@Corzhens, If you already have more than what you need and your "basket" is overflowing, so to speak, then it is just right to share it with the less fortunate, right? Although clearly some of our politicians just take and take what is not theirs without giving back, haha! @DreekLass, Over here the minumum wage of large stores and companies are around $10 to $12 per day, I read that in the US it's $7 per hour, so I think living in here is pretty cheap, even if imported products cost the same as the prices in their country of origin, like the iPhone for example. I actually like getting paid in British Pounds when I got a gig order in Fivesquids, because the exchange rate to peso is higher, haha!
@sidney sometimes my husband and I talk about the ultra rich people like the owner of banks and malls. They are already in their 80s and still working to their butts to earn millions and probably billions. What are they going to do with the money when in a few years they would die. One rich guy named Henry Sy, actually the richest man in our country, is stricken with an ailment. He is wheelchair bound, couldn't talk and just stares at you. What is his money for? It's a good feeling when you share your blessings.
@Corzhens, It turns out Henry Sy is already 91 years old, since his birthday is Dec. 25, 1924. According to this articleLog In he isn't active in managing his business anymore, so maybe the heartless managing is done by his descendants. BDO is actually not "poor friendly" since they have interbranch fees, something which most banks don't have, and they charge us P5 for every withdrawal, then I always "donate" P200 when I withdraw my Paypal earnings via Smart Money. They charge whenever they can. No wonder SM malls just keep growing and multiplying and they occasionally renovate it as well. Henry Sy has his scholar foundation, but I doubt his descendants would create their own foundation, considering how cutthroat businessmen they are. I hope all that greed will be balanced py philanthropic acts.
From what I know, Henry Sy stays in the hospital and that was his home since a few years ago. He had made a huge donation to the new St. Luke's hospital so one floor is for his personal use. Yes, BDO charge us for withdrawing money from Paypal. I also encounter that deduction whenever I would make a withdrawal. The interbranch fee can be waived depending on the situation. For those with relatives in the province, my advice is for them to open an account in Metro Manila where they would do their deposit regularly. Then send the ATM card to the province where their relatives can withdraw without any fee.
As much as possible, I would never forgo tipping just to save money. I think tipping is a way of appreciating good service. Especially if I notice that the servers/personnel go the extra mile without even you asking, the more I would like to tip them.
Yes the social pressure is there and the American mindset is firmly in place and many Americans can't see that pretty much the rest of the world doesn't behave like this or subscribe to that way of living. I do see people saying why should a server get paid a minimum wage as say a nurse as it is less skilled. Who is anyone to judge who gets paid except the the boss of the company. Costco workers get $15 an hour in retail and I imagine other retail staff get $8 for the same kind of work. The thing is Brits have a reputation for being mean tippers, but we just see it as discretionary rather than as paying for service. If Americans were transparent and put on the menu X amount for food and then Y amount for service then fine, but these unspoken rules allow businesses to pay them less.
Yes, I have heard the minimum wage argument a lot when it comes to this, and as cold as it may seem, why is it everyone else's job to pick up the slack? These people know that the server jobs pay terribly when they sign up to work in that occupation. if it was any other occupation, nobody would just expect and socially pressure everyone else - the clients - to pick up the slack. it is very odd to me. It is strange that people just expect more money even after the service that is there to be paid for has already been paid for.
There is one place (US) I have been to where you can choose self-service or table service. Maybe if people had that option to pick up their own water and food from the counter maybe things will change? Nandos does this as well, but people could order themselves and then collect the food when it's ready, should they tip then? I know in some places they still expect people to pay tips for placing an order and collecting money, that to me is silly when it's an interaction of less than a minute. I remember a place in the US where there was no table service, you ordered at the till and then collected the food when your number was called out, got your own utensils and then cleared and they still had a tip jar and a space on the card receipt for a tip. I crossed it out as the cashier never even looked at me for the 30 seconds we spoke, how does that justify a tip? It was an expensive health food place too!
