I have learned in my 12 years as a Senior Executive Chauffeur that there is absolutely no logic to tipping. The “Tipping Point” is to provide consistent excellence to EVERY customer / passenger!
There is a saying among chauffeurs in the For Hire Vehicle industry: “The bigger the house, the smaller the tip.” Unfortunately, this is proven to be true too often.
No Logic to Tipping
There have been countless times when I was caring for – and transporting – a family of five with multiple bags, skis, car seats, and very difficult and demanding passengers. After the ride, when I was exhausted from all the heavy lifting and hard work, the passengers ran out of the vehicle. No tip.
Then, on the other side of the story is the one or two passengers who gave me $20 for an excellent experience and ride, with very little effort required on my part. I’m grateful for every tip I receive – about 10% of my passengers tip me – but there is no correlation between the work and the tip.
Biggest Tip Ever
Early in December 2025, I picked up two passengers – a man and a woman – at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. I was 15 minutes early for the pick-up and texted my passenger (as I always do).
The passenger replied to my e-mail to say: “Thank you. We will be right down.” A beautiful Asian woman appeared with a Caucasian gentleman. I greeted them warmly with a smile and introduced myself (as I always do).”
After I made sure they were both safely in the vehicle, I loaded their two carry-ons into my trunk. Then I got into the vehicle, confirmed their destination (Newark Airport), the terminal, airline, flight number, gate number, etc. The woman said, “Wow, you certainly know a lot about this.”
We proceeded to Newark Airport and arrived in just under 40 minutes. When we arrived, the woman said, “Boy, we sure got here fast! I actually dozed off because the ride here was so smooth.”
After I helped the couple out of the car and onto the curb, I brought them their small carry-on suitcases and thanked them for choosing our service. The man then thanked me for my excellent driving and customer service… and handed me five Benjamin Franklins! This $500 tip was the biggest one I ever received. I was so grateful for it, but I didn’t do anything special or unusual.
When I told a colleague about this unbelievable $500 tip, he told me, very matter-of-factly: “That’s Shut Up Money.” I had never heard of this term before. Very simply, it means to use discretion and forget what you saw!
Weekly and Yearly Tip Goals
I have a weekly tip goal of $100. Most weeks, I achieve or exceed this amount. Every year, I strive to reach the annual tip goal of $5,200. I’m proud to say that, for the past five years, I have exceeded my goal!
The moral of this Street Story is simple: No matter who the customer is, give them your absolute best effort. Consistency is the key to success. The Tipping Point is to treat EVERY passenger like a Super VIP. Sometimes you will be rewarded with a generous tip and sometimes you won’t. Live with it!
