Tipping College Tour Guides?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:During Covid when there were no tours, a nice student we met while wandering volunteered to give us a tour, just to be helpful. Like it wasn’t his job or anything. He did an amazing job and took a good bit of time, took us all over and answered my student’s questions. Was amazing. Gave him a Starbucks gift card as thanks. Went on other tours that were formal and official at other schools - didn’t even consider giving a tip of any kind.

Would love to know which school this was!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As much as we often feel like our students are all competing for spots at top colleges, please remember that colleges re also competing for your students. A college tour is a marketing presentation. For the most part, they tell you what they want to tell you and show you what they want to show you. It's not like you are getting a "secret underground" tour of the college - "What U of state doesn't want you to know!" - showing you the roach infestation in the back cafeteria kitchen or the dorm the was flooded and is still moldy 2 years later.

A college tour is a marketing presentation. Tour guides are part of the college's marketing machine, paid or not. It is just gross for people to try to sell you on a college and then ask for tips. It's like touring an open house of a home for sale, and the realtor asking for tips at the end. I mean, wtf, no!

I agree with you, both that it's marketing and that tipping is inappropriate. But the beauty of student tour guides is that they do not always stay 100% on message, so you'll get some candid commentary, which is just as genuine as their enthusiasm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:During Covid when there were no tours, a nice student we met while wandering volunteered to give us a tour, just to be helpful. Like it wasn’t his job or anything. He did an amazing job and took a good bit of time, took us all over and answered my student’s questions. Was amazing. Gave him a Starbucks gift card as thanks. Went on other tours that were formal and official at other schools - didn’t even consider giving a tip of any kind.

Would love to know which school this was!

We had a somewhat similar experience at Hamilton.

We asked a male student how to walk to a dining option that was clear across campus. He decided to escort us, so we would not get lost.

He was so kind and comfortable, it really impressed us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UVA tour guide literally said they aren't paid and would appreciate tips. All parents ended up tipping.

It's just so UVA. 😞

Yep.

It’s not what they do. DS tried hard in the competition to be selected as a tour guide. It is competitive and an honor (DS didn’t get picked). It’s unbelievable that any tour guide there would ask for tips.

It is competitive at a lot of schools, even small ones. Becoming a resident assistant is also competitive everywhere. Selection processes are completely arbitrary for both.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:During Covid when there were no tours, a nice student we met while wandering volunteered to give us a tour, just to be helpful. Like it wasn’t his job or anything. He did an amazing job and took a good bit of time, took us all over and answered my student’s questions. Was amazing. Gave him a Starbucks gift card as thanks. Went on other tours that were formal and official at other schools - didn’t even consider giving a tip of any kind.

Would love to know which school this was!

We had a somewhat similar experience at Hamilton.

We asked a male student how to walk to a dining option that was clear across campus. He decided to escort us, so we would not get lost.

He was so kind and comfortable, it really impressed us.

I'm the PP who asked, and this is awesome.

I was a college tour guide, and remember visiting families being amazed when they'd gotten assistance from random students. It's really nice.

[Anonymous]

BUT BUT BUT, LET'S CANCEL THE COLLEGE STUDENT FOR ASKING FOR A TIP!!!!! You people are unhinged...why not just post the name here while you're at it? Don't tip, move on and post about it here in your pearl clutching echo chamber, bet you people tip your Uber driver and Starbucks people for their time right? Clown show.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:BUT BUT BUT, LET'S CANCEL THE COLLEGE STUDENT FOR ASKING FOR A TIP!!!!! You people are unhinged...why not just post the name here while you're at it? Don't tip, move on and post about it here in your pearl clutching echo chamber, bet you people tip your Uber driver and Starbucks people for their time right? Clown show.

Probably the same people that give homeless drug addicts free money on the Mall too, but a college student?