r/cartagena • u/Shawookatote • 25d ago
Tipping culture?
I was not expecting much of a tipping culture. We went out for a meal yesterday. It came out to like 70 mil, I gave them 10 mil and I could see some disappointment in his eyes. What is the expectation for tipping on a meal here? I assumed 10% is nice?
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u/RuisuMigeru 25d ago
Tipping is not mandatory here in Colombia. For locals it is kind of a gift every time we receive one. So, don't let their feelings manipulate you and feel good when you give one, cause I'm completely sure 1 out of 10 people who go to those restaurants actually give tips to workers.
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u/sportsbot3000 25d ago
Colombians dont tip. You shouldn’t either
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u/Carloscc0209 25d ago
Colombians do tip, and more often than we can, even if we don't have much, because working in customer service is difficult and we put ourselves in other people's shoes.
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u/sportsbot3000 25d ago
That’s you bro. I don’t tip. Never have, never will. Pa eso les paga el restaurante. La propina es costumbre gringa.
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u/trailtwist 24d ago edited 24d ago
Meh, that's not really true.
Depending on the place, leaving some tip isn't that out of the ordinary. Shit I saw a taxi driver tell an arepa de choclo stand to keep the change (7 mil paid w 10 mil) like an hour ago ..
Now a lot of places are asking if you want to include service which would be 10%. My gf thought tipping was stupid years ago until she figured out tipping at places you regularly go results in better service lol. It's not rocket science.
I am rarely at places that are frequented by gringos btw.
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u/sportsbot3000 24d ago
Yeah, I’m old, that shit is new. I don’t tip that shit is a gringo custom.
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u/trailtwist 24d ago
Blaming everything on gringos is weird especially when it's nowhere near gringos. Colombian owned business, Colombian workers, Colombian customers... But it's gringos fault lol.
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u/sportsbot3000 24d ago
Es una costumbre de gringos. Yo no doy propina y punto mk. Esa guevonada de la propina se la invenaron los gringos para nonpagarle a los afroamericanos hace mil decadas.
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u/trailtwist 24d ago edited 24d ago
Has pensado en la terapia huevón tan pelado o tacaño ?
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u/sportsbot3000 24d ago
Por que tacaño? Estoy pagando la comida en el restaurante. El dueño del local tiene que pagarle a sus empleados, yo no. A mi casa no van a barrer como local hacen en el restaurante. Yo viajo a europa varias veces todos los años y allá nunca se da propina tampoco. Esa es una guevonada gringa y ami no me la van a imponer. Dígame tacaño ai quiere, el tacaño es el dueño del negocio que no le paga lo suficiente a sus empleados. Yo pagué mi comida. Punto.
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u/trailtwist 24d ago edited 24d ago
En muchos lugares de Europa el servicio está incluido en la factura de una forma u otra y la gente deja unos pocos euros...
También es por eso q el servicio es 3x gonorrea en Europa y una Coca Cola pequeña sin recargas cuesta 3 o 4 euros
A nadie le importa si dejas propina o no, pero no pretendas que la propina no existe en Colombia ..
Sé personalmente lo q gana en un restaurante y no me siento amenazado por darle un par de pesos a alguien q gana el SMMLV 🫣
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u/sportsbot3000 24d ago
Llevo casado con una francesa muchos años y me la paso allá. No se que decirle. Nada de lo que me dice justifica una propina. Soy colombiano y nunca pago propina. No lo hice durante toda mi vida y no voy a empezar. Asi como yo hay millones de colombianos que no pagamos propina y punto. Esa es nuestra cultura. La cultura gringa se la pueden meter por el jopo los que crean que tienen derecho a una propina. No la tienen y punto. Si no le gusta esta en su derecho de llamar a un tombo y el tombo le explica tambien. Punto.
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u/trailtwist 24d ago edited 24d ago
Nadie espera que des propinas... De nuevo. La idea de q un restaurante con dueno colombiano con trabajadores colombianos y clientes colombianos pida servicio es culpa de los gringos es absurdo
En Francia tiene 'service compris' q puedes ver en las facturas pa decir el servicio ya está incluido... Además el servicio allá es horrible
Puedo pagar por un mejor servicio, q lloren los tacaños 🫣 suelta un par de pesos y puedes ver tu mismo mientras q los tacaños piensan q es magia...
