Tipping Waiting Staff

OMG somebody has hijacked Colt's id... Please call the Police...

:-(

Qataris tip all the time and often generously. The men I'm usually with are very generous tippers. I'm sure that others don't tip and that some may tip to show off in front of a group.

I don't think we can make generalizations about nationality.

I don't think that people don't appreciate it. It's just that in the Middle East and Qatar in particular many people don't know the idea of tipping waiters.

In the US and in many other countries waitress get paid through their tips, over here it's not the case, nor are people familiar with the idea of tipping.

I know people who would tip only during holidays, Eid, Ramadan. Some others will always tip the worker/waitress regardless.

I see lots of generalization here about Qataris, this is non-sense, if you didn't see a Qatari tipping the worker or the waitress it doesn't mean it didn't happen.

@brit, because most of the expats think first of their family back home once they received their salary..i don't know if it also applies to other nationalities but we asians are known for making sure that our family back home has a food to eat, money to pay the bills, tuition, etc.. etc..than thinking of spending here for not so important things..for us - FAMILY FIRST..

why should they complain by the way?we're here for work because of our family..not to come here to spend..

Can't see Qatar or any other country proposing this since they already complain about Expats sending too much money home rather than spending here.

Any advice on the amount to tip?

I am a believer in tipping for good service, but I am always unsure of how much in this country.

Taxi driver

Waiter

Petrol guy

Haircut

bellhop

airport porter

More POWER to you buddy... and I'm not talking in terms of a new car or speedboat ;-)... Qatar needs more locals like you :-)

We need a strict governmental entity, which can ensure people are paid their dues IN FULL and to prevent black mailing....I was told by my brother-in-law that Qatar proposed that workers come to Qatar with pre-set accounts set up in their home countries or anywhere else they prefer, where by their salaries are paid to the government and then deposited directly into their accounts from that governmental entity.

Unfortunately that proposal was rejected because most workers come from areas where either very minimal banking takes place, or they wouldn't have access to their funds.

Any other suggestions?

Thank you for sharing

What about the beggars in India. Do you give alms to them.

@Shaktimaan

I pay alms to the poor BUT not to beggers....Most of us can tell when someone is not well off and is in need, I go to those and I offer assistance, whether monetarily or with supplies and the difference is that I pay them out of the blue and for no reason, not in return to services rendered....it's called a SELFLESS GOOD DEED....you do good FOR NO REASON except to help your fellow man....you know what I do sometimes??? I pay waiters who are not servicing my table!!! I am not paying them for services rendered + tip, I'm just helping the needy, my brotherman....I remember reading in Sociology that by over paying someone in need you are keeping them as dependants instead of helping the poor.

Beggers on the other hand let me tell you this...now a days in Doha it's A LOT easier and A LOT more rewarding and A LOT less humiliating to go to a charity and receive some aid than to beg on the hot streets of Doha....which makes it almost obvious that the begger doesn't want to go through the proper channels for a reason....a reason I don't care to know...so I stay away. I was approached at a gas station a few years back by a begger who asked for money to go buy medicine....I told him get in I'll buy it for you and take you home and he refused, I said if you need anything else I'll buy you food and medicine and take you home and he refused and walked away...less that 3 minutes later a cop came to the station and approached me to tell me that dude is an addict and that he's been reported plenty of times...he wants some money to go get his fix!!!!

the min wage for waiting staff was $2.30, whereas if you worked the gas station you made $8 or whatever as min wage... depending on where you lived.

@Colt45

I was raised in the states, the minimum wage was $2.30 and most waiters make exactly that because the cheap employer tries to alleviate his responsibility towards his employees by "assuming" they will get tips, which is all a bunch of BS if you ask me. The fault falls with the employer in this case and not the customer because IF the employer gave a damn about employees service quality he could have mandated "internal tips"....as in, you make $2.30/hour + tips which the EMPLOYER pays you based on the quality of the job done.

What happens instead is that CHEAP employers blame the customer and call him cheap for them underpaying their employees!!???

I agree with super cool the brnefit of tipping goes to the employer more than the staff. Not just waiters , valet , gas station employees , salon staff all are paid lesss salary and told that they can keep the tips which will be substantial.

Sahi bola aapne :-) You said it right.

beggars are illegal here. But you being local do you give them alms.

The service industry pay scales (waiting staff, i.e.) are much lower than what others make per hour. My friend used to wait tables in college and she was paid $2.50/ hour. Now that is well below the min wage in the US, but it's acceptable to waiting staff is what I was told, because they are expected to make up the deficit or more in tips.

what about beggers shakti....I dont get the question???

Iam not sure but the tips the waiter(s) get is taken by the management. is this true.

