Today i want to talk about tipping!!!
One of the hardest things we had to do in Europe (and Africa) was to tip people.
I’m from Asia and i am not familiar with the whole tipping culture. The most we do here in Malaysia is to round up the fare for a taxi driver, or leave some loose change after paying the bill. I never have to dig out my wallet to pay anyone extra for whatever product or service i have already paid for. For the Japanese it is even stranger. There’s no such thing as tips. End of story.
So every new country we went, the danna asked me to google if tipping is required, and how much.
We started from Greece all the way to western Europe. We tipped most of the time in every country, in restaurants, at hotels, to tour guides and drivers, etc.
It was fine until we went to Egypt.
Now i think tipping should just be abolished in this world. I got super angry that in Egypt, we were forced into giving 500 different kinds of tips for people who have or have not helped us in anyway. It was like donating to thieves.
In Europe we were so doubtful and nervous all the time. Should we tip this person? If yes, how much? Is what we gave too little, or too much?
We started to feel confused about people who are genuinely helpful to us, or are friendly to us because they wanted our money. We have come across soooo many people who offered to help us carry stuff, take picture, find directions, and after that stretched their palm out, touched their five fingers together and put close to their mouth.
We were appalled. We realized later that it happens. All the damn time. In the end we just refused help from anyone and chose to be the skeptical ones.
We felt annoyed that people have to remind us that service fee is not included in the bill, we felt pissed off to have to tip at a shitty restaurant that serves shitty food just because tipping is the norm, and we felt horrible if we didn’t tip people who actually expected us to tip. The whole tipping experience was just super stressful!!!!
It ruins trust between people and strains human relationship. It generates disappointment. Everybody becomes judgmental (Not another stingy Asian!/If i don’t tip this waistress she will spit in my food tomorrow) And it encourages dishonesty.
In Egypt, our entire holiday mood was ruined because we had to pay so much extra for shit we have already paid for. Do you know that after paying full amount for a guided tour, your tour guide is not allowed to enter the Pyramid tombs with you because inside there will be other “guides” who will seem very enthusiastic to explain everything to you AND THEN ask for tips?
TIPPING SHOULD BE ILLEGAL IN THIS WORLD.
I understand that in countries like America, tips means life for a waitstaff. Their wages are low and they survive on their customer’s generosity. I get it.
But i think that whatever extra cost of labor should just be built in the selling price from the beginning. And the customer pays ONE price. The end. It makes things so much easier.
Now you will say in that case it is not fair for a staff who make extra effort to work harder and be polite to receive the same amount of money as a lazy and rude staff does.
Guess what? Lazy and rude staff should just be FIRED. They don’t deserve a job.
Tipping should not be a way to motivate good service, because good service should be made natural (or the least compulsory). I don’t understand why this is so baffling to so many people.
If the service and food in a restaurant is unicorn shit amazing, by all means, shove a bill to your favorite waitstaff. But it was me, i will simply pay whatever is written on the bill, and tell the people in the restaurant how they made my day.
In Barcelona we had the most delicious meal at a tapas bar. We had to line up for about half an hour for our seat. And every customer, before leaving, they told the chef/staff “it was absolutely amazing, thank you“. I could see how happy and proud it made the people who work there feel.
Anyway. It would be melted cheese awesome if every time you read a post on this blog, whether you like it or not, you Paypal me RM1. And i will be quite rich.
While i appreciate your monetary generosity, i much, much prefer, and will be much, much happier, if you just drop a comment, or send in an email occasionally, to tell me how reading that particular blog post has made your day. Because i know that is real. And it makes me want to be better.
I can never forget about the footprint on my friend’s blanket in hotel… In US! Vegas’s treasure island. Just because I left only a dollar on my bed…. My bed looks good and clean.. But my friend forgot.. So hers come w a free foot print. LOL
Awww.. Like you I don’t see why we should tip people so their services would be better, I never tipped anyone in France during all my lifetime, lol. (But honnestly, I think France is still ok, we don’t tip so much and if you happened to tip someone you will just give him 1 buck or if they delivery things, if you don’t tip you can just give him a can of Coke or Idk..)
