Tipping in China

[Dennis143]

The several places where you tip:

1). four or five star hotels.  They expect it.

2). Foot Massage places.  They need it.  A one hour foot massage costs 30 RMB, the girls gets 10 to 15, with no salary and work 12 hour shifts.  So I generally give them a 10 to 20 RMB tip.

3). Body massage places.  If you do not want to tip, tell them ahead of time and they will arrange for the real massage.  Otherwise, they send in some one expecting to get a tip who will be very upset if none is coming.

4). Girl friends... who are just one step short of SO.  ( ooops, did I say something wrong again?)

165283[/snapback]

I frequently get massages, here in LA. A good massage usually runs about $100, with the tip. While in Nanning alone, I decided to get a massage. A young girl enters and gives me the worst massage that I ever had. But, she was so eager to please me (in hindsight, not sure what kind of pleasure she was offering) that I gave her 600RMB. I figured that was the going rate in LA, so why not? She just kept looking at all that money and kept saying something in Chinese over and over to me. I finally realized that she was saying the number 16. As, this was her number and she wanted me to make sure that I asked for her if I returned the next day.

[Tony_onrock]

Well, there are all kinds of massages. In Nanning there is a place associated with the Chinese traditional medicine hospital ( can't remember the name of the street it is on.) The guys and girls recieve years of training and extremely good. 90 RMB an hr. Every time I went to Nanning ( my wife's home town) I visit that place.

Massages are all over the place, the average is about 50 to 60 hr real massage. Some are referred to as Chinese style ( true massage) but make sure you tell them you want a Chinese traditional style. Another is Tai style, in many places this is another way of saying special services like a handyman job kind (180 to 280 RMB or so). The third is a suana style massage, which really is saying... The 600-800 RMB gets you into the best night club, three hour massage service plus area, including a full body massgage from finger to toe by ..... Anyway. This is China.

What you really have to watch out is those kind of young girl massages.

Each city I go to I ask the locals if there is one run by the sight inpaired. Those are true massages. Ask for the blind. Even if they touch the wrong place, it was by accident.

[david_dawei]

For the blind, massage has historically been a pragmatic vocation... playing their lute in the evening to let others know they needed business or where to find them.

 

I'm glad my SO lives in a small city.. the massages are good and very cheap. One would never tip there, for anything.

 

Tipping in china seems to me to undo the historic ethic that the chinese had developed about 'agreeing to a price'... as seen in barter. They will keep to their end of the bargain and don't expect anything more. Anything other than the set price (whether higher or lower), is breaking the agreement. If you cannot keep to the 'set price', then you are not being loyal and respectful to the 'contract'... I believe the japanese come out of the same idea.

[Guest apophis]

The several places where you tip:

1). four or five star hotels.  They expect it.

2). Foot Massage places.  They need it.  A one hour foot massage costs 30 RMB, the girls gets 10 to 15, with no salary and work 12 hour shifts.  So I generally give them a 10 to 20 RMB tip.

3). Body massage places.  If you do not want to tip, tell them ahead of time and they will arrange for the real massage.  Otherwise, they send in some one expecting to get a tip who will be very upset if none is coming.

4). Girl friends... who are just one step short of SO.  ( ooops, did I say something wrong again?)

165283[/snapback]

Maybe it has something to do with me being Chinese, I never pay tips in China, there is no need for it...

 

1. Never in 4/5 star

2. Definitely never at foot massage

3. Definitely never at body massage

4. Definitely never at "girlfriends, short of SO"

 

Funny thing is, they never seen to care if I did or not and they are still very charming afterwards! My advice, don't TIP! , but like I said... maybe they treat me different since I am Chinese. They don't expect Tips from me ever. Chinese people are generally cheap and tight on the money. The honest truth is, the more tips you guys give... the worst service will be in general.

[Jun]

Funny thing is, they never seen to care if I did or not and they are still very charming afterwards!  My advice, don't TIP! , but like I said... maybe they treat me different since I am Chinese. They don't expect Tips from me ever. Chinese people are generally cheap and tight on the money.  The honest truth is, the more tips you guys give... the worst service will be in general.

165608[/snapback]

BULL SHIT!!!!!

 

Pls learn to respect people who give you service! Chinese people are people too!!! How can you insult those people who served you like this:"Chinese people are generally cheap and tight on the money. The honest truth is, the more tips you guys give... the worst service will be in general. "

 

Shame on you~~

[tonado]

I left a few HK dollars on the table at a noodle eatery and the waiter told me that I forgot my money (when I was ready to leave the place).

[bubbafred10]

At the higher end hotels (and their restaurants), 15 percent tip or gratuity is mandatory, i.e. included in the bill.