Thing is Jamie has spent so much time there I'd be shocked if all the bartenders didn't know then by name. So in some cases I may agree with you but in this case maybe not so much lol.
In that case I totally agree with you, I didn't know he is a frequent visitor and bartenders know him. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
When you have been there 50 times (jamie how many?) Or you are there every other full moon.....the staff know you will take care of them. This trip or next trip. When you are in contact with or see the staff so frequently, tipping is not an issue. Your point is well taken sonicview, but should be directed at newbies or cads. Which Jamie is neither I too, also tend to tip heavy mostly on my last day or 2, to staffers who have been outstanding. The rest of the week is just a dollar here, a few pesos there. Of course on Xmas & NYE or Halloween or Easter, tips are heavy all week. But you can't tip every trip to the bar, when you go to the bar 1500 times a year.
We don't bother trying to tip every round. Usually we just start off each day with a $20 and we get all the 20+ shots we ask for and sometimes they make them for us unasked when things are slow. Our very first trip we gave the one bartender a $5 in the morning and had such amazing service that we brought $20 the next day and never looked back. I understand that that is not in everyone's budget but I have gotten much better service from the bartenders (and the restaurant staff) at Temptation than I ever had at home so I want to make sure they know I appreciate it.
Totally agree about service back home. Service industry around our parts could be schooled by TTR staff.
We tip $5 or $10 periodically through out the day and night....usually adds up to about $60-$80 a day (excluding maid service). Considering when the hubs and I go out at home, it can cost us a fortune (dinner, drinks, cabs, babysitter).......we don't find it that big of a deal. we also take the time to talk and get to know them and learn about their families.....I think the two things combined is what gets us great service!!!!!
Not sure about the bartenders but I did ask one of the servers in the buffet about how the tips work for them so I would assume it works the same with everyone....he told me it was split amongst everyone working the shift from manager to the grill person, bartenders and other wait staff.
In defense of the non-tippers - Lots of folks read "all-inclusive" and as part of that it says "all tips/gratuities" included. Some of these folks only bring $100 or $200 in cash with them or even less - for a 7-night stay and you will rarely see them tip every round or even at dinner as they just did not bring enough. Paying a $40 service fee at the ATM or using an ATM at all is an invitation to fraud or other illicit activity so most shy away and will not do that to tip extra when after all - it says "included". We tip for the great service, not because we have to.
Yeah.. they know me... for a couple of years, before they closed the bar downtown that we went to, I would pick one or two days and head for the bar about 7 PM and tell the day shift bartenders to come drink on me when they got off work, and would stay there with an open tab till 5 AM to cover the night shift bartenders. But, to your point, you are right in the first few times you come down, they really don't know that. And you are right that people can get by with not tipping, or actually truly forget to tip at the end when they are getting ready to go. But as others have said too, getting to know them and treating them like humans and friends is almost as good as tipping them. They appreciate that a lot, but they also appreciate eating, so the money really helps. Yes, as one poster said that the cost of living is cheaper there but apartments still run 500 to 600 a month in the cheapest places (read you wouldn't want to live there and they don't either) up to $1,000 a month and more. Hard to swing that on $6 a day or $180 a month paycheck. But in all the times I’ve been going there I have only met one bartender that based his service he gave anybody on the amount of tip you put in the jar before he served the drink. The other bartenders hated him as much as we did and I don’t think he lasted a month. And just to reiterate that the tips in the al inclusive rate amount to about 60 cents per bartender per guest or in other words, if the hotel is packed every night for the entire month then they might get another $500 per month. Less than packed equal a smaller number. I’ve never heard of the entire hotel being sold out for the entire month. A week here or there yes but then there are some months where its 40% occupied. So your first year you are forgiven for not brining enough for tips, you didn’t know, after that.. well… :bj: Jamie
One of the bartenders is a good friend of ours and he has us to his home each time we visit. He is one of the top bartenders so I'm sure he makes more than most. His family lives in what many of us would call "the projects". On the west side of Cancun city, concrete two story row home with one bedroom and a bath upstairs and a living room, kitchen area and nice sized back room that his wife uses for her nail business. Top to bottom their home is immaculate, nicely decorated and clean enough to eat off the floors but by our standards it is small. On one of our visits they had some relatives over to meet us so we decided to get a few Domino pizzas delivered. When they were delivered, I paid at least what it would cost me in NJ if not more for the pizza. Over $10 per pizza. We all sat down and started eating and Suz and I noticed what a treat the pizza was to these people. We stopped eating after we each had a piece and let them have the rest. You could tell this was not a normal thing for them. So I don't know how much cheaper the cost of living is for them - maybe a little but not as much as I thought it was. Firm