@Corzhens, Henry Sy has 1 whole floor to himself? I wonder what he does with that huge space considering that he's already in a wheelchair. And thanks for the tip, I don't really send money in the province, but I just discovered that interbranch fee when this online seller told me about it. Oh. since you also work there, my Kabayan savings account was closed or not accesible in the ATM, but it hasn't been 2 years since I have last deposited money in it. Would you say that the policy has now changed? I will not bother to re-activate that account since I have no use for it anymore even if it expires on 2021.
Same here, Josie! I know how tough it is out there, and I was a waitress when I was at uni; been there, done it. I don't know how it works now, but back then we didn't even have a basic, we were paid solely through tips. I'd feel guilty if I went out eating and didn't leave at least 10% of the bill, especially if the service was outstanding.
Sometimes I am short of money when I have paid for a meal, so I won't leave a tip at that time. The way I see it is that without customers, the staff would not be paid, so I am already making some kind of contribution with regards to making sure that they get enough money for the job that they do. I don't like not leaving a tip, but unfortunately this is just something that has to happen sometimes.
I would never say for sure that I wouldn't tip in order to save money because you never know when you really are tight on money. Maybe if you really don't have it a couple bucks make a difference. But right now with my financial condition, I would never gorgo with my financial condition, I was never forgo tipping to save some cash.
My friend and I had this dilemma in ou5 local cafe when it was under $10 and we did tip ridiculously as we spent ages in their using the free wi-fi. $1 is 25% and most people tip 20%. If it was a local place and I had spent time there I would tip the dollar, otherwise I would leave a couple of quarters. For take out I never tip, but I know Americans do at the tip jar by the till but if it's loose change then it's more that than a conscious tip for service. I had a psychic reading once and they all have tip jars on their tables.
I always tip, even if I'm a little low on cash. Even a dollar can really help a waiter who's getting paid LESS THAN minimum wage. My dad is a waiter, and I know these guys depend on tips. My dad has had nights where NO ONE tipped him, and came home after 8 long hours of work with only about $30. At that rate, he's making less than a thousand a month: not nearly enough to support a family. I know folks are often low on cash, but think about how a waiter would be affected if all his customers had the mindset that the waiter would get along fine without that extra dollar. Even of you're low on cash, I strongly suggest you tip - even if it's just a dollar. The food industry is by no means glamorous and without tips, waiters aren't making a nearly livable wage.
I do tip if the service has been acceptable or better. I don't have a set amount though, I'll just round up to the nearest £5. So if the meal is, say £17, I'll hand over a £20 note and tell the waiter/ess to keep the change. When I was a barmaid, people would often say this to me and it's a nice feeling to have. So why not pass it on?
@Theo, Then I think $2 would be acceptable as tip in your case? Over here you can spend a lot of time using a free wifi in the mall and you don't even have to tip. When it comes to the tip jar, I guess it's divided and distributed equally to the employees, right?
This particular conversation tends to get a little heated around here, lol. Different areas have different customs, so that may be part of it. Here, in the states, most people tip unless the service is bad. There are of course some who never bother to tip at all or they nitpick, looking for reasons to avoid leaving anything. I worked as a server. I know how important those tips are.
I tip when I can. It is nice to see that you are appreciated no matter how mundane the tasks you perform. I think this is similar to what some people like to give cards to the doctors and nurses that helped them in times of need. I think kids are more likely to draw a simple picture to give to a nurse and whatnot.
I don't expect servers or past servers to agree that tips should be optional, merely because most of the time they are seeing things from the perceptions of having worked as a server, and knowing how useful those tips are. But when they are trying to tell me not to leave my house and go to certain establishments if I am not going to tip or do not have money for tipping, that is where I have an problem. The choice should be there and there should be a lot less pressure. No other industry expects the clients to pick up the slack for the fact that the employers aren't paying the employee enough. Why aren't we going to the employers about the low pay? Why are we putting pressure on one another?
