The "gringo things you do"...........

1.Tipping. And by the way, folks do not reject cash. Still, for regular taxicab drivers, it triggers their memory about that customer who tips.

2.Expecting more out of contracted work, or just about anything when you are getting served.  Half Assing is quite the norm around here. They tend to take for you for granted and underdeliver.

3.The way I talk, even as I have a decent command of the Portuguese Language. Things like, "is this fair", "does it sound ok?". People around here have poor active listening skills.

4.Going to the bitter end with my argument. Folks around here lose the argument and immediately change the subject.  Your typical conspiracy theory lunatic from America never gives in .

5.Loose fit baggy clothing. Brazilians tend to wear skin tight. male or female. The notion of comfort only applies when they slack ( flip flops, sportswear ).  Most young urban males wear attire like Italian Metrosexuals.

Tipping is always a problem in North America.  The garçons should be offered a living wage like most of Europe and Asia but they are not in US and Canada.

I really do not like the Square POS (point of sale) terminals.  A minimum 10% tip selection is presented to anyone buying anything - including takeout.  The payment terminal display screen makes it very hard to avoid tip payment.  You have to select a "other" tip and enter "0" in order not to leave any tip.

Do you really need to leave a tip to pick up a coffee cup?  If the service  is exceptional, then yes.... But just pouring coffee in a cup and giving that to the customer - this is just normal delivery.

Tipping in US and Canada is just a ploy to pass on the costs from the business owner to the customer.  And the backlash is just starting.  https://abc7news.com/tipping-backlash-h … /14187865/

Tipping the Uber drivers.... I don't mind tipping uber drivers who are nice and are on schedule.

Parking lot shuttle drivers do not provide any special service. The parking shuttle drivers do not really help with the luggage and some even will not stop to pick you up when the shuttle is almost full.  Why do we need to tip for just doing the expected?

    Tipping is always a problem in North America.  The garçons should be offered a living wage like most of Europe and Asia but they are not in US and Canada.
   

    -@Pablo888

I absolutely agree - but then again, I am a Brit and we do not have this...

Such a high level of tipping would not be required if employers paid their staff a reasonable wage. Tipping is just a way for staff to be remunerated, without the employer paying his share of employment taxes.

I hate being told that I must tip - pay your staff a good wage, and I will decide if I have received service over and above what the employer has paid for, and I will decide on the additional reward if one is deserved...

Regarding tipping - most restaurants here do an automatic 10%. I'm OK with that (given most of these people make U$290/month - R$1412) and I might just give more if they really do step up and go beyond expectations..... but then there are many others I "tip" that others simply ignore (not my wife, however). I have family that gets irate when that "flanelinha" (parking guy that says they'll "protect" your car when you know that all they really want is your "donation") or when the lady slaps a bag of peanuts on your car mirror (and at least 20 other cars) at the red light and the note asks for R$2 for the peanuts..... I am not irritated by this. I have sympathy for those who really have no other means of just getting by AND I know some of these characters and how their limited income actually helps other family members survive. I have a pretty limited income (I'd be pressed to do well in my hometown) and I'd surely have a hard time helping out others living back in WI (although I WAS able to do so during my working life there).

Private space is a thing that folks around me find awkward - I like my private space....not always but REALLY, does everything have to turn into a huge event? When family reunites I love having a place to retreat to away from the hubbub of 3 generations of family and indirect family/friends, all trying to outdo the next to be heard and..... well, you get it right? I gets loud and goes until the wee hours. I'm actually an introvert and Brazilians consider that some form of malady. I'm also a bit of a nature boy and I love observing nature - hard to do when those with you (who say they also love nature but really don't understand it) - and so when I wander off to be quiet in nature they find it rude that I didn't take others with me.

Based upon a spousal inquiry ("What is my worst gringo attribute?"), I apparently complain and compare too much - about things in general. I don't deny this. I DO complain about things I observe that are wrong (in any society including my own) and I DO compare (heck - my educational background was all about comparative education and I come from a University which celebrates  "sifting and winnowing"¹ see below). My wife and many Brazilians (not all, obviously) learned to keep their mouths shut when they observe improper behavior because (of many possible reasons) it "can be dangerous." And this is true. It can be dangerous, especially when dealing in a class society where the privileged expect the unprivileged to simply accept the power structure which has mostly guided Brazil into the 21st century. ("Você sabe com quem fala?")

