Tips on Tipping...

Hi Courtney,

I don't know about Mauritius, but it's a good bet that tipping is customary. I think that the habit of tipping has been adopted worldwide now. Even if it hasn't I would still tip, it puts you at the head of the pack as it were with the people that you deal with.

I know from personal experience here in Brazil, where most people are too poor to tip, the practice is very much appreciated. When I take a cab or enter an establishment I am immediately recognized and the service is always excellent.

When I lived in São Paulo I used the same taxi driver whenever possible, a friendly old chap (well at least a little older than me LOL) and would phone him directly on his cellular when I needed a cab. I always gave a decent tip and many times he put my trip ahead of others he had scheduled. I remember one sunny day I walked to the supermarket to grocery shop. While I was shopping there was a torrential downpour and the streets around the supermarket were flooded trapping everybody inside. I phoned my friendly cabbie (who was at home having lunch) and he told me to hang tight, he arrived ten minutes later to rescue me and my groceries. TIPPING PAYS

Cheers,
William James Woodward - Brazil Animator, Expat-blog

Hi William,

Thanks for your response!  Kind of dumb of me to ask if tipping is "customary" as I would NEVER visit a place and NOT tip!!! 

I guess my real question is what percentage is customary?

Loved reading your stories.  Thanks for sharing...

Courtney 

Hi Courtney,

I usually leave 5-10% when eating out. I tend to leave more when the service is really really good. For drinks, it is quite different, depends if these are expensive coctails or just 2 cokes.

Hope this helps.
Vi

We always tip - at a restaurant we tip 10% of the total bill.

A lot of people don't tip even if the service has been good - shame really as the staff do not get paid much and tips top up their income and if we have had a meal/snack that comes to say only 600 rupees (£12.00) then 60 rupees is only £1.20 - no amount at all to us but a lot to the waiter/waitress.

The above post is right about regular tipping, one restaurant that we go to, always gives us a nice table and excellent service - I know staff should not expect tips - but it's such a nice way of saying thank you for looking after us - We would not dream of not giving a tip except if the service was bad.

Hi All,

Firstly I do not agree that tipping is customary worldwide, I am from Australia where we don't really tip.  Service personnel are paid good salaries and do not rely on tips for their income.  When in the USA we tip around 20% as it is customary but we cannot understand why the employer does not just pay decent salaries rather than customers being expected to 'pay' for staff.

We have spent the past 6 years in Africa and have become accustomed to tipping as it is common practice.  Our Mauritian friends tell us they rarely if ever tip at restaurants and bars.  Some well traveled Mauritians and most expats do tend to tip.  We tip around 10% for decent service and up to 20% for really good service. 

Staff in Mauritius certainly appreciate tips.

Thanks for your feedback, HeyJude! 

I agree with what you are saying.  We lived in the far north of Spain several years ago and on more than one occasion I had a waiter chase behind me after I left a restaurant/bar because he thought I forgot my change!  ha!  And in some rare cases tipping seemed to almost "offend" the waiter/waitress/bartender.  Anyway, I think in Mauritius I have pretty much adopted the same percentages you mention in your message...

Have a great day!

Court 

Hi Court, I have also had that happen in Mauritius, trying to give the tip back. LOL. If i get very bad service (not just the usual very average service) i do not tip at all.  Tips should be earned IMHO.