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Most of the time when receiving Jamaican coins in change I pocket them and throw them in an ashtray for the housekeepers. Over the years I have accumulated quite a few that I've brought home. Well...then the ten dollar coins are worth (approx.) a one US$. I usually tip at the same rate that I do in the states (15 -20 %). My question is would it be insulting to a bartender to leave 30 Jamaican ten dollar coins for a tree dollar tip?
No, they aint getting my Markus Garvy 20's.
30 dollars JA is 30 cents US
Sorry, I meant to say 30 ten dollar coins and not 30 one dollar coins which was in the original post.
I try to tip the same as I do in the states. When I asked a bartender who is well known by a lot of people about tipping.. He said "We try to serve the Americans the fastest with a grin"
Americans do tend to want their bartenders "attentive". I know in South Jersey "inattention" is cause to not return to that establishment.
As a long-time waitress - cash is cash - I wouldn't mind getting coins. Most places I worked at would let servers cash in their coins for bills.
I don't think it would matter...money is money. Couldn't you just cash them in at a cambio or a store for bills?
@papa
I think it has more to do with the fact that in American Society we are accustomed to tipping 15 to 20% at bars an restaurants and we tend to bring that with us to the island. It's not the case everywhere else in the world, and they bring what they are used to with them. If a bartender knows he is going to get a good tip with fast service he is going to get to you first, and that's the way it works in the states as well. If you are tipping every round of drinks, you wont be waiting long at the bar. If not... well...
It seems to me, over the past 20 years Jamaican bartender behavior has risen closer to American standards. Back way when, you could expect Jamaican bartenders to ignore you. Now not so much.
Twenty years ago a bunch of us walked in the Xtabi bar. Had a round of drinks. Still on the first round the bartender (Donavon) comes around with a shovel full of ice saying "More ice?". I was shocked. Was I in Jamaica? So because of that one thing we've come and stayed there, each year, ever since.
Most importantly, know the local customs about tipping before you travel. That said...
On Jamaica, tipping IS readily accepted, and it is very appreciated when you apply the same rules there that you would in the States.
I once read that there were at one time enough experienced JUTA BIG bus drivers that each driver only drew a couple of full fares in a year. I find that difficult to believe, myself, but those few fares, with tips from each single, couple or family, went a LONG way to paying to paying for food and housing, but nobody was getting rich on it either. Today, you don't see those big buses as much; the smaller LP fueled buses seem to be the vehicle of choice.... LOTS of them.
Bar tenders, wait staff and house keepers are probably the hardest workers on the island, day in and day out. We always try to keep that in mind; its going to be a challenge for us to get out of the AI mode when we beach it in April.
Bills not coins. Unless they're Loonies!
"Bar tenders, wait staff and house keepers are probably the hardest workers on the island, day in and day out."
They might be in Negril, but not in Jamaica as a whole.
Regards,
Bob
So do you take into account the 10% service fee usually added to bill or just ignore it + go with additional 15-20%.... Thanks
I'm a bartender in a small town and understand the need for tips to make a living...when I travel to Jamaica or anywhere I try to tip at least 20% or more, I feel they don't really get paid enough for the long hours they work. If I have extra money when leaving I will split it up between my servers also...
After 21 trips over the last four years I've spent over 12K US for food and drink mostly at Seastar and several others ....3dives, Cosmos etc.
I average 31.87%
Cap
Good man...give to those less fortunate...Quote:
Originally Posted by captaind
Some places it's 20%. I know 10% is the government tax, the other 10% I assumed was a hotel added fee (never been quite sure, as I do not see this everywhere, but definitely where we stay). For myself, I just tip as if I were in the states. I know the person helping me is getting it then. I'm only there for a few days, I figure it as part of my travel budget. Maid gets $10-20 a day, luggage guys at airport and wherever a few $$ per bag, drivers tipped even after ride price negotiated. I even tipped the cook who made me all those fantastic dinners at Tensing last year. Sometimes, I think it is going overboard, but I only get to go once a year, so I just put it in that context for myself. I know that tipping at the resort has lead to service above and beyond the norm. I've had special meals made for me, stuff brought from outside by staff (last year, I got to try breadfruit for the first time after a random conversation about seeing it cooked in a video... It was not a menu item, one of the waitstaff brought it from home and asked the cook to make it for my breakfast) one of the bellboys even brought Cindi a goodbye gift a couple years ago (it was decorated shells, but is still out as a tchotchke in the house). The added expense is worth it to make someone else's day a little better for making my one vacation a year more enjoyable.Quote:
Originally Posted by don+shelley
I roll similar to you. I bring a couple bottles of quality liquor for the bartenders that I pick up at duty free. Some trinkets or Bath and Body Works for the ladies, gag gifts for some, etc. The housekeepers also know to grab a drink out of the fridge when cleaning my room. Once you settle in at a place you can get by with near zero effort, and for me that is a good thing on vacation. Found out on my last trip that the staff loved mosquito products. Amazon lights, citronella candles, coils and spray.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hussyband
If you are not basing your tips on quality of service you only do harm to the whole industry in Negril. There are people that should get tips for their service and some that should not but if everyone based their tipping on service you would find the industry gets better. Do you ever go and offer the kitchen staff a tip?