I just don’t understand the tipping culture in europe or in the states…if there’s a formula to calculate how much tips that we need to pay or we are obliged to pay a certain amount, why don’t they just add it into the price and save us all the hassle…*shake head*
Good point! Tipping should be absolutely *optional*! Otherwise, if everybody expects to be tipped all the time, it gives you the horrible feeling that there are all these people around you who are just waiting to take advantage of you and take your money. (-_-) Oh, and I always enjoy your posts Cheesie! Brightens up any day! 😀
Exactly. I’m from Belgium and I guess I never tipped anybody in my life and I don’t want to, and I don’t want to be tipped if I help somebody for something like helping for carry a luggage or giving direction etc. If I do it it’s for my pleasure, not because I espect money or smthg. I really don’t understand the tipping culture either ahah.
i’m from Europe (Portugal) and i just tip whenever i want to! i’m not obligated or anything.. same thing in Spain. If it is a small service, just coffee and bread, or something like that, the waiter/waitress may even refuse a tip.nn(of course that if you give a 50 euro tip to someone they will remember you and treat you the extra-kind way, but that’s not the usual way things get done.)
I understand that tipping might feel stressful, but at least in Europe tipping is really not that big of a deal. I have traveled all around Europe, and I have never tipped anyone, and it has always been okay. I don’t know about Egypt, but it’s no big deal in Europe. In America tips are a big part of some people’s salary, so there tipping is understandable. It’s really stupid though! Should be illegal, but at least I would tip no one in Europe except they served me really well, and I mean really well! I hope this didn’t ruin your trip and you will still come here someday ^_^ Love your blog very much!
I’m from Portugal and never tipped anyone, but my parents can tip some restaurants if the food is really good and if we are served very fast… nwho told you to tip anything? That person was not being correct
Oh I live in Germany and you do not need to tip! I hope you didn’t feel like you had to because it’s not taken for granted like in the US. I hope you enjoyed your stay in Europe!
I absolutely agree with you…I live in a country were tipping is pretty normal but I also have a job (media designer) and talk with customers for example and do stuff for them, I never get extra money. But a waiter/waitress serving a meal (the one who cooked it doesn’t get anything at all) should get a tip? No =/ When I was in the US I also got a bill and there was: 10% tip would be XX $, 15% XY $ and 20% YZ $ and I was like… no…why -.-
T____T
Ok noted!! Thank you!
yea that’s what i thought
Thank you :)nnYea most of the time we felt pressured because we didnt want other people to think we are stingy, or if they give us a look…
Ok noted next time i go to Belgium lol
We were told before that our tip “is too small” T_________T
Also in London there are fake mickey mouses waving at you, and if you want to take a picture they ask for money. In Marrackech taking pictures with a snake is 50 euros, just ridiculous. My advise would be never trust anyone who is too kind to you, usually it’s too good to be true. Of course tipping is not obliged, so you can also walk away and ignore them
Ya hor i never thought about that. Also at massage parlous they have a tip box and if you drop coins they will remind you one T______T
We will! We enjoyed Europe very much 🙂 Cannot believe you don’t have anyone asked you to tip before in your entire life??? We get reminded all the time T__T
We googled. lol
I did! Germany is one of our fav hahhaha as you already know! People there have best manners!!
Thats exactly how i feel! If the food is ultra good it is the chef who deserves it!! Then again the incentive should come from the company not customer, as commented above!
great post about tipping 🙂 I’m from Singapore and I don’t understand why we must be forced to tip restaurants or people…it spoils my day too
I remember once I was in Switzerland, the waitress hit the table hard with her tips storing pouch to hint that we needed to tip her . Having been there the first time, my hubby and I were oblivious of why she was doing that. We only realized it later when we left the restaurant and managed to google on the tipping culture. After that, we downloaded an app which calculated for us the tips in different European countries. LOL! Anyway, to be fair, Malaysia has “tipping culture” too, it is just everything is included in our 10% Service Charge. I would really rather they make it that way, life is much simpler.
When I was in Switzerland, a waitress hit our table hard with her tips storing pouch hinting us to tip her. Having only been there the first time, my hubby and I were oblivious of why she did that. After we left the restaurant, I suggested we checked on “tipping culture” in Europe, and “DENG!”, soon later, we downloaded an App to calculate for us the tips in each European countries. LOL! Anyway, to be fair, Malaysia has “tipping culture” too, just that everything is included in our 10% Service Charge. I really would rather they make it that way, life is much simpler.
