Vegas Sandwich

A rant on tipping...

So this isn't a recipe per se -- and yet it is.  It is a recipe for good things to happen to you.
A recent rip to Vegas sparked some thoughts about tipping in America.  But first the backstory.

We drive to Vegas at the crack of dawn to get an extra full day there.  Typically J leaves around 4 and I leave just before 5am.  We meet at Mon Ami Gabbi (Paris) for breakfast and to start the day. This time J mentions that he has read about the "Vegas Sandwich."

You'll need;

• Your ID
• Your credit card
• A $20 bill ($50 optional)

Put the $20 between your ID and credit card and hand it to the agent when you check in to your hotel.  Ask at this point if there are any upgrades available (or some other vague request).  Make no specific mention of the Jackson.

One of a few things can happen at this point.  The worst is that the agent is unable to do anything for you and pockets your cash.  That's right, you just wasted $20.  However, you have helped out someone who is probably struggling in a crappy, tourist-driven economy in a godforsaken desert.  That beats losing two hands of Blackjack.

The weirdest would be if they gave your money back to you. "This really isn't necessary, Sir." Or perhaps they fling it back to you with a sneer that says "Try $100 next time."

Most likely they will pocket your contribution and pull some strings to get the best room in the situation.  This is what happened to us three times this last weekend.

• D and I were using a free room promotion at the SLS but wanted to check in at 10am instead of waiting til 3pm.  After the sandwich we were in with a high floor and an upgraded view.  I believe that the sandwich (and maybe the fact that it was Wed) made that a reality.  
• J used a sandwich at Flamingo and although he had an upgraded room already booked, was given a garden /pool view.
• When we moved to the Linq for the rest of the weekend I dropped D off to register while I got the bags to the bellman and parked the 'Burban.  By the time I meet her at the registration desk she has sandwiched us into early check-in, and a pool view petite suite.  D laughed that the line attendant indicated that it was too early to check in without paying a $30 fee.  (Note that the sandwich was cheaper than the fee)

So the question is did the $20 really do all this or was it going to happen anyhow.  We will never know.  This question is one asked of organized religions every day.  Much like religion, it is a cost/benefit analysis.  Can you afford to throw away $20 on an increased chance that you will have good things happen to you at the registration desk?  Yes you can.

Travel experts point out that reservation clerks have tremendous latitude and you want them seeing you as not just another piece of cattle.  (Women with big boobs have known this for years)  However, this brings up the whole notion of tipping.  I'm not talking about the Reservoir Dogs tipping rant, I mean a real exploration of how this thing works.

This isn't just my opinion here, I want to hear what you have to say when I'm done.

First off some terms.  Tipping can mean both gratuities after service and tips given a-priori in the hopes of exceptional service.  Institutionalized tipping is the social construct whereby the price of goods and services has a mandatory and optional part.  The optional part is the tip.

A-priori is the essence of tipping.  You are giving something with absolutely no guarantee that you will get something in return.  Nobody has told you that it is required and so it is the ultimate gift.  If this were the only kind of tipping then I doubt that there would be a debate about it. Pay it forward in daily life. 

After service tips are still okay in my book.  As I framed it above, there are two parts to the price and we pay accordingly.  When service/sale has been rendered the payer can send a non verbal message about the state of service by altering the optional part.  There are societal suggested amounts, but the amount is entirely up to the one with the wallet out.  This is the first place that we get in trouble.

You see, as long as everyone sees it the same way then we will all get along, but not everyone does.  Servers see 15% as a minimum tip, not a recommended one.  Cheapskates see tips as completely optional.  Uncle Sam sees tips as part of one's salary. Barbacks see the Bartenders tips as part theirs. Denny's waitresses see that quarter under the water glass as decidedly not funny.  And the market has a hell of a time pricing goods and services when the error bars on the data are half the data.

Case in point.  I was talking to the cabbie in Vegas and he was regaling me with a story of some gorls who got picked up at one hotel, had to go the bank to get a new credit card (while he waited) and then to a restaurant or club.  He scoffed that the tip was only $3.  So I asked him how much the ride cost.  $30 he said.  Gulp.  I typically tip 10% on cab rides.  Did he expect the congressional medal of honor for wating outside Citibank?  IDK.

So would it be easier to have no tipping whatsoever?  Maybe, but a hell of a lot less fun.  I will start the discussion with a quick list of my tipping tendencies and you folks should reply as needed in the (sporadically moderated) comments section.

• Meals: 15% to 20% with 20 for good service and 15 for bad.
• Taxi rides: 10% or $5 whichever is more.
• Dealers (casino): One wager amount if I had a good run and won something.  So $5 to my roulette croupier if I hit my number early.
• Haircuts: 15% (or 20% if she's cute).  I tip $2 on my $8-$10 cuts even if the barber is an ex-marine.
• Service calls: An Abe or Sawbuck if it is hot or yucky.  $20 if the guy cuts me a deal on a part or saves me $100.
• Bellmen/Skycaps: $1/bag or $5 for less than 5 bags.
• Bars: $1/drink unless I am being a PITA -- then 10%.  I will not tip 20% on your $18 "signature cocktail." (BTW I was taught 10% on alcohol and 15% on food)
• Valet: $1-$5 when I get my car depending on speed of service.
• Housekeeping: $5 to $10 per day at end of stay if I needed housekeeping at all. Frequently I leave nothing because I never use service on short stays)
• Doorman/Taxi attendant: $1 -- I know a nutless monkey could do this job, but a good doorman needs to be kept in place.
• Car Wash: $3 unless the windows are actually streak free and I can tell -- then $5.
• Maitre'd: Nothing usually but $10 to $20 if it is a view restaurant and I'd like that view.