Hospitality Industry Pay

[JJReyes]

We are leaving Cebu for Manila tomorrow morning.  Several wait staff personnel passed by our table to thank us for our generosity.  Although breakfast is included with our hotel stay, our policy is to give P50 to the person attending to our needs, like reheating lukewarm porridge using the kitchen microwave.  During today's conversations, we learned five of them are "interns" and receive no pay.  As trainees sent by their school, they are gaining work experience.  Others are "casuals" which means minimum wage and no benefits.  Only a few are "regulars" or full-time employees.  The dream of trainees and casuals is overseas employment in cruise ships, international hotels and resorts.  A prestigious property experience is good for their resume'.

Every day, there was some else assigned to our table.  I realized today this was on purpose.  Interns would then, on a rotation basis, get P50.  

[Gator]

10 minutes ago, JJReyes said:

We are leaving Cebu for Manila tomorrow morning.  Several wait staff personnel passed by our table to thank us for our generosity.  Although breakfast is included with our hotel stay, our policy is to give P50 to the person attending to our needs, like reheating lukewarm porridge using the kitchen microwave.  During today's conversations, we learned five of them are "interns" and receive no pay.  As trainees sent by their school, they are gaining work experience.  Others are "casuals" which means minimum wage and no benefits.  Only a few are "regulars" or full-time employees.  The dream of trainees and casuals is overseas employment in cruise ships, international hotels and resorts.  A prestigious property experience is good for their resume'.

Every day, there was some else assigned to our table.  I realized today this was on purpose.  Interns would then, on a rotation basis, get P50.  

I was just in Cebu for a week with the wife. Same at the hotel we stayed at - breakfast buffet was included. All of the OJT’s wore white polo shirts and the regular staff wore various colored button down shirts. We also made sure to leave a 50peso tip each day and a few times gave a tip to other members of the buffet staff, like the ones at the omelet or pancake stations.

In addition, we also left a left a 200 peso tip under the pillow each day for the housekeeping staff as they were all OJT’s. They always made sure we had extra towels and extra bottles of the “free” water. A little kindness goes a long way. 

[Mike J]

Many years ago my wife and I stayed at a small resort/hotel in Boracay.  We happened to be the only people for an early supper.  My wife spoke with the 3 young people who waited on us and found them to be interns with no wage.  She asked if it was okay to give them a 500 peso tip to split among the three and I said yes.  Huge happy smiles from the crew.  The next evening we had supper again and the young man asked; "Sir, would you like your scotch rocks", as that it was I had the evening before.  I said yes please and a few minutes later he appeared with a large water glass filled to the brim with scotch and a few ice cubes.    Yes, they received another nice tip.  

[scott h]

49 minutes ago, Gator said:

A little kindness goes a long way. 

 

14 minutes ago, Mike J said:

Yes, they received another nice tip.  

So I guess it is just us Yankees who receive the service that goes the extra mile...........those cheap Aussies and Brits don't know what they are missing out on 

[Snowy79]

25 minutes ago, scott h said:

 

So I guess it is just us Yankees who receive the service that goes the extra mile...........those cheap Aussies and Brits don't know what they are missing out on 

I thought being a Brit was enough of a perk. 😉

[JJReyes]

1 hour ago, Gator said:

In addition, we also left a left a 200 peso tip under the pillow each day for the housekeeping staff as they were all OJT’s.

This is a good idea, giving the housekeeping staff their tip on a daily basis.  I usually give on a weekly basis since we usually stay one month at the property.  But this might not be equitable due to the constant rotation.  

We constantly discard things as we purchase new ones.  In Cebu, my wife purchased a new handbag, and she will get rid of the old one.  Another item are two new collared shirts for me which turned out to be ill-fitting.  They will be left behind in the room for housekeeping.  She will write and sign a note detailing the items.  Otherwise, security won't allow housekeepers to take them out.  

[JJReyes]

50 minutes ago, Snowy79 said:

I thought being a Brit was enough of a perk. 😉

Sounds like someone is reminiscing about the days of Empire. 

Joking aside, I notice Filipino service staff constantly asking, "Where are you from?"  It might not be idle curiosity.  They might be ranking guests regarding tipping practices.  Chinese, Koreans and Japanese are probably low on the totem pole.  Brits, Europeans and Australians are somewhere in the middle.  At the top are Americans because they come from a tipping culture.  

 

 

 

 

[Gator]

1 hour ago, JJReyes said:

This is a good idea, giving the housekeeping staff their tip on a daily basis

Thank. I usually place it under the pillow to help ensure the person or persons actually doing the work get it and not a supervisor who might be doing random inspections. 

[hk blues]

On one hand we are 'advised' to follow local culture yet on the other hand some are insistent on introducing customs from elsewhere.  How do they marry such contradictions? 

[JJReyes]

49 minutes ago, hk blues said:

On one hand we are 'advised' to follow local culture yet on the other hand some are insistent on introducing customs from elsewhere.  How do they marry such contradictions? 

Easy.  I follow the cultural rule most beneficial to me.  My birthday is never celebrated in the Philippines (where I have to pay for it) by explaining, "It's against my religion."  No further explanation is given.