86 replies to this topic

[patrick]

I came to Australia 29 years ago, shortly after got a company credit card and became an instant 10% tipper, I don't think I was alone. I still tip on the company credit card, but now I own the company

[jimbo34]

[quote]Most of them have families to support, and a salary of 8,000Bt just doesn't do it in the tourist hotspots.[/quote]
That's not my problem.

The onus should not be put on the customer to make up for any potential short-fall in employee salaries :|[/quote]

As you have already stated, you like to leave tips for good service. And, as Mardhi says, if you tip, you're gonna get good service next time. Thailand is very much a commission based economy, and if you don't tip or pay commission, you aint gonna get service or anything done.
At the end of the day, the customer is paying the salaries one way or another. We could put the salaries up, and raise the drink prices-what do you think will happen, DC?

[dixon cox]

As you have already stated, you like to leave tips for good service. And, as Mardhi says, if you tip, you're gonna get good service next time. Thailand is very much a commission based economy, and if you don't tip or pay commission, you aint gonna get service or anything done.

Agreed.

However, as the process begins with the customer's first impressions of a bar, it's staff and the quality of service then the customer would possibly not return at all if the service was particularly poor or they encountered pushy or rude staff. This could result in the subsequent experience of receiving poor service for a low or no tip never being known as they wouldn't return. In effect, a lost customer.

The vast majority of customers, I hope, would be capable of seperating the poor or rude service of one individual staff member from the overall atmosphere or vibe of a bar and would likely not base a boycott on one incident or person, which is just as well in many cases. But repeated poor or rude encounters with a particular individual can have a lasting effect, such as the ex-Strings service pig.

We could put the salaries up, and raise the drink prices-what do you think will happen, DC?

A bar with higher prices compared to competing bars may cause custom to move elsewhere. In Phuket the two week millionaires will most likely be blind to any increase as there is little or no ladyboy bar competition. But in Pattaya customers could easily go elsewhere and probably would if the price rise was significant.


In any case, if the quality of the girls in regular attendance is high then customers will return and turn a blind-eye to certain failings in individual attitudes and simply avoid encounters with those they find rude or irritating. I imagine the majority of us fall into this category, should any of the above arise.

[Legend]

i cant stand the "service" in jenny star bar.
you sit at the bar and order your own drink.,
the barstaff do that very difficult and skillful job of removing the cap from a bottle of beer and putting it in front of you.
they do not give you a bin, but insist you pay straight away.
they then hand you your change in a leather folder and expect a tip.
tip for what.?

[scottiej23]

In defence of Australians, tipping just has never really been part of the culture, if you want to call it that. For years I always though of it as one of those things that was just done in America. It's really only been in the last ten years or so where you will see people tipping with any regularity at restaurants and places like that. I don't think it's some inherent flaw or that we are tightarses or anything, it was just something that was never done....or expected either.

[petesie]

20 odd years ago in Thailand tipping was not advised either..........now it is expected.........same rules apply..........poor service............no tip........in or out da Loom.................

[patrick]

I came to Australia 29 years ago, shortly after got a company credit card and became an instant 10% tipper, I don't think I was alone. I still tip on the company credit card, but now I own the company

[jimbo34]

[quote]Most of them have families to support, and a salary of 8,000Bt just doesn't do it in the tourist hotspots.[/quote]
That's not my problem.

The onus should not be put on the customer to make up for any potential short-fall in employee salaries :|[/quote]

As you have already stated, you like to leave tips for good service. And, as Mardhi says, if you tip, you're gonna get good service next time. Thailand is very much a commission based economy, and if you don't tip or pay commission, you aint gonna get service or anything done.
At the end of the day, the customer is paying the salaries one way or another. We could put the salaries up, and raise the drink prices-what do you think will happen, DC?

[dixon cox]

As you have already stated, you like to leave tips for good service. And, as Mardhi says, if you tip, you're gonna get good service next time. Thailand is very much a commission based economy, and if you don't tip or pay commission, you aint gonna get service or anything done.

Agreed.

However, as the process begins with the customer's first impressions of a bar, it's staff and the quality of service then the customer would possibly not return at all if the service was particularly poor or they encountered pushy or rude staff. This could result in the subsequent experience of receiving poor service for a low or no tip never being known as they wouldn't return. In effect, a lost customer.

The vast majority of customers, I hope, would be capable of seperating the poor or rude service of one individual staff member from the overall atmosphere or vibe of a bar and would likely not base a boycott on one incident or person, which is just as well in many cases. But repeated poor or rude encounters with a particular individual can have a lasting effect, such as the ex-Strings service pig.

We could put the salaries up, and raise the drink prices-what do you think will happen, DC?

A bar with higher prices compared to competing bars may cause custom to move elsewhere. In Phuket the two week millionaires will most likely be blind to any increase as there is little or no ladyboy bar competition. But in Pattaya customers could easily go elsewhere and probably would if the price rise was significant.


In any case, if the quality of the girls in regular attendance is high then customers will return and turn a blind-eye to certain failings in individual attitudes and simply avoid encounters with those they find rude or irritating. I imagine the majority of us fall into this category, should any of the above arise.

[Legend]

i cant stand the "service" in jenny star bar.
you sit at the bar and order your own drink.,
the barstaff do that very difficult and skillful job of removing the cap from a bottle of beer and putting it in front of you.
they do not give you a bin, but insist you pay straight away.
they then hand you your change in a leather folder and expect a tip.
tip for what.?

[scottiej23]

In defence of Australians, tipping just has never really been part of the culture, if you want to call it that. For years I always though of it as one of those things that was just done in America. It's really only been in the last ten years or so where you will see people tipping with any regularity at restaurants and places like that. I don't think it's some inherent flaw or that we are tightarses or anything, it was just something that was never done....or expected either.

[petesie]

20 odd years ago in Thailand tipping was not advised either..........now it is expected.........same rules apply..........poor service............no tip........in or out da Loom.................