Tipping now more important than ever

[lissie]

56 minutes ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

I will saying coming from another country that mostly uses electronic payments I understand why someone wouldn't get money from the bank before. The rates and fees in our banks means you can lose lose a huge chunk of money in exchange compared with an ATM withdrawal at destination. With my card I get market exchange rate, no fees, in the end it can amount to hundreds of dollars difference. 

Exactly this - I haven't carried cash in my own country since before Covid - probably never will again.  

 

Its also now impossible to get foreign exchange in banks here - since Covid and our closed borders 

[lissie]

52 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

I factor it in to the cost of my overall vacation.

 

Yeah banks are not my charity of choice generally - I'd rather spend the money with real people 

[KBs mum]

8 hours ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

 

Can you give an example or two of when you were actually asked for a tip in the US?

Hotel porters, taxi drivers, a waiter we didn't tip because the service was dire. A random airport employee who insisted on giving us help we didn't need. 

 

[KBs mum]

The UK is also nearly cashless now, its esy to get foreign currency here, most towns have a bureau de change, and two supermarket chains have them in store. We get a small amount of the local for any country we visit, 'in case' but would not expect to need it, unless visiting the US. 

We use cash a lot there, because of the tipping situation and we don't like having to hand our cards to someone. 

I've noticed on CC threads that some US people are confused by the idea of cashless societies, also pin codes and contactless payments. 

We took a few dollars in cash for use during a refuel stop in LAX, knowing we would probably need them, we won't bother with euros for a  KLM transfer stop in Amsterdam, knowing we probably won't. 

Edited March 7, 2022 by KBs mum

[Peter Lanky]

8 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

It's kind of sad, really:  guys getting the idea that they should "develop an interest" to help them fill free time - likely when retired -- and all they can come up with is listing railroad equipment serial numbers.

Why have this constant need to put people down who do something different or think differently from your idea of normal? It is one thing to not understand why they do it, but to call it sad is moving to a new level.

[Peter Lanky]

9 hours ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

 

I've never seen that happen on a cruise.  For the most part Americans leave the auto-gratuities on, so it is clear that anything beyond that is personal and discretionary.  And done quietly.  Not remotely likely.

 

Yet again, "I've not seen it / encountered it, therefore it doesn't happen"

9 hours ago, KBs mum said:

I've seen similar happen, on cruises and elsewhere. 

 

And therefore like myself, KBs mum must be fibbing. 

[Peter Lanky]

6 hours ago, LGW59 said:

I travel to Europe frequently and I always go to my local bank in advance of my trip and collect local currency for the countries I will be visiting, i.e. Euros, it's not difficult to do.  You could have better prepared and done the same.  

If NZ is anything like the UK, you get a very poor rate of exchange purchasing foreign currency at home especially for small amounts. It's not being unprepared, but common sense to wait until the destination and use the cashpoint machines, or wait until the following day to visit a bank.

[ontheweb]

19 hours ago, Peter Lanky said:

I'm sat at a table with a group and somebody slaps a banknote on the table and the others follow suit, with me sat with them watching. It seems a very feasible situation.

And yet I was told on these boards that you non-tippers manage to avoid situations by your planning. I guess that is not always possible. 

[ilikeanswers]

3 hours ago, Peter Lanky said:

If NZ is anything like the UK, you get a very poor rate of exchange purchasing foreign currency at home especially for small amounts. It's not being unprepared, but common sense to wait until the destination and use the cashpoint machines, or wait until the following day to visit a bank.

 

These days my preparation is looking up where the nearest ATM will be at my destination and whether they charge fees😂. The last time I procured money before a trip was nine years ago😱. 

[KBs mum]

18 minutes ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

These days my preparation is looking up where the nearest ATM will be at my destination and whether they charge fees😂. The last time I procured money before a trip was nine years ago😱. 

We've been carrying the same 40 euros around for 10 years, if we go to the US we'll furtle about in the travel stuff drawer until we find some dollars. We've got about 10 currencies in there. 

From time to time we'll need to get more of something or something new, the fees for small amounts are high in % but low in actual cost, so we get them before we go for convenience. We use cash machines if we need more while we're there. 

