Harry--There is no "fixed rule" for anything that is not required in one's daily regimen. For me, not tipping slot attendants is based - just as my video poker play is based - on simple common sense.
I have no concern over the pay scale of anyone, however, since I know that a waitress and a valet derive the majority of their pay from their tips and slot attendants do not, I can easily check off the first box of sensibility without regret. After that, multiple discussions/interviews with slot attendants for a column I did revealed that with their deepest honesty, they are in no way "rooting" for the players to hit big jackpots in their quest for a tip. They are in fact doint the exact opposite, regardless of what they may say and/or portray with their bubbly chatter and smiley faces as they take care of your win. Tips do enhance their earnings, yet losers secure their jobs along with a steady income. BTW--every one of the selection I talked to from 4 different casinos admitted to pouring the majority of their tips into the poker machines anyway. If you know me then you know I have absolutely no sympathy for gaming addicts.
I make an exceptional living directly from the machines, so I offer everyone my advice on playing as well as my views on tipping. Being at N/C, it is time well spent for me when I can help truly concerned people hold onto their money whilst learning how to consistently enjoy the game for their first time ever. For some, learning how to say no to casino tipping has opened a brand new door of sensibility to them. I've spent a lot of time with vpFREE "advantage players" this past year and I have quite a schedule lined up for 2009 already. Even though weaning them off of just sitting at machines playing optimal-play vp aimlessly for hours upon hours every casino visit is indeed a challenge, fine tuning their faulty reasoning behind tipping habits is almost always a tough nut to crack.
Most do say they "feel funny" not tipping but they won't reveal why. Having always been a decent service industry tipper but a "reformed" casino tipper for the past decade, casino attendant intimidation/arrogance (counting out the last hundred in 20's at many locations) is indeed a factor and, a sincere test of one's ability to learn to stand on their own two feet.
In my opinion, people who do not look at every aspect of gambling inside a casino as YOU vs. the CASINO period -- the casino of course not being merely the building, but those employed by the casino for the sole overall strategy of separating their customers from as much of their money as they can -- have not yet reached the pinnacle of what it takes to consistently beat the casinos on their own terms.
···
--- On Mon, 2/2/09, Harry Porter <harry.porter@verizon.net> wrote:
From: Harry Porter <harry.porter@verizon.net>
Subject: [FREEvpFREE] Re: Insurance Thread - Moved to FREEvpFREE
To: FREEvpFREE@yahoogroups.com
Date: Monday, February 2, 2009, 11:11 AM
Rob Singer wrote:
I do, however, agree 100% with your suggestion that casino
employees should not be tipped. Other than waitresses, bartenders
and valets, I haven't tipped one in 10 years. I don't tip my banker
nor do I tip the clerk at Walgreen's, and tipping casino floor
people and/or cashiers is simply a reaction to intimidation and/or
a weak constitution.
There is no fixed rule that would allow someone to know, merely by
off-hand observation, which service staff should be customarily
tipped. I'm not sure on what measure you've deemed that waitresses
and valets merit tips, but slot attendants do not.
The strongest convention I find by which to assess whether a tip is
customary is whether the employer leads the employee to believe that a
portion of their compensation will be in the form of tips. That's
certainly true of waitresses and many other hotel employees. I
guarantee that's true of slot attendants.
I can't necessarily fault you for not tossing a modest $20 or $50 to
someone handling a $20K hand pay (which, frankly, I see as a perfectly
reasonable amount to tip). But, in my book, not to tip is akin to
walking from a dinner without adding something to the check.
There's room to argue the appropriate amount to tip slot employees.
But, all things considered, it's difficult for me to fall in step with
the idea that no tip at all is appropriate. This isn't a consequence
of my not wanting to look shabby in the attendant's eyes -- I tip on
the casino floor under no more compulsion than when I tip restaurant
staff.
- Harry
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