Bonaire in 13 days and another question

[stortecky]

I completely disagree with you. I get tanks filled from my local dive shop in Wisconsin and I never once think of tipping them. They are providing you a service that you pay for, if they do it badly you take your business else where and if the service is great you keep coming back. I think that extra service a place provides is valuable and I am willing to pay more for it. I think it is ridiculous for everyone to expect a tip for just doing their job.

 

[driftin' by]

I think it is ridiculous for everyone to expect a tip for just doing their job.

ME TOO! I hate the tip jar at Starbucks after forking over $2.25 for a cup of coffee! On the other hand, those that work at Starbucks are not exploited and are fairly, if not overly compensated with benefits. Unfortunately, the same is not true in many of the 2nd or 3rd world countries we divers have to trek to for great diving. I'm not sure about Bonaire, but I know in Mexico that most waiters make $8 USD per WEEK. Mind you, that is a 6 day, 10-12 hours per day, week. I'm sure wages, benefits and employee rights in Bonaire are also far below that of us in the States.
The guy sitting cool managing the desk receiving your paperwork wouldn't deserve a tip in my opinion because of the amount of interaction, what you stand to benefit from giving the tip and the lack of physical exertion his role requires. Much less these are customer facing people who besides have customer relations skills can probably speak several different languages and is a person of trust in their role capable and required to make decision as well as have access to the cash drawer and shop keys. In these locales, these kind of skilled and dependable employees are much more well compensated than the tank guys. YMMV.

 

[oly5050user]

Really... that is just your opinion. Should I tip the guy that hands me the weights, the person that gave me the forms to fill out in the dive shop, the guy that did the orientation...? The list could go on and on.

Are you one of those who ask the "guy" handing out weights how much weight do you think you need?
tip as you comfortable doing...the guy that did the orientation also most likely is the dm/capt/tank fill guy,could be "watch the tourist divers" guy at the dock to be sure no one drowns themselves. A very good friend of mine did just that at Capt Don Habitat years ago and saved the "tourist divers" more than once.It is ALL a team effort to accomodate as many people efficiently as is done day in and day out. As I said we collect a tip for all the staff in a a group and have the manager distribute it.If you choose not to leave a gratuity,don't.I know when I get exceptional service and choose to reward those that deliver.Very often in is returned to me in ways such as a comp day of diving at no charge or some requested favor fulfilled. I had one person last year choose not to participate to leave a gratuity for the staff at the resort-he wanted to go again this year with us and I politely informed him that the trip is filled and there is no space for him at this time.This is the same person who threw a hissy fit about a room not being ready at 4:30 am on arrival and constantly complained to all that people were avoiding him. He actually assaulted one of the poor housekeeping staff and I advised the resort to have him arrested,which they declined to do ,out of their extreme ability to be polite.Seems the people who demand/need the most help are the same ones who do not show any gratuities for the staff there that assists them .

 

[flatwood]

In a place like Bonaire where I'm doing shore and boat dives, I tip the DMs and the maids seperatly from the group tip that I leave at the resort for everyone else. The last three trips that I've been to Buddys I've had the same maids and they remember me well and I've never had anything missing from my room. Go figure.

 

[Waterskier1]

What is the appropriate amount and time to tip the "tank waiter" when shore diving exclusively? I don't use their rinse tanks, take boat dives, and they don't load the tanks for me. It's a 24 hour operation, although it is unattended when they are not actively filling tanks.

I understand tipping the maid, wait server at meals, DM's (whether on boat or shore dives), etc. But it never occurred (and I fell bad if I should have been) tipping for the tanks I pick up and load/unload for the shore dives. There have always been tanks available, no mater when I went, so I guess I just felt this was business as normal. Do you tip by the tank? the day? week?

It seemed kind of like having gas at the pump at my local self-service gas station. I swipe my card, fill my tank, wash my windows if available, and go. I never thought to tip someone inside or the driver of the tanker who filled those tanks and is immediately available to tip.

Please, I'm not complaining. I just don't know the etiquette for tipping when shore diving and only using the dive ops tanks and weight/belts.

