Here's a tip: Demanding a bigger gratuity is a bunch of garbage

Have no clue if the story is BS or not....................

March 16, 2007
BY STEPHANIE ZIMMERMANN Staff Reporter
Dear Fixer: I arrived at the Miami airport and decided to check my
luggage with a skycap. Instead of saying "hello" or "how can I help
you," he said, "Are you aware that there is a $2 per bag charge, not
including gratuity?" I checked one bag with him, and, after giving him
$2 plus $1 tip, he said my tip wasn't enough.

I thought he was joking.

He said $2 went to American Airlines, and he needed more than a dollar
tip per bag to make a living.

I said I thought the gratuity was up to my discretion.

He said not if I wanted my bag intact when it arrived in Chicago --
and suggested I take my bag inside if I didn't give him a better tip.

Full article:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/zimmermann/300017,CST-NWS-fixer16.article

In message <1174047744.617177.175010@n59g2000hsh.googlegroups.com>
"Duh_OZ" <ozzy.kopec@gmail.com> wrote:

>Have no clue if the story is BS or not....................
>
>March 16, 2007
>BY STEPHANIE ZIMMERMANN Staff Reporter
>Dear Fixer: I arrived at the Miami airport and decided to check my
>luggage with a skycap. Instead of saying "hello" or "how can I help
>you," he said, "Are you aware that there is a $2 per bag charge, not
>including gratuity?" I checked one bag with him, and, after giving him
>$2 plus $1 tip, he said my tip wasn't enough.
>
>I thought he was joking.
>
>He said $2 went to American Airlines, and he needed more than a dollar
>tip per bag to make a living.
>
>I said I thought the gratuity was up to my discretion.
>
>He said not if I wanted my bag intact when it arrived in Chicago --
>and suggested I take my bag inside if I didn't give him a better tip.
>
>Full article:
>http://www.suntimes.com/news/zimmermann/300017,CST-NWS-fixer16.article

"Thanks, I'll carry my own bag, you can have $0 instead of $1"
--
Insert something clever here.

"Duh_OZ" <ozzy.kopec@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1174047744.617177.175010@n59g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...
> Have no clue if the story is BS or not....................
>
> March 16, 2007
> BY STEPHANIE ZIMMERMANN Staff Reporter
> Dear Fixer: I arrived at the Miami airport and decided to check my
> luggage with a skycap. Instead of saying "hello" or "how can I help
> you," he said, "Are you aware that there is a $2 per bag charge, not
> including gratuity?" I checked one bag with him, and, after giving him
> $2 plus $1 tip, he said my tip wasn't enough.
>
> I thought he was joking.
>
> He said $2 went to American Airlines, and he needed more than a dollar
> tip per bag to make a living.

Is that legal. Surely he has to be paid minimum wage
before tips.

tim

In message <5607loF25cgo2U1@mid.individual.net> "tim....."
<tims_new_home@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

>
>"Duh_OZ" <ozzy.kopec@gmail.com> wrote in message
>news:1174047744.617177.175010@n59g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...
>> Have no clue if the story is BS or not....................
>>
>> March 16, 2007
>> BY STEPHANIE ZIMMERMANN Staff Reporter
>> Dear Fixer: I arrived at the Miami airport and decided to check my
>> luggage with a skycap. Instead of saying "hello" or "how can I help
>> you," he said, "Are you aware that there is a $2 per bag charge, not
>> including gratuity?" I checked one bag with him, and, after giving him
>> $2 plus $1 tip, he said my tip wasn't enough.
>>
>> I thought he was joking.
>>
>> He said $2 went to American Airlines, and he needed more than a dollar
>> tip per bag to make a living.
>
>Is that legal. Surely he has to be paid minimum wage
>before tips.

Minimum wage may not count as making a living...
--
Insert something clever here.

>> March 16, 2007
>> BY STEPHANIE ZIMMERMANN Staff Reporter
>> Dear Fixer: I arrived at the Miami airport and decided to check my
>> luggage with a skycap. Instead of saying "hello" or "how can I help
>> you," he said, "Are you aware that there is a $2 per bag charge, not
>> including gratuity?" I checked one bag with him, and, after giving him
>> $2 plus $1 tip, he said my tip wasn't enough.
>>
>> I thought he was joking.
>>
>> He said $2 went to American Airlines, and he needed more than a dollar
>> tip per bag to make a living.
>
> Is that legal. Surely he has to be paid minimum wage before tips.

