Do You Tip a Coach Chauffeur?

Tipping can be a challenge for tourists when they are visiting an unfamiliar country – they don’t want to appear rude and ungrateful if they don’t tip but they don’t want to offend by offering money on the side either. Then there are the services you don’t use everyday such as hired coaches. Are coaches and chauffeurs accustomed to the same rules as other services?

Generally in the UK tipping is not expected quite as much as other places, the US for example. However, you may be getting charged a ‘tip’ in your bill anyway – it is in there as a ‘service charge’ usually around 15%. If you are at a restaurant or bar where you get no bill, 10-15% is around average and of course if you are exceptionally happy with the service, you can tip what you like.

Taxi drivers also expect a tip here, again 15% and maybe more if they have helped you with a lot of luggage or are waiting for you at several stops.

Tipping is basically a way for employees to supplement their wages and is an incentive for them to provide exceptional service as they will be rewarded for it. Tipping is generally only expected in places where the employees are on a minimum wage such as restaurants, it does however depend on the way each individual business is run.

Some coach hire companies will put in a service charge on your bill which negates the need for you to tip the driver, but is risky if you are unhappy with their service because they have already gotten their tip from you in the bill. Coach hire companies tend to put the tip cost into the bill so that the passengers rushing around on a special occasion don’t have to worry about carrying cash and tipping the driver.

If a tip is included in the total of your coach hire bill, you don’t know where the money is going. Hopefully it is being divided between everyone who had a part in preparing the coach and ensuring your experience was trouble free. Unfortunately other coach chauffeurs may see none of the tip if it is included in the bill. At the same time, if you tip the chauffeur directly, they are getting all of the tip and the rest of the coach hire team is getting none.

It really depends on the type of company, and if you see a service charge on your coach hire bill, ask what it is for and where it goes. Tips are generally an incentive for good service but in an industry like coach hire, each service the chauffeur carries out should be exceptional. So when you receive good service from a coach company and chauffeur, you can decide who you would like to reward.