I learnt something new that holiday.
I visited a cousin in Australia. It was through that trip that I realised there are different culture norms and values. When paying for our merchandise which cost $14.85, I gave the cashier $15 initially and then thought to relieve the amount of coins in my purse by volunteering to pay 85 cents. My cousin stopped me immediately and explained a moment later that Australians are not as proficient as Singaporeans in the area of mental calculations. I would receive 85 cents plus 15 cents instead of the dollar I expected if I were to do as I had planned. Imagine my surprise over that!
A while later, after a sumptuous meal at a restaurant, my cousin left the change with the waitress. Being conscious on the issue of money, I was indignant over it and questioned her move for in Singapore, we do not advocate giving gratuity. Unsurprisingly, it was another culture norm which I almost trespassed if not for her. Tipping waiters or waitresses is a customary act in Australia no matter which restaurant you are in. It may also explain why waitressing is not viewed as a second-rate job over in Australia like it is locally.
In order to communicate effectively, not only do we have to overcome the language barrier, but we also have to understand and accept the culture norms of the ones whom we are talking to. This is a form of basic courtesy we can give when we are interacting with others. Fortunately, my cousin was with me that trip. If not, who knows how many people I would have offended that holiday.
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4 comments:
In most western countries, people do tip the waiters/waitresses, unlike in Singapore. I feel that this is their way of thanking them for their services. This also probably expalains why caucasian tourists are generally more generous when giving tips because they feel that the person who provided the services deserved it, especially if he/she does a good job. However, in Singapore, we feel that it is the person's duty to provide good service. Furthermore, Singaporeans probably feel that their bill already includes service charge, so they do not have to tip the waiter/waitress. Thus, I feel that Singaporeans have to be more careful when travelling overseas to remember to tip the person providing the service. Otherwise, we may leave a bad impression of ourselves and our country.
Hi..
I have heard about this issue of tipping as well. My brother who went to USA told me that it was customary for the customer to tip about ten to fifteen percent of the total bill, on top of the service charge already included. I guess it is something I would not normally do if I am unaware of such a practice.
I feel that not being aware of the customs of the place we are visiting can be quite a problem when communicating since we could already have unknowingly communicated with them and transmitted an unintentional message by doing or not doing something which could be expected of us. This could lead to certain misunderstandings. For example, if I went to a restaurant in the United States and I do not know about this practice, then I probably would not tip and it could lead to some unpleasant situations.
I tried my best in tipping... but being Singaporean as I am, I think the restaurant should pay them well since 10% service tax is charged!
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