[navybankerteacher]

5 hours ago, Peter Lanky said:

Why have this constant need to put people down who do something different or think differently from your idea of normal? It is one thing to not understand why they do it, but to call it sad is moving to a new level.

Sort of like your aversion to people having a different idea of how to compensate service providers, would you say?

Edited March 7, 2022 by navybankerteacher

[Peter Lanky]

49 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

And yet I was told on these boards that you non-tippers manage to avoid situations by your planning. I guess that is not always possible. 

We don't avoid every person who might be a serial tipper, just because there's the possibility they might try to tip in the situation in question, i.e. a non tipping cruise. Despite the content of this discussion, it's not something that defines our life, and we think about nothing else.

 

The difference between the 2 groups is that us non tippers don't have a personal issue with tippers, but just with the practice of tipping. It's quite clear from this and other discussion that certain tippers really dislike us personally, despite knowing nothing about us other than our dislike of tipping to various degrees. so there is a ned to be wary.

[Peter Lanky]

5 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

Sort of like your aversion to people having a different idea of how to compensate service providers, would say?

I don't have an aversion to the people, just the practice. See my other comment above. I don't dislike you as a person, but you and one or two others appear to dislike me.

Edited March 7, 2022 by Peter Lanky

[navybankerteacher]

Just now, Peter Lanky said:

I don't have an aversion to the people, just the practice. See my other comment above. I don't dislike you as a person, but you and one or two others appear t dislike me.

I did not say anything about the people being sad - but that their  practice seemed to be a sad use of time.  I have never indicated a dislike for you —- but I do find your attitude to be increasingly tiresome —- and tiresomely judgmental.

 

I yield this board to you.

[ilikeanswers]

3 hours ago, KBs mum said:

We've been carrying the same 40 euros around for 10 years, if we go to the US we'll furtle about in the travel stuff drawer until we find some dollars. We've got about 10 currencies in there. 

From time to time we'll need to get more of something or something new, the fees for small amounts are high in % but low in actual cost, so we get them before we go for convenience. We use cash machines if we need more while we're there. 

 

From memory I know I have some USA, NZ and unfortunately obsolete Canadian dollars (lesson learnt not to keep currency too long, turns out they can expire😳), some Euros, Costa Rican Colons and few Icelandic coins. I'm sure if I dug around something else will fall out😂. Usually if I have any currency left at the end of a trip I'll try and spend it at the airport shops, they so far have been good at letting me pay cash then covering the cost difference with card. 

Edited March 7, 2022 by ilikeanswers

[navybankerteacher]

28 minutes ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

From memory I know I have some USA, NZ and unfortunately obsolete Canadian dollars (lesson learnt not to keep currency too long, turns out they can expire😳), some Euros, Costa Rican Colons and few Icelandic coins. I'm sure if I dug around something else will fall out😂. Usually if I have any currency left at the end of a trip I'll try and spend it at the airport shops, they so far have been good at letting me pay cash then covering the cost difference with card. 

I've been left with a few Lira, Francs and obsolete UK Pound notes (which my neice's husband was kind enough to get swapped.  The lesson is: get local currency as you go (ATM's are everywhere and, hopefully, your bank absorbs any foreign ATM charges);   you also avoid risk of loss to pickpockets or your own carelessness.  Any leftover change/small bills will be welcomed by flight or ship's crew - sometimes for recognized charities.

[ldubs]

14 hours ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

Unfortunately being an American you will be asked for tips (we have the take advantage of tourist people too just like everywhere making a bad name for our country) Especially if you are eating in the tourist areas. It is why I have always advised international tourists especially Americans to avoid eating in the tourist areas if you can. Sometimes even a street away is a whole different practice. Otherwise just decline to tip. They might be annoyed but no one should be rewarded for trying to take advantage. 

 

No, I didn't tip.  I hope you got my point that your advice would trump that limited experience.     

 

14 hours ago, ilikeanswers said:

Well you posted about P&O after I posted that tipping is not normal on a P&O cruise in Australia. So I assumed the cruise you posted about was an Australian cruise. If was not than I am sorry it was not clear in your post where the cruise departed from. I was just following the flow of the thread. Of course I consider local advice as superior that was why when you replied to my post that 20% is the baseline tip for restaurants I regard that as fact not a differing point of view😉. 

