Gratuities (Tipping) And The Expat

[Maxheadspace]

For me Tipping is personal, It can get out of Hand when it is looked at as a Right. I get so fed up with Owners paying Crap Wages and looking to Customers to make up their workers wages...

Jack :tiphat:

How right you are, Jack.  Here in the States the restaurant industry is trying to make the default tip 20% and they want that tip based on cost of food PLUS tax.  I say that's BS, as you point out it's restaurants trying to get away with paying substandard wages. Not sure if it's the same in the Philippines.  But globally, the idea of tipping is based on the quality of service.

 

Max

[Jack Peterson]

How right you are, Jack.  Here in the States the restaurant industry is trying to make the default tip 20%

 

This Totally aggravates me, They want to charge you before you even order and may not even have said Hello Welcome. Luckily, the type of Eating house we frequent are not on this yet here in the Philippines Tipping is really fairly new here, and this I absolutely Blame us ( The Foreigner) for. When one of our Elk decide to Open an Establishment now, Up comes the Cover charge (as they Call it) I am told this covers Bread and maybe water but Last time I was in Cebu the Hotel had a 12% Covercharge, When asked for What? Oh Well! that's to cover the Waiting staff wages and aperitif bread & Water + a Soft Drink, OK I asked where is it

 

:hystery:  hey I am not kidding, they had actually ran out of Bread and 8 oz Sprites, [i can't take Coke] So we said OK so no Cover charge then  OH No sir you have to pay that  We Left. You can have 12% of Nothing, Twisting Gets.

 

Jack :rolleyes:

[chris49]

How right you are, Jack. Here in the States the restaurant industry is trying to make the default tip 20% and they want that tip based on cost of food PLUS tax. I say that's BS, as you point out it's restaurants trying to get away with paying substandard wages. Not sure if it's the same in the Philippines. But globally, the idea of tipping is based on the quality of service.

That system. The US system, would tend to keep prices down. While putting more onus on the employee to give good service. If they didn't give good service they would eventually be fired.

And that's evidenced by the fact that restaurant prices in the USA are much lower the Europe or Australia.

So what is it you want? Better terms of employement with full time benefits for the employee. Higher wages and a higher price to the customer. Or the current system, lower prices but the customer makes up the salary diferential.

[Jack Peterson]

So what is it you want? Better terms of employement with full time benefits for the employee. Higher wages and a higher price to the customer. Or the current system, lower prices but the customer makes up the salary diferential.

 

Chris, That would only make it "Status Quo" but with a + for the owner and forgetting why? he has a business. The Customer who should come First!

Grannies saying " Look after the Pennies and the Pounds will Look after themselves." Want a Good Business Look after your Customers.

 

Jack :)

[Dave Hounddriver]

. If they didn't give good service they would eventually be fired.

 

It would appear you have never tried to fire a union employee in the US.  Neither have I, but I hear its not that simple.

[chris49]

It would appear you have never tried to fire a union employee in the US. Neither have I, but I hear its not that simple.

I have been careful to point out above, waitresses are part timers, casual labour. Diifferent rules do apply.

[Jack Peterson]

I have been careful to point out above, waitresses are part timers, casual labour. Diifferent rules do apply.

 

Nah! going in the wrong direction  for me Totally taking a Wrong Turning. When did Employment Law have anything to do with Tips and/or Gratuities? Certainly here in the PI which is where we are talking about.

Jack

[chris49]

OK, good see you on another topic.

I have lived in Australia, USA, UK, Saudi, Sri Lanka and the Philippines. On the system of tipping, I prefer the US system, so I do apply it except I scale it down according to the environment.

I would like to think I don't under tip. If I had a 1000 peso bill and I decided to leave a 5 peso tip, that would be a serious insult to the server. Better to leave nothing. I can't say how much I would leave but not under and not excessively over. If in a group and 5 people throw 20 pesos on the table, the tip would be 100. I don't let the Filipino's have a mad scramble to reduce it. And mostly I don't let Gina handle it.

If in the USA that would be 150 for standard service without any evaluation. That's the way it is.

Today we had a 170 snack in a local café. No tip, it's not that kind of place. You are getting your food brought to the table but that's it. You get your own plate, cutlery and water.

[Jack Peterson]

OK, good see you on another topic.

A Little sarcastic I thought Chris

[chris49]

OK, good see you on another topic.

A Little sarcastic I thought Chris

I am like that sometimes Jack, no offense actually intended.

Didn't you sign off on this topic once earlier, I did not read back.

Your comments (sarcasm not intended) strongly represent the British viewpoint. The British who traditionally don't tip. I'm an Aussie but I'm talking from the American standpoint where tipping is De Rigeur. That's where we differ.

In or out? It's a decent topic to consider. We discussed it down at the Sari Sari earlier with 2 Brit Filipino's, they don't tip not even 50 P. (Pence), there's s fundamental difference there.