How much should you tip a Limo Chauffeur?

The limos have been a sign of fancy outings ever since their inception. These glamorous cars stagger any passerby with their extravagant length and polished exterior. They are a staple for any grand event, usually being the vehicle of choice for those arriving at these events. While limos have become easier to rent and indulge in, the spike in cheaper services gives way to more competition and thus more affordable prices, they still maintain that level of luxury.

Not only that, limo renting services always employ the best of the best when it comes to picking their drivers. This is done for the sake of providing the customers with the most comfortable possible time that will justify the money they’ve paid for the car.

Drivers are there to comply with your needs and keep things orderly. However, we sometimes end up in situations where we aren’t sure how to tip them. Worrying about the height of the tip can dampen our mood for the night. That’s why we’ve assembled an article that will help you understand why and how much to tip the chauffeur.

Planning limo expenses upfront

Getting a limo in on itself can be a rather pricey endeavor. That’s why we retain it for those special moments in our life. Because limos will usually be rented for a more luxurious evening, it stands to reason additional expenses will follow it. That’s why budgeting our night out is exceptionally important.

The first step is to incorporate the price of your limo into the budget. Contact the service to check proper pricing and expenses. You should also check if they have an available website, to make the experience of information gathering even faster. For example, Toronto Limousine Service and its offers can also be checked through their site torontolimorentals.com.

Secondly, plan around the places you intended to visit and the pricings in those locations. If you are going to an event that has all expenses covered you don’t even have to worry about it in terms of budget but if it’s a place where some expenses are expected, revise how much those would end up being.

When committing to a limo rental, it’s good practice to have a certain amount of cash on the side. Not only is that cash useful for tipping your driver, but it can come in handy if unexpected expenses crop up. Of course, the amount of money this will be depends on your financial situation although it should be an amount that can cover urgent expenses on food or drinks you didn’t expect to have. This again depends on the types of places you frequent, so you’ll be the best judge on how much money is needed.

By having a proper budget planned out and spare money to go, you can make sure you won’t end up in an awkward situation where you are short on money to tip your driver.

Limo driver’s salary

While it’s good manners to tip people serving you, it’s also a task that can sometimes be rather stressful. It can make us feel even more anxious if we are unsure how much of the person’s paycheck relies on tips. For the sake of getting better acquainted with this subject, let’s check how much limo drivers get.

The job of a professional chauffeur isn’t easy. While most who aren’t knowledgeable about the job would simplify it down to just driving, there’s a whole lot else that goes into it. The person driving the limo is also the person waiting for you in the parking lot the whole night, arriving quickly as soon as you call, and keeping the ride smooth. They also need to maintain proper manners and etiquette as long as they are working. There’s a decent amount of discipline involved and on top of that one has to have attention to detail to really punctuate the whole experience.

After all of that effort, what do drivers get paid? Well, the average calculated salary is about 39,000 dollars annually. This comes with an hourly wage of 19 dollars but not all drivers have this rate. In fact, some have a rate that runs as low as 11 dollars per hour. These limo chauffeurs rely on tips to turn a decent wage in, their efforts being rather unrewarding otherwise. So while an average driver will do okay without a tip, it’s still far from being ample compensation for the amount of effort invested.

So what are the standard tips for a limo driver?

The limo driver’s tip, just like every other job, depends on the service we employ. Regardless, it’s assumed you’ll tip your driver. Even if the tip is included in the price, tipping a driver for good service is still good practice. If the service is exceptional, the added tip comes as a form of gratitude without being too painful on the wallet.

The most common tip is around 15% of the limo service. This means that no matter the price of the service we have another added payment to the whole experience. The tip amount should be reflective of the quality of the experience though. If the driver’s behavior was subpar or diminished your overall experience you shouldn’t tip more than 10% or so. The exceptional service should be rewarded with a 20% tip or a larger one even. While most limo drivers get a decent paycheck, it’s still good to give them additional monetary recognition for their services.

Conclusion

With the following article, we’ve gone through a chunk of useful information relating to limo drivers. While the height of the tip itself is important, it is also necessary for those paying tips to understand why tips run so high. The amount of care limo drivers put into every rental is astounding and frequently goes unrewarded. Of course, keep the actual behavior in mind. If a driver is being rude and unhelpful, it only makes sense their tip would fall off. Inverse goes for those extremely enjoyable drivers.

When a limo chauffeur makes your night better make sure they are properly rewarded with both words of gratitude and money. In case you spent a bit too much cash on planning the evening and feel like you’ll be running short by the end of the night, even if you had side funds, call up the limo service and check if the tip is included in the price. While it can still feel bad to leave no tip directly to the driver, at least it will let you know that their service is still directly rewarded.