TIPS

[jingutierrez]

i think it's interesting to discuss this, how much do you tip?

 

I talked with a 001 chinese girl about this once, both of us believe that there is a big culture difference on this matter.

 

in china, ppl almost never tip!

 

when I was with my gg at that territory of US where I used to work, it was kinda suprising for me that he left huge tips in a restaurant or a massage place or a bar.... maybe for you guys that's not too much, but for chinese girls, we can buy a lot of stuff with the money in stores! hehe~ but soon, I realise that it's normal for america ppl, they are used to leave tips after receiving a good service, and it's rude if you don't leave tips at all. and it will be embarassing for both of you if you try to reduce the tips he leaves. so just try to understand and enjoy the good service, let your man have some face, and you too.

 

my gg has not come to china yet, but we talked about this issue sometimes, I told him that don't leave tips in china, ppl would think that you forget your money on the table and won't keep it for themselves, and if you really think they offered a great service, tip them in person, put the money in their hands, but not on the table.

 

that 001 mm told me that her gg visited her for several times, everytime they stay in 5star hotel, that gg tips a lot! once the gg left a 100rmb note for tips~ you know, that's a lot of money in china, some ppl can use that money for living for at least a week! one of my friend in college used to spent less than that for a month!

 

I'm not saying that it's a bad habit to tip, but it's better to know the circumstance before you do it. do you tip in states with a $100 note very often? a 100rmb note means the same thing here. the standards to satisfy a waiter are different in different cultures.

 

on the other hand, I think it will help the service in china if all chinese ppl tip~ you can hardly see a happy waiter/waitress in a restaurant in china, they are making very small money, and nobody tips them, I won't give a good service either if I were a waitress and I knew that even I do I good job, I won't get any more money.

 

I went to philippines for vacation twice with my gg, the situation there is diffrent from either C or A. they are not only used to tips, they beg for tips! or some ppl cheat you to get tips! I had a big argument with my gg about that once, he was sad that I was mad at him because of money, but I never complain when he tips in US, when he tips 5times or more than he tips in the philippines. I hate those ppl cheat you to get tips and think you will never find out, but my gg thinks if you argue with them about the money, you will get more angry, which is worse than losing some small money. later we apologize to each other, I was not myself when I was mad, of course my gg is much more important than money or any stupid cheater.

 

I'm here just trying to give out some instances on this tips issue, maybe most of chinese girls still not be aware of this american culture. for you guys, I think it's better to ask ur mm first before you tip in china, and better to warn her first before she enters the US.

[Dan R]

The rule for tiping is to give service people 15 to 20% of the total bill. Rarely is less than a dollar given unless the bill is under $5.00. usually ordinary service gets 15% and better service gets 20% or a little more. Places where men drink alcohol (bars, clubs) usually tips are better and those are good places for attractive women to work as the more drunk the more men ofyen tip a pretty face. This is just fact and the reason cocktail waitress is a very good college student job. This is not me being sexist it is just facts. ask waiters and waitresses and they will tell you the opposite sex tips more.

 

35 years or more ago tips were 10% and usually only for good service or left by rich people. The bill was also much cheaper. Then only employees were tipped but now an owner who does service or self employed is tipped and even the government taxes income based on expected tips. Tips were given to people in jobs that were service because these were substandard pay jobs or tip only pay. Many of these jobs were filled by women and Black people who were not expected to get full pay. At that time these were poor peoples jobs without respect like porter, waitress, shoe shine, door man. Now they are looked at as good jobs because the courts ordered that employers must pay minimum wage and tips have gone up.

 

In this city Chinese restaurants often pay Chinese workers very little by the month which violates the labor laws and they work for tips. If the place is busy this still earns more than a factory worker or shop clerk. Even fast foods (take out) which just five years ago was not a tipping job now have a cup or bowl at the register for tips because it is hard for them to keep employees without the extra.