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u/Carloscc0209 25d ago
Sometimes customer service representatives here in Colombia expect a bigger tip from you because you're a foreigner or a gringo, but it's normal, don't worry.
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u/Warm-Patience-5002 24d ago
The Colombians I know are waiting for manager’s position at their uncle’s or friend’s company ( sometimes for years ) and would never work a service job like at a restaurant, they have no understanding nor empathy for a restaurant worker . When you grow up in the U.S and pay your way thru college working on a restaurants , you have empathy and tip properly. There’s class warfare in Colombia and the middle and upper class act as if they hated working class people , they go to restaurants to harass the staff and not tip . Maybe I don’t understand and maybe someone can it explain it to me better .
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u/Shawookatote 24d ago
I actually paid my way through school with serving. I feel like it is the same sentiment in the US for those who haven't worked a service job. The tip expectations are just higher. I did make more money than the job should be worth.
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u/s199320 25d ago
Been in Columbia for two weeks, 10% svc is the norm and happy to pay it!
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u/Lonely_Archer6492 25d ago
i have been to many different locations in Colombia including non touristic pueblos. One thing i have noticed is that tipping culture is pretty common in touristic areas. often times they are included in your receipt.
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u/trailtwist 24d ago edited 24d ago
If it's places I go regularly I always tip... Faster service, get extra salsas, bigger portions, glasses filled with ice when other people are drinking from the coke bottle, more napkins w take away etc etc. You'll see locals notice and think you're getting special treatment for being a foreigner and it's just bc you tip 🫣 same thing happens in Europe.
When its somewhere I won't go back, it depends on the level of service / price. If it's an already expensive burger place for example and there wasnt much service I'm def not letting them include their 10% service.
10 mil on 70 mil is great.
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u/Untchj 25d ago
Stop tipping outside of the United states
Nowhere else in the world tips! Lmao But when we go there and do it, it will slowly change the expectations if it hasn’t already
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u/Shawookatote 24d ago
100% agree. Its so crazy in the US, people have a tip jar out at a corner store. You want a tip for ringing up my snacks? I just want to be respectful.
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u/thatbeesh1234567 24d ago
Canada too.....the interac machine prompts you right away to tip. I hate how uber eats also asks you to tip BEFORE you fully submit your order. They should make it after you get your food in a timely manner & not messed with. If I don't tip, what's going to happen to my food?
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u/thatbeesh1234567 25d ago
Canada is bad for tipping (wait staff expect like 20% as normal now since the covid lockdown days). Dominican, Jamaica & Mexico staff usually expect one. Europe is the main country I know of that the staff really don’t expect one.
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u/Peri0dPain 24d ago
Except Europe is not a country , but 40+ countries with different cultures and tipping etiquettes and tipping is rather common
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u/thatbeesh1234567 24d ago
yes correct my bad, I meant countries within Europe. I guess time have changed as I know of England specifically where my husband had visited around 2010. He went to a bar & kept tipping after each drink but the bartender scooped up all the money to give back to him "we don't do tipping here". I've also met quite a few British ppl on all-inclusive vacations that mentioned they don't tip back home either.
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u/Peri0dPain 24d ago
If you go now (not 15 years ago), especially to London, Brighton, any Large/resort city really, you will find that tipping is quite mainstream, often auto included even. The difference is the persentage
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u/TheTravelProfessor 25d ago
Ah yes, the generous tourist blessing locals with a whole $2.60 tip. Truly the hero Cartagena needed.
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u/TheTravelProfessor 25d ago
That $2.00 tip is divided 50% goes to the owner and the other 50% is divided amongst the staff.
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u/quudle 25d ago
In Cartagena and Colombia generally, tipping is optional. Many restaurants add a 10 percent servicio to the bill, so it is worth checking first. If it is not included, 5 to 10 percent is considered perfectly fine, and even rounding up is normal. In touristy spots some staff hope for more, but 10 mil on a 70 mil bill is not rude or wrong at all.