Dubai Forums Dubai Discussions Dubai General Chat

Nevermind what the guides state. Do you tip anyone in Dubai? If so, who and who much (%)?

I always give the guys in the petrol station 5 dhs each, and at restrauants but only when i get good service (10%). Also taxi drivers if they

a/ dont smell
b/ actually know where they are going
c/ they are pleasant and dont grunt when spoken too.

arniegang wrote:I always give the guys in the petrol station 5 dhs each, and at restrauants but only when i get good service (10%). Also taxi drivers if they

a/ dont smell
b/ actually know where they are going
c/ they are pleasant and dont grunt when spoken too.

Do they have to meet all 3 criteria, or is it like on a rising scale dependent upon them reaching their targets??

They have to meet ALL 3

Concord wrote:Nevermind what the guides state. Do you tip anyone in Dubai? If so, who and who much (%)?

i never gave tip to anyone ....once a girl invited me on lunch and i forced her to give almost 70 AED tip to waitress.

But i never gave tip from my own money .........if the money is someone's else , i love to tip

Not necessarily talking about Dubai here, but as I general rule I will only tip when I think someone has performed beyond what they are paid to do. I also very rarely tip when someone expects to be tipped. I have on occasions been about to give a tip until I see their outstretched hand as if they are begging.

A good example was when I was in Dubai a few weeks ago. Took two taxi rides on the same day. The first told me the price (say it was 15 dhs). I handed over a 20, and he pocketed it. I sat there until he eventually realised I wasn't going to tip him, and he gave me my change.
Contrary to this, another trip I had the same day, and the driver told me the fair, I again pulled out a 20, and he started to get the change out for me - I just told him to keep it.

I really really dislike it when they expect to be tipped!!

As for restaurants - I go for the 10% mark. 15% sometimes if I'm either with a girl on a date and trying to impress her, and/or the waitress is really hot!!
I did once go out to dinner some years ago with my ex-girlfriend and her family. We had absolutely awful service, and when the bill came her mum said to us "well the service was terrible, so I am only going to give the minimum 15%".

Good job she's an "ex girlfriend" then Zoots

arniegang wrote:Good job she's an "ex girlfriend" then Zoots

Yeah, she could have quite easily bankrupted me!!

I like the tipping system here better. You're not obliged to give a tip, but I always shell out a couple of bucks now.
When I was studying in America, everytime I made an order, they expected tips varying from $3 - $6, depending on how much I ordered. That's way too much. =/

I only tip when i have loose change....and when i can see the person is dedciated to his/her work !!

I give the biggest tips to the lowest paid workers. For example all those guys that wash cars at the mall. The price is 10 dirhams and I always pay 20. In addition I pay them before the do they job (I don't want them waiting for me for the money while I shop). I imagine some people pull away without paying (would not surprise if their excuse is that [the driver] could not find the person, etc.].

Petrol statation attendants I always tip (round up to the nearest tenth amount).

Delivery guys I always tip 20% or more (dependign on where they travelled from)- This guys usually make the least amount and sometimes people don't tip them.

I tip the least at expensive restaurants (as I look at the amount of the tip and not a percentage - depending on the time spent and the "work" done by the tip - and how busy the place is, the busier the place the lower the tip.

Bartenders (always tip but amount depends).

arniegang wrote:I always give the guys in the petrol station 5 dhs each, and at restrauants but only when i get good service (10%). Also taxi drivers if they

a/ dont smell
b/ actually know where they are going
c/ they are pleasant and dont grunt when spoken too.

I agree with "C". with respect to "b" it depends on whether they really don't know or ar pretending. With respect to "a" perhaps you should tip those guys and tell them the tip is for "soap and water" (say it as you exit not while still in the car). So long as the tip is not going towards "driving lessons" no harm done...

Concord wrote:

arniegang wrote:I always give the guys in the petrol station 5 dhs each, and at restrauants but only when i get good service (10%). Also taxi drivers if they

a/ dont smell
b/ actually know where they are going
c/ they are pleasant and dont grunt when spoken too.

I agree with "C". with respect to "b" it depends on whether they really don't know or ar pretending. With respect to "a" perhaps you should tip those guys and tell them the tip is for "soap and water" (say it as you exit not while still in the car). So long as the tip is not going towards "driving lessons" no harm done...

How about this for a novel idea - who says tips are supposed to be monetary?? As you leave the taxi, you could hand the driver a bar of soap (perhaps one that you have "borrowed" from you last trip to a nice hotel) or if its really bad, a can of deodorant as well - not forgetting to give a quick squirt around the car first!!

Once long time ago , i used to work as waiter , here are my conclusions:

1= People from US , they are quite generous , when it comes to tip. They are great people to talk and serve.

2= People from England : sometime we had to run and catch them to get the money of bill. They eat and try to escape without paying. Some of them are good , but most of them sucks.

3= Pakistani and Indian: They always order the cheap food and act as they have bought the entire place. They always complain why it is so expensive. We never expected tip from them. They never order for drinks or soda , mostly they ask for "water".

4= Arabic = The first thing they ask" If is it Halal ". They fall among those class , who put 99 % efforts to find Halal food and only 1% efforts to make their income Halal. Government funded social losers

5= Danish people : They are best when it comes to tip. Some time they even leave like 500 AED as tip , it always matter to sell them good and s.e.xy wine ...

