Which is really what is so uncomfortable about the whole thing really and why the tourist and the unfamiliar get targetted.
I'm amazed at how many places here are still using a 10:1 pesos to dollar rate. Now that is a rip off.
for those of u who club ,if you buy ANYTHING at classico in plaza peninsula ,they will include a tip, that gets worse if u pay with a credit card cuz the charge gets done immediately without a chance to say anything!...The service is nice but I dont enjoy being told how much to tip!!None does !! Also at the airport mexican restaurant in the international airport here in cancun..., Berry Hill ,they added an insane amount for tip ,the guy I recall brought us two ceasar salads, 4 perrier water bottles, and some stuff my friend's kids ordered and didnt even eat ....and dessert ,bill was up to 900 ,thats fine..but then he added 20% for tip !! thats all i remember now ,if i do remember more ill post it
Cancun Gringa, Funny picture. Where did you get that one? Haven't seen you out and about for a while. I hope you are doing well. T.J.
Turns out, this is still the case. I was there, last evening. This time, I made a point of telling them I lived here, and the extra 15% was not added to the bill. What's the deal, are tourists just cheap when it comes to a tip, and the waiters think they have to protect themselves? (I know some nationalities have a different tipping culture, such as the Germans, who think it's sufficient to just leave the "change".) But, I still appreciate having the matter left to me.
So basically the moral to these stories is; ALWAYS check your bill closely.. Some places like to slip in a "servicio" charge of 10-20% and then claim that its NOT the tip, or that you are obligated to pay it. YOU ARE NOT. You are required to pay the price on the menu, but if there is no mention of a "service charge" (check the bottom for microscopic print) then they cant legally hold you to pay anything above that posted price. The law also requires that the "I.V.A." tax be included in the list price, so if the "I.V.A." is added on top of the list, then again.. be on guard. Some places, especially the touristy ones, do (Illegally) list their prices without tax, to make them seem lower, but they generally make it clear somewhere with the statement "tax not included" or "plus tax". Another thing to watch for are bars that will throw a few extra drinks on your bill, hoping that you are too intoxicated to notice or lost count (which certainly happens to some of the heavier drinkers among us) To be fair, places that receive lots of European clients, might have the "servicio" added to the bill, not as a way to scam you out of money, but as a way to insure that their (horribly underpaid) waiters get tipped by the customers who are not accustomed to leaving gratuities. But if you are ever told its "not" the tip, then you will know that you are being lied to. If you find yourself at odds with an establishment a mention of the word "PROFECO" will back 99% of them off if push comes to shove. (For those that dont know, PROFECO is the consumer protection agency in Mexico, and they can and do shut down places that don't play by the rules.) All in all, I accept it as a part of life here that I will often get the "gringo rate" on services, but being vigilant will prevent most problems in your everyday transactions. You have to remember, the average tourist is blowing through ridiculous amounts of money while they are here and are legally drunk for most of that time, so unless the establishments know that you are not just another tourist, you can expect some shenanigans from time to time.
Part A - Yes V, but it's fault of the damn Brits; and Part B - Yes, but the Mexican culture is different in the approach to dealing with this issue. Because wages are so far below that of the countries to the north, it is my feeling that a tip from every customer is far more important to a Mexican's ability to feed his family than to an American waiter who gets stiffed no matter what the reason. The approach should be either to put a tip on every check, and disclose it on the menu, but give the guest the right to speak to a manager if they feel that the service does not warrant 15%. A better approach, more palatable to me, would be for the damn restaurants to put some ink in their check printers so that you can read them and put in English and Spanish that the Tip is NOT Included. Then, when the check is presented, it shold have that sentence circled to call it to the attention of the guest. One of everyone's favorite waiter, Felipe from Calypso, often builds such a rapport with his customers that he gives his big smile and says something like "Hey guys, the tip is not included so please leave me a good one." To try to sneak it onto the bill and by the guest is just plain wrong. I used to do what Gonzo does. I too tip 20% or more and if they forced 15% on me then that was what they got. I TOLD (past tense) the waiter, especially if it is not disclosed on the menu that "I was going to tip you $150 but since you put $90 on the bill that is all you are going to get. After the Crab Shack experience I decided to punish the waiter for arbitrarily telling me how much was going to pay him. Amendment to Part A - Tongue in cheek. LOL. Jaja, etc. I love all my British buds.
Nahh, we're not cheap. Just that we are used to service staff making a liveable wage (minimum wage in the UK is around $10 US or 130 Pesos an hour) so tips are not expected back home - restaurant owners have to give a decent days pay for a decent days work. Brits that dont very often venture to countries such as Mexico and USA that pay slave labour wages just aren't used to the tipping concept. Kind of like you guys don't tend to use Pesos when you come to Mexico, because the USD is world currency. Right ?