When I first came to live in Campina Grande I was simply overwhelmed by the level of motorcycle accidents (including deaths) that I witnessed around me. I COMPLAINED to a friend that I had never seen anything like it to which he asked if I thought that Brazilians were imprudent drivers to which I COMPARED motorcycle accident statistics between the USA and Brazil. This is one of hundreds of possible scenarios and YET the effort is mostly academic on my part - I'd never say that ESTADUNIDENSES are more prudent than BRASILEIROS - I WOULD say that people in my homeland fear traffic law enforcement and therefore tend to be somewhat more cautious.

This also works in reverse for me. I regularly hear Brazilians say (complain?) that N Americans are (comparatively?) far more wasteful and much less ecological than Brazilians - to which I point out that given sectors of Brazilian society that have the economic capacity to waste and pollute do exactly the same as their N American counterparts.

I look at "complaining" as an observational activity that people dislike when the focus is on something to which they have come to accept as part of their world vision and comparison is a tool to assess the good/bad of said activities.

Oh - other "gringo thing" I am reminded to add here - I write/talk too much.

On that...... FUI!

¹ "..... In all lines of academic investigation it is of the utmost importance that the investigator should be absolutely free to follow the indications of truth wherever they may lead. Whatever may be the limitations which trammel inquiry elsewhere we believe the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found." 1894 - Known as the "Wisconsin Magna Charta" [or Carta] - academic freedom in pursuit of truth....

Dear MBerigan-

Well put! 

Hope you are very well in Campina Grande. 

The law in Pernambuco (and other states?) is that if tipping is to be automatically added to the bill, the menu must state this, so the customer is aware in advance, and the charge has to be restricted to a maximum of 10%.

I habitually pay extra on top of this in my regular restaurants, because I always receive exceptional service there - probably because I pay extra? But the point is - it is my choice to reward them extra for their hard work and excellent service...

01/15/24   The law in Pernambuco (and other states?) is that if tipping is to be automatically added to the bill, the menu must state this, so the customer is aware in advance, and the charge has to be restricted to a maximum of 10%.

    -@Peter Itamaraca

One thing that's freaking me out a little is that since the pandemic, in more and more restaurants when the waitstaff bring the check, they point out the service portion to us and remind us that it's optional.  This has become common in Manaus, but we noticed it  on a recent trip to Brasília, as well.  Service has been included for decades, but making the point that it's optional is new to me.  We always say, "Of course we want to pay it!" and the relief is usually obvious.  I'm not sure what's driving that -- maybe inflation?

@abthree

Actually I think you are correct - not only is it the law that it has to be clear to the customer, but also the customer has the choice to opt out of paying, although I have never seen that happen!

@abthree The 10% service charge is not included at the yacht club in Ilhéus. The waitresses that have worked there for years always remind me and I tip them as I always have for excellent service, service charge or no. I never trusted the owners to pass on the service charge.

@Peter Itamaraca A Brazilian friend always opted out of paying the service charge and paid the servers in cash.

A gringo friend tips hugely and tells the waitstaff that the money is to divided equally among all workers.

Former Boston Cab Driver here ( whose fares and tips helped me through College )....

Standard tipping, across the board, 15% but we do not demand.   On the good ole days, I always exceeded that threshold, never had to demand.

Lousy tippers:  Brazilian ( across all class strata ), Frenchmen and women, Pakistanis, homies from the inner city.

Best tippers: Gay men, Irish men, Americans in General, Brits, Germans, Chinese, Japanese,  and surprisingly, at the lower end of the tipping  scale, Indians.   

Name of the game. Talk, be likeable but do not suck up. The longer the conversation the better tips.  Subjects, varied, from local geography, where to eat, sports talk ( Boston is a sports town ).

And you do not need to be the thievering type.  Most negroe drivers, including  Nigerians or Haitians, were honest on fares, which comes to a surprise to many.

Some cabbies are excellent at history, a rarity nowadays.  While duck boat tour drivers make that money by conveying a lot of history as they take passengers along.

When it came to Russians, it was a case by case.  I still remember the Russian who would claim issues at the tunnel to take the passengers around Everett. That's a USD 20,00 increase on fares. Russians, btw, where airport and hotel rats.   And he did this with a straight face and consistently.

With Sao Paulo cabbies, and granted  I am a Brazilian-American, seldom ever I've  been taken by them. But we always engage in conversation, and i often tip them ( I refuse to hail Ubber ).  There is a lot of information you can glean from them.  And cab fares in Sao Paulo were not that expensive ( USD 10 was only good enough for a couple blocks in Boston , that money here, you can cross town ).

Waitstaff, if food is delivered on time,, and on spec, I leave a bit something, a couple reals.  I will do more if I spot superb service and attentive waitstaff. 

Coffee shops, at most , I would slipp a few quarters if they kept a tipping box within sight. 

