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Managers taking tips

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  • 13-05-2012 11:24am
    #1
    Geansai Rua
    Registered Users Posts: 343 ✭✭


    Hi there,

    I would love some advice on this issue as I havent found any useful info online yet.

    I work in a hotel, as a food and beverage assistant, mainly in the bar. We do many weddings in the hotel and never have seen a penny of tips left by brides and grooms.
    We all know that one manager in particular deals with the payment of these weddings and this is where a substantial tip does be left from the bride and groom. It is common knowledge amongst the staff that this is taken by the one manager.
    We know that there is tips left of great magnitude left as I have been told by many newlyweds that "make sure you get a bit of the tip we leave in the morning." on some occasions, the newlyweds would drunkenly tell us the amount they have left or are leaving and this is in the region of 300-700 euro each time.
    There has also been envelopes left with things like "thanks (manager name) for everything, here's a tip for all the staff".
    And we see nothing of it.

    Is there anything that can be done about this or is he within his rights as a manager?

    Thanks


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    #2
    Jim2007
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators Posts: 10,300 Mod ✭✭✭✭Jim2007


    I don't work in the hotel industry, but I do know someone who works at a well known 5 start hotel in the west of Ireland and who happens to deal a lot the financial side of wedding receptions. And one comment I've heard him say several times it that there is very little tipping at weddings! The fact is after shelling out for the wedding, couples don't have much money to throw around! In his case they have no introduced a service charge to ensure the staff get something...
    Geansai Rua wrote: »
    It is common knowledge amongst the staff that this is taken by the one manager.

    Just because people say it and "just know" it, does not make it true....
    Geansai Rua wrote: »
    There has also been envelopes left with things like "thanks (manager name) for everything, here's a tip for all the staff".

    Sorry but this just sounds a little too convenient, most people don't mention tips in a thank you notes and I'd suggest "here's a tip for the staff" would be more likely as the phrase... Unless you have actually seen it yourself, I'd be skeptical. And furthermore, if the manager had taken the tip, he hardly leave the envelope around... would he???

    People will say all kinds of things to give you the brush off - get some of the tip I'm leaving when i pay the bill etc... but in the cold light of day, the tip can very quickly evaporate.

    Another thing to consider is that the tip is included in the payment to the hotel and is being retained by your employers...

    Bottom line, I would be very carefully about making acquisitions that someone is misappropriating money, unless you have very solid evidence to start with, especially in the case of someone who is charged with handling money, it could end up costing you more than your job!


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    #3
    Milk & Honey
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,950 ✭✭✭Milk & Honey


    It is very common. Priests also take tips left for sacristans at weddings. masny people getting married are foolish and trusting and don't realise that not giving money directly to people who are intended to get it means that they will never get it.
    the manager has no rights to money left for the staff and is stealing it if he is getting money and not passing it on. Proving it will be difficult. The person who gave the tip will have to give evidence about it, the amount and the terms under which it was handed over.


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    #4
    Jim2007
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators Posts: 10,300 Mod ✭✭✭✭Jim2007


    Milk & Honey wrote: »
    Priests also take tips left for sacristans at weddings.

    And you saw them do this did you???


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    #5
    Milk & Honey
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,950 ✭✭✭Milk & Honey


    Jim2007 wrote: »
    And you saw them do this did you???

    I saw the money being handed over to them . I was told after by the sacristan that he never got it.


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    #6
    Jim2007
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators Posts: 10,300 Mod ✭✭✭✭Jim2007


    Milk & Honey wrote: »
    I saw the money being handed over to them . I was told after by the sacristan that he never got it.

    In that case, if it was me I would have reacted... but then that is me..


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    #7
    uck51js9zml2yt
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,268 ✭✭✭✭uck51js9zml2yt


    a friend who was a hotel receptionist told me the chamber maids don't get the tips.
    its taken by the supervisors who get to the rooms first.


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    #8
    Birdie086
    Registered Users Posts: 1,435 ✭✭✭Birdie086


    I manage quite a busy coffee shop, and we are fortunate enough to make good tips, which are shared based on hours worked ie part time or fulltime, half share or full share. To me it is the fairest way because every persons job is vital in the shop.

    Bear in mind thought I was reared in this type of job and even after getting a degree I fell back on what I knew. I worked in family business for quite sometime in service industry and that was my mother mantra and I believe in it. The person who washes dishes in my view is equally important to Front of House for example.

    If I am leaving a tip I always try to ensure by asking how are the tips divided. I will not leave a tip if I think it goes straight to managements pockets. Good management of staff is vital but so is everybody else in the chain.

    Just my two cents but having worked for years in service industry and having to put 'my game face' on for minimum wage I know it is tough and even though I am lucky enough to be at management level now I do appreciate the effort every single person on my team puts in and maybe it idealistic but I think managers everywhere need to remember this.

    Sorry for the rambling post(sunday night wine) but I really dislike tips not going to staff.


