Tipping the room maid

nico26

When I was in India staying for a few months I would take an extra bottle of water for the driver or give him a cake of chocolate or piece of fruit to have when I was shopping or visiting a temple or some other place as it was a bit of a wait and felt sorry for him having to sit in a hot car for ages. Discovered once I was out the car he was selling it. He came in to a store one day looking for me and wanted me to buy him a pair of trousers. That was the last You learn, But had to laugh.
But in saying that I tipped three dining room staff who were great looking after me when I was left there myself when my hubby had to go away with work. When I moved into an apartment I gave them 100 rupees each and you would have thought it was a fortune but it was nearly a weeks wages for them..If someone deserves it I tip. If not I dont.

luci

Tipping daily means you tip the person who did the work rather than tipping at the end of the week when it could be the regular maid's day off and you could be tipping the stand in who has only done your room one day.

omelette451

I think tipping anyone makes the whole system worse because then it becomes expected and, as in the US, it becomes considered part of the person's wages. As far as I'm concerned I'm already paying for someone to be employed to do a job, so why should I be expected to pay again?

My 'rule', insofar as I have one at all, is not to do it out of habit or because it's expected of me, but if I get up to leave somewhere and immediately remember something nice that deserves extra credit, I'll leave something. I rarely carry much cash though (cards are so much easier-and lighter!), so it doesn't happen often.