Tipping in Qatar - What is required?

which part of New Zealand do you live?

My aunt lives in Nrew Zealand an works in a hotel there. She said the tips their staff receives are okay...

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Haven't tipped anyone yet myself. But that's cause back in NZ tipping is almost never done, so i'm not really used to the idea of it.

I have had bad experiences with the tipping thing. I am just as confused as the next person I think.

Over here it is not the done thing that we fill up with petrol, somebody does it for you. I always give them a couple of Riyals, more in Summer. Who would want to stand all day in the heat and pump gas whilst we sit in our cars.

Waiters and waitresses, I treat them as I would at home. If the service is good they get a tip, if it is cr*p they get nothing. If service is included and they have been good, they get something on top because I am sure they do not benefit from the service.

I always pack my own bags as I do it in such a way that raw chicken is not with other food, heavy stuff is not put on top of bread and frozen stuff is not put with the hot grilled chicken I have just bought.

I also pack my own car sometimes but if somebody helps they get a thankyou and a couple of Riyals.

I look after the guards on the gate by giving them food and toiletries etc.

I treat people over here the same as if the service was available in England.

My thoughts are my own, but I doubt my Mum would agree with some of them.

i think you need more money than those driver help who you

So lets conclude it like..if you have a big bounty crediting to your Bank account 1st of every month, plese you pay for those needy gas fillers, grocery..etc ..etc.even if you dont like their service..since they deserve it....

If you get just enough to feed your family here and homeland,..no need to pay..remember that they get paid for what they do....also there are generous people like Jareeau who do it for you...

I tip in restaurants,10% of the bill even if there is a service charge added, as Tallg said few times earlier hotels staff in Doha never get a service charge, am a hotelier myself and I know it from within. As for grocery, I agree with rami-leb, I prefer to pack my own grocery,but in case it happens and an attendant helped me out I wouldn't mind tipping him 5 riyals, at a gas station, I never tipped in my home country, Lebanon,but looking at those miserable guys working in such an enviroment and high temperatures, I always tip a couple of riyals, plus don't forget gas in Doha is cheaper than water so couple of riyals wouldn't matter.

Tipping should be done for a good service provider. Someone who can make you smile even you have some problem.

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So what?!? I was responding to your assertion that there's no need to tip if there receipt includes a service charge. That's what.

I can't tip if I don't have any money to tip...

Well you can tip a chewing gum instead. Popular 'round here. LOL

"Everything in this book may be wrong." Illusions: The Adventures of The Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach

For the 3rd time, the service charge on the receipt very rarely goes to the staff as a tip.

You don't always need to tip.

You only let them expect a tip from every customer afterwards and for the rest of their job...

"Everything in this book may be wrong." Illusions: The Adventures of The Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach

whenever i feel their service was good and they deserve it...

I never see them put the tip in their pocket, instead it goes right back into the bill fold with the rest of the money.

What I meant by pool the tips is that they all have to give their tips to the management at the end of the night and 9/10 the management pockets the money.

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gypsy ... surely they keep the tally how many liter of fuel being pumped out to the tank with the money coming in?

i tip in the gas station.

I see it this way, in the UK you pay like 8 riyal a liter and you still have to fill the tank up yourself, walk all the way to the cashier to pay and walk all the way back. Over here you just wind down your window and say 'super full please' and they do everything for you. And it is only cost less than 1 riyal a liter.

even in Indonesia you still have to open the petrol cap yourself.

Me think tipping in the gas station in Qatar wont break the bank ...

Gypsy ... what do you mean by pooling the tip? do they share it equally between the pump attendant. I can see the logic, 1 attendant have a very good luck the car keep tipping him non stop. Meanwhile the other attendant got nothing.

I do too tallg. They tuck the money happily into their pockets.

Salam

If you'll notice at most of the stations there's no receipt function on the machines, so there's really no way to know how much gas is pumped in the run of a day. So these guys have to empty there pockets in the morning and at night, they aren't allowed to bring money and they aren't allowed to leave with it.

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Is that true Gypsy? Whenever I tip a gas station attendant they always look very happy.

I don't tip often because in most cases the employees are required to pool their tips at the end of the day and ALL the money goes to the establishment.

This is especially true of gas station attendants who don't get to keep any of their tips.

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Ok, about me, I always tip the guy or the girl who serve me, first of all they do a hard work to serve different types of people, and believe me, it is not easy, secondly, such people they always earn work for a low salary, the 10 or even 5 riyals is nothing for you, but it helps them a lot...

because it's not the service alone that may want you to come back but the food itself so the kitchen staff also deserve a tip. If the recptionist are also polite and cheerful, they also share in the tip

"dgoodrebel will always be the rebellious good one"

I know of one restaurant here in Doha (and its a good one) which charges a service charge but the staff only get 1% of this and this is paid to them one month in arrears. What's more if they make a mistake in making change to the customer and the restaurant is short, the waitress has to pay. They are paid QR1,300 per month and are given accommodation. Most send their salaries home and they try to live on tips.

