Why do we tip the mates?

[fishguy]

Originally Posted by tombanjo

Thought Bob's reply was well thought out and covered the bases vis a vis good and bad mating. Don't know how you consider it being cheap. I'll use the restaurant analogy so many others here have used Fishguy. If you can't find your server for long periods of time, like when you want to return a dish or need to order more and their service ends up giving your meal a bad taste, do you still automatically tip them 20% or more? I don't think so.

Somebody brought up a scenario where a big crowd might end up giving a large amount in tips at the end of the day. Some restuarants have been known to take a cut of that, do salaried captains do the same? I've heard complaints about a % of fish money having to be kicked upstairs.

I'll throw the restaurant analogy right back at you. You go to a restaurant and the food is good but the service is terrible. (good fishing, bad mate) Then I tip less. Conversely, if the food is terrible and the service is good (bad fishing, good mate) I will tip well, like always. If the food and service are bad then I don't go back to that restaurant. (This is where the analogy gets dicey because comparing bad food to bad fishing doesn't really add up. There are so may reasons out of a Captains control that could make fishing poor)

I'm saying it sounds like bullet keeps going back to a restaurant with good food and bad service so he can justify not tipping.

As for a Captain dipping into the mates tips, that is simply outrageous.

[Flukenstein]

The restaurant analogy is only good up to a point. The waiters don't put in hours of prep time before you arrive and clean up time after you leave. They don't wash the dishes and silver ware. They don't set the table. If you sit in a diner for breakfast how much extra attention do you need from from a waitress? We are all "self sufficient " eaters. I guess Bob doesn't tip in that case because the only service he got was when the server delivered the food. Bob, it sounds like you are fishing on a boat (or boats) with crappy mates who don't do much of anything. Try fishing with some polished professionals and you'll see a big difference. I would not be a regular where the service is as bad as you get. Also, you might notice better service if you were a better tipper. Why would a mate give you a lot of attention when he knows he'll be getting a paltry tip if any at all. There are other fishermen who are self sufficient AND good tippers.

[DonJose]

I tip the same way I do at a restaurant or anywhere - great service = great tip. Lousy service = lousy tip. However I always DO tip. If you get $5 or $10 from me, ask yourself why. If you get $20 or 15% o 20% (which is higher based on fare) keep doing what you're doing.

If I don't use you much, but you're smiling, say hello, ask me if there's anything I need, etc. then you did what you could to earn it. You'll get a good tip.

Everyone is entitled to a bad day. But just because you show up, don't expect 20%. Earn it & you won't feel bad about reminding people that you work for tips. Sometimes people do forget. Show people you care about them & you'll get tips.

Captains - remind everyone that the guys work for tips. No shame in that ESPECIALLY when they're giving great service.

Remember - good service & customers will recommend you. Bad service & customers will tell everyone to avoid you.

[DonJose]

I tip the same way I do at a restaurant or anywhere - great service = great tip. Lousy service = lousy tip. However I always DO tip. If you get $5 or $10 from me, ask yourself why. If you get $20 or 15% o 20% (which is higher based on fare) keep doing what you're doing.

If I don't use you much, but you're smiling, say hello, ask me if there's anything I need, etc. then you did what you could to earn it. You'll get a good tip.

Everyone is entitled to a bad day. But just because you show up, don't expect 20%. Earn it & you won't feel bad about reminding people that you work for tips. Sometimes people do forget. Show people you care about them & you'll get tips.

Captains - remind everyone that the guys work for tips. No shame in that ESPECIALLY when they're giving great service.

Remember - good service & customers will recommend you. Bad service & customers will tell everyone to avoid you.

[BlueDog]

Question: if I fish on a ling trip and catch 30 ling and have them filleted by the mates and give them 20$, is that good enough or should I give them more as I step off the boat? My tip usually depends on how many fish I (we) catch , if we have say 50 Seabass to fillet , it's usually 50-60 bucks. But it's always a minimum of 20$ even if there's no fish to fillet.
Art

[jswany04]

When on a boat that has 4 mates how does one go about tipping each one? At 20% of the fare for each one is expensive.

[Skolmann]

Originally Posted by jswany04

When on a boat that has 4 mates how does one go about tipping each one? At 20% of the fare for each one is expensive.

My son just started mating oi a boat out of Belmar this summer. According to him they divide the tips evenly; if there are 3 mates working that day and the tips add up $300, they each get $100.

[fishguy]

I think tips are divided evenly with the crew.
That 20% is the starting point for your fare and the fish cleaning and quality of service is where the adding or subtracting comes in. If the mate is a jerk, not helpful or absent all day than tip less. If he does a great job and is helpful than add some more to the tip. If you don't catch any keepers that is not the mates fault so don't stiff him.
If you come with a group, like the wife and kids tag along one day or something, the tip should still be based on the fare total for everyone. So many times I've seen a guy with a family and the mate takes care of him all day, untangling backlashes on their rental rods, helping his kids all day, being nice to them etc etc only to get 5 bucks (or less) in the end. The fare total for the group is like $150 or something and they tip 5 stinkin bucks? It should be more like $30.

I know that good tippers get remembered well by the mates as do the bad ones. It's very simple. You get what you pay for.

Don't be Mr. Pink...

[PCO]

It seems like a lot of mates would rather hang with the regulars then help the new guy! Once I took my brother on the Prowler for his B-day and gave the mate a tip of $20 as we bordered and never saw him again as he decided to hang with his buddies on the bow! You would think the new customers should get equal or more help! There are some very good mates and boats at the Highlands! The answer is 20% to a "good" mate is right on at the end of the day.

[Ol Pedro]

Originally Posted by BlueDog

Question: if I fish on a ling trip and catch 30 ling and have them filleted by the mates and give them 20$, is that good enough or should I give them more as I step off the boat? My tip usually depends on how many fish I (we) catch , if we have say 50 Seabass to fillet , it's usually 50-60 bucks. But it's always a minimum of 20$ even if there's no fish to fillet.
Art

Once is fine but It's up to you , I have no problem taking tips as I'm cutting . You should give how you feel . You can also tell who ever is handling your fish that you will catch him when you are getting off the boat . Sometimes waiting till you get off the boat helps get the tips flowing . Also our hands are clean and we don't get blood all over the money (more than once I have had to explain that it was fish blood on the money at the register )