Tipping customs in Indonesia, Bali, Wakatobi?

[billt4sf]

they rely on tips from divers that come from the USA and keep their expectations low from customers from other countries.

This is f'ed-up. (I am not disagreeing with you, just saying that it is a f'ed-up situation. See what American tipping habits have done to the economy? Ugh.)

- Bill

 

[billt4sf]

Thanks for the tipping lecture. Always a great subject to be lectured on. The Wakatobi tip covers house and restaurant staff and then a separate pool for the diving staff. I din't say how much I tipped, just that we tipped into two pools as asked by the resort. How much is totally up to us, not the resort. However, if we decided to tip 50%, that's also up to us. If we bring that tipping percentage to Bali, tough cookies.

Rob

Sorry Rob, I guess I overreacted. Kudos that you are at least asking what local customs are. Apologies.

- Bill

 

[Dogbowl]

Last year, a customer gave a wonderful tip of $50,000IRD. I asked about their generous tip of $3.35. They told me that life was so simple for Indonesians - catching fish, living in small huts, etc. The cost of a new scooter or boat engine was not that different in Indonesia than in the USA, so perhaps life is not that simple in remote Indonesia.

Asking a customer why they tipped so low is rude. If it was me, I’d be never go back. People forget that tips are supposed to be appreciated but not required.

 

[peeweediver]

No worries, Bill. I read your posts and always learn something good about the area or diving. Your statement above that this is all f'ed-up is spot on. If employers simply paid a living wage (and charged us so if required economically), this would not be a problem at all. I have to say my favorite experience in this area was back in the 70s when I worked in a restaurant in New York and we were in the Hotel and Restaurant Employees Union. We were allowed to chastise guests who left "low" tips and ask them why. It did work, but, of course, the union was mobbed-up, so .....
Anyway, we all can just do what we're comfortable with.

Rob

 

[billt4sf]

Asking a customer why they tipped so low is rude. If it was me, I’d be never go back. People forget that tips are supposed to be appreciated but not required.

I doubt Charlie addressed the topic in a rude way. I'll let him speak for himself, but in any case leaving a IDR 50K tip for a multi-day trip is itself rude. The indications that Charlie gave ("their cost of living is so low") certainly seem paternalistic.

- Bill

 

[Dogbowl]

I doubt Charlie addressed the topic in a rude way. I'll let him speak for himself, but in any case leaving a IDR 50K tip for a multi-day trip is itself rude. The indications that Charlie gave ("their cost of living is so low") certainly seem paternalistic.

- Bill

I didn’t read “multi-day trip” in that post but I still don’t agree with asking customers why they left a low tip and I still think it’s rude. Doesn’t matter that the customer’s response is equally rude.

I’m Canadian, and often feel obligated to tip like an American, and in fact I do do so on the occasions where local culture expects it.

But once again, a tip is for good service in most parts of the world. How often have I heard it is appreciated but not expected? So that’s just a facade? How do I figure out when they mean it and when they don’t?

 

[billt4sf]

To try to respond to the Bali portion:

We've lived here most of the last two years. Tips seem to be gratefully received, and hoped-for but not expected. It's a big part of their earnings, so sometimes there is disappointment if there is no tip.

Some of them have talked to us about tips, or rather about customers that don't tip them, or do so rudely, like by giving them foreign currency or even foreign coins.

That's my sense anyway.

- Bill

 

[charlier]

I doubt Charlie addressed the topic in a rude way. I'll let him speak for himself, but in any case leaving a IDR 50K tip for a multi-day trip is itself rude. The indications that Charlie gave ("their cost of living is so low") certainly seem paternalistic.

- Bill

Bill - the customer told me that the locals had a low cost of living, thus a large tip was not needed. I gentley pointed out that cell phone, scooters, and other such things were expensive in Indonesia. I did not question the amount of tip, but approached the issue asking - do you the what the exchange rate is between IDR and Euro. I thought that the customer spaced out the exchange rate. I just left it at that.

The crew and guides just rolled their eyes and are way to polite to say anything to a customer. I also pointed out that their family depended on tips to supplement their income. It seems to me that most divers leave good tips. One last comment, we always pool the tips among all of the crew. The guys running the dinghies, engineers, or the support cleaning the cabins and boat work longer hours than the guides.

 

[Dogbowl]

To try to respond to the Bali portion:

We've lived here most of the last two years. Tips seem to be gratefully received, and hoped-for but not expected. It's a big part of their earnings, so sometimes there is disappointment if there is no tip.

Some of them have talked to us about tips, or rather about customers that don't tip them, or do so rudely, like by giving them foreign currency or even foreign coins.

That's my sense anyway.

- Bill

So they prefer to receive tips in IDR? I need to get this right as I’m headed there in December. Thx.

 

[chillyinCanada]

And remind me again please, what % do we use for a liveaboard in Indonesia, say Raja Ampat?