Tipping for wheelchair assistance at airport??

Some people report that tipping for this sort of service is inappropriate. We also tip in the US when we received wheelchair service. Since it was a switch-off with different staff, I wouldn't give a tip.

Absolutely do not give a tip in Italy for this service.

I needed a wheelchair twice due to a foot injury. I tipped in the US ($5 to $10 depending on the distance travelled). I also tipped in Lisbon (5€), where I was also wheeled. They took the money. Didn’t tip in Canada or Spain on the layover transfers (via golf cart) and nobody on the golf cart did. My wife had a broken foot years ago and didn’t tip in Italy or Germany.
It is not mandatory in Italy for sure, but if you leave 5€ they will not refuse.

Giangilberto from Milan here — let me decode what happened to you, because once you see the system behind it, the awkwardness disappears.
What you experienced wasn't disorganization, and it wasn't a chain of personal favors: it's the design. At Fiumicino, as at all EU airports, wheelchair assistance is a centralized airport service — not the airline's, not freelancers. European law makes it your right, free of charge: it's funded by a small fee built into every passenger's ticket, and the staff are salaried employees working in a relay. One person brings you from the desk to the assistance lounge (your "holding area"), another does the lounge-to-gate leg, a driver takes the van. The handoffs are the system working as intended.
Which is why Roberto's summary is exactly right: not expected, nobody is waiting for it, and five euros won't offend if you truly want to give them. But since your real question is how to show appreciation, here's the local truth: in Italy, for salaried service like this, gratitude in words counts more than coins. A warm "grazie mille, gentilissimo" (or "gentilissima" to a woman) genuinely lands. And the gesture that helps these workers most: their names are on their badges — a compliment at the assistance desk, or written feedback to the airport mentioning them by name, actually matters for their work in a way a coin never will.
Two practical notes for the next trip: book the assistance through your airline at least 48 hours ahead, it makes the whole relay smoother; and if you still like handing something over, keep a few €2 coins instead of giving everything to the first short leg — the person who stays with you longest is the one who's earned it. But go with a light heart either way: you already paid for this service in your ticket, like all of us. Enjoy Rome!

Absolutely do not give a tip inn Italy for this service.

There's no point in telling Americans not to tip as most will do so anyway.

The multiperson handoffs described by the OP are standard in quite a few airports all over the world. Some combination of wheelchair, golf cart, and van (for tarmac boarding) is no longer rare. But I do keep a few small bills for those situations thar are wheelchair only from check in to gate. And ALWAYS a sincere thank you to all who provide assistance.

Please understand and respect that tipping culture in Europe is not the same as in North America. There are relatively few instances when most Europeans will either leave or expect tips, this is absolutely not one of them. Assisting with wheelchairs is literally part of their job, they are not going out of their way to accommodate you. Respectfully, it is OK to accept that you might feel awkward about it because it's different from what you are used to. Just say a genuine thank you.

Americans who report "well I left a tip in Europe" are displaying a degree of ignorance and contributing to a systemic problem.

The wheelchair pushers at ORD are paid about $10 per hour. Tips are GREATLY appreciated by them.

The wheelchair pushers at ORD are paid about $10 per hour. Tips are GREATLY appreciated by them

But we're not discussing ORD airport.

Whenever there’s a tipping question, there are responses all over the place, making it even more confusing. In this case, two Italians responded. I would follow their guidance and ignore the responses that conflict with what they said

""But since your real question is how to show appreciation, here's the local truth: in Italy, for salaried service like this, gratitude in words counts more than coins. A warm "grazie mille, gentilissimo" (or "gentilissima" to a woman) genuinely lands. And the gesture that helps these workers most: their names are on their badges — a compliment at the assistance desk, or written feedback to the airport mentioning them by name, actually matters for their work in a way a coin never will.""

This is the most accurate, and helpful, post on this thread, in my opinion.

Didn’t tip in Canada

I don't know about the rest of the world, but in Canada that is a unionized employee earning about $26-28/hr plus benefits.

All workers in Italy receive salaries based on a National union contract called Contratto Collettivo Nazionale del Lavoro (CCNL) including the hotel bell boys that take guests’ luggage to the room. Yet people often leave a tip to them.