The service is always friendly and helpful in this restaurant and my advice is to leave a tip. Its is very much appreciated and the staff pool all the tips they receive and they are shared out between the wait staff and the kitchen staff.

Just call me Tigasin. That's what I'm talking about

As I said already dmigty, the service charge on the bill rarely, if ever, goes to the staff.

the practice of tipping in a restaurant is still common and is place collectively by all the waiters in a common box and on a weekly basis, shared by all the waiters, cooks and receptionists of the restaurant.

In China, taxi drivers does not accept tip on foreigner. Even if it is offered, they politely turned it down and give your change however small it is. If it happens that you ride a taxi where the driver made a wrong route and made your fare bigger, the driver will insist that you pay the common fare and not what in the meter. Really trained good and honest taxi drivers.

Here in Qatar, if there is a service charge in the restaurant, I don't tip. If none, it's ok to leave a tip. For Taxi, if it's a short distant travel, I tip. Specially if the driver help you carry your things in and out of his car.

"dgoodrebel will always be the rebellious good one"

I've found plenty of "cheaper" restaurants that also whack on a service charge.

The sort of places that charge a service charge are the sort of places where the staff are earning a decent (relatively speaking) wage. I rarely eat at such places anyway because I find the whole idea of paying an estra 10% on top of an already expensive meal to be stupid. Cheaper restaurants usually have better food (and service).

Service charge included on the bills in restaurants rarely, if ever, goes to the staff. Always worth asking.

I don't tip the grocery packers because I don't want them to pack my groceries. I have arms and I can do it myself more quickly and better than they can anyway. I tell them to go away.

I hardly ever tip in restaurants. I NEVER tip in a restaurant where there is a service charge. And the service in these restaurants is never good enough to be worth tipping. I do tip in the poorer restaurants where the staff work hard.

I always tip the petrol attendant, because their job is crap, but only a couple of riyals. Interestingly, in the Emirates some petrol stations are doing away with attendants and drivers will have to pump their own gas. I would love to see that happen here!

I tip or give the odd meal to the security guard who is at the front door of my building.

I never, ever tip taxi drivers. I would if they drove safely, and don't try to take the longest route possible. On one occassion I paid 20QR for a 16QR fare and the driver just took the money and stared at me as I waited for my change, basically demanding a tip. When people just expect a tip from me, they will never, ever get one.

The only time you wish there was a bag packer is when there isn't one and the guy in front of you is too lazy to pack it himself. So he watches the checkout person scan everything through, then watches as she has to pack everything into bags for him, then finally he pays. Soooooooooo lazy and annoying!!!!!!!!!!

I give the maintenance people too because they move the furniture around and replace it when they leave.

I don't pay any Qtel people when they come and do a job because they leave dirt all around and bore unecessary holes in the wall without telling you. lol

The bag packers don't know a thing about service or bag packing because no one teaches them how to do it and it is at any time an unthankful job. However, they do get paid a minimum slary.

I hate the way they clamber to fill your bags (family food centre) partcularly bad...I've only gone in for some milk and they bugger off to the front door with my milk in a bag before I've bloody paid.....I ruin their day by saying 'no thanks love I'm sure I can manage'....they look quite dissapointed.

I find only 1 out of 10 bag packers have a clue how to do it properly. Much easier to do it yourself, unless you want to end up with 50 bags each containing a couple of items each.

restaurants

gasboys

grocery packers

hairdressers

beauty salons

maintanence guys on the compound for extra jobs

Good service and

janeyjaney........

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Life is nothing without friends.... :)

QL.... just a (very nice) way of live..... :)

the service is that BAD...

anyways, if I see the bill has SERVICE/COVER charges added to my bill, I don't tip anymore....

We were once told that the grocery packers in the supermarkets,particularly the co-ops,don't get wages for working there,they rely solely on tips for their income.

I,personally, don't mind tipping for someone to pack my bags or load them into the car,and I always tip the worker at the petrol station-they must have the worst of jobs.

May your dreams take you travelling all through your life.

I always tip the petrol pump attendant as they are standing out in the heat and breathing in the toxic gases from our cars - they deserve tip the most. I tip in a restaurant too depends on the amount I pay but mostly never less that QR 10,--. Guards and poeple filling up the grocery bags I don't tip as I don't think this is necessary finally I bring my groceries to my car myself.