Unfortunately there are a number of jobs in the U.S. where people are paid
minimum wage *including* tips. So it might be legal to pay a waitress $3
an hour and expect her tips to make up the rest. Technically the employer
is supposed to make good any shortfall, but this rarely happens (as I
understand it).

Hilary

In message <Pine.LNX.4.64.0703161537460.31456@rome.flamegreen.net>
Hilary <hilary+usenet@spamcop.net> wrote:

>>> March 16, 2007
>>> BY STEPHANIE ZIMMERMANN Staff Reporter
>>> Dear Fixer: I arrived at the Miami airport and decided to check my
>>> luggage with a skycap. Instead of saying "hello" or "how can I help
>>> you," he said, "Are you aware that there is a $2 per bag charge, not
>>> including gratuity?" I checked one bag with him, and, after giving him
>>> $2 plus $1 tip, he said my tip wasn't enough.
>>>
>>> I thought he was joking.
>>>
>>> He said $2 went to American Airlines, and he needed more than a dollar
>>> tip per bag to make a living.
>>
>> Is that legal. Surely he has to be paid minimum wage before tips.
>
>Unfortunately there are a number of jobs in the U.S. where people are paid
>minimum wage *including* tips. So it might be legal to pay a waitress $3
>an hour and expect her tips to make up the rest. Technically the employer
>is supposed to make good any shortfall, but this rarely happens (as I
>understand it).

My understanding is that those positions are on commission, not tips
(there is a legal difference in Canada, my understanding is that it's
the same in the US)

In Canada, minimum wage is pretty strictly enforced for most positions,
however the commission rules can vary greatly, as long as you end up
pocketing at least minimum wage multiplied by the number of hours
worked, the gov't won't interfere. As a result, if you make $100 in
your first hour, and minimum wage is $10 (it's not, just using that as
an easy to calculate number), then technically your next 9 hours can be
unpaid.

Most positions like that have fairly decent commission potential though,
so it's not really a big deal in most cases.

The usual exception is to have employees incorporate, and have then buy
the product they sell, then sell it to the final user, in which case
they're technically self employed and no minimum wage rules apply (well,
if you're incorporated they actually can apply, but what are you going
to do, sue the owner of the company? Suing yourself rarely gets you
anyway :) -- Generally this will be door to door sales people, you won't
see this happening in retail stores.

The other case, and this tends to be much more murky, is where you're
paid minimum wage, but are required to pay certain expenses (which often
work out to be exactly the same as minimum wage) -- I've seen pizza
places that do this with their drivers, the drivers rent the car or the
sign attached to the top of the car or something else for their minimum
wage payment, and then their compensation is tips. This is sometimes
legal, but not always, but the money is good enough delivering pizza
that it's worth it (The last of my friends that delivered pizza used to
clear $15/hour, much of it unreported, when he quit -- You wouldn't
quibble with your employer about $5/hour when you're making $15, since
the employer could legally say "no tips" and pay you minimum wage)
--
Insert something clever here.