 

Most people today tip the waiter, manacurist, barber, cashieer thinking it a mandatory part of the bill. Usually the manacurist, barber or hairstylist is self employed so tipping is a bit rediculous but expected. You may even go to fancy restaurants where the tip is on your bill. This is used as an incentive on hiring support staff to assure better service for the wage.

 

While once a way to assure better service when you go back (a bribe to do a good job for you), today tips are expected. In fact most people will only not leave a tip(or very small if the service was bad and they do not expect to return. Big tippers do get better service at places they go to regularly.

 

Dictionary meaning:

A tip (also known as gratuity) is a small amount of money received by some service sector professionals from persons they serve, in addition to or instead of a formally required payment. These transactions are governed by social custom.

 

 

 

A popular etymology for tip states it is an acronym that stands for "to insure promptness". However, the Oxford English Dictionary states that it is derived from the English thieves' slang word tip, meaning "to pass from one to another". The notion of a stock tip or racing tip is from the same slang.

 

I hope this long explanation is of interest and useful to you.

[rogerluli]

In China I tipped tour guides and hotel bell hops and that's about it. Never in restaurants or taxis.

 

All per my SOs instructions...

[ptcrusier333rph]

tips has given me good service, when ever i go into a restuant i had had watress all ready have my order wrote up and a drink at my table before i even sit down, i have tip chefs if my meal was very very good, next time i in the meal is perpared even better with more attention.

 

i know a truckdriver that would lay a quarter on the table for each refill the waitress pour when he got uptoleave there was 2 dollars there, and the coffee was free

 

i will tip even in viet nam and china it natural as breathing to me, and you make someone happy for a few minutes by letting them know you care about their service.

 

besides you can't take it with you when you die, and you chidren will only spend it.

 

robert

 

 

oh jingutierrez have you heard about our change jugs most of us have, i got a large vase that i drop change into every night at home at the moment i must have about 20 lbs of pennie dimes nickel and quarter

 

at least 200 dollars in change

[david_dawei]

When I first went to China, and went into the men's room at the Beijing airport, a chinese man handed you a towel, then made a "tipping" motion with his fingers. I obliged him with 1 yuan.

 

On my second trip, I walked into the men's room and saw him, and started to chuckle inside. I decided that if he handed me anything, I would just walk past him. But I was saved this time.. he found another american to hand the towel to !!

 

While in China for two months, I never tipped anyone. SO's orders. Gotta follow your orders...

[jingutierrez]

I don't hear of the change jug, I used to have one when I was in US territory

and we never tip with those changes, but with notes.

I only use the quaters for laundry machine

I got a lot of pennies and dimes

I left them to my roommate when I left

 

I never complain about the tips when we were in the US

I know that it's a common thing.

 

ptcrusier333rph I don't think you've seen my point clearly

 

just wanna discuss this small culture difference

I'm not talking about the "quality" but the "quantity"

I totally agree with this tip thing

as I said, I hope every chinese ppl tips

that we can see more happy faces in our restaurants

 

"The rule for tiping is to give service people 15 to 20% of the total bill."

k~ then the amount of tip in china maybe is between 5 to 10 yuan

I won't blame my husband if he really think he just got a great service and insist to leave tips like that in china

but I would like to discuss with him if he wanna leave a 100 note on the table

DO AS ROMANS DO~

and I assume maybe too much tips cause the incorrect image of "rich american"

I don't feel happy to see that happens

 

just wanna let everybody know how the chinese girls think about the tips

and you'd better explain to her why you leave tips if they don't know

this is my point~

 

Thanks Dan R, for the information u offered

[david_dawei]

jingutierrez:

 

So clear this up...

 

you mentioned that we should explain to our mm about tipping in the US.. but then mentioned if you husband insisted on leaving a tip you would let him (but question a 100 note tip).

 

I'm not sure why you wouldn't clear this up with him first.. He should follow the custom of your country and your advice. These are just simply (and possibly silly) social customs.

 

I'd think he would want to DO AS ROMANS DO.. otherwise, someone could get insulted. Meaning tipping someone (in China) could insult them.

