Tipping

Thought i'd bring it up to see what everyone does about TIPPING. Didn't want to hijack another thread, and could't find a recent specific topic. Obviously for terrible service, zero is an option, but also some of these kids have never been coached correctly by negligent managers. And please specific places out of the discussion.

Restaurants; After some discussion last year during our first visit, we generally tip no more than 10% on a restaurant, but we do generally tip. And i've never noticed a "service charge" yet, so that point is moot for us. Anyone know a restaurant that does, dumb if we've been double tipping ??

Parking Assistants, Non-Uniformed; If they aren't uniformed, we've been giving a few pesos when they help us back out into traffic.

Parking Assistants, Uniformed; We don't tip them if they are uniformed, ie, paid by the merchant/restaurant. They don't seem to expect it, right, wrong ??

Trike drivers; usually just agreed upon price ??

Any service i missed.. And probably should have posted elsewhere other than tourist, because this applies to new residents also..????

 

For me 10% if service is normal 15% if they are better. 20% if they entertained my child or did something beyond their regular service requirements. I never tip for backing out of a public parking space. I drove a 34 ft motor home towing a 16 ft trailer for years, don't need help with a 10 ft car. I can park my own M/C. My pet peeve from riding Bikes all my adult years in the States no one is welcome to touch my M/C. Put a shade cover on it I tip for that, but move it or otherwise touch my Bike No tip.

 

I've really changed my tipping habits after so many years here. For the most part I tend to try and avoid tipping with exceptions.

Parking attendants - I don't look at it as a tip but a fee while it is up to you. This is their work and for the vats majority including those uniformed I don't think they are paid by the business. Some of the major business's do a sort of uniform and then their is that parking attendant card around their necks but it seems quite off to me and I don't trust the business paying them in most cases. Cangs or LP if parking inside/under then that is likely a business thing and they are paid workers. Those at Robinson's and most all the rest I really don't think they are employee's getting paid by the business and I've known a couple of them over the years.

Restaurants - it depends on my mood. Depending it may be 20p or nothing depending on service and if it required much work. I've been trying to stop tipping at restaurants however unless exceptional service above and beyond.

Trikes/taxi's they get what the fare is or for my conveinence rounded up to the nearest 5p. Exception is if they go above and beyond their job to help with something.

Haircut - 20p usually to my regular guy. Christmas time I often bump to 50p.

Massage -50p per hour massage or 100p if longer or very good service. This is in part because I know these gals usually get paid 100-150p a day and get to keep tips or else they are paid up to 50p for each massage they do. Most are barely scrapping by living at parents.

Food delivery (pizza, mcdoc, whatever) 20p unless I know their is a delivery fee.

That pretty much sums it up for me I'd say. I've tried to break out of the American bad habit of tipping for doing their job and tipping instead for going above and beyond.

 

Wherever I go I take the tipping habits of the locals as I am a guest and should adapt to their culture.

Restaurants etc is no tip - unless exceptional service, friendliness, etc (in the US I hate the % tip deal as it has no bearing on the service provided. You order a $200 bottle of wine and I order a $20 bottle, why should your tip be 10 times mine? Why is the tip $22 - $44 for 5 minutes of work? I prefer to tip based on type of restaurant, amount of interaction, and time I was there.)

I didn't like the parking guy thing to start with but now I am happy to give p5. Uniformed or not, they allow much more parking in a given area than if 'we' parked on our own. This means I can park in a much more convenient location and that is certainly worth $0.10

Haircut, I go to a p40 shop and pay p50

Massage, I also tip p50 an hour once I find someone who can actually do decent deep tissue my spine problems require as it is a specialized skill and I need consistent quality.

Trikes depends on if he quoted high or not and what kind of change I have. Jeepney, the price is the price.

 

Good to see that my tipping practice is in line with others. Don't want to be "that guy". But what about when you go to a place to get a smoke test for your motorcycle and ask the guy who works there if he can "do the whole thing" as in go stand in line at LTO for insurance and registration after he does the emissions test. How much to tip that guy?

 

I give the fellow at the smoke test around 100 pesos for doing the whole thing.
He gets a kickback from the insurance company as well. I think around 200 pesos.

 

Just as a comparison, I have been told many times that Filipinos do not tip. Do not know how true this is. I am with Wrye on the rest of the other items including the cuteness of the waitress... lol I particularly like the the ".you don't get to prepare my food and serve it with Filipino culture and then demand an American culture when it's time to tip" concept. The 20 P tip whether is is only a coke or three full meals still seems to apply. A little extra for the cute ones or the very cute ones who recognize me but act like they have never seen me before in front of my date. (No tip is for the waitresses who stand around in a group gossiping, and say things my date can here like: "Here he comes again with another lady"... really happened once, and my date asked about the comments).

Many times I feel the Parking boys also give me a certain level of "bike security (because I use the same guys everytime) so they get Wrye's P5 if I was parked more than 5-10 minutes.

I do usually give a good tip the masseuse depending on how happy I am at the end.

 

As a comparison for Dave_H and Showpony's tipping the Smoke test guy, The "fixer", "expeditor," "service provider" that i used to shepherd my SRRV documents thru the Cebu PRA office after my first visit, the Manila bank, the Department of Foreign Affairs, and the Manila PRA got PhP 750. By comparison the SRRV guy was inexpensive.

 

Im from Ireland and tipping isnt required nor expected so i guess its not in my DNA to tip per say
But I do have a tricycle franchise in Amlan and I also have a jeepney Franchise AMLAN-DUMAGUETE, and some days i would let the drivers keep the rent as a little encouragement ((((BIG BIG BIG MISTAKE MISTAKE MISTAKE)))......when im not at home in Amlan and tyres or something else is needed, then unlike a lot of other franchise owners who wait a few days to repair or replace ( i do it same day so as they are out of pocket very very little)

so they say the tyres are 900 pesos each ..............when im home and i go with them to buy the tyres ( they are only 750 and the driver looks at me like "you can afford it")

I always considered myself a bit of a giver and somewhat foolish at times with what i give away to the locals , turn a blind eye to one less chicken or my islanders going missing from outside, next day i see the wifes uncle wearing islanders 4 sizes to big for him, and i just smile at him (he knows i know), but he doesnt give a fuxx

over they years here I have become hardened , so no more handouts no more tips, no more borrowings for medicine (tooba/tanduay)

i count every peso and more importantly i wait for every peso

end of rant