where we could sharpen up and at minimal we all pitch in a couple dollars and give a $100 tip. Someone said above about people only making $300 a week not being able to afford it, well it may sound harsh but theres plenty of species of fish close to home that don't require charters to catch.

[PeltHunter]

And any "you'res" used in that post were meant overall not pointed at the OP.

[traveling man]

Lake Ontario charters are dirt cheap! If you are paying less than $800 for a day of fishing and you had fun...you should tip 20%

The one service I am most familiar with, the captain books the trip, makes lodging arrangements, sets lines, gasses and maintains the boat, cleans the limit of fish, Empties the head, cleans the boat and posts pictures on Facebook.

I think he deserves a $50 tip from each person onboard!

Oh...and he remembers who tips and who doesn't......just sayin'

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wow... good luck with your business. I will charter with scott. he has the right attitude. he will give everyone 100% everyday. just remember word of mouth is your best advertising.

[Sk8man]

Rustyrat does have the right attitude....and he is the kind of guy I'd be tipping generously. It is not always "all about the money".

[Captain Carl Bish]

I think most of you miss the point. $800 should be the minimum cost for a full day charter. The average paid charter on Lake Ontario is $200-300 less than that. If your on a boat paying $500 you better tip the guy because he is in fact making less than minimum wage.

wow... good luck with your business. I will charter with scott. he has the right attitude. he will give everyone 100% everyday. just remember word of mouth is your best advertising.

I thank you for your well wishes Chris, but I don't quite understand what would have offended you especially since you agree with me on tipping. Enjoy your day with Capt. Scott! Edited May 11, 2014 by Captain Carl Bish

[Has Been]

The problem w/ a salmon trolling charter is that the paying client  for the most part is just reeling in the fish He or she is not involved in the game plan or execution of it. Does not choose location , rod or lure selection ,set lines,  etc,They are not part of the "fishing" process. The client is part of the" catching "part. 

 

 That said ,being in const buisness for myself, I don't expect tips. I get them on occasion when the cliet feels maybe I went above & Beyond.

 

 That said I worked in a restaurant for years, my wife was a waitress & they were paid $1 less than minumum wage &  depended on tips. The cooks or owner did not get or expect tips.

 

 

   When I went on a head boat, I tip the mate. Not the captain.

 

 If Capt Carl feels that 800 should be the min . , the market will determine if it is or not.

Edited May 11, 2014 by Has Been

[Sk8man]

You know a way around this issue would be to do as some restaurants do with say Mother's Day Brunch....add an 18 percent gratuity to the base price upfront that way you go into it knowing exactly what the expectation is with no anxiety concerning "tipping". Many charters will frown on this practice because if they do it first and others don't then they may feel it inhibits business. It would however alleviate the problem itself as well as possible "hard feelings" and misunderstandings and level the playing field if done as a standard practice.

Edited May 11, 2014 by Sk8man

[Hookedup]

I've fished all over the world in just about every location my wife and I have traveled, even snuck out on two charters on the honeymoon . The guys in NY charge no where near what they should. I have paid 1500 to 2k for a full day trip in Alaska or for offshore fishing on the East coast and it is worth every dime. Now for tipping like said above everyone is different I'm a big tipper so we always hook up the mate and captain my main reason is I know what's involved and goes into the buisness. My advise is do what you feel is right and what you are comfortable with. If you have the trip of your life which you state to the Capt several times learn a bunch and put over 50 fish in the boat. Don't hand the Capt 20 bucks and say you guys did a great job go get a cup of coffee for you and your mate on me! As the mate hands you 50 pounds of perfectly packaged fish fillets that he just finished. . You might not find an opening with him the next year! LOL. On the other hand I've got tips so big I've tried to give some back it all works out in the end.

[screaming_reelz]

People will tip what they tip regardless of the service.   If you are not sure what to tip, ask what is the average tip is, that way you can gauge your service on that.