What is going on with tipping culture in the hunting industry?

[MS 9x56]

If they provide superior service they deserve a higher tip. On the other hand if they provide substandard service no tip should be expected or paid. If they threaten that you will be dropped as a client I would tell them “what makes you think I would ever rebook with you for such shoddy service?” It is up to the client, not the outfitter to decide.

 

[mark-hunter]

What is overall opinion on tipping after unsuccessful hunt?

This subject was not much covered in famous tipping thread. I am divided on that.

 

[375Fox]

What is overall opinion on tipping after unsuccessful hunt?

This subject was not much covered in famous tipping thread. I am divided on that.

Tipping is for the effort not the animal. I’d be more inclined to tip higher on an unsuccessful hunt where guide worked hard than a hunt where I finished on day 1. The guide can’t control the weather or animal movements especially on North American hunts with short seasons and tags for specific areas.

 

[Mountaineer]

I stopped to pick up a pizza and the preselected tip is 18%. I bet the owner wishes they made 18% profit. I fiddled with the screen until I got it changed. Anyway I’m done with the tipping culture. I was on a safari where the driver made the hunt great. His personality and ability to spot game was great. I tipped him way more than the ph. He performed with great skill outside his job description. Those efforts are really what tipping is about.

 

[kukusya]

Tipping culture has gotten out of hand. People need to understand don’t demand from customers to make up the income difference. Restaurants are now adding a 25% gratuity for parties of five or more. At a beauty salon, my wife was asked about her planned tip amount as soon as she checked in. Even my last guided deer 2x1 hunt was disappointing the guide simply dropped everyone off at their assigned blinds and left for the day. No deer was at sight, and of course tipping was expected.

 

[Bandera]

Tipping is out of hand. Last night closed out the tab at the bar. The preselect started at 20%. I selected the custom and did 10%. When is pouring a beer or a whiskey on the rocks a 20% or higher tip?
I do not mind tipping if the service is good.
I despise an expected tip.

 

[Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS]

I agree on a lot of this
I really deapise this topic
I always tell all my staff
A tip is a tip
Expect nothing and u cannot be dissapointed
For the clients i tell them to tip what they feel correct, i will not recommend an amount
Theonly thing i prefer they sit with me or their ph so if they tip they do not forget any unseen members of staff

And i always tell my phs
We as phs cannot perform at our best without good trackers, drivers, skinners, chef etc etc
So they need to make sure there team is happy and taken care of before the ph

Regards

 

[Philip Glass]

What is going on with tipping culture in the hunting industry?

I have always been a person who has tipped well, typically quite a bit higher than what I have seen from others, this is true from restaurants to hunting. I generally enjoy tipping well.

However, recently I have noticed a trend with outfitters of “recommending” a tipping percentage. A lot of times the tipping percentage starts at around 20% as the low end.

I have especially noticed it for North American hunts or outfits in other countries owned by US residents.

The recommendation from the outfitter often goes something like this: “I often get asked how much to tip your guide, I would recommend 18-25% for an average hunt and 30% or greater for a spectacular hunt or if you get a spectacular trophy animal”. I have even seen some where they have outright said that if you tip below 15-20% they will expect that you won’t be booking with them again. Which of course, reading between the lines is saying you will be fired as a client if you don’t tip at least 15%.

Of course there is almost always a blurb in there about how your tip should not depend on success and you should still tip very well even if you don’t have success. This is always a bit of a paradox considering they also point out that you should definitely tip more if you get an animal, especially a good trophy animal. I am still trying to figure out how that works…..

All of this comes at the same time as guided hunting prices doubling and tripling in price within a very short time. The price of the hunt doubling or tripling like that already doubles or triples the average tip, but now the hunter is being told that around 20% is basement level tipping on top of their hunt.

This means that if a person books a 5 day $10,000 mule deer hunt. Their base tip, whether successful or not, should be around $2,000. So, they expect AT LEAST $400/day tip. And if you are successful you should bump that up to at least $3,000; $500/day tip.

As a person that already tends to tip well, reading that type of stuff makes me feel like good tips aren’t even appreciated, they are just expected. If that is the case, then just put the cost into the price of the trip and be done with it.

I am a 10% guy for the most part. Much More than that and we are just paying peoples salaries.

 

[LivingTheDream]

I am a 10% guy for the most part.

I always try to stay around 10% and divide it up amongst the people that helped me.

In NA, I have done 10% to the guide and maybe a couple 100 to the cook depending on how good the food/effort was.

If an outfitter told me 30%, I would probably laugh at them.

 

[uplander01]

Someone needs to tell these North American outfitters they're not supposed to be as rich as the guys flying in on their own planes for a 100k sheep hunt. Neither are the African PH's, but I guess if you can get away with it, what can you say? The cost of all this shit is one of the contributing factors to it going away. What you used to be able to do in Africa for 12k start to finish including airfare is now 24k, if anyone thinks that can double again in the next 10 years and still exist for anyone other than the extremely wealthy, you're crazy.

