Tipping etiquette...what do you think?
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.
Last edited by Papa Georgie; 08-26-2014 at 12:05 PM.
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.
Last edited by Papa Georgie; 08-26-2014 at 12:21 PM.
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?
Blue Cave Castle '12, '13 '14 '15 '16 Catcha Falling Star '13 Boardwalk Village '14 '15
@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.
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