Sammy T

Hi

Sorry if this has been asked before but I am stopping over in Dubai for a couple of nights and wanted to know if tipping is common and how much should I give for eg airport to hotel transfer service, room service, taxis etc.
Don't want to offend but really not sure how much is acceptable?

Thanks for any answers

Sam

Roadking

For taxis, I normally just round up to the nearest note unless it's really minor in which case add to it. So, if it's 27, give 30. If it's 29, give 30 plus a few coins.

Then again I'm a miserable, tight fisted twat!

Blue Cat

don't the porters at the airport charge 10 anyway? I give them an extra 10.

Emerald_Eyes

In a restaurant I tip between 10 and 15% depending on the service. With taxis it depends on how they drive (usually very badly), but between 5 and 10 dirhams is the rule for me.

Spugsy

yup same here, I usually give the delivery lads who bring the food something decent, some poor lad from fresh spent an hour and a half trying to find my place, he was totally lost, but had no map or nowt - I gave him 20 (still not loads) and then rang up fresh and bollocked them for just letting him trying to find him way.

lionheart

Poor wee laddie...personally, we never get anything like hot food delivered to our villa as its bound to be cold by the time they eventually find us. Easier to jump in the car and collect it ourselves.

Spugsy

Aye he ended up at some little shop and the bloke hopped on the back of his bike and directed him.

dstress

These days, most restaurants tend to include a service charge of 10% on top of the municipality tax. Personally, I never tip in restaurants if a service charge is already included. Otherwise, I would stick to the 10-15%.

Confucius

I once wrote a negative figure on the "tips" line of the credit card thing...It didn't work...I got to meet the manager as a reward...And "Banned" written under my photo at the resto entrance...

Jeeper

Tipping. Giving away money just to make yourself either feel better or not guilty or at least - not tight.

You're not giving money for any other reason.

Where i'm from tipping is extremely rare but living here I tip in about 2/3rds of the times where it's appropriate (always to home delivery guys, taxi's I round up to nearest note - not always to car valet guys).

I've started to question this more and more as I make plans to leave and travel the world....how much money i'm giving away in tips - just because I feel I should. Over time that money adds up and it could be an amount that might extend my travels for another week or 2.

Is it better to tip someone you will likely never see again....or keep it yourself and use it for yourself.
I think the latter - and if you say, well these people work under really bad conditions and you should tip because they get paid so poorly, well I say - if you want to give money away for free - give it to people who REALLY REALLY need it. Charities etc.

So, while I do tip, I find myself quite concious of it now and really think about giving away that 10 or 20dhs for no real reason.

MataHari

I don't feel I am giving money away for no reason...when I tip it's cause I am happy with the service I have been given...

Spugsy

you tight get, the reason I tip over here is because unlike the UK some of these lads are getting paid almost nothing.

Zico2009

One thing springs to mind, but before that i'll let you know that I usually tip 10% to waiting staff, and more if there is no service charge.

Now then....what are we actually tipping for, if its the service, then there is already a charge on most bills in the region of 10%. If its for the waiter bringin your food to you, then should we not question the fact, that is what he/she is there for, hence there job title as waiter.

I know I dont get tipped when doing my job, as that is what im paid to do.

Taxi driver = to take a passenger from A-B....why tip?
Waiter = brings yoru food...for what other reason are we tipping?

Do you tip a Doctor for saving lives? Do you tip your dentist for taking your tooth out? Does anyone tip the labourers for labouring away in the heat?
Do you tip a cashier at the checkout for pricing your goods? Do you tip a bank teller for depositing your money? Do you always tip the barman?

In most cases we dont, so why when your using a service as a taxi or waiter, do we tip?

Spugsy

because they get paid buttons, that's why.

Zico2009

I dont see how that comment holds any weight.

Many ppl get paid in buttons, you dont tip them though. Lets take a look;

The men working 12 hour shifts on building sites, without proper food, living arrangements etc etc, get paid half a button a month, do you go by and tip them for doing what they are paid to do? No.