6= Eastern european: They hardly have money to come inside . They usually order for one dish and couple of people share it.

If Seinfeld was still on HP could make a lot of money writing scripts.

dunno, the taxi drivers i've taken here always reach to give me change.

i always tip waiter/waitresses about 10%, car wash guys a 5dh note. I never get to pay the gas attendants because I pay with a company card maybe i'll slip the guy some money on the side next time.

although i realized that i don't really tip delivery guys that much. probably because everywhere i order from is walking distance of my apartment.

HP I typically don't find your posts funny (although you make an effort) but the "observations" on tipping post was really funny (particularly closing with number "6").

The most funny thing is to serve indian people. They dont eat meat and always ask for DAAL ( pulses ). Instead of taking cola or red wine , they desire for Mango Lassi (yogurt drink). You put lot of efforts to make them happy and end they dont even give " any tip". It is the same ,as you chat with some girl over the net for 3 or 4 months and one day she disappear:P

They always multiply and calculate that how much money they had spent in Daish kr. or Britist P.

whenever they go back to India, they tell their entire family , we ate the food of 4000 indian rupees .................fokers ...........

I take exception to the British conclusion by HP. Thats sooooooooo unfair.

Now if we are talking Malaga or the places where all the "common people" go i could understand that.

arniegang wrote:I take exception to the British conclusion by HP. Thats sooooooooo unfair.

Now if we are talking Malaga or the places where all the "common people" go i could understand that.

But then that doesn't count!! What Brits do abroad cannot be pinned on the british! When in Rome and all that.....

Plzzzzzzzzzz dont tell me you holdiday in Majorca or Benidorm or Corfu plzzzzzzzzzzzzz Zooter.

arniegang wrote:I always give the guys in the petrol station 5 dhs each, and at restrauants but only when i get good service (10%). Also taxi drivers if they

a/ dont smell
b/ actually know where they are going
c/ they are pleasant and dont grunt when spoken too.

From recent experience, and on this scale of measurement, I won't be tipping much! My motor has been off the road recently (courtesy of the numpty Sikh truck driver who decided his truck would look better on the bit of road where my car already happened to be!) so been forced to sample the delights of the Dubai public transport system...

I always give the driver a tip..."learn your way around the city!" I find it amazing that they have no idea where anything is!

Incidentally, the policeman who came to the site of my accident, didn't even know where Emirates Towers were! He didn't get a tip either!



Knight

Dubai Knight wrote:Incidentally, the policeman who came to the site of my accident, didn't even know where Emirates Towers were! He didn't get a tip either!



Knight

To be fair though, Emirates Towers aren't that big a landmark - they just have so many landmarks they get confusing!! They could do with bigger ones!!

Concord wrote:HP I typically don't find your posts funny (although you make an effort) but the "observations" on tipping post was really funny (particularly closing with number "6").

I didnt have any intention to make you laugh , did i? i write , wot please me not the rest of people . Playing fun before you must be the same as playing shakespeare before chinese .

HP wrote:

Concord wrote:HP I typically don't find your posts funny (although you make an effort) but the "observations" on tipping post was really funny (particularly closing with number "6").

I didnt have any intention to make you laugh , did i? i write , wot please me not the rest of people . Playing fun before you must be the same as playing shakespeare before chinese .

Can you spell "incomprehensible"?

Concord wrote:

HP wrote:

Concord wrote:HP I typically don't find your posts funny (although you make an effort) but the "observations" on tipping post was really funny (particularly closing with number "6").

I didnt have any intention to make you laugh , did i? i write , wot please me not the rest of people . Playing fun before you must be the same as playing shakespeare before chinese .

Can you spell "incomprehensible"?

Yes: H.P.



Knight

Concord wrote:

HP wrote:

Concord wrote:HP I typically don't find your posts funny (although you make an effort) but the "observations" on tipping post was really funny (particularly closing with number "6").

I didnt have any intention to make you laugh , did i? i write , wot please me not the rest of people . Playing fun before you must be the same as playing shakespeare before chinese .

Can you spell "incomprehensible"?

hahahah. Now i understand what is the story behind the failure of "concord". The guy wrote " checkoslovakia" on board and then asked me " can i spell". I think you really need to take your medicine .......

Do ya know the difference between Man and woman?

arniegang wrote:Plzzzzzzzzzz dont tell me you holdiday in Majorca or Benidorm or Corfu plzzzzzzzzzzzzz Zooter.

Good god no - give me some credit!!

the_zooter wrote:

arniegang wrote:Plzzzzzzzzzz dont tell me you holdiday in Majorca or Benidorm or Corfu plzzzzzzzzzzzzz Zooter.

Good god no - give me some credit!!

Margate?



Knight

Dubai Knight wrote:

the_zooter wrote:

arniegang wrote:Plzzzzzzzzzz dont tell me you holdiday in Majorca or Benidorm or Corfu plzzzzzzzzzzzzz Zooter.

Good god no - give me some credit!!

Margate?



Knight

Shhhhh - don't tell everyone, or they'll all be going there - it'll lose its charm if it gets too busy. There and Skegness!!