Hi guys :) I’m doing free walking tours and I was wondering if any of you guys have experience in that field and what you say before the tour starts about the payment. I‘m never quite sure whether it’s best to mention a specific range of payment one expects or say nothing specific.
Anybody any advice ?
This sounds like an annoying setup. If they're there for a "Free Walking Tour" then there's nothing about payment you can discuss. There is no payment. If people sign up for a free walking tour, they are expecting just that....Free, without any obligations. If I did the tour, I would feel annoyed if the guy is pushing a tip jar in my face at the end. If you're trying to offer it for free but peddling a tip jar, I would expect a low response to that. Folks everywhere are tired of tipping. Its all over the news. Tip-fatigue is real. Also, by advertising it as Free, you'll get a lot of cheapskates/riff-raff. Its amazing how demanding some of these type of people can be when they're not paying anything. Then they'll have the balls to give you a 1star rating online over trivial matters. Charge a decent fee and eliminate the riff-raff clientele.
Don't be afraid to charge people for a service. For a walking tour, it doesn't have to be much, but start it out at a low/fair price, $5-15. Walking tours are unique in that they are usually setup in public urban or historical areas where anyone can physically walk around and see all the same places, but the caveat is that you as the guide are providing them with new and contextual information that is assembled in such a way they may not able to easily replicate on their own. This is the basis on why these tours have a value. That value can be dictated by the amount and quality of information given, the length of the tour, and/or the area itself.
You can try different fees and see how people respond.
In my town which is an older historical town on the coast in Florida, they give an evening haunted ghost walking tour downtown. This is only on saturdays and they charge $29 per person. It easily sells out every week.
We explain it before we get started that the guests are determining our wages bc we as Tourguides actually have to pay a small fee to the companies that are managing the reservations and everything and we also have to pay taxes So the idea that it’s free is to make it possible for anybody to join the tour regardless of their budget My question was directed towards the guests that are not in any financial distress and enjoyed the tour … how do you get them to give you a decent pay without being too money hungry
Ok, I get that you're trying to offer something for everyone, I do. Unfortunately this kind of altruism, if not managed correctly, can create a lot of confusion. You want to avoid putting people into a situation where they're told something is free then later feel pressured to have to tip. They quickly realize it's not free. People don't respond well to that, not because they had to pay, but because they might feel misled. As a working tour guide, you have every right to put food on your own table. To make a living wage.
To figure out that wage, you need to research deeper into whats available in the area. Are there other tours? What do they charge? If not, look further out into the surrounding region to find something similar and study them. Eventually you can form a range that would seem appropriate. I've seen tours range from $5 all the way up to $50-60 per person. Don't be afraid to try it out on the lower end. If popular, you can always raise the fee later on.
As far as offering to poor folks, I would highly recommend that you do a special day, maybe once a month or a slow day of the week like a Monday. Offer it as free or highly discounted. Advertise that. If someone is poor or disadvantaged in some way, but really interested in the tour, they will find a way to get to you on that discount day. This is how a lot of organizations offer their services to the poor to be more inclusive but also very planned and direct. This way folks will never be confused.
I hope you still answering comments now
Disclaimer: i have absolutely knowledge on organizing a tour. And i’m a uni student, who’s planning to take tour guide as a part of my gap year (coming summer)
If the tour including tourism services fees (lunch, entrance fees for attractions, etc) who would be the one who pays? Should I ask for the fees before the tour, after the tour or along the tour when it happens? And should they pay my fees or i should pay it on my own?
If you advertise a tour as being free, the customer expectation is that it is free, and tips are optional. It is scammy to advertise a tour for free and then at the beginning tell people it costs money, it is called false advertising, and you can get a bad reputationa as being dishonest. Dishonesty and scamming tourists may not matter in your country, but it matters to tourists. My advice is to stop the false advertising immediately and be upfront and honest about the compensation you expect to receive.
I don't have experience in "free" tours, but if they are free I'd say something like "well as long as yall laugh at one of my jokes, this one's on me". And have a tip jar at the end that you casually stand near. Obviously depends highly on what your setup is though.