Tipping should come from the customer heart, not by force. That, it won’t be tipping anymore. Is under table €$¥. Good post Cheesie.
Please blog more cheesie.. I miss reading ur long blog post.. ☺☺
I’m totally understand how it feels. Even though in Malaysia, I do not find any reasons why I have to give tip the staffs in the restaurant. Service tax is included in the bills, and why do I need still have to give tips? Plus it’s their roles in servicing customers. Thanks for sharing this post, at least now I have some ideas about tip when I tend to travel there. =) Sometimes, I rather being seen as stingy person from those strangers because it’s just not right for me to do it unless they really “threaten” me : GIVE ME TIP! XD
I’ve lived in Canada for a couples year and tipping is only mandatory in restaurants. It is usually 10% for lunch and 15-20% for dinner. Sometimes there are tip jars for some fast food chains, but you’re not obligated to drop your money in there. There are days I really do not enjoy the tipping side of things, if I tip too little i feel bad, and if i tip too much I feel broke. T_T n
I enjoyed reading your post :)nnMy friend and I “thickened our skin” and stopped tipping those whom we felt didn’t deserve any tips while we were in paris. All that tipping was adding up to quite a bit and we didn’t like it that we felt compelled to do so!
Insightful reading, tipping is always the hassle part after a meal. In my city (or country? not so sure) they are actually slowly including tipping on the receipts. Even though it was less of a hassle, it kind of strange as well because then we tip on their services fully whether it’s good or bad, instead of partial. Ah, these confusing emotions @-@;;;
I think this isn’t so much a tipping problem as it is a taking advantage of tourists problem.nnI live in the US and most people actually under-tip their servers. There are different types of tippers – some tip no matter how bad the service and others who don’t tip if the service is not good. I’m the former because sometimes the waiters pool in their tips and divide it and a small bit of the tip money goes to the bus boys, dishwasher, cooks, etc. That and Asians in America are NOTORIOUS for not tipping or undertipping no matter what the service because they aren’t used to it. So it really sucks cause the waitstaff in Chinese restaurants are often illegally paid under minimum wage and need the tip money. Asians in US have bad reputation for being cheap and stingy.
In the US, tipping is often seen as an entitlement. The servers are ENTITLED to more of your money. Generally, the rule here is 15% before tax. However, there are some places here in San Francisco where you will get hit with sales tax (8.75%), service charge (18-20% depending on size of party), insurance charge (2-4%) and then their hand comes out for a tip (15%). And you’ll notice, if the tip is added on automatically (also called a “service charge”), what little service you are supposed to get gets even worse since they already made their money before actually working. So the rule of thumb here is double the tax and round up/down depending on the service you may receive…
I agree with you!!!! Tipping encourages dishonesty. ): I guess it may have started from the point where you tip someone because you enjoyed their service (sounds wrong hahaha) but has now morphed into the “must tip” culture. The way my family does these “tips” in Singapore is to give the garbage collectors cans of coke (they are always so grateful!!) or sing the waitress/waiters praises (they appreciate it a lot) etc. I guess it’s a culture thing. Probably in the west they are more goal-oriented or just need to get by in life so money is important to them all the time. In Asia, we have a culture of filial piety/integrity that kind of thing.
