Tipping in Pakistan

[schoolboy]

There's a lot of fuss in India over a recent government directive to eateries to stop the practice of levying a 'Service Charge' (usually 10-15%) on food bills. This amount ostensibly works as a guaranteed tip and is paid to the staff. Perhaps the government believes tipping should be completely discretionary and not coerced. Restaurant owners are divided (many have exploited the confusion between this and the service tax (which is a government tax) to fool diners into paying for service twice). On this point I agree with the government.

Some countries have a strong tipping culture - the US for example - food, taxis, home deliveries, doormen, etc.. After coming here I found out how rude it is to not tip (or leave a small tip <20%). Other countries like Italy and Japan have no tipping.

What's the scene in Pakistan?

 

[GreenGuy]

In hotels and restaurants people do give tips but there is no set ratio like 20% or so.
However, the most you could get is probably 500 rupees if you serve some big family. Anything above that seems a little too much.

Then there are road side food stalls in markets that have servers who take orders and deliver then to people in cars. They usually get from 20 to 50 rupees most of the time. Maybe 100 as well if someone is being generous.

Personally in resturants I try to give somewhere between 10-20% of my bill.

 

[TheNoob]

Hotels and resteraunts.
People usually hand out 100-200rs to the waiter who served them throughout.
I myself hand out 50-150rs XD


Although there are no laws or policies at all.
Just a social gesture

 

[ZenBird]

It has been a while since I left the subcontinent but I remember the waiter being super happy with 20 (Indian) Rs during my time in Punjab. Seeing people talking about handing 100-200Rs makes me feel old and I'm not that old.

 

[Lucky Breeze]

 

[PakForce]

Some countries have a strong tipping culture - the US for example - food, taxis, home deliveries, doormen, etc.. After coming here I found out how rude it is to not tip (or leave a small tip <20%).

What? U tip the home delivery and doorman?

Taxi only tip $1-2. More is stupid. Wait staff do lots of nakhray for the tipping. They are the whiney bitches.

 

[denel]

my rule is simple - tipping is not a right but dependent on service. if service is good 10%; otherwise 0.

 

[schoolboy]

What? U tip the home delivery and doorman?

Taxi only tip $1-2. More is stupid. Wait staff do lots of nakhray for the tipping. They are the whiney bitches.

Thanks for the replies.

Yes - that seems to be the norm in the US. It's considered highly uncourteous to not tip these people. My Indian miserliness makes it extremely difficult to digest having to pay a 15-20% tip to the taxi driver, to the delivery guys and to practically anyone who offers a helping hand. The first time I dined out in the US, I left a 10% tip and when I was leaving the maitre'd hurried over to ask what had offended me - I replied the service was good - he said why just 10% then, it should be 20% !!

One of the few good things about visiting India is that nobody expects such tips as a matter of right - or has the audacity to demand them.

 

[pak-marine]

Varies Only fancy restaurants charge in the bill rest cash ones " which most of them are "
10% seems fair

 

[PakForce]

Thanks for the replies.

Yes - that seems to be the norm in the US. It's considered highly uncourteous to not tip these people. My Indian miserliness makes it extremely difficult to digest having to pay a 15-20% tip to the taxi driver, to the delivery guys and to practically anyone who offers a helping hand. The first time I dined out in the US, I left a 10% tip and when I was leaving the maitre'd hurried over to ask what had offended me - I replied the service was good - he said why just 10% then, it should be 20% !!

One of the few good things about visiting India is that nobody expects such tips as a matter of right - or has the audacity to demand them.

It's actually not a matter of right. 15% is normal, US for some reason has started "standardizing" on 20%. It is based on how they do, and isn't to be expected. I've seen pictures where people give $0 tips, and write messages like "LOL... you forgot X".

Doorman, and delivery persons, I have NEVER heard of in my life. I've never tipped a delivery person, or a doorman. Nor do I see anyone talk about it.

Taxis? lol... take an Uber. If anything, you're getting discounts now thanks to Uber, Lyft, Sidecar, etc. I never pay more than $1-$2 for cabs. They just need to get you to your destination.

The truth is, the workers are actually whiney bitches, and will prey on you if you seem like a newbie to the country. All said and done, if there's a good restaurant you go to frequently, then do the 20%. But that's the only case. Also, that's pre-tax. If you're paying post-tax 20%, dude you're getting fleeced.

 

[sady]

No tipping in UK. People actually take offense as if you are trying to portray as a big spender and posh.

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

In hotels and restaurants people do give tips but there is no set ratio like 20% or so.
However, the most you could get is probably 500 rupees if you serve some big family. Anything above that seems a little too much.

Then there are road side food stalls in markets that have servers who take orders and deliver then to people in cars. They usually get from 20 to 50 rupees most of the time. Maybe 100 as well if someone is being generous.

Personally in resturants I try to give somewhere between 10-20% of my bill.

Hotels and resteraunts.
People usually hand out 100-200rs to the waiter who served them throughout.
I myself hand out 50-150rs XD


Although there are no laws or policies at all.
Just a social gesture

Service charge is different than the tip u give to waiters.... have u ever seen the resturant bill? alwahys mentions services charges exluding the price of food.

 

[dropkix]

Look, as a developing economy you have 2 ways of handling this:

North American/European way:

Total of a cab ride or restaurant bill=

Subtotal
+
15% Tip (18 or 20 if the service was exceptional)
+
Sales tax
=
Some awkward figure with decimal places that's difficult to split.

Pros:
You tip based on quality of service
Theoretically creates an incentive for better service

Cons:
Creates an entitlement and opening for a negative mental attitude:
"It doesn't really matter how courteous I am, worst that'll happen is I'll get a smaller tip"

You end up with an unpredictable bill that will likely not be a nice round number

Japanese way:

Total of a cab ride or restaurant bill
=
Total*


* If you really must know, all items must by law include value added tax, and in the case of services, gratuities and service fees

Pros:
You know exactly what you will pay.

The disincentive for giving bad service is that there's little maneuvering room for serving staff. Bad service? You're fired!

Cons:
If the service