Tipping While Traveling: Why It's More Important Than Ever

Many service workers have faced challenges these past years that many of us haven't had to face: working in a public-facing job that ensured close contact with people and therefore a higher chance of catching COVID-19, as well as shortages and the other challenges the pandemic brought.

Eric Plam, CEO of Uptip, a new way to tip service workers, shares his insights into tipping service workers and why tipping during your travels is more important than ever.

TravelPulse (TP): Tipping has always been a way to thank and appreciate essential workers. Has tipping changed through the pandemic?

Eric Plam (EP): After more than two years of pandemic, most of us are eager to get back to traveling the world. The problem is that the travel and hospitality businesses have changed dramatically. With fewer travelers on the road and a serious shortage of workers, service levels have declined. For example, in many hotels housekeeping only cleans the room initially, not during your stay. At the same time because of inflation, service workers are getting pinched in the wallet. For these reasons, it's important to adapt your tipping behavior to meet the changing times.

TP: Why is it important to continue tipping essential workers, especially in the travel industry?

EP: Here are three reasons to tip early and often while you're traveling:
- Necessity: service workers often make minimum wage and count on tips to supplement their income. They're out in the front lines of the travel industry during a pandemic. We need to take care of them as they are doing for us.
- Generosity: many of us are fortunate to be able to work remotely from home, on the road, or at an exotic beach resort! Service workers don't have that luxury. Share some of the good fortune you've had with the people that are trying to make your travels enjoyable.
- Priority: instead of tipping after a service has been rendered, try to tip up front. Why? You're competing with other travelers for the best seat at the restaurant, an upgraded room, a speedy return of your car from valet. Why not tip first to get to the front of the line?

TP: Pardon the pun, but what are your tips on tipping in the travel industry this year?

EP: Here are some pro tips for tipping:
- Plan ahead: carry different denominations of cash so you can tip appropriately. If you're traveling internationally remember to get small denominations of the local currency.
- Give larger tips around holidays (if you can afford it), when crowds and stress levels are high: workers need the boost, and it feels good to be generous!
- Be careful about using Venmo or Paypal for tipping, since your privacy could be compromised by sharing your personal details with people you barely know.

TP: What is Uptip? How does it work, and why should travelers use it?

EP: Since the world is quickly becoming cashless, it's important that we establish new and improved ways to tip the people that help us. Uptip has developed an innovative smartphone and QR code based system that enables you to provide a tip and five-star rating to workers who have provided you great service. Uptip partners with leading hotel, valet parking, delivery and other service companies to increase income and job satisfaction for their employees.

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