In Brazil, cash tipping is not mandatory, so whatever little you send them way, being a token gratuity, goes a long way in showing appreciation.

The only time you see folks expecting a tip is during Christmas ( Caixinha=tipping box ).

    A gringo friend tips hugely and tells the waitstaff that the money is to divided equally among all workers.
   

    -@alan279

Out here, they don't have that turkey talk between the cooks out on back and the front waitstaff.   Your friend is doing it by the book. 

        A gringo friend tips hugely and tells the waitstaff that the money is to divided equally among all workers.         -@alan279

Out here, they don't have that turkey talk between the cooks out on back and the front waitstaff.   Your friend is doing it by the book. 
   

    -@sprealestatebroker

It is a small neighborhood restaurant.  Everyone knows everone. We talk to the cooks.

And everyone knows that the big tipper would be very unhappy if management stole from their employees.

4.Going to the bitter end with my argument. Folks around here lose the argument and immediately change the subject.  Your typical conspiracy theory lunatic from America never gives in . 5.Loose fit baggy clothing. Brazilians tend to wear skin tight. male or female. The notion of comfort only applies when they slack ( flip flops, sportswear ).  Most young urban males wear attire like Italian Metrosexuals.         -@sprealestatebroker

Yeah, my wife would say I am guilty of these two as well. Especially #4 at family gatherings and #5 all the time. My default attire is 10 year old chinelos, torn bermuda shorts, and old t-shirts.  She says I look like a favelado, and that is just the way "I" Iike it. If you're ever in Copa around posto 4, and you see a white dude with sun bleached light brown air, and a 4" Flamengo tattoo on the right calf, who looks like he slept in a "boca de vaca"......that's me kkkkkkkk                                                                                                         

    Based upon a spousal inquiry ("What is my worst gringo attribute?"), I apparently complain and compare too much - about things in general. I don't deny this. I DO complain about things I observe that are wrong (in any society including my own) and I DO compare (heck - my educational background was all about comparative education and I come from a University which celebrates  "sifting and winnowing"¹ see below).   

-@mberigan

I don't complain because I have no choice but to accept it, since I chose to live there, so, I comment instead

    @Peter Itamaraca A Brazilian friend always opted out of paying the service charge and paid the servers in cash.
   

    -@alan279

For the first time since POS terminals came into being, I had a server give me 2 machines to use....one for the bill, and one for the tip. Two different companies and accounts.

01/17/24 My default attire is 10 year old chinelos, torn bermuda shorts, and old t-shirts.  She says I look like a favelado, and that is just the way "I" Iike it.                                                                                                           
   

    -@Gasparzinho 777

You are not alone.  Last month my husband was gathering some of his clothes together to donate at church, and he said, "I was going to ask you too, but you wear your things until they fall off you and they're not fit for anything but the ragbag." 

Very true.  And then I go to Riachuelo, find something I like and that fits me, and buy six or seven copies of it in different colors.  That takes care of clothes shopping for the next four or five years.

   
Very true.  And then I go to Riachuelo, find something I like and that fits me, and buy six or seven copies of it in different colors.  That takes care of clothes shopping for the next four or five years.
   

    -@abthree

That is a very Brasilian trait actually, my wife told me this when we were shopping a few weeks back. I asked he why she had 3 copies of some blouse or something.

Many years ago my Brazilian girlfriend thought I was destitute because I wore  chino shorts and polo shirts every day. Every once in a while I would buy six of each and not need to shop for a couple years or more. 😀

     01/17/24 My default attire is 10 year old chinelos, torn bermuda shorts, and old t-shirts.  She says I look like a favelado, and that is just the way "I" Iike it.                                                                                                                   -@Gasparzinho 777

You are not alone.  Last month my husband was gathering some of his clothes together to donate at church, and he said, "I was going to ask you too, but you wear your things until they fall off you and they're not fit for anything but the ragbag." 

Very true.  And then I go to Riachuelo, find something I like and that fits me, and buy six or seven copies of it in different colors.  That takes care of clothes shopping for the next four or five years.
   

    -@abthree

Our neighborhood this totally is acceptable, favelado or proper attire, I really enjoy living in a mixed bag area lol some days you just dont care what you look like lol

    Many years ago my Brazilian girlfriend thought I was destitute because I wore  chino shorts and polo shirts every day. Every once in a while I would buy six of each and not need to shop for a couple years or more. 😀
   

    -@alan279

Chino shorts and polo shirts, sounds to me you were once a golfer. 

And also it is comfortable attire.   Your gal obviously has no clue about American general culture.  Out there, they dress for comfort. Out here, they want to flaunt their body parts ( male and female).