"DevilsPGD" <spam_narf_spam@crazyhat.net> wrote in message
news:94hmv2teuurclbgkpakp1aue1l3ck57sgl@4ax.com...
> In message <Pine.LNX.4.64.0703161537460.31456@rome.flamegreen.net>
> Hilary <hilary+usenet@spamcop.net> wrote:
>
>>>> March 16, 2007
>>>> BY STEPHANIE ZIMMERMANN Staff Reporter
>>>> Dear Fixer: I arrived at the Miami airport and decided to check my
>>>> luggage with a skycap. Instead of saying "hello" or "how can I help
>>>> you," he said, "Are you aware that there is a $2 per bag charge, not
>>>> including gratuity?" I checked one bag with him, and, after giving him
>>>> $2 plus $1 tip, he said my tip wasn't enough.
>>>>
>>>> I thought he was joking.
>>>>
>>>> He said $2 went to American Airlines, and he needed more than a dollar
>>>> tip per bag to make a living.
>>>
>>> Is that legal. Surely he has to be paid minimum wage before tips.
>>
>>Unfortunately there are a number of jobs in the U.S. where people are paid
>>minimum wage *including* tips. So it might be legal to pay a waitress $3
>>an hour and expect her tips to make up the rest. Technically the employer
>>is supposed to make good any shortfall, but this rarely happens (as I
>>understand it).
>
> My understanding is that those positions are on commission, not tips
> (there is a legal difference in Canada, my understanding is that it's
> the same in the US)
>
> In Canada, minimum wage is pretty strictly enforced for most positions,
> however the commission rules can vary greatly, as long as you end up
> pocketing at least minimum wage multiplied by the number of hours
> worked, the gov't won't interfere. As a result, if you make $100 in
> your first hour, and minimum wage is $10 (it's not, just using that as
> an easy to calculate number), then technically your next 9 hours can be
> unpaid.
>
> Most positions like that have fairly decent commission potential though,
> so it's not really a big deal in most cases.
>
> The usual exception is to have employees incorporate, and have then buy
> the product they sell, then sell it to the final user, in which case
> they're technically self employed and no minimum wage rules apply (well,
> if you're incorporated they actually can apply, but what are you going
> to do, sue the owner of the company? Suing yourself rarely gets you
> anyway :) -- Generally this will be door to door sales people, you won't
> see this happening in retail stores.
>
> The other case, and this tends to be much more murky, is where you're
> paid minimum wage, but are required to pay certain expenses (which often
> work out to be exactly the same as minimum wage) -- I've seen pizza
> places that do this with their drivers, the drivers rent the car or the
> sign attached to the top of the car or something else for their minimum
> wage payment, and then their compensation is tips. This is sometimes
> legal, but not always, but the money is good enough delivering pizza
> that it's worth it (The last of my friends that delivered pizza used to
> clear $15/hour, much of it unreported, when he quit -- You wouldn't
> quibble with your employer about $5/hour when you're making $15, since
> the employer could legally say "no tips" and pay you minimum wage)
> --
> Insert something clever here.


Most airline skycaps these days do not work for the airline. And the $2 per
bag goes to the airline, not the skycap. It is nothing more than an airline
attempt to generate a bit more revenue, despite the fact that the skycaps
probably cost less than the regular agents. There is nothing here re
commission. Skycaps are paid a minimum wage, plus tips (kind of like a
waiter in a restaurant in the U.S. or most of Europe (not like in other
places where a service charge is added in lieu of a check).

Jeff

My reaction to that would depend on the wait inside versus outside.
If there was a huge line to check-in INSIDE, just give the guy another
dollar or two.
If the line is short, go there,..... simple to me
a dollar or two difference is nothing (to me) to get me checked in
quickly.
Now I do not agree that his terms were the right thing to say/do to a
passenger, but unfortunately, we are at the airport employees mercy
with such things now adays after 9/11.

<ProfilerCA@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1174128182.566471.37540@p15g2000hsd.googlegroups.com...
> My reaction to that would depend on the wait inside versus outside.
> If there was a huge line to check-in INSIDE, just give the guy another
> dollar or two.
> If the line is short, go there,..... simple to me
> a dollar or two difference is nothing (to me) to get me checked in
> quickly.
> Now I do not agree that his terms were the right thing to say/do to a
> passenger, but unfortunately, we are at the airport employees mercy
> with such things now adays after 9/11.
>
Report him to airport management and to the airlines he was servicing.

"Newby" <nobody@nowhere.net> wrote in message
news:12vnjk3p22j3g28@corp.supernews.com...
>
> <ProfilerCA@aol.com> wrote in message
> news:1174128182.566471.37540@p15g2000hsd.googlegroups.com...
>> My reaction to that would depend on the wait inside versus outside.
>> If there was a huge line to check-in INSIDE, just give the guy another
>> dollar or two.
>> If the line is short, go there,..... simple to me
>> a dollar or two difference is nothing (to me) to get me checked in
>> quickly.
>> Now I do not agree that his terms were the right thing to say/do to a
>> passenger, but unfortunately, we are at the airport employees mercy
>> with such things now adays after 9/11.
>>
> Report him to airport management and to the airlines he was servicing.