What do you say about the beggars then

I DO NOT tip if the Service Charge is 10% or more. If it is less, I top it up to about 10% or a li'l more.

@Shaktimaan

I do, and Im a local through and through....don't generalize like that amigo.

tip tip taliptip...not allowed in Middle Eastern countries. But only light hearted people do mind giving tips here in Qtr.

@tinkerbell10

If your goal is to expose those who mistreat their workers and hold off their wages etc. then the first step you should do is to STOP TIPPING

If you think about it, tipping covers up for the employers short comings....If the eomployer is not being fair to his employees the solution is to punish him by law, not to tip the employee to make up the difference, and let the employer keep all that extra cash?

Do the Arabs give a damn care for the Asians here. the same who build the towers, constructed the roads, bridges etc.

I will definitely tip at Chowpatti or similar. where i have issues is in bigger restaurants where they automatically include a service charge AND expect a tip :O(

Then government should start a TIPPING CENTER in Industrial area :-P

You are absolutely right. That is why i heard and not sure it is not allowed here. Maybe iam wrong too.

Thank you for clearing my DOUBT. That is why i mentioned DOUBT. Hence clarified.

Although I do tip on good service I never quite understood the merit behind tipping to be honest.

If the point of receiving a salary is to reward a job well done then what is the merit behind receiving a tip? A job wellllllllllllllllllll done? hehehe....One receives a salary in the service industry ONLY for a "job well done" not just a "job done", which constitutes that the service person receives what he is owed for doing a good job through his employer by receiving his/her salary IN FULL. This is true for the service industry in the whole world and not just Qatar.

But then again can you the customer on the receiving end request the employer to deduct from the worker's salary if the job done is not up to par??? Specifically in the service industry that is...That would be a HELL NO. So although we tip many of us can't really explain why we tip....at times it feels like I'm bribing my way to good services, which should have been given to me anyway since I already paid for the service. In other words, the price you pay includes the services charges and not just the price of the product. Like I said I DO tip, but I don’t quite understand it.

BY THE WAY.....In Islam tipping is not allowed for any job that has a predetermined salary, and THAT'S WHY MANY PEOPLE DON'T TIP HERE.

hard to believe that you cannot differentiate b/w begging and giving tips :(

you tip a waiter out of gratitude for a service rendered, as opposed to a beggar who expects money out of you for doing nothing :-(

A beggar is not allowed to beg for money in QATAR (because it is illegal) but giving money to a waiter is allowed. What is the difference. Why can beggars not be legal then.

Brit..let the waiter buy any of these with that 10 riyals..:)

That's ten percent, 2 kilos of bananas, 3.74 Snicker Bars or five karak chais at Rizks' Tea Palace :O(

Totaly agree with you colt..:)

Wonder why some peolpe are so stingy.. if they can eat for 100 riyals cant they spend 10 riyals more for those waiters??

hahaha you guys are too much man..from tipping to stuck lungis to hanging gardens..the most serious of topics just spin helplessly into comic oblivion lol:-)

Hanging garden

i remember once i was out of FFC after shopping and keepin the shopping stuff in my car and my lungi got stuck in the next car which was about to leave and i was running back of it...ohh wat a disgraceful sight it was...:(

What about tipping in Ramada

Are you sure the waiter wasn't running after your car because you had your KARAK and drove off without paying? :-(

britey u pay peanuts you get roasted nuts...:)

Well

M not sure about other FOODS in Menu but i used to go there for only KARAK, they put for me Dry Fruits in it, so I Give them TIP... even now! whenever I go there, the waiters run after my car...

you're allowed to wipe your hands on Rizks' lungi for bad service :-(

What do we do for bad service ?

I remember going to Rizks' Bhibdi Bhaaji and Biryaani Balace at the Bearl and getting lousy service :O(

From whom and where did you hear that " it's not allowed"?

Do not bring personal matters into this discussion and hijack it (embarrass me) :-P

Lols Khanan

compensate for a good service.

Colty Boy~Good Post ;)Remember the 'tip' I given to you after your good service;)

I agree with you. Sadly people don't appreciate the work they do.

I have seen people from all over coming to BC... even Chinese and asking for bada pav :-))

In Gulf if you don't want to do something, just say "It is not allowed" and people will believe it!

I give tips. But i heard its not allowed in QATAR.

Coltey, who do u think go to Bombay phatpatti then ? :)

I always tip, I will even tip a minimal amount if the service was bad. More money for a great experience.

most of these people work for tips and I don't think they even earn minimum wage.

you racist basherd :-(

Their service is pretty good too!

Indians i say....:O)

Well, its true..those poor chaps had to clean all the mess and all they get is a 'smile' or sometimes nothing...:(