If you start to tip guards and then perhaps you have no small notes at one time he/she will not forget this neither will the grocery boy.

If the hairdresser doesn't receive a tip she may make me bald next time so best to do it if they do a good job.

Over tipping starts a wave of expectations and then the general service reduces if not everyone tips the same, the heirarchy in the system changes.

Oryx - I read recently that the UAE is introducing self service gas stations - if this is true it will come to Qatar in no time - I enjoy it too not having to tank my car myself.

However, if I receive bad service or bad food in a restaurant I don't tip.

no they're only doing what they get paid for.....

They dont get paid enough...thats why this little something from us makes their life more easy... nothing wrong in tipping desrving people who serve us good.

how charitable! Never tip anyone! They earn enough as it is without tipping, I don't get tipped in my job and I save lives ffs...........;)

A tip depends on the service... since it's mandatory to pay service charge. I once had a waitress as rude as could be, so i filled out the comment card negatively and didn't pay a tip, and believe me, she remembered me the next time and did her best to put the past experience behind and did a great job and then i gave a tip. But tipping the hairdresser, petrol attendants, boys at the grocery shop, tea boy at work (once a month) all that is a must for me as i feel they deserve it and most of them are happy with whatever little you give them. It's that extra blessing for their lively hood! Well done to those that give that little extra!!

Never say Never for fear of Forever!!

I tip depending on service.

Brits don't have a good reputation for tipping and I was reducated in Mexico about this, but I still dont tip as liberally as your average American.

I tip the petrol pump guys..really I dont want to fill up my own car.

the beauty salon

restaurants/cafes

I don't like Service Charge on a bill.... once we got dreadful service at the new Ramada... and we both refused to pay the SC but we were made to. That isn't very fair.

i always tip for good service, so i've saved heaps since moving here.

tips is something the crews look forward too...and i see them frown if you dont leave any...

I think I've discovered the secret of life - you just hang around until you get used to it.  ~Charles Schulz

I agree with Tallg... tip only who deserve it.

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It Takes 72 Muscles to Frown...And Only 14 To Smile.

: ) Keep Smiling : )

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Life is nothing without friends.... :)

QL.... just a (very nice) way of live..... :)

To

Insure (spellcheck)

Prompt

Service ????

although, you'll only get that next time you drop by...lol

Tip the guys who help me with my groceries to my car...and the bell boy who takes it up to my house....heaven didn't have this back home.....so i appreciate them and i always tip them.

Weel i guess everybody is different. And Ladba i guess there is some truth to your saying.

I tip if i am treated correctly. You don't always have to smile just be yous honest self.

I do what i can.

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Life is nothing without friends.... :)

QL.... just a (very nice) way of live..... :)

janeyjaney I tipped THAT much....gimme my money back!!!!!

I must have been dazzled by your ... gold plated teeth. xxx (Catch ya later sweets gotta run)

"Quit hanging on to the handrails . . . Let go. Surrender. Go for the ride of your life. Do it every day." Melody Beattie

Here mate, catch my penny for your international tipping tips.......

I hear St. Patrick was an Englishman!"

I tip too! ;) 10% in restaurants and the rest, depends on the service.

They tip me also when I sweep the streets. :D Thanks for the QR 50 the other day Labda!

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╬ Jai Guru Deva ╬

Thanks for the insult RP. Editing your comment doesn't change the sentiment.

I believe you're american, and it's well known that in america everyone tips all the time, regardless of whether it's deserved or not. That doesn't mean that people from other countries who don't do that are cheap.

Jarreau already knows, I tip. I do it not because I have the money, cause I sho dont but because I believe it will always come back as a Blessing not necessarily to myself but to my loved ones, friends.

Karma baby.

How much depends on quality of service.

"Quit hanging on to the handrails . . . Let go. Surrender. Go for the ride of your life. Do it every day." Melody Beattie

Taliq

Never feel obliged to tip. Only do it if you feel someone deserves it.

You are definitely a bloody cheap bastard. I always tip 0.50 DIRHAMS and always will leave them with a remark, "There is room for improvement".

I hear St. Patrick was an Englishman!"

a tip should be deserved, if you see that the person is not smiling and is merely draging himself to do what he is already paid for , i dont see any reason why i should tip him,her!

Don't wait for the last judgment it takes place every day.

"Albert Camus "

thats not very nice red pope !

Never feel obliged to tip. Only do it if you feel someone deserves it.

You may feel they deserve it cos they're not getting paid enough for what they do, or because their level of service exceeded your expectations.

And in restaurants it's normal that the 'service charge' added to your bill doesn't actually go to the employees. Always worth asking the waiter, so you can leave a cash tip as well.