I'd be complaining to the airline about their policy of taking for
themselves the money that I have paid to someone to perform
a service.

If I pay a fixed charged for something that is 100% service,
I fully expect that the majority of that money goes to the
person providing the service. I would be seething if somone
told me that that money was *stolen* by someone else and
I was expected to pay again.

tim


.


>
>

tim..... wrote:

> I'd be complaining to the airline about their policy of taking for
> themselves the money that I have paid to someone to perform
> a service.
>
> If I pay a fixed charged for something that is 100% service,
> I fully expect that the majority of that money goes to the
> person providing the service. I would be seething if somone
> told me that that money was *stolen* by someone else and
> I was expected to pay again.
>

The airline pays a company that pays the employee. Obviously there is
overhead, taxes, profit, etc to be considered. The airline has
determined this to be an optional service that should be paid for by the
people that use it. They might also consider it to be a revenue area.
However, if you don't like the fee, don't check your bags at the curb or
don't fly them. Given the revenue projections for AMR, I doubt your
going to be missed much. As far as tipping goes, it should be for extra
service. Why, in America, must we feel obligated to tip for standard, or
even substandard service. If a person can't make enough money with the
wage and tips they are getting, perhaps they belong in another line of
work.

ProfilerCA@aol.com wrote:

> My reaction to that would depend on the wait inside versus outside.
> If there was a huge line to check-in INSIDE, just give the guy another
> dollar or two.
> If the line is short, go there,..... simple to me
> a dollar or two difference is nothing (to me) to get me checked in
> quickly.
> Now I do not agree that his terms were the right thing to say/do to a
> passenger, but unfortunately, we are at the airport employees mercy
> with such things now adays after 9/11.
>

Do you think you would be branded as a terrorist for reporting him?
That seems like an odd thought.

On Mar 19, 6:26?am, Mike Hunt <postmaster@localhost> wrote:
.Now I do not agree that his terms were the right thing to say/do to a
> > passenger, but unfortunately, we are at the airport employees mercy
> > with such things now adays after 9/11.
> Do you think you would be branded as a terrorist for reporting him?
> That seems like an odd thought.


Funny, but No.
Remember all the crap that the public threw at Airline employees pre
9/11?
Now fast forward to post 9/11 and the employees have a new enhanced
standing.
Basically No more yelling or arguing with them.
Its verboten! They are in charge now.
(Maybe this is a way to get back at passengers for all the years prior
to 9/11)
Before, it was a customer driven industry (the customer is always
right and that BS)
Now you can be ordered off planes for not being securely fastened and
so forth.
I have seen TSA agents kick people out of my home airport for not
following their orders and talking back to them.
The OP had many choices.
The curbside check in is convenient, but not the only choice.
Get to the airport even earlier, wait in line and check in you luggage
is another option.
Pack lighter, carry on only,
ship you luggage on ground to your final destination.
Who cares what a curb side agent says to you?
People have bad days. So what!

Just realized I left out the part I thought may have been BS:
=======
But when I got home, I found bags of messy garbage in my luggage! I
had to dry-clean some clothing and am considering throwing away the
suitcase.
=======

No mention if TSA inspected the suitcase or not, but even so what
would they do if there was garbage in a suitcase? I guess if some
baggage handler threatened to screw with my luggage I would have had
some from AA open my suitcase at ORD to check it out. Even then
there's no proof he put it in there. Guy must have been having a
very bad day LOL.

X-No-Archive: Yes

On Mar 17, 9:05 am, "Duh_OZ" <ozzy.ko...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Just realized I left out the part I thought may have been BS:
> =======
> But when I got home, I found bags of messy garbage in my luggage! I
> had to dry-clean some clothing and am considering throwing away the
> suitcase.
> =======
That part was included in the OP. However, that's the part that made
me disbelieve the whole story. In order for the Sky Cap to tamper
with the bags, he would have to leave his post and find somewhere
private to do his dirty deed. As far as I know, Sky Caps are limited
to the areas between the curb, and the TSA area. And, will most take a
chance because they feel that they got "stiffed" on a tip?