Tipping

[SoCalRich]

It's great to see tips have increased from $5 a dive to $10. I have been tipping $20 a day, sometimes it's a two dive day sometimes it's 3 dives. When I travel , I try to bring some gear that will be of use to the DM. + the cash tip. Many times when I DM on a dive charter, the customer assume that the dive fee includes the tip.

Good Dinin
SoCalRich

 

[stretchthepenn]

Employees not paid fully? So the shop owner is counting his money expecting me to pay for what he should have paid? The wrong side then is the shop and its owner, not me. Another reason to not continue with this "not mandatory but expected" tipping nonsense: fix your business, pay your employees, add that percentage to the full price and stop using exotic stupid solutions.

 

[Damselfish]

There's much to be said for respecting local culture and customs, or at least meeting them part way. But also nice if people allow that visitors coming from a different culture will think differently about some things. Do your research and if it's all too unacceptable to you, don't go. Or do what you're going to do, but ranting about it does little good.

I think most people will agree the US tipping culture sucks. On the flip side, there's lots of places where prices are inflated to allow for the expected haggling. That's not the usual way in the US - I hate it, and I'd bet I'm far from alone. (My reaction to this is to shop less or not at all.)

 

[gcarter]

It's really not that awkward to tip. Find the mate after the charter, fold a $20 in your hand and pass it off as you shake their hand.

The custom of passing it off discretely simply highlights how broken a system tipping as wages is.

 

[caydiver]

I have to admit that about 10+ years ago I had my first trip to Australia I place that holds a truly special place in my heart. The wait service in even very great restaurants sucked. Your server disappeared and uf you were lucky you got the appetizer before you finished the wine you bought to go with the meal. All super polite and friendly but just poor service. I would rather pay a tip than buy a second bottle of good wine to have

 

[Steelyeyes]

There's much to be said for respecting local culture and customs, or at least meeting them part way. But also nice if people allow that visitors coming from a different culture will think differently about some things. Do your research and if it's all too unacceptable to you, don't go. Or do what you're going to do, but ranting about it does little good.

I think most people will agree the US tipping culture sucks. On the flip side, there's lots of places where prices are inflated to allow for the expected haggling. That's not the usual way in the US - I hate it, and I'd bet I'm far from alone. (My reaction to this is to shop less or not at all.)

That's one thing my wife dislikes about Mexico, that and gringo pricing. I'm sure she'll get over it because we'll be spending a lot of time there in the coming years.

 

[npole]

I don't know about the others, but my critics about this fancy tipping thing is not about the (additional) money, it's more about the unpredictable additional expenses. I prefer to know in advance (and I often pay in advance) my travel, also I don't like to carry much cash with me, if not for a sensible amount you may need during your stay when accessing an ATM isn't that easy.
I'm on holiday, I wake up the morning, I want to scuba diving, I don't want to feel in debt because I can't carry $40 coz the atm in puerto galera wasn't working the night before, i paid thousands dollars for everything 10 months before already and now I look like stingy because I'm not tipping, and the worst thing is that my not-tipping may reflect negatively on my experience because the DM is someway "offended"?
All this s* is about tipping .. and why it is wrong: tipping is about giving a bonus for an exceptional service, not percentage of the salary.

 

[Olariuas]

I don't know about the others, but my critics about this fancy tipping thing is not about the (additional) money, it's more about the unpredictable additional expenses. I prefer to know in advance (and I often pay in advance) my travel, also I don't like to carry much cash with me, if not for a sensible amount you may need during your stay when accessing an ATM isn't that easy.
I'm on holiday, I wake up the morning, I want to scuba diving, I don't want to feel in debt because I can't carry $40 coz the atm in puerto galera wasn't working the night before, i paid thousands dollars for everything 10 months before already and now I look like stingy because I'm not tipping, and the worst thing is that my not-tipping may reflect negatively on my experience because the DM is someway "offended"?
All this s* is about tipping .. and why it is wrong: tipping is about giving a bonus for an exceptional service, not percentage of the salary.

I do agree with you. In my country DM and federal instructor (dunno the english name) working or not in a diving club or a dive center/shop are not paid at all. They do need a specific diploma who cost around 8000+ € (of course some financial help do exist). And due to our tipping culture they might have nothing.

Now honestly include tipping on your daily rate for 2-tanks and let us choose which dive center to gohead with. If that exceptional service are real and enjoyable people around will recommand that shop instead of another one. This is how reputation and highly recommanded business work. Now the other things we should be able to tip someone and not share with the crew. The person who take risks to go underwater is the guide. Now if the full service do include that you -as tourist- do nothing at all and sunbath while the crew take care of everything why not.

Some people -me- don't like much that a guide/other person do touch gear (tanks inclued) and are fully capable to manage themselve.

Now I understood that your salary are low and you expect to have some tips but I'm seriously thinking that in my country they do similar work (with some strange local laws too specially about liability) and who got clearly less or none as salary. And yes most do PADI to travel and work oversea and do accept to work for low salary too.

 

[Mrs. B]

I don't know about the others, but my critics about this fancy tipping thing is not about the (additional) money, it's more about the unpredictable additional expenses. I prefer to know in advance (and I often pay in advance) my travel, also I don't like to carry much cash with me, if not for a sensible amount you may need during your stay when accessing an ATM isn't that easy.
I'm on holiday, I wake up the morning, I want to scuba diving, I don't want to feel in debt because I can't carry $40 coz the atm in puerto galera wasn't working the night before, i paid thousands dollars for everything 10 months before already and now I look like stingy because I'm not tipping, and the worst thing is that my not-tipping may reflect negatively on my experience because the DM is someway "offended"?
All this s* is about tipping .. and why it is wrong: tipping is about giving a bonus for an exceptional service, not percentage of the salary.

I’d like to point out the unintended consequences. We have avoided high end resorts not just for the cost but the constant tippping is just not relaxing
Every time we move a bag, every time we want our car

At the same time, we don’t like all inclusives either so as people that take a lot of trips, we make them up on our own now and all the expectations on dive boats (medical forms, tipping conventions) just make it not feel like the adventure we seek

As a dive master I get it but it’s just a big PITA

 

[Dogbowl]

Post deleted - so many tipping threads I've got them confused.