Do you tip the staff at bookstores?
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Do you tip the staff at bookstores?
There's a convenient tip box now at Monument Books if you are so inclined.
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That's taking the piss a bit.
But I'm a Brit - Americans love to tip, maybe they'd be more inclined...
But I'm a Brit - Americans love to tip, maybe they'd be more inclined...
I'll tip anyone regardless of fixtures prompting me to do so as long as I get a reasonable standard of service. If a bookstore assistant suggests to me a book, or leads me to a section I can't find, takes time to engage me in a friendly non selly/pushy way for a minute, I've no problem giving the assistant a bit extra. If he/she just grabs a book and bags it, probably not.
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This is an interesting topic I think.Londo wrote:I'll tip anyone regardless of fixtures prompting me to do so as long as I get a reasonable standard of service. If a bookstore assistant suggests to me a book, or leads me to a section I can't find, takes time to engage me in a friendly non selly/pushy way for a minute, I've no problem giving the assistant a bit extra. If he/she just grabs a book and bags it, probably not.
This is absolutely not intended to be a loaded question directed at you Londo but would you/we do the same in the west or our own country wherever that is? I am guessing a lot of us would do the same as you suggest here in Cambodia but never even think about it in the west. It seems like this is something we do almost subconsciously in places like Cambodia where rightly or wrongly most people are thought of as struggling/poor or needing all these extra helping hands. Whereas there are millions of people in say North America who are living in abject poverty as well just scraping by working minimum wage or whatever in expensive cities and if they happened to pump our gas cheerily or sell us a book helpfully we would almost never just hand over a tip and say 'well done'. What I think I am saying is its not really a western trait to do such things other than when we are in an impoverished place and we do it many times without even knowing if the person really needs it or not?
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I live in the tipping capital of America, and I would never consider tipping anyone in a bookstore or other retail sales staff anywhere in America or anywhere else, regardless of the level of service provided.
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No!
I'm not a negative person, I encourage people all the time...it's usually to f**k off! But, whatever.
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More and more places are now adding a service charge to the bill.
I was in one place last month which had a service charge and a tip box at the till.
I pointed this out and the staff weren't aware that there was a service charge was added to the bill.
I meant to post this at the time but forgot... have also now forgotten the name of the restaurant.
I was in one place last month which had a service charge and a tip box at the till.
I pointed this out and the staff weren't aware that there was a service charge was added to the bill.
I meant to post this at the time but forgot... have also now forgotten the name of the restaurant.
Where the value to the recipient may perhaps be greater in developing countries, I'll generally have no issue parting with an extra couple of dollars regardless the country I'm in if I feel I've received good service. This stems from a time I'm rather fond of when the guy who owned the gas station washed my fathers car windshield while the bowser pumped fuel, your family had the phone number of your doctor and he would pick-up if required, my teacher would drop me home from school to chat with my mum and a painter would touch up that small faded part of the ceiling that wasn't in the quote because he still had time to get home. Perhaps somewhat sentimental in my thinking, I feel if people go that little bit further for me I'd like to encourage them to go that bit further for others - it's a nicer world to live in.kansaicanuck wrote:This is an interesting topic I think.Londo wrote:I'll tip anyone regardless of fixtures prompting me to do so as long as I get a reasonable standard of service. If a bookstore assistant suggests to me a book, or leads me to a section I can't find, takes time to engage me in a friendly non selly/pushy way for a minute, I've no problem giving the assistant a bit extra. If he/she just grabs a book and bags it, probably not.
This is absolutely not intended to be a loaded question directed at you Londo but would you/we do the same in the west or our own country wherever that is? I am guessing a lot of us would do the same as you suggest here in Cambodia but never even think about it in the west. It seems like this is something we do almost subconsciously in places like Cambodia where rightly or wrongly most people are thought of as struggling/poor or needing all these extra helping hands. Whereas there are millions of people in say North America who are living in abject poverty as well just scraping by working minimum wage or whatever in expensive cities and if they happened to pump our gas cheerily or sell us a book helpfully we would almost never just hand over a tip and say 'well done'. What I think I am saying is its not really a western trait to do such things other than when we are in an impoverished place and we do it many times without even knowing if the person really needs it or not?