And never mind engaging in sartorial talks to the b....  She has no clue.

Show her a microfiber syntethic and a Hermes necktie , and she won't tell them apart. A country bumpkin no less.

I reminds me of a 10 walking down a horribly patched sidewalk on high heels last year. I had to stare and giggle.  An ankle waiting to be sprained. Tal legs, tight fit jeans, and those stiletto heels.

Back in America, the 9-5 crow would wear dresses to downtown work, hosiery ( mostly white ), and low ankle socks with either the running shoes or those Aerobics Reeboks.   I used to have a kick out of that , until I realized those F...me heeled shoes were left in a box, under the desk, only to be used at the office. 

You can always seize someone up for their shoes. They can dressed in rags, the shoes tells the tale.

Would a printed Pix QR code attached to the uniform of the waitstaff facilitate tipping?

Just a thought…

Alan

My wife always insists that I overdress because I refuse to leave the house without at least a black polo, a pair of jeans and shoes on. She says that I should just wear shorts, a t-shirt and Havaianas. She also says that I wear too much black, and is against me buying half a dozen of the same clothes items at Torra at once

    Would a printed Pix QR code attached to the uniform of the waitstaff facilitate tipping?
Just a thought…

Alan
   

    -@alan279

Most I see those for qr codes on uniforms or the likes would be to pull up menus on your smartphone.

My Uber eats and ifood delivery guys are often surprised when I leave a tip. They are basically min wage workers in most cases.

    My wife always insists that I overdress because I refuse to leave the house without at least a black polo, a pair of jeans and shoes on. She says that I should just wear shorts, a t-shirt and Havaianas. She also says that I wear too much black, and is against me buying half a dozen of the same clothes items at Torra at once
   

    -@StarkHorizon

Yeah. I used to do black frequently but it's harder to spot for mold with the insane amounts of humidity here.  Went from black clothes to literally what your wife suggested. Though havianas are a bit expensive in some neighborhoods here lol

@alan279, you have a great enterprising mind. I was starting to imagine how this suggestion would work IRL and the mental picture that popped up was too funny not to comment here.

And where would you put the QR code?

If you were a waitress at Hooters, guess where the QR code would be located on the uniform.

In general, you don't need any QR code on any part of the wait staff in order to give a good tip - it's all about the service.  Case and point - the movie "Strip tease" casting Demi Moore.

However, I can see the value of a tip based QR code when applied to the establishment as a whole - as a way to give feedback on the experience as a whole.  I think that such a QR code would then be positioned next to the cashier instead of the uniform.

I guess that this QR based tipping would be an effective measure of service quality as applied to say - restaurants - when all the restaurants have been automated enough that patrons would only be able to tip the system rather than the individual waiters.

I hope to be long gone before this happens.

@gasparzinho777, a pet peeve of mine that drives my wife crazy is: "the sport of bargaining" when purchasing.  I understand and appreciate posted price placards but I grew up in a small island where the posted prices contain information about the profit margins.  Sometimes, it's in the font size, or the way that the letters are written or something... as a way for the owner to know how much discount would be allowed.

I like to bargain because I want to know how the business works and how the owners think.  As you can imagine, the shopping experience for my wife would become really about doing statistical analysis rather than shopping.

This drives my wife crazy. Now when we go shopping, we search online, go in, pick up and get out....  I no longer have to spend days clothes shopping with my wife as the "guy" who waits outside the change room while she tries different garments.

However, if my wife wants to do store shopping again, I would gladly get back on this horse.

@Pablo888 I analyzed the restaurant tipping process for a client in Australia. He wanted to place tipping machines next to the cashier. Such machines exist in Britain already. Just buy the machines and reprogram them for your locale. And integrate the machines’ software with your several payment processers. Nontrivial, but not inventing the complete wheel.

Why not print a simple Pix QR code to attach to a waitpersons’ uniform so customers can pay their server directly?

…tip their server directly…

Or tattoo the Pix QR code to his/her skin?

    Or tattoo the Pix QR code to his/her skin?
   

    -@alan279

I think that one of the drawbacks of having a QR code or any other automated systems rather than cash is that this money can then be tracked.

Do the wait staff want their tips potentially being tracked as an income source?

BTW, we all have an equivalent of a QR code associated with each one of us - the SSN in the US, the CPF in Brazil, the SIN in Canada, etc...

Why not give your server untraceable cash instead?  Like @roddiesho
and @abthree mentioned before in a different thread (and I now agree) it's good to have some cash in the wallet (RL 200 - I believe was the consensus) - I think that a tip from this bucket would be appreciated.  Of course, if you are a repeat customer, you are welcome to up the amount.