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    #9
    Kosseegan
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 987 ✭✭✭Kosseegan


    Milk & Honey wrote: »
    It is very common. Priests also take tips left for sacristans at weddings. masny people getting married are foolish and trusting and don't realise that not giving money directly to people who are intended to get it means that they will never get it.
    the manager has no rights to money left for the staff and is stealing it if he is getting money and not passing it on. Proving it will be difficult. The person who gave the tip will have to give evidence about it, the amount and the terms under which it was handed over.

    Yes. never give the altar boys money, or the sacristans money or the organists money to the priest. He will decide God has better uses for it.


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    #10
    ABajaninCork
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,411 ✭✭✭ABajaninCork


    Blimey! We must be the only mugs who left a tip at our wedding then! Do people here really not tip at weddings??

    I've noticed when booking ours that service is optional. So we took the view that as our hotel service was excellent, we left a 15% tip.

    WRT to the OP. I'm not sure how you approach this TBH. Unless you have hard evidence that tips are being taken, then I'm not sure you can do anything. It's awful to think that some people are so greedy...If the tips ARE being taken, then I hope Karma bites them hard on the behind.


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    #11
    Mrs OBumble
    Registered Users Posts: 25,966 ✭✭✭✭Mrs OBumble


    Kosseegan wrote: »
    Yes. never give the altar boys money, or the sacristans money or the organists money to the priest. He will decide God has better uses for it.

    The fee you agree with the organist (or any other musician you engage) should be given to the organist. That's just basic courtesy, and business practise, because it's not not a tip, its a FEE for their services, Unlike the OP, church musicians doesn't normally get paid an hourly rate for their time.


    OP - what does your contract say about tips? If they're not mentioned, and you are being paid the agreed hourly rate, then I can't see you have a leg to stand on.

    Frankly, you shouldn't expect people to be tipping when they're already paying a premium rate for things.


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    #12
    Kosseegan
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 987 ✭✭✭Kosseegan


    JustMary wrote: »
    The fee you agree with the organist (or any other musician you engage) should be given to the organist. That's just basic courtesy, and business practise, because it's not not a tip, its a FEE for their services, Unlike the OP, church musicians doesn't normally get paid an hourly rate for their time.


    Some people (foolishly) give the money to the priest to pass on. There is a lot of activity at the church after the ceremony. SIgning the register, photocalls and other palaver. The couple are often innundated with people shaking hands as well. It is easy to let one's guard down and trust the priest.

    If money is handed over under conditions then the person accepting is obliged under constructive trust to pass it on. It is simple theft not to pas on the money.


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    #13
    Darkglasses
    Registered Users Posts: 14,526 ✭✭✭✭Darkglasses


    Geansai Rua wrote: »
    Hi there,

    I would love some advice on this issue as I havent found any useful info online yet.

    I work in a hotel, as a food and beverage assistant, mainly in the bar. We do many weddings in the hotel and never have seen a penny of tips left by brides and grooms.
    We all know that one manager in particular deals with the payment of these weddings and this is where a substantial tip does be left from the bride and groom. It is common knowledge amongst the staff that this is taken by the one manager.
    We know that there is tips left of great magnitude left as I have been told by many newlyweds that "make sure you get a bit of the tip we leave in the morning." on some occasions, the newlyweds would drunkenly tell us the amount they have left or are leaving and this is in the region of 300-700 euro each time.
    There has also been envelopes left with things like "thanks (manager name) for everything, here's a tip for all the staff".
    And we see nothing of it.

    Is there anything that can be done about this or is he within his rights as a manager?

    Thanks

    Back to the original query, I also regularly work at weddings, and it is also common knowledge where I work that significant tips are left by the wedding party, which are put into the till rather than given to the staff. I strongly suspect it is common practice. We will only get a tip, either in it's entirety or at all, if it is given directly to us by the customer. Otherwise, it gets kept by the manager under the premise of "it's for the Christmas party" or something similar. I don't really have a clue about how legal any of this behaviour is.

    Hotels in general aren't renowned for their treatment of staff however. Where I work is relatively good to the staff, so I won't be kicking up a fuss. Also, being on a part-time contract, my hours can disappear at any time for any reason.


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    #14
    tatli_lokma
    Registered Users Posts: 3,332 ✭✭✭tatli_lokma


    have a look on the weddings and civil marriage forum - it appears that many many people DO NOT tip waiting and bar staff after a wedding. And certainly to give €700 would be really out of the ordinary. We tipped, but gave €5-10 per staff member (lounge staff included) - so unless there is a staff of 70 looking after the wedding I can't possibly conceive of anyone leaving a €700 tip. Just because drunk couples say they'll give a tip doesn't mean they will.

    Having said all that, with friends who work in the hospitality industry, I believe it is not uncommon for tips to go back to the hotel or straight to the manager - this seems to be quite usualy practice.
    This is why, when we did leave a tip after our wedding we gave the waiting staff tips directly to one of the waitresses and and the bar staff tip to the bar man - we didn't leave it with the bill when we settled up!


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