well you do not need to tip in europe everywhere (sometimes they will put maybe 5% for service on the bill, but rearly) , i mean you can if you want, but it will be fine if you don’t. i live in germany and i never tip anybody, sometimes i round it up to make it easier but that’s all.. i know there is a saying you should tip about 10% but i really know nobody who does that S:
Ughhh. I hate these whole tipping culture thing too. I don’t understand why people should tip and I absolutely hate tipping others too. I think not tipping someone is not stingy, it’s already because they have been paid to do their JOB. Unless, they did an absolutely wonderful job and I feel they deserved to be tipped. D:nnPS: I’m Malaysia. XD
HI! I´m from Spain and I would like to know the name of the Barcelona tapas bar you mentioned so as I can give it a try:n”In Barcelona we had the most delicious meal at a tapas bar. We had to line up for about half an hour for our seat. And every customer, before leaving, they told the chef/staff “it was absolutely amazing, thank you“. I could see how happy and proud it made the people who work there feel.”nPlease answer :S Thank you very much sweetie 😉 Best wishes
As a european girl, I know from experience a few things about tipping. Leaving from restaurants or cafes, we always leave tips. Its actually consider improper not to leave some tips. However, is also not consider that bad, if you tip a small amount. You don’t need to tip 1-2 or more euros everytime you leave a Cafe or whatever. If you didn’t like their services or if you don’t have enough money (ie you are a student or running out of money), then you can just leave as little as 20-50 cents, or if the service was really bad (ie the waitress was rude), then you shouldn’t be tipping anyways for the service. Tip only when deserved and tip with your own judgment as much as ones deserves. No need for google advise. Its up to you how much you want to tip, this is why there is no fixed price from the beginning for everyone. Hope it helps 🙂
That’s how it works in Egypt. Go toilet, they literally standing outside the entrance and waiting to see whether you tip or not. I just pretend bit dumb lol. “The sample bread”?! it’s not really sample cos you see the small bowl with money just in front. Museum, what you pay at the entrance isn’t the end of it. Go to another room, pay. Bring video, pay. Camera bit high tech, pay lol Different culture! it’s kind funny now after a while
I live in the California, so I suppose I never really bother to think too much about tipping, since it is already ingrained in my mind that the 9% tip is necessary…Maybe because I am also resident, I figured some parts of the tip will come back to me somehow via government services…lol nnI do sometimes get anxious when I have to pay for valet, then the restaurant bill + tip + gratuity fee. I just use an app to calculate the total : |
I live in the Netherlands and I have worked in the food business for several years. Receiving tips is something that do not happen all the time. European people are very stingy. Whenever someone gives me a tip I do feel more appreciated for my work and effort, so when I go to restaurants or cafes I usually tip when the service and food are great. The main rule is to tip around 10 percent of the bill or to round off the number. nnIn some countries they do take advantage of people who are not local and that is a shame.
Agree with you!!nI grew up in Japan and just moved to US few years ago. Tipping is so freaking annoying.nI ate at this restaurant and waited for my change for 15 minutes. The waiter came back and ask us “Do you need your change?” wtf!!!!n
I live in NZ, and I am unfamiliar with the tipping etiquette (we don’t do tipping here). I’m travelling to the US soon so I guess I will have to learn to tip. As for Egypt, it is a slightly corrupted country and because they target you as tourist, they will be conniving. I wanna go to Egypt too but I guess after reading your blog Im not too keen anymore. Too bad about the manners in some countries. But all in all I reckon Japan is the most extrememly (I know it doesn’t make sense) polite country in the world. 🙂
After reading comments from people who are from Europe, I realize many European seldom tip too. So, I think they are making tipping a compulsory thing for tourist because we won’t know about their culture, thus they are more daring to remind us and we will do as commanded because we don’t know anything and don’t dare to offend their culture.
no offense but i am American and don’t really expect non-Americans to tip. i know that it is not done in other countries. if they are living here they will catch on but if they are just visiting no big deal. i will only serve them once most likely.
If someday we need to pay tips in Malaysia, nooooooo
I’m from Germany. I only tip, when thes service was good. Otherwise: no tip and i wont come back. I understand how terrible it is, when people expect to get a tip.nBut where did you find someone who asked for tips after they made a picture for you? Or after they gave you directions. I’ve never seen or heard this before.
ok i give u the tip yaa, just the tip
Unfortunately the 10% service charge never goes to the waitresses/waiter/restaurant staff.. it’s supposed to go to them but the bosses just keep it as part of their profits. An article in singapore actually highlighted this problem. Plus to miss christine from the US who said that asians are cheap and stingy, you yourself mentioned that they are unfamiliar with the tipping culture. So it’s because they are unfamiliar that they undertip. I dont think there is a need to call us cheap and stingy? Being cheap and stingy is when you KNOW how much to tip but you refuse to do so. Please put it down to cultural differences. No need to make us sound so horrible.
lol I used to live in the middle east (live in canada now) and everyone wants a friggin tip for doing everything! ya know what you do when they do gestures like they’ve never eaten in their life? you pretend to be a dumb tourist and wander off, or say “mafi” loudly. or just thank them but you have no money lol they won’t spend much time on you cuz other suckers are watiting, they’ll leave you alone and hunt someone new 🙂
We didn’t give any tips when we visited europe, didn’t know if we should give any, and also the price alrd so expensive still need to give tips somemore @_@nnWhich tapas restaurant that you went to barcelona? Tapas 24?nnLooking forward to read your entire journey blog post.. I’ve been following your photos on instagram.nnOh since you’ve mentioning it before now i would like to say that i love reading your blog, and i love your style! Hope to see more makeup tricks cheat one..
