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DEL.ICIO.USTipping points
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Most everyone has tipping for services in the U.S. down to a science, but what’s appropriate in a foreign country? Have you ever made a tipping mistake, either from miscalculating the currency or not realizing a tip is included in the meal cost?
On a recent budget trip to Madrid, Cazorla and Granada, Spain (read about it on ajc.com/travel), we followed the guide books’ advice to tip about 5 percent if service was good, since tips are built-in for most services. But we inadvertently gave a 10 euro “tip” for a tourist photo — the photographer gave us the photo and simply never returned with the change from our 20 euro note. Did we ever feel dumb!
Permalink | Comments (3) | Categories: Tipping for services
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By Karl
April 25, 2006 3:56 PM | Link to this
That doesn’t sound like a tip. That sounds like he stole your change!
By E. Lewis
April 25, 2006 4:19 PM | Link to this
I learned early on to do my research. Some cultures look down on tipping while in others you tip the house. Of course, there are services where it’s included and those are usually the tourist traps.
If tipping isn’t required or only a small tip is the norm, go to places that the locals frequent.
By LHK
April 25, 2006 4:54 PM | Link to this
In Hong Kong, restaurants may or may not add a 10% “service charge” to your meal. You have to read the receipt carefully to figure out if you still owe your server 10%, or if you’ve already paid it with the rest of your bill.
I don’t think my friend and I made any mistakes while we were there, but I can’t be sure. Everything else was so cheap, though, that I wouldn’t mind if I parted with a little extra money at one of the restaurants. They were fabulous.