Tipping an individual for services rendered is a tradition dating back for decades. Tipping is meant to show an appreciation for the level of service provided by the individual and is viewed by many individuals to be an optional bonus to be dispensed at the discretion of the individual paying for the services. In recent years, tipping in some instances has become a mandatory or expected obligation, regardless of the level of service provided. When hiring a limo for transportation services, whether or not you will need to tip the chauffer will depend on a number of factors.
Some limousine companies that specialize in limousine rentals for short periods of time will have a mandatory tip of 15-20% included in the price of the rental.
Although this may seem unfair to many mature adult individuals, this fee is actually built into the price to protect the limousine chauffer. Short term limousine rentals are often used by teenagers going to school dances and young adults going out for a night of partying, two groups that may not understand the tradition of tipping and would not even think about tipping the chauffer for good service rendered. For this reason, the tip is built into the price of the rental and given to the chauffer by the limousine company after the rental is over.
A number of limousine rental companies offer additional services that may be scheduled during the reservation which will be performed by the chauffer during the course of the rental period. These services include red carpet rollout for weddings and other special events, photography services, and beverage services.
As these services are additional services performed by the chauffer, it is expected that the individuals renting the limo will tip them for a job performed well.
If a tip percentage is already included in the price of the rental, whether the chauffer deserves additional compensation is at the discretion of the individuals renting the limousine.
Due to a large number of limousine companies building the price of the tip into the cost of the rental, the question of whether to tip and how much to tip has been largely taken out of the hand of the consumer. In cases where the chauffer has provided excellent service, some individuals may feel inclined to give them additional compensation, but this is not expected or required. The amount of the tip depends on the level of service provided and the generosity of the individuals hiring the limousine.