Appropriate Tipping....Who should we tip? How much? When?

**GenuineCoupleDC** · 11-05-2016, 08:22 PM

**Davenrose** · 11-06-2016, 03:57 AM

You will likely get many responses on the proper way to tip at the resort. But actually there is no tipping allowed there, seriously it is forbidden by rule. Does it happen, sure it does. Truth is that if an employee is caught accepting a tip, it could cost them their job, I won't get into telling you whether or not you should tip, or whom you should tip, I will just say that if you do it, do it at the end of your trip and not during your trip in an effort to get preferential service over others. If you have make a connection with a staff member and want to do something for them, then do it discretely on your last day. just MHO

**GenuineCoupleDC** · 11-06-2016, 07:17 AM

i guess meant more in regard to the airport, car, etc.

**toohorny** · 11-06-2016, 07:59 AM

Tipping....this subject is very disputed....

For off resort, a few bucks usually works. The bus driver to and from the resort we usually give 5 or 10 and the guys that haul our bags usually a buck a bag. At bars we tip a buck and change for drinks and for off site meals15-20 percent.

As the resort goes, we do not tip. However, we are scuba divers and do leave our left over acetaminophen with the dive crew as well as other diving stuff we do not want/need. We also bring a couple bags of candy down with us....the resorts deserts look so good, but lack the sugary taste we crave.....any left over candy and other items we do not want to bring home we leave for the maid, with a note saying thank you for your work and list the items we left. With this we have also left any Jamacian money....so I guess that might be a tip

**jshell** · 11-06-2016, 08:22 AM

Off resort service providers, use a 20% rule of thumb and leave it at that.

Resort staff, a lump sum for good service that YOU feel is appropriate based on the service you received during your stay, but as already mentioned above, do it discretely, as it can get the employee(s) fired if they get caught accepting it.

On a similar topic, Jamaica is a poor country and the resort staff and off resort service people are relatively lucky compared to the rest of the population. Things we take for granted are in rare supply in Jamaica, so if you want to make an impact and get the most bang for your buck, pack some school supplies like spiral notebooks, pens, pencils, highlighters, crayons, etc and ask the front desk how to get them to the local schools. They will assist in seeing to it that your kindness is properly distributed.

**Ontario** · 11-06-2016, 08:35 AM

You can leave such gifts as school supplies, suckers, chocolates (cause theirs is more like a bakers chocolate rather than a milk chocolate) and they love it... Personal item, shampoo, pony tail elastics, bobby pin, but something we found that was expensive and hard to get for workers are nylons. You can leave them for workers, like house keeping staff etc, but it must be with a note stating that this is a gift for .... A list of everything that you're leaving, your name and room number.. When workers leave for the day their bags are checked. They have to show the note to their supervisor who in returns oks it...

We have given items to our housekeeping staff, girls at the spa, cooks in the morning, wait staff, and bartenders.. If you have ever noticed in the morning at the omelette station Jackie and Austin's cooking aprons have their names embroidered on them, we brought those as well... Apparently no worker is allowed to be on the work floor without a name tag, and with cooks using multiple aprons that's the first thing that gets misplaced...

**Allan_Elizabeth** · 11-06-2016, 10:46 AM

We are generous tippers. follow the 20% rule outside of the resort. Our driver charges $80 and we give him a $20 tip (always there when we arrive and punctual when we are going out from the resort etc).

In regards to the resort, we take gifts for housekeeping but do not tip cash, yes they can get fired if caught and the resorts policy is there for a reason - Do you tip the gardener when you see him working - of course not.

Harry has a plan in place where the staff receive a gratuity (bonus) weekly based on resort occupancy this is in addition to their salaries and is paid to all of the staff working at the resort.

The other night we were at a restaurant in Toronto with a new policy - no tipping, the owner decide to pay a better salary to the staff instead of having tipping, the staff loves it service was great and our bill was the same as our previous visit 2 weeks earlier. One customer tried to leave a tip and the staff member chased them down the street to give it back!

