View Poll Results: Tipping range?

Voters
229. You may not vote on this poll
  • Nothing above the 10% mandatory service charge

    120 52.40%
  • Coins

    64 27.95%
  • Coins + $10 or $20 HKD

    32 13.97%
  • A lot more

    13 5.68%
Like Tree96Likes

How much do you tip at restaurants?

Closed Thread
Page 1 of 23 1 2 3 4 9 ... LastLast
  1. #1

    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    SHEUNG WAN
    Posts
    176

    How much do you tip at restaurants?

    Coming from the States, I am accustomed to tipping big. I've tried to control the tipping somewhat, but I've had very little success so far. I have a lot of empathy for the wait staff and will gladly share my income when they provide average or above average service.

    What's your tipping habit like?

    Brooklynexpat and kpelszyn like this.

  2. #2

    I usually tip 5-10% above the service charge in cash. Service charge and tips made on credit cards usually go to the company and not the staff in most cases.


  3. #3

    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    23,205

    If there's nothing special about the service then nothing. If something special then it could be anything from a few coins up to several hundred dollars, depending on how special, the size of the bill, the type of place, how often I go there, etc.

    kpelszyn and knk like this.

  4. #4

    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    nyc
    Posts
    316

    most of the restaurants i've been to have SC included- i generally don't add to that. back in nyc, it'd be 20% for decent service, 10% for crap, and 25+% for great.

    here i've been tipping cabbies ....usually round up + 5


  5. #5

    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    Ex Sai Kunger Sunny Qld for now
    Posts
    8,318

    We leave the coins for casual meals, if a larger event say 5 or so friends at dinner, at a more formal restaurant, if we receive William Angliss Institute levels of service, then we might tip a $100 or more...

    In my opinion, one of HK's best restaurant hosts, has to be Sing at Jaspa's in Sai Kung, he's excellent, and always works hard to make your evening pleasant. As a result, he gets tipped very well.

    I think that has most to do with the reason to tip, if the wait staff helped contribute to an enjoyable evening, you feel compelled to tip fairly.

    Bad service gets nothing BTW.

    Last edited by Skyhook; 19-06-2008 at 07:39 PM.

  6. #6

    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Sham Tseng, NT
    Posts
    452

    I didn't even know it's customary to tip in Hongkong (apart from the sometimes included service charge). Good to know though !


  7. #7

    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Posts
    42

    Very little to none.

    I've learnt that most places don't expect a tip. They only expect it from westerners because that's what westerners do.

    The taxi drivers always give change to my wife (she's chinese), they've even called her back to tell her there's change. If I'm in a cab and there's change, they tend to hang back as if it's a given.

    I say do what you feel is right for you.


  8. #8

    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    23,205
    Quote Originally Posted by FilipH:
    I didn't even know it's customary to tip in Hongkong
    It isn't - only ignorant Americans with money to burn do it.

  9. #9

    Join Date
    May 2008
    Posts
    303
    Quote Originally Posted by PDLM:
    It isn't - only ignorant Americans with money to burn do it.
    Being from the UK, the only tip I usually leave is "Don't eat yellow snow"

    Although not customary for locals, I do tip here (for good service) at restaurants, hairdressers, massage (legit of course),taxis etc. With the discrepency in wages between expats and locals I think it is always good to give something back to the local community.

    When bars try to force you to tip by giving your change back in coins then I don't tip on principle
    Last edited by leghk; 20-06-2008 at 09:13 AM.

  10. #10

    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Park Island
    Posts
    807
    Quote Originally Posted by leghk:
    Being from the UK, the only tip I usually leave is "Don't eat yellow snow"

    Although not customary for locals, I do tip here (for good service) at restaurants, hairdressers, massage (legit of course),taxis etc. With the discrepency in wages between expats and locals I think it is always good to give something back to the local community.

    When bars try to force you to tip by giving your change back in coins then I don't tip on principle
    I always tip taxi drivers, and usually at restaurants. It really pisses me off when bars add a 10% service charge tho, expecially when you order your drink at the bar, pay for it there and then...ridiculous
    East_coast likes this.

Closed Thread
Page 1 of 23 1 2 3 4 9 ... LastLast