What if the customer refused to tip (pretending we dont know the culture)? will they get mad? T_____T
hi cheesie, long time i no comment here. i never felt obliged to tip in europe if the service was not great.no one bugged or waited on me either. however i witnessed a lot of japanese tourists being asked to tip or kena coerced into paying for stuff they dun need. i believe europe’s (and maybe the rest of the world) impression of the japanese is that everyone is super loaded and easy target cos they dun wanna create a scene. so since ur danna is japanese tourist, this might be a reason why u guys were target. so next time when traveling, try to look… less japanese. lol…nnon the flip side, i tipped a bell boy in japan on my first trip there (din know there was no tipping culture then)! he was a bit confused then embarrassed and proceed to apologize to me. lol
OMG i can totally relate to this. i’m currently in Canada and the tipping culture is really pissing me off. Even if the service sucks, i feel bad for not tipping them. AND when i do tip, they think that its too little, and will ask a dumb ass questions that would guilt trip you. “Was our service bad to you?”nn
I think the worst thing is when people calculate their own tip/service charge. I went bangkok recently (Asian country surprising) and the cab driver automatically assumes that he doesn’t need to give change because we gave a big note. Damn wtf. And he told us it’s service charge. What service is there? He just drove the freaking cab. I think they are just too used to the westerners who tips them and feel that they can just expect the same from everyone. I call it dishonesty.
Ah it´s like this, you only give some extra money at a restaurant, not when taking a picture or anything like that. And furthermore, if you didnt like the service or the food, don´t give anything. If you liked the service or food or even both, then give around 50cent/1 €. Giving some coints to a waitress is mostly not seen as “Hey give me your money cuz I am nice to you”. It´s kind of a compliment. And alas it´s part of the European Restaurant Culture to give some coints, probably the same as putting on house shoes in japan. So, when you are someday in Germany again, don´t tip if you don´t feel like tipping. No one would hat you for that!
Why your blog post don’t have “like” buttons? I would hits unlimited “like” .. lolz.
Well you don’t need to tip! Especially not when you are not satisfied with the service. I am a student and for “poorer” folks like us it is not automatically expected to tip.n
I hate compulsory tipping too… I mean, it should be a little something extra that you WANT to give because you have received such great service. But in Malaysia I guess the 6% government tax amounts a bit to the same thing. I always prefer to know how much I am expected to pay for something…and leave it me to decide whether you’re worth a tip!
Wow I think what you wrote is very true. People should be genuine in helping others. Not because they want money! @@nnwww.xinhui-babyv.blogspot.com
You’re absolutely right! But I think, if you have the chance to be in Europe again (likewise Germany where I am from) – not everyone expects a huge tip. I mean, you as a guest have to reflect the service of the waiter/waitress and the quality of the food, then give as much tip as you feel like to give! “Guest is the king” ;D
luckily it’s not compulsory to pay tips in Malaysia! 😀
Hi Cheesie!! I rarely leave you comments, hahaha, I think the last time I left a comment was when you were engaged? But after reading your post.. I just want to tell you that whenever you post something, anything, even just a picture with a few short captions it always makes me smile!! 🙂 So thank you 🙂 nnThe tipping thing you mentioned, especially the Eygpt one is really very strange wtf it’s just like wasting your money! Is the action of stretching out the palm, fingers touching then bringing it to the mouth a tipping sign? The whole thing sounds really confusing.. It makes me rethink wanting to live in Europe!!
thanks so much!! but i think it is just particularly worse in Egypt. In Europe it is not so bad :))
lolol ok i will! 😀 thanks a lot 🙂
Yea i had the easiest time in Germany. Everyone was nice and easy going 🙂
haha thank you ah!
omg luckily i havent encountered that. we normally tip fully to avoid people saying that to us because is like so embarrassing lol
yea i agree. i think most of the time we were just being ripped off as a tourist. So did the Japanese boy receive in the end???
