Slow down King Frederik, there happen to be members here who have a deep fondness for booze that happen to have worked in many European countries
- Thread starter arete92
- Start date
Treatment as foreigner
Sorry if I hurt your feelings. What I meant to say is that in one european country it is more common to tip than in another. In Hungary for example, not the richest part of Europe, it is very common to tip while in Belgium not that much.
I don’t know myself that many states in the US. They are all very different too which is becoming more clear these years
We do our research before going anywhere and have travelled all of Western Europe but not eastern Europe yet. There is plenty of information available on tipping in each country. I almost always tip for food services, sometimes the grocery bagger, and sometimes the gas jockey. I give to several old women and the occasionally to a young Haitian girl with a baby but usually ignore beggars.
The price of the haircut where I go is 300 pesos. So a 100 peso tip is +30%. I know this guy very well and I doubt he talks behind my back.
It's been so pleasantly polite on DR1 while you've been away.
I worked with some Brits in the US and they tipped well.
But I worked in Puerto Rico with 3 French Canadian brothers. They would wait till the bill was paid and we all left our tips on the table then pretending like they had to use the bathroom they would scoop the tips off the table until one of my friends caught them because he had heard how cheap they were.
Needless to say we put them on the don't dine with again list.
But karma had a way of catching up with the cheapest one of them. A couple years later he was wind surfing in Key West and a big wind gust blew him into a building onshore where he died
I heard you squeaking as you walked out of your Mojito Bar after you enjoyed the usual 2for1 Long Island Iced Tea happy hour and left your favorite bartender 65 pesos, because that was the change from your check. That's what you folks do right? Round up?
I forgot the thread was about tipping. I had been so stupid to answer a troll
So a person that cuts your hair is worth less than a 2-dollar tip. The entire public sees you with this haircut! We live in different worlds. In my world that is called a cheapskate.
As you have kindly said that I have no respect towards service workers and are now saying this same to someone else, but yet you have not included in one single post any facts or details on what you do better, so please inform me:
How much do you pay for a haircut in the DR and where is your barber located (nothing specifics, city is enough)?
For a short/normal taxi/cab ride, how much do you pay?
For the above mentioned, how much do you tip?
As you said that it's better to pay properly for the service of those who have to do with our security, to exactly which services workers do you pay and how much? And please refrain from comments that make no sense or provide no factual information, such as this:
In Germany and other EU countries servers earn high wages including all benefits, medical, dental, social security, pensions, vacation pay and long vacations.
The custom was to simply round up the amount of the bill, never a 10-20% tip.
The employer pays the wage not the customer.
Of course well travelled EU citizens have learned and know tip situations around the world.
Most adjust to this and the countries customs and income level.
Tips are a percentage base of the bill and not based on a $6000 income elsewhere.
Of course some do gooders like to throw money at people thinking they are helping.
In Canada and US servers work for minimum wage, in touristic locations even less in some US locations Florida and Hawaii I think.
The customer is expected to subsidize owners earnings and profit margins.
The whine goes " If we pay high wages we will have to close"! I call bull sheit.
However in good restaurants servers can make great tip income, not largely declared in taxes.
In the DR with and outrageous 18% tax and a included tip of 10% customers pay and additional 28% on top of menu prices.
Servers often expect an additional tip.
If those rates where in existence in the US there would be a revolution.
That's another reason why people like the natural setting of Sosua beach and the absence of forced tip and tax.
One can still get a large beer for DOP 200, tip as you see fit.
Other hole in the wall places in the DR also charge no tax/tip, that's why average Dominicans/ gringos go there.
Wrong,
In the DR if you give cash it becomes expected on a consistent basis.
People will not hesitate to ask for it.
Even people you never met will not hesitate to beg, cash, food drinks, if you are a foreigner.
Don't give one day you become tacaño.
In the DR mostly it will gain you ZERO favour or appreciation.
Dumb gringo!
You will get more respect if you act as a Dominican does, give nothing.
In tourist areas you'll never see them asking of Dominicans.
In India Pakistan and Bangladesh you could be handing out money 24 hrs day till you are broke.
Zero favour.
The US concept of appreciation and gratitude is a response not learned in the DR.
A completely different emotional compass.
There are some decent and helpful Dominicans for neighbours or family.
Yet in many cases witnessed they will steal from the family, expect free money, food without ever helping.
Dominicans taking advantage of Dominicans and gringos whenever they can, often also in business.
In the outside world US, CAN, EU, people often help foreigners and do not overcharge them to take advantage.
As well as grigos in the DR wanting to help the poor and uneducated.
Doing good, a different moral learning and compass.
Remember Mother Theresa and Albert Schweitzer?
Yes, they were born outside the countries they helped.
where you are wrong, my dear, is that you need to know the situations when a discreet exchange of cash will get you favor. You don't stand up on the table and scream how much you love the place and the service. More than that, I am not just speaking of a food and beverage establishment. I appreciate your pointers on how to handle money in DR.
Oh the futility! Let your conscious be your guide! Interact with service people as you see fit. You are a grown man, and I will not sway your habits or business dealings.
The difference is if someone is well educated and well travelled.
EU is full of US citizens with education and well travelled.
Someone with basic US education and who never has been out of their county won't know much about the US nor the world.
Maybe we should increase our expectations of people, to educate themselves about the world.
Tips should be appropriately scaled to the local economy.