 

From my understanding of the Chinese culture in regards to money, (and I know that exceptions exist everyone), that once a price is set, it is wrong for either party to attempt to change the price. To honor the set price is to show respect to the deal.

[ptcrusier333rph]

no harm to you just saying what I do.

Would i tip 15000 dong for a 100 dong service in viet nam? no, i agree the tip should be base on the amount. you did bring up a point i need to talk with my SO on tipping and her opinion.

 

thank you for your insight

 

robert

[turtle]

Tips at restaurants are one thing, but this whole idea of the "tip jug" drives me crazy. I see them at drug stores, sub shops, now I've even seen them in McDonald's. What-- I'm supposed to tip for fast food now??? Never saw those until I moved to the west coast, but here they're everywhere. I'll tip at restaurants 15-20%, I'll tip my barber, taxi driver, and that's it. Oh yeah-- pizza delivery? $1 standard tip. In China I've reluctantly handed over 10-20 rmb at some of the nicer hotels I've stayed in to the bellboy. Never tipped at a restaurant or any other place there. But I do think tips are coming to China, and in a few years everyone there will be expecting it.

[tonado]

Just make sure you tip the skycap, baggage handler, or wheel-chair assistant at the US airports if they help you.

 

I went to Mexico a few times and everyone wants tips.

[rogerwink]

In China, my wife (then friend) would not let me TIP anyone...anywhere. She said it is a bad western tradition and in her city, especially, it was considered insulting!

Now in America, as my wife, she does not allow me to tip anywhere, anytime ALSO! She works PT as a waitress and when they changed law that prevented anyone working solely for TIPs, her income SKYROCKETED. So she says waitresses make too much now!

The ONLY place she will sometimes let me leave a TIP is if we go to a restaurant that we frequent (which is only ONE).

"Frugal" is my wife's middle name! It is unbelievable how much she has been able to put int saving since she has been here. She is REAL good for my ecomony.

Roger

[ed and ying]

I travel over the world for business and strongly feel that tipping should follow the local custom and practice. You can find what is expected in a region from travel forums, online destination guides or locals.

 

In many Asian countries, including China, you should not tip at all. It is not normal or expected and could be considered excessive or rude. In the US , I tip 15 -20% and $2 a day for the housekeeping staff.

 

I do not tip in China, My SO agrees. I would expect a Chinese visitor to tip when in the US, even though they do not tip at home.

 

I have recently heard of some tour guides solicting tips, even to the point of passing out evelopes. You should resist. We recently joined a Chinese tour group for a few days, becuase other transport was not easy. I was the only non-Chinese person, there was no tipping going on.

[tonado]

If you take a bus (run by Chinese travel agency) from Boston Chinatown to NYC Chinatown, the tour guide (not actually - just someone who handles tickets) and the driver demand that you give them tips after the ride. Of course, the trip is only about $18 to $28 rt. They should just include the tips with the purchase of the tickets.

[jingutierrez]

sorry robert, I think i over reacted

maybe my reading skill is not so perfect that I misunderstood you

and I always have problems to express myself well in English

hope there will be a day that everybody in the world can communicate with each other without any language obstacles

 

and DaiWei, I've talked with my gg about this long time ago

when we were planning his trip to china

he agreed with me on this point

and he would like to DO AS ROMANS DO

(but I still believe he will tip anyway "as breathing to him" )

we don't have a problem on this now

I was just giving a example to say that probably "a 100rmb note" is not appropriate in china for tipping

and unfortunately I've heard from one of 001 mm abouth this "100rmb note" thing

I forgot to ask if she talked with her gg about this

if not, the misunderstanding won't just dissapear by itself I guess

 

I'm trying my best to reduce the misunderstanding between different cultures here,

and really wish someday we can blar-blar-blar in chinese ~ hoho~

 

thanks for everybody, I appreciate all the information you offered.

[jingutierrez]

:greenblob:thanks~