Regarding the 10 o/o service fee... and I may catch some flak for this... subtract it from the bill before calculating a generous tip for good service.
I don't usually frequent places that have a service charge. I would still tip on the bill minus the service charge, but I'd rather any tip go directly to the server with no middleman.
Yes, tip for good SERVICE, not because someone has their hand out.
Exactly Goldilocks. BTW, do you know just how unsanitary it is to take words out of my mouth? :rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by goldilocks
Peace and Guidance
Last visit I bonus tipped Alvin and Randy with a 3' cedar tree seedling each (Seastar barmen)
This might sound like a stupid question, but how do you tip the maids? We left money with a thank you note on the nightstand after the 1st day and the maids never took it the whole week. We went ahead & left it there when we checked out though. Should we hand it to them personally? A lot of times we miss them if we are out and about.
I always bring lots of envelopes and address them to the housekeeper personally with a thank you on the outside of the envelope.Usually I ask the housekeeper if she will be there on the day we leave...if so...I tell her to be sure and see me on that morning...if not I tell her to see me the day before.
We tip our housekeeper daily ($5US) & include some kind of candy, snacks, etc., to go along with....
I leave my tip on my pillow.
LOL, I guess a little overproof rinse will fix that!Quote:
Originally Posted by Accompong
captaind: Love the cedar tree tips - sustainable tipping...I've tipped with solar radios and flashlights before
I do for the resort where we go the most. Jennifer made me pretty much anything I asked for. She got a cash tip and one of the handbags we took for all the ladies last year.Quote:
Originally Posted by georgelenard
I want to agree with you, but I have never been sure the servers even get the service fee. I guess if they do, I am over tipping. I understand the govt service charge,but that 10% service fee has never made sense to me. Honestly, I would almost rather pay higher prices than have that added on. Semantics, I guess.Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris B
The service fee is supposed to be so that all the staff gets rewarded and not just the wait staff and bartenders. I believe Rob posted on an older thread on this topic that this is a gov't regulation and they have to document this for tax purposes. I still tip the wait and bar staff just as I would here in the states, in cash and in hand. As for housekeeping we make sure to meet our housekeepers and learn their names and schedules. We tip them $5US per day per bed and extra at the end of our stay. Those we have known from year to year also get personalized gifts.
Same as Flip, we leave it on the pillow and it's always taken. They usually won't take cash from anywhere else, although if you left a note, you would think they would.Quote:
Originally Posted by KitchenBeeotch
I agree with this 100%, and practice it every day. It takes some really bad service for me to go below 10%, but great service gets 30% from me (depending on the total paid).Quote:
Originally Posted by georgelenard
I like this a lot. Our last trip I tried finding a small orange tree to take to the owner of the guesthouse we rented in TB, but couldn't find one anywhere.Quote:
Originally Posted by captaind
I hate being responsible for making sure bar/restaurant/hotel staff is compensated properly. I'd rather pay more up front and not be bothered with tipping, and then give money to those who really impact my limited vacation time.
That being said, if I get a bare minimum of service in JA I tend to tip 15%. If I get great service and build rapport with the staff, I tip better.
If I get ignored, or treated poorly, or get left waiting, I show my displeasure through tipping (or not) and remember not to go back.
we tipped 20 %...and for the housekeeping I had made separate envelopes before leaving for vacation..each with the day on it and a note on the outside of the envelope thanking them... that was $8 a day....Anything else we had, we gave away..like bug spray, dish soap, dishrags, o/c meds, and my white shorts, (LOL!).
At Seastar I left money for the maids each day. The first day, I put the money on a paper towel and wrote 'for the houskeeper'. Before she took it; she asked if it was for her.
Unfortunately, its possible that she asked if it was for her because she was never taught to read.Quote:
Originally Posted by Big_frank
We tip generously - and get excellent service OR we tip generously because we get excellent service:)
No Chris she read the word 'housekeeper' and wasn't sure if that meant the 'maid'.