$100??????? HOW? That’s not tips that’s ransom wtf
whats mafi!! hope is not something rude i dowan to end up getting bury in egyptian tombs lol
shaddap u
yea but it is still worth the experience. I mean i wont be thrilled to go back, but to be fair, i met also the nicest Egyptian family who run the guest house! In the end we gave them a generous tip happily haha
Thats quite nice to know, because sometimes we do tip when the food is super good, but it should go to the cook and not a waitstaff with mediocre service. I guess we will have to just get used to the correct tipping manner in different countries, but it would be a much more pleasant experience for everybody, if all waitstaff gets a fair pay, we pay a slightly higher price for the whole dining and forget about the tipping thing, like in Japan.
thats really nice of you!!
wow i never knew an app existed :X
got the shock of our life when we were there lol. when you follow th ebig group they usually dont bother you at touristy sites but when you are alone, they make sure you pay or you will never walk out that tomb and see daylight again wtf
ok thanks a lot. in that case we tip way too much T_T
good!! we wanted to cross over to brussels actually from paris/london, but decided to head off to Turkey early Next time! 🙂
yea i guess you could say that!
we tipped at all restaurants in europe during the entire trip. what pissed us off were people who were trying to take advantage of us as tourists. and Rome was particularly bad, lol.
this is crazy rocket science for tourists who just want to enjoy a nice, quick meal. i would be major pissed off to have to calculate the correct amount to tip at every different restaurant.
yea i think you are right!! Most of the time it happens around touristy area. But Asians also get taken advantage the most when are not familiar with it.
!!!!! That must be shocking lol
So true! i think that tipping should be something like a voluntary action, not forced to give. If your service or attitude is good, and i am comfortable with, people will give u straight away. Giving to beggars also not compulsory . if we keep on giving and the cycle will not end. nah, they will take it for granted. nNice post =D
Thank you for the great blogpost, I know how you feel, coming from south east asia country where tipping is rare practice, I found it hard to tip, but then like you, I learned that server minimum wages is really low, and they earn money from people generosity. then this one time I went to chinese restaurant, and we usually put the tip on the credit card, not leaving it on the table, when we prepared to leave, this auntie grab my husband’s arm and said “you haven’t tip”. We are so confused and irritates with her attitude, then the owner come and apologize. They should train their server for manner before asking for tip.
Reservoir Dogs has an excellent scene on the topic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-qV9wVGb38nnYeah, I definitely think the tipping culture needs a overhaul. It’s not fair to customers and it’s not fair to the waiters who get paid 3$/hr before tips. And anyone who gets minimum shouldn’t be demanding tips (I’ve never heard it for taking pictures though, wtf?) as they’re making a proper wage.
I know what you mean. I am in US, so I am somewhat use to tipping. However, I still don’t like it very much. Because for one, I’m not rich, for two, I don’t think it’s fair that the rule of tipping is 10-15% of the purchase price. So the more I spend money in a restaurant means I have to pay more tips? why? I don’t think the waiter/waitress deserves those money. If they think the job pays too low then just find another job. When I was a waitress I never expected people to tip me. Of course I was extra happy when they do, and actually they tip me more because I was genuine a hard worker, and they could see that. nnxo nwww.hitomiblog.com
I’m in Canada, so I’m pretty used to the tipping culture. Honestly, I always tip the standard 10-15% as long as the service was decent – good. If I tip less, it’s usually because the service was bad so I don’t even mind if they come up to me and ask if the service was bad. – I actually think it’s a good thing… At least it shows that the person wants to improve (or at least they have some tact hahaha). nnWhat I hate is if I intentionally leave less tip and then the waiter actually comes out of the restaurant to tell me that I haven’t tipped enough. Sooo rude, it pisses me off! I agree with you – waiters like this need to be fired!
I’m in Canada, so I’m pretty used to the tipping culture. Honestly, I always tip the standard 10-15% as long as the service was decent – good. If I tip less, it’s usually because the service was bad so I don’t even mind if they come up to me and ask if the service was bad. – I actually think it’s a good thing… At least it shows that the person wants to improve (or at least they have some tact hahaha). nnWhat I hate is if I intentionally leave less tip and then the waiter actually comes out of the restaurant to tell me that I haven’t tipped enough. Sooo rude, it pisses me off! I agree with you – waiters like this need to be fired!
