Name:	LakeMartinLife -	Reply
Subject:	Marina Tipping Question
Date:	6/2/2017 1:01:54 PM

What do you all generally tip when filling up a boat at a marina?  Assuming good service.  Being new to the lake didn't know what standard was for something like that.

By the way this site has been very helpful on recommendations and suggestions. I appreciate the regular contributors here.  I survived my first Memorial Day here but I now get how it is nice when the crowd leaves. :)

Name:	John C -	Reply
Subject:	Marina Tipping Question
Date:	6/2/2017 2:13:32 PM

Excellent question! I would be really interested to see what everyone says on this. I think you have 2 tippable scenarios at a marina: 1) getting gas 2) getting your boat out if you dry store it at the marina

My thoughts on this are pretty biased because I make my living at the lake selling real estate. To some degree I really need the help of folks at the marina to make this go smoothly. Therefore, when I tip, I do it somewhat to try and ensure some attention not for this trip, but for the next trip. Even if the current trip is casual, I might have real estate clients next time and really need some snappy service.

That being said:

1. Gas- when I fill up I usually tip $5. I'm usually getting about $30 or so worth of gas so to me it's worth that.

2. Putting the boat in- my marina has changed up the way they do this recently. They used to have one young man that put the boat in and he would take my cover off, set up my bimini, etc. It was nice. I would tip him $5. Every now and then I would tip the forklift guy $20. Last summer it got kinda sloppy (messed up my boat, late putting it in, etc) so I quit tipping on that. Now they get my boat in earlier and I am really not sure who is doing the boat work so I am trying to figure out this summer. 

The other day I gave a buddy a hard time about tipping $1 on a $20 gas bill, but in general I think that any amount is appreciated because I figure 80% don't tip at all. Just hazarding a guess. 

Name:	Rooster -	Reply
Subject:	Marina Tipping Question
Date:	6/2/2017 6:25:50 PM (updated 6/2/2017 6:33:02 PM)

$5.00 a fillup is good tip no matter what the total bill for gas.  Add extra if if they bring you ice etc.  now, if they spill the gas on your boat and don't wipe it off, make a downward adjustment.  As J said, anything beats nothing , but I personally want them to remember me.

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	Marina Tipping Question
Date:	6/2/2017 7:24:53 PM

Always tip about $5 or so, on gas service.  These are usually HS and college  kids who are trying to earn some extra money, and I admire that. 

I guess my rule is that I always tip whenever a service is being provided, unless they are being performed by permanent employees of the marina. 

Name:	sunover473 -	Reply
Subject:	Marina Tipping Question
Date:	6/3/2017 3:49:21 PM

Our teenage son was a dock hand for the last couple years. They make minimum wage and it's a hot job in the heat all day. They literally burn off the bottoms of their tennis shoes from the heat of the concrete. They were buying their own waters because they simply couldn't keep enough cold that they'd carried from home, so they appreciated when they were given a cold drink. I hope no one offers them any beer, they are mostly high school kids and Auburn students saving up for the year. He would usually get tips from $5-10 per Waverunner and boat, sometimes more for big boats. I was always worried that he'd pull something lifting a full Waverunner of adults up off those ramps. If someone wanted their boat put up and asked for their covers to be put on, help loading at the ramp, help carrying their stuff to their car  or other things they'd tip a lot more. He was a hard worker and we soaked a lot shoes and clothes to get the gas out every weekend. If you feel the dock hand went above normal service to catch your boat from being banged up or held your boat in the heat while your family shopped inside or he ran back and forth getting ice creams for your kids, tip appropriately. Some of them work pretty hard in the summer heat. 

Name:	Mack -	Reply
Subject:	Marina Tipping Question
Date:	6/3/2017 6:24:02 PM

We do not go through a lot of fuel every week in our toon, so our trips to the marina are sparse. And, the last few times we have gone to the marina for fuel, nobody caught our boat or helped tie it up. Or pumped our gas, or pretty much nothing that could be considered "tippable".

This was at Parker Creek Marina. Is that unusual to you volume users? Just catching me and tying me down is a big help worth a generous thank you. Wrong time? Wrong day? What?

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	Marina Tipping Question
Date:	6/4/2017 12:26:26 AM

I didn't know they did all those things.  For us, it's just gas.  But if the boat hands are being used for personal services, then yes a much larger tip is in order. 

Name:	Blue Creek -	Reply
Subject:	Marina Tipping Question
Date:	6/11/2017 2:21:53 AM

Having a daughter at Auburn and going to have three daughters at Auburn this fall I understand the need for tips for those working for them.  First of all, I have the utmost respect and admiration for a high school or college student getting out there and working for money instead of getting it from mom and dad or stealing it.  In today' society, that mindset should be rewarded.  I like to tip at least $5 for a gas fill-up.  My tips are sometimes based on the weather.  If it's scalding hot, I will tip better if nothing else to let them know I admire and respect them for having a job and EARNING money.  I always try to be a model customer too.  You'd be surprised at how far that goes with them as far as how they will treat you the next time they see you.  I saw a man literally yelling at a young man for not catching his boat when he pulled in to the gas dock.  He hit rather hard and me being me I laughed and said "maybe you should learn how to drive a boat and stop blaming your mistakes on other people".  I hate mean people and there are a lot of them around these days.  The young man did a good job for the man and took his verbal abuse and got no tip at all.  I gave him $15 and told him he did a fine job and don't let a$$holes like that bother him.

Name:	Mack -	Reply
Subject:	Marina Tipping Question
Date:	6/13/2017 2:58:10 PM

Maybe you missed my point. My point is that except for the cashier inside there was nobody around to do anything to tip for. Do most marinas now have kids out on the fuel dock to help boaters?

Name:	Blue Creek -	Reply
Subject:	Marina Tipping Question
Date:	7/7/2017 3:56:00 AM

I normally launch at Castaway Island and Anchor Bay Marina has always had kids running around helping people with fuel etc.  They have always seemed to be good people and very helpful.  Parker Creek Marina was the same way the last time I was there along with Real Island and Blue Creek Marina.