Staff tip included in membership fees ??????

Any club who wants to interview you as a member would start alarm bells ringing right away they must be right up themselves mate,i'm sorry to say .In this financial climate they should be biting your hand of to join not the other way around and as for the tip your having a laugh,i'm the same i hate these PIN machines that want you to tip before paying the the bill.
Tell them to wrap it mate,unless its a cracking course. :D
 
hold on let's think about this...just a fiver?
Let's have a wild stab and say that the club has about 500 members.
that's £2500 quid.
Wohoo...so how many staff? 4 or 5 in the club house, 6 greenkeepers?
£250 each....that's a some spicy meatballs!
 
Wouldn't be too worried to be honest. I dislike the principle but if them is the rules then get on with it. Of course if the other course is your preferred choice anyway and you get in problem solved. If not, pay up, smile politely and forget about it
 
There is a course I know that has a Christmas bonus for staff at the club - they put up a big board with every members name on it an you have to write (so everyone else can see) against your name what you are putting in the kitty!!
 
Never heard of this before are all the staff employed by the club or do they franchise out some services like the catering. I suspect they are all employed by the club?
 
They're all employed by the club. Had a quick look at some other clubs websites last night and found another one in the area that does it "staff fund £7.50".
 
Thinking about this a bit more it could be a good thing. If a club is thoughtful enough to have it's members club together (without option) for a Christmas box of this is size (£150-£250 depending on staff numbers) it would intise staff to stay on knowing their being looked after.

In turn this would mean you build a rapour with the staff and like the staff.

Nothing worse than any business having a high staff turn over, it's my all time biggest dislike especially a golf club which is even more personal as it's your place of leisure and socialising.
 
Interesting point Oddsocks, I think what you're actually doing though is subsidising the staff wages. £300 net from this tip kitty would cost the club more like £450 if they paid it out in wages.

If it had been explained to me at the interview, I probably wouldn't have mimded as much, it was the assumption that I'd just pay it that wound me.
 
After my first year (last year) at a proper club I jhad such a brilliant time I dropped in to the pro a large tin of choccies for him, the greenstaff and the bar staff. The look of astonishment on his face was worth it. I have this years ready to drop off and as soon as the snow clears i'm going to call in with it. Top club top staff top greenkeepers.
 
The oft repeated statement that 20% of members put 80% of revenue over the bar will no doubt hold good for tipping as well and I wonder is this the clubs way of making the 80% contribute.

If so ... a damn good idea!
 
We have a bit at the end of our invoice where you can add a gratuity. I don't fill it in. Got the hump with a 5% increase in subs as it is. Not sure why they should get a gratuity any way for just doing their jobs. I don't get one. If they went out of the way on one specific occasion, then may be I'd tip them then, but not as a general yearly payment, no.
 
Christmas fund for the staff at our place too. No fixed amount and contributions voluntary. Maybe a tad unusual to make it a fixed compulsory part of the annual fees but perhaps that's what the members wanted.
 
I'm in the 'against on principle' camp, though I can see one benefit to the staff as well as a big minus to some of the staff.

Most tips will go to 'front of house' staff - bar, restaurant etc - and they could lose out if members decide they've already paid. the benefit is that back room staff are assured a share.
 
The Oxford English Dictionary defines "tip" in this usage as the bestowing of "a small present of money upon an inferior, especially upon a servant or employee of another, nominally in return for services rendered or in order to obtain an extra service." How can you pay a tip for something you have not yet received? or is worked on a laying year basis?

Did you know in Japan, it is an insult to tip.
 
My concern would be ensuring it got evenly distributed and not watered down between clubhouse staff (bar and food) and greenkeepers. I have to say that without exception I've had great service all year in the clubhouse and the greenstaff have done a brilliant job too and so if I was comfortable with the total money getting divided equally then I'd be for a mandatory tip.
 
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