 

[keytofreedom]

Waterskier1 - We always tip the tank guys, but that's just us. I wish everyone would have compassion for them but not everyone will and, then again, not everyone can afford to tip in a situation when it's possibly not expected. At Carib Inn, where we trade while on Bonaire, there are three guys who do all the air fills and odd jobs around the place. They don't work in the dive shop; they don't do boat dives; but yet they are the ones we, personally, have the most contact with as we only do shore dives and are constantly dropping off and picking up tanks. One of these guys is deaf and mute. He goes so far and above the call of duty to try to communicate with us. He always has a humongous smile on his face and, yet, his job is hard, hot and tedious. I know he's probably not compensated like the DMs, but his smile and attitude surpasses theirs and since that's what MAKES a customer-related business, I try to let him know, with my wallet, how much I appreciate him. I can't wait to give him his tip at the end of my four weeks here and, hopefully, make his week. Yet I know that smile of his will be there whether I tip or not.

 

[Waterskier1]

Waterskier1 - We always tip the tank guys, but that's just us.......

How much? By the tank?, the day?, the week? Also, are they always around when you pick up your tanks? WannaDive has some locations where they drop off tanks (not sure when, never saw them) and pick up the used ones. Even at their main compressor location (Eden Beach), unless it's early in the morning, you won't always find someone filling tanks. And I'd say about 1/2 the time it's Bob or Bart (the owners).

I'm not trying to find excuses, just trying to understand the logistics when there is no face-to-face contact at locations where the tanks are available 24 hours a day.

 

[keytofreedom]

We've never really discussed this with other divers, here, so what we give is just arbitrary, but we thought $10-$15 each per week was appropriate. We stay 4 weeks so, we gave them $40 each when we left. This year we've decided to give Edward, the deaf man who lights up when he sees us (and maybe the reason he remembers us from year to year is because we always tip him) a considerably bigger tip this year just because he puts forth that extra effort. I know a lot of places around here don't have tank guys around all the time but Carib does and that is basically their job, so our situation here is likely different than yours at WannaDive or folks at the drive through at Buddy's. We're really working on our compassion and gratitude components and this one feels like a no-brainer. Edward is just a sweet, hard-working, deserving person. If he could get enough tips, maybe HE could go on a vacation one day!

 

[Martha]

Are you one of those who ask the "guy" handing out weights how much weight do you think you need?
tip as you comfortable doing...the guy that did the orientation also most likely is the dm/capt/tank fill guy,could be "watch the tourist divers" guy at the dock to be sure no one drowns themselves. A very good friend of mine did just that at Capt Don Habitat years ago and saved the "tourist divers" more than once.It is ALL a team effort to accomodate as many people efficiently as is done day in and day out. As I said we collect a tip for all the staff in a a group and have the manager distribute it.If you choose not to leave a gratuity,don't.I know when I get exceptional service and choose to reward those that deliver.Very often in is returned to me in ways such as a comp day of diving at no charge or some requested favor fulfilled. I had one person last year choose not to participate to leave a gratuity for the staff at the resort-he wanted to go again this year with us and I politely informed him that the trip is filled and there is no space for him at this time.This is the same person who threw a hissy fit about a room not being ready at 4:30 am on arrival and constantly complained to all that people were avoiding him. He actually assaulted one of the poor housekeeping staff and I advised the resort to have him arrested,which they declined to do ,out of their extreme ability to be polite.Seems the people who demand/need the most help are the same ones who do not show any gratuities for the staff there that assists them .

No, I'm not someone who asks the "guy" handing out weights how much I need. I know exactly how much weight I need. Nor am I a "tourist diver" or someone who skimps on tipping people. It NEVER crossed my mind to tip the guys that fill the tanks. Until your post (which I found rather rude), I had never heard of that before. Furthermore, I have never stayed at any of the "dive resorts", so my interaction with the people that work there is very limited.

 

[Bosun]

For diving we give tips to individuals who have given us great service/help/advice etc. and then give a group tip via the tip box in the dive shop or the dive manager.