I’m in Canada, so I’m pretty used to the tipping culture. Honestly, I always tip the standard 10-15% as long as the service was decent – good. If I tip less, it’s usually because the service was bad so I don’t even mind if they come up to me and ask if the service was bad. – I actually think it’s a good thing… At least it shows that the person wants to improve (or at least they have some tact hahaha). nnWhat I hate is if I intentionally leave less tip and then the waiter actually comes out of the restaurant to tell me that I haven’t tipped enough. Sooo rude, it pisses me off! I agree with you – waiters like this need to be fired!
Welcome back from your trip, Cheesie!nnAnyway, I so agree with this: TIPPING SHOULD BE ILLEGAL IN THIS WORLD.nNot that I don’t want to spend more, but this whole thing about tipping is so confusing. What bothers me the most is how we can determine the amount of tip we should give. I am living in Indonesia. Tipping isn’t really a culture here, but sometimes we do. Fortunately or not, we don’t live with the standard 10-15%. It all depends on the place, the product, or the person. That’s why I said it’s confusing. 🙁
mafi means i’m sorry lol you can also say miskeen meaning poor, follow it up with sad face lol
Hey cheesie. I agree that tipping should be a bonus not an obligation. As a european I have never tipped anyone outside a restaurant or a taxi..People just leave some loose change behind out of courtesy or if you’re specially pleased with the staff then you drop a few more euros. I have never felt the need to tip as a requirement. I’m sorry for your bad experience, I guess people will always take advantage of tourists. I hope you had fun nonetheless. Cheers.
thats ridiculous! 🙁 must be a hard time for you and danna during the whole vacation in europe
I forgot to say that the tourism companies that used to hire the guides are now gone. It’s no excuse because it’s not fair to the unsuspecting tourist being made to feel obligated but being hungry will make people do many things.
omgg , you’re so lucky !! you get to travel so many places . 😀
Haha. Totally agree! You know how tour iteninary states tipping is compulsory etc even if you opt out of that particular tour?nnJust have to tell you this post has totally made my day! Thanks! 😀
huarghhh i hardly donate…gonna be hella stress if i were you kakak cheesie!! btw I love ur post! I am here comenting because u ask rite..hehehhe
omg i never really thought about it that way. I thought very hard and i didnt understand why it has to be that way. Makes sense. Thanks for your first comment! Really appreciate it!!!
I dislike tipping too.. and i felt robbed after i came back from China !! n
Hi cheesie, can’t wait to read all of your posts from your trip. I agree with u totally on tipping, as u would know Australia isn’t big on tipping which is great.. Perhaps countries like ours r the global minority which makes it harder to come to accept.
Can’t agree more!! That’s why I love going to Japan. Service was great not because they want your tip, but because it’s their job. It should be a requirement to be nice to customers! LOVE your posts btw!!
in Singapore the 10%service charge don’t even go to the cooks,service staff. point debated always. i always felt service will be better if they earn tips like in America. but i guess it is stressful to calculate tips. but i don’t agree on being robbed for tips for say pointing out a direction..
“Guess what? Lazy and rude staff should just be FIRED. They don’t deserve a job.”nAs someone living in Canada, I couldn’t agree more.
China doesn’t have tipping… You really were ripped off if you tipped in China.
I live in San Francisco where majority of waitstaff is paid the minimum legal wage (not enough to afford both rent/mortgage and to live healthily) so tips range from 15%-30% of the bill. Rarely do we even see “10%” anymore. But since I was born and raised in the city, tipping is nothing out of the ordinary. Though it kinda sucks when I go on vacation in Asia and I always itch to pull out extra cash because I am so used to it…
I live in Holland and people here tip often. I always decide if i want to tip after seeying how good the service was. If i have to wait for a century for my food i feel like the people in restaurant have to pay ME for wasting such a long time of my life. When my japanese friends or hostfamily come and hang out in Holland they all keep asking me “how much should i give?!” And i tell them “you dont HAVE to give anything, but if you enjoyed here just leave €2-€5 or something”. I think its very stressfull for tourists especially from Asia. .____.
I followed you on instagram! Reading your europe wedding posts makes me look forward to my own wedding, although it might be three years later! ^^ And you are my favourite blogger.
Thank you so much!! 😀
You are 100% right. Thanks for posting it online.
I just wanted to say that most places in the US the wait staff only earn about $2.25 an hour. They rely on tips to make a living wage. I agree that everything would be so much easier without tipping but businesses would have to start paying their employees minimum wage then and they don’t want to do that.