**hedovirginomore** · 11-06-2016, 10:55 AM

What restaurant in T.O ?? just curious cause its about time they paid the staff better

**foxxyandhound** · 11-06-2016, 11:31 AM

we tip at mobay.... we tip the taxi driver for getting us there.... notsure we would want to be the cause of someone getting fired over a tip....

**Allan_Elizabeth** · 11-06-2016, 11:49 AM

Originally Posted by hedovirginomore

What restaurant in T.O ?? just curious cause its about time they paid the staff better

There are a number of them now on College, the one we were at this week was Sidecar (great food).

**SooIan** · 11-06-2016, 04:01 PM

Well, did you know if you give a gift (not money) to staff or leave them a gift, they have to write your room number in a book with their name. IF, they get stop/searched on way out and items are found that's a problem, as you can imagine.
We take an extra 20kg case with us of clothes and gifts...so we know very well they are keen to get a note from you saying, (example) room 123 Mary & Bob give this..
So it's no good leaving something in your room saying thanks ! You maid may choose to run the gauntlet or not, so make it easy write a note.

Re big tips..please tip (if you want to) but don't make it hard for everyone else by tipping massively or at every round of drinks, this is Jamaica not the affluent area that we all may come from. x

**funfortwo** · 11-07-2016, 12:44 PM

The school supplies and stuff are great. We've also started in recent years to put out a call to friends and co-workers for any old cell phones and tablets that they aren't using. You'd be surprised how many people have a drawer full of devices (and they're not even really old) that they don't use anymore. Tell your friends that you are collecting these old devices to give to charity in Jamaica when you go down and almost everyone is happy to gather up their old devices and give them to you.

A three year old tablet in North America may seem obsolete to us but to many Jamaicans it is gold. Just make sure that they are unlocked. Cell and data plans aren't that expensive there and they can sometimes find free wifi. It gives them a chance to open email accounts and get connected to the world. Especially the kids. An 8 or 10 year old kid, or even a teenager, getting a used tablet is like winning the lottery.

We have a few friends on the staff that we give them to and they can get them to whomever needs them. You just have to meet them outside the gate one day at the end of their shift and they don't have to bother with a letters and crap. Best is to find a staff member with a few kids and tell them what you've got. They'll find ways to make use of anything you can bring down.

Originally Posted by jshell

Off resort service providers, use a 20% rule of thumb and leave it at that.

Resort staff, a lump sum for good service that YOU feel is appropriate based on the service you received during your stay, but as already mentioned above, do it discretely, as it can get the employee(s) fired if they get caught accepting it.

On a similar topic, Jamaica is a poor country and the resort staff and off resort service people are relatively lucky compared to the rest of the population. Things we take for granted are in rare supply in Jamaica, so if you want to make an impact and get the most bang for your buck, pack some school supplies like spiral notebooks, pens, pencils, highlighters, crayons, etc and ask the front desk how to get them to the local schools. They will assist in seeing to it that your kindness is properly distributed.

**2play7172** · 11-07-2016, 01:55 PM

I like the idea of bringing down goodies for people.. Crazy about the letters and whatnot .. Was very similar in Cuba though they accepted cash readily ..

**phillygirl22** · 11-07-2016, 05:57 PM

Never heard of a book to log your gifts -- i've always given with a letter and never had anyone tell me differently. Where would that book be??

**SooIan** · 11-09-2016, 01:54 PM

Originally Posted by phillygirl22

Never heard of a book to log your gifts -- i've always given with a letter and never had anyone tell me differently. Where would that book be??

If you have always given a note with your gifts...no need to ask you for a note or explain to you, maybe that why you didn't know.
The book is kept in Donna Grants office, any thing the staff are worried about carrying out they just have to write it in the book, with room number so it can be checked...We have been taking a lot of stuff for years, and only this year Donna said "always know when your here your room number is in the book so much" Ask when you next go x