 

[Hooknbullet2]

I’m about to depart on a 4 day dove hunt to Argentina. I received an email from the outfitter stating that we needed to bring $1000 per person for tips.

 

[Sabre]

I think most tips have crept up after Covid. I noticed at restaurants they started recommending 18-25% tips on some of the bills. It used to be 10-20%.

I think it comes from a desire to elevate wages to match inflation, but at the customer discretion. Most people are over paying inflated prices, but tips have an emotional factor that often strikes at the generosity chord. I could be wrong, but that’s how it seems.

I do feel like this is when I saw a large jump in "expected tips". I think a couple things probably contributed to it around covid. One was that so many places shut down temporarily, or for years. So then when they reopened they were trying to make up for lost revenue and staff wages. And another was that during covid, you saw a big push for people to go into places that were at risk of going out of business that they liked and leave huge tips to try and keep the employees and business afloat.

I feel like those were two pretty big contributors to the situation we see now where tips aren't only expected, but giant tips are expected. It seems to have changed to where people who work in an industry where tips are relatively common have now come to see extreme tips as the norm and anything less is a slap in the face.

Look at all the videos you see online of food delivery workers spitting in food and cussing out customers because they "only left 20%".

 

[Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS]

Not so sure
How doesleaving a tip keep the business afloat??

 

[CamoManJ]

I also despise this topic…such a headache. I choose only participate to represent, IMO, in defending fairness of the paying customer/client and to preserve what a tip should always be about.

I do my best to tip fair…just one rule for me: it’s my decision on how much, when, where and to whom. Suggestions unsolicited on tipping is unacceptable to me. I expect a service provider to be fair with me in this regard, as a paying customer/client. It’s a reward for above and beyond service at the discretion of the customer/client…NEVER an expectation nor requirement.

 

[archer36]

Tipping is required because the person is underpaid. One way or another, it costs you. If they were paid well, the cost would be higher. It's a hidden cost. The only one that could lose/gain is the person relying on it. I don't believe in a 20 percent minimum. That's just something pulled out of their butt. In the US, it's expected. I don't tip more. I realize that the worker depends on it. I had a service type business for 20 years. Some people tipped and most did not. I never expected it. I was surprised if I got it but I determined my compensation in advance. In my opinion, 10-20 percent is fair.

 

[dchamp]

I did an elk hunt a couple of years ago where the outfitter left me a paper about his rules for the hunt and lodge and the expected minimum 20+% tip to be left for the guide. I left that tip but will never go back and hunt with that outfit again.

 

[archer36]

I’m about to depart on a 4 day dove hunt to Argentina. I received an email from the outfitter stating that we needed to bring $1000 per person for tips.

A $1,000 tip for 4 days would probably support their whole family for a month. That's ridiculous.

 

[archer36]

I did an elk hunt a couple of years ago where the outfitter left me a paper about his rules for the hunt and lodge and the expected minimum 20+% tip to be left for the guide. I left that tip but will never go back and hunt with that outfit again.

It's possible that he doesn't even pay the guide. Ridiculous.

 

[BJH65]

I find these threads on tipping of value, I was honestly not sure on what to tip on our last 6 day hunt in Limpopo last year since it came together very quickly, not as much time for pre planning and well I just didn’t thoroughly research what hunters were exactly tipping in Africa. Prior to that, our last African hunt was 27 years prior, no recollection of what we tipped then, too long ago. The cost of this past hunt was $8200 and I gave a bit over 26% tips divided up by the following: 1-PH $1000, 1-Asst PH helped for several days $200, 1- cameraman $200, 1 tracker/skinner $200, 1- cook $180, 1-laundry/housekeeping $180, PH wife/hostess/mgr.$180, 1-groundsman $40 for total $2180 in tips. I did not include some Mora knives to several of the above and candy for PH’s kids as tips, those were just gifts.

I’m not including the additional tips, about $140 to airport porters and Bruce from Gracy Travel who handled weapons permit process, reserving room when flight cancelled etc. Overall, after returning and having more time to read through these threads on tipping, it seems I was a bit overly generous, but did feel all were deserving and earned it. I wasn’t told what to tip ever and by the expressions I saw on some faces and profuse thanks from some, I guess I was overly generous on some.

So we go back to Limpopo in 2026 on a 10 day hunt with 2 DG animals on the menu, the hunt cost will be 2 1/2 to 3 times more and I have a much better idea on tipping now from this site so perhaps not a 26% tip this time, I’ll just plan on set amounts and not worry about percentages. Again, no regrets, these folks were really hardworking and wonderful people. I think just tip with what you’re comfortable with, it’s a personal thing.

 

[Brent in Az]

The tipping culture, especially in the USA, has gotten ridiculous. I don't mind giving a good tip, but 30%? I dont think so.

a 20% Tip on a full bag safari of $80,000 is $16,000. That's a lot.