 

While we don't always agree, I generally appreciate our conversations.  I went back and looked and I can see now why I am having such a disconnect with this conversation.  I did post about P&O.    I was thinking in terms of a British travel writer giving advice about a British cruise line.  That person was not talking about Australian customs or even cruises in that part of the. world.    It was not my intent to say Australians tip on those cruises. I can see why my comment would have that incorrect conclusion.   Sorry about that.     I think that there are many cruises out of your area where tipping is not done by Australian passengers.  

 

PS:  The "baseline" for tipping in restnts used to be 15%.  These days it is 18%.  I use 20% because it is just easier for me to calculate, though if the tab is very large I will use 18%.   Just as general advice to visitors who might not be sure, if you tip anywhere from 15% to 20% you will be good at just about any restaurant in America.

[KBs mum]

Every now and again we have a clear out of foreign banknotes and exchange a batch when we go shopping, but we rarely have enough to make it worth standing in the que. We usually only have about £10 max of anything. 

Edited March 7, 2022 by KBs mum

[ldubs]

14 hours ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

I will saying coming from another country that mostly uses electronic payments I understand why someone wouldn't get money from the bank before. The rates and fees in our banks means you can lose lose a huge chunk of money in exchange compared with an ATM withdrawal at destination. With my card I get market exchange rate, no fees, in the end it can amount to hundreds of dollars difference. 

 

I might get some "get by" currency from my bank just in case I need it on arrival -- you know bribes for officials and stuff like that.   Otherwise, we also use an ATM at destination.   Rates and fees are the primary reason, but additionally the denominations available from my bank might be larger than I want.   Handing over a €100 bill for that €2 euro thimble doesn't always go over well.  

[ldubs]

14 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

I do not give a damn what they do -- my comment was that it was a bit sad.  Sorry that you do not believe that I have the right to distinguish between creative activity and simple list-making.

 

I guess someone could say we are all kind of sad for spending so much time on this forum!  Group of train buff guys hanging around together seems Ok to me.  For all I know they are across the street in the local saloon in between trains.  

[KBs mum]

6 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

I might get some "get by" currency from my bank just in case I need it on arrival -- you know bribes for officials and stuff like that.   Otherwise, we also use an ATM at destination.   Rates and fees are the primary reason, but additionally the denominations available from my bank might be larger than I want.   Handing over a €100 bill for that €2 euro thimble doesn't always go over well.  

Can you not specify which denominations you want? We get eg 30 euros, 1x 10, 4x 5 we'd only use it if card payments not possible, even for inexpensive items. Small quantities of popular currencies are available all the time, large quantities or less popular currencies need to be ordered. 

[KBs mum]

2 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

I guess someone could say we are all kind of sad for spending so much time on this forum!  Group of train buff guys hanging around together seems Ok to me.  For all I know they are across the street in the local saloon in between trains.  

There's normally a group of them, so it's a fairly social activity. The station staff like them as they are good at spotting and reporting anything amiss, such as suspicious looking behaviour or packages. Same as plane spotters. 

 

A harmless activity, not my thing, but each to their own. 

[ldubs]

1 minute ago, KBs mum said:

Can you not specify which denominations you want? We get eg 30 euros, 1x 10, 4x 5 we'd only use it if card payments not possible, even for inexpensive items. Small quantities of popular currencies are available all the time, large quantities or less popular currencies need to be ordered. 

 

I  think if I asked far enough ahead the chances of getting specific denominations would be very good.        

[KBs mum]

1 minute ago, ldubs said:

 

I  think if I asked far enough ahead the chances of getting specific denominations would be very good.        

Thanks, I've wondered a few times when US people report difficulties getting low denominations if it is actually possible from US Banks. Now I know🙂

[LGW59]

15 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

I do not give a damn what they do -- my comment was that it was a bit sad.  Sorry that you do not believe that I have the right to distinguish between creative activity and simple list-making.

A bit sad, lol, yes unlike those of us on CC who contribute SO much more to society. 🙄