Last summer vacation, I participated in the program called “ Work and Travel in USA” and that’s why I wrote in my resume that I have ever been a housekeeper at the Ramada Hotel in Virginia, USA. Many people were curious for the reason why I chose this kind of low-knowledge level work. The answer is very simple. I just want to challenge myself to see how I can survive in a different culture.
As you know, tip is indispensable to the life in USA. For example, for a taxi driver, the tip is usually 10%-15% of your bill and for a waiter, it is above 20% of the bill. In general, tips are not compulsory for the customers to pay and the amount of tip is dependent on the quality of services they provided.
One day, in order to save the money for the following trip, my friends and I rejected the service offered by a tour guide and just let him drive us to the destination. Then, we paid for the petrol fee and it seemed that everything followed our plan well. However, at the end of the day, the tour guide called me and asked us to pay for his “compulsory tips”. He said this is the “unwritten rules” of America. Finally, although we didn’t get the agreement with the tour guide on the issue of tips, we still paid the “compulsory tips”, because we just treated that as the “tuition fee of culture shock”
Till today, I still cannot understand why I need to pay for the tips without services. But whatever it is, it let me bear in mind that different culture has different value system. If you want to immerse with that culture, sometimes, you need to pay your “tuition fee”. This is my opinion. What do you think, my friends?
Hey Ella,
ReplyDeleteI guess this is the unwritten rules for tour guides in general and not specific to American culture but I do agree with you that sometimes the culture of a foreign land requires re-adjusting of our own value systems.
I've travelled to various places and one thing that forces me to adjust to almost all the time is the position I have to stand on the escalator. In Hong Kong, its on the right side for standing and in South Korea and Japan its left. In China its all over the place! I got shouted at once in Japan, probably something unpleasent, for standing on the wrong side!
Well, it is definitely important to understand the very fundamentals of foreign culture before attempting to visit!
Elaine :)
Hi Elaine,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your sharing. It is very interesting. I just know Japanese pay special attention to this kind of convenance. That is what I should learn from them.
Thanks.
Ella
Hello ella!:)
ReplyDeleteI agree with elaine that its very important to do a "little research" on the fundamentals of the country we are going to when we are travelling! If not the cultural shock may end up as a less pleasant experience.
Share with you a short experience regarding a "taxi culture"! Often, when in Singapore, if the passenger want to go to a nearby destination from the pick-up venue, Singapore's taxi-drivers would be more than willing to drive him/her there as the meter will charge a basic fee of $2.80 the moment you step into the taxi haha. They would probably earn the more if they get 10short trips compared to 5longer distance trips. However, when my friend went to hongkong last summer, she wanted to take a taxi to a destination which is just a street down as her legs were tired from all the shopping and sales! BUT! Instead of feeling happy for the short distance trip, the taxi-driver actually lectured her!! and refused to take her as the taxi uncle felt that she should not waste money like that. She tried to flag for three taxis but ALL had the same response haha so eventually she walked over. :)
I guess tipping is a way of showing an appreciation to the person who is providing the service for us and in my opinion, the amount given would be dependent on the quality of his service! :) but in general, I feel that in the western countries where the people are more affluent and generous, tipping gradually became an unspoken/unwritten rules. However, I guess I would not feel like tipping for the service that I did not receive too! :)
Hi Ting,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your sharing of the small taxi story.
Indeed, in the mainland of China or HongKong, the taxi drivers prefer to take a long distance trip rather that a short one, because the startup price for a taxi is not enough to pay for the cost of the first 3km. Also, many Singapore taxi driver only want to the destination they want and refuse other request. In China, it is not allowed by rules.
On the other hand, the calling taxi service in Singapore is much more convenient than that in US. In US, the condition of taxi is really bad and sometimes, the US taxi drivers are not so polite for passengers. So, when I was in US, I really missed Singapore taxi service and other Singapore transportation service. In my and my friends opinions, Singapore government do the excellent job on transportations.
Hi Ella!
ReplyDeleteYes I experience that same cultural shock when I was in Toronto last semester. We almost forgot that we have to tip the taxi driver when we first took the cab from the airport.Sometimes we pay the minimal amount when we are dining at places to minimise our expenditure as all of us have very tight budget. Especially for places whereby we experience bad service, we would leave out the tip and never patronize that restaurant again. If we ever go back they would definitely remember us. In addition, hong kong cafes usually serve the blond hair with better attitude (with smiles and all) but just serve us without talking or show a black face which piss us quite a bit as well.
Hmm, a good lesson for me as I will go SEP to US in next year. Is it really necessary for you to give tips for every service you received?
ReplyDeleteYou said that you still can't understand the reason for paying the compulsary tips and in my opinion, there may be no reason for it at all. Customs are evolved from the river of history backwards and they are natural for those born and grew up in such environment.
It may be uncomfortable first time you touched these customs or cultures, you got shocked. But as you experience certain culture more, you will admit or appreciate those practice more.
Though there's no justification for right or wrong of this kind of culture practices
Ah??...
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, whenever we go to another country, we could read some materials about its culture as well as the story of someone who has been there before. I believe this will alleviate the shock to some extent.
Thank you for your sharing. I benefit from this.^^
We all should immerse ourselves into the culture of the country we visit. That would make the trip more meaningful. Your use of "tuition fee" however makes it sound like you found this experience to be a lesson: to never step into the states again.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, the demanding of tips sounded rude. I would not give him much, definitely.