However, I agree with you that most people while living in the west aren't inclined to tip, but put in an environment where their money goes further, they're feeling better about who they are and their standing in the community, perhaps reminded that they are somewhat privileged by comparison to those they are surrounded by, and not having to deal with the western stresses of living, they become more generous. I also believe there's an element of competition between people in the west and most aren't in any way going to help or give any more to "that bastard who doesn't work any harder than me".
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Great reply Londo.Londo wrote:Where the value to the recipient may perhaps be greater in developing countries, I'll generally have no issue parting with an extra couple of dollars regardless the country I'm in if I feel I've received good service. This stems from a time I'm rather fond of when the guy who owned the gas station washed my fathers car windshield while the bowser pumped fuel, your family had the phone number of your doctor and he would pick-up if required, my teacher would drop me home from school to chat with my mum and a painter would touch up that small faded part of the ceiling that wasn't in the quote because he still had time to get home. Perhaps somewhat sentimental in my thinking, I feel if people go that little bit further for me I'd like to encourage them to go that bit further for others - it's a nicer world to live in.kansaicanuck wrote:This is an interesting topic I think.Londo wrote:I'll tip anyone regardless of fixtures prompting me to do so as long as I get a reasonable standard of service. If a bookstore assistant suggests to me a book, or leads me to a section I can't find, takes time to engage me in a friendly non selly/pushy way for a minute, I've no problem giving the assistant a bit extra. If he/she just grabs a book and bags it, probably not.
This is absolutely not intended to be a loaded question directed at you Londo but would you/we do the same in the west or our own country wherever that is? I am guessing a lot of us would do the same as you suggest here in Cambodia but never even think about it in the west. It seems like this is something we do almost subconsciously in places like Cambodia where rightly or wrongly most people are thought of as struggling/poor or needing all these extra helping hands. Whereas there are millions of people in say North America who are living in abject poverty as well just scraping by working minimum wage or whatever in expensive cities and if they happened to pump our gas cheerily or sell us a book helpfully we would almost never just hand over a tip and say 'well done'. What I think I am saying is its not really a western trait to do such things other than when we are in an impoverished place and we do it many times without even knowing if the person really needs it or not?
However, I agree with you that most people while living in the west aren't inclined to tip, but put in an environment where their money goes further, they're feeling better about who they are and their standing in the community, perhaps reminded that they are somewhat privileged by comparison to those they are surrounded by, and not having to deal with the western stresses of living, they become more generous. I also believe there's an element of competition between people in the west and most aren't in any way going to help or give any more to "that bastard who doesn't work any harder than me".
Yeah, its quite an interesting trait that does pop up when we find ourselves out in a foreign place and I think many times people do it more directly with cash in places like Cambodia as it feels as if passing over just a few dollar bills will help more directly. Its much more tangible that way.
I think the way its done here with cash is something thats different and would probably be uncomfortable for most people in the west though, even if they needed it.
My Gf/wife/commonlaw/partner/liveinmate sometimes deals with customer service in her job when shes working in Cambodia. Usually its with foreigners. She get tips all the time at a place that she would never get tips anywhere else. "and here's a dollar or whatever for you sweetheart" kind of thing. I am not sure why the customer/clients would think she needed it other than her being Khmer?, but she doesn't mind using it to buy her lunch or whatever when it happens as handing it back would be rude. In one way its funny and weird for her that people may think shes a charity case just because she is Khmer, but even she knows that we would never do this shit in the west. When we are out of Cambodia though she loves to snag and then drop my change in the unicef or whatever jars that are at the tills in places...
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Do you ever tip in different situations than you would in the States other than if that difference was a local custom? Or do you tip exactly as you would and only in the same circumstances as back home?gavinmac wrote:I live in the tipping capital of America, and I would never consider tipping anyone in a bookstore or other retail sales staff anywhere in America or anywhere else, regardless of the level of service provided.
I know a guy who had way more money than brains who would ring the fucking bell wherever we were to help the locals cause - Larry's Gong, Loco bar Bell ect and do it over and over... because he thought it was nice and it was almost like his way of donating to the poor, suffering, third world girls on staff. I guess we all donate to the cause in our own special ways. I know Larry and Jim just loved it and it was probably totally worth the 'through the pants dickrubs' he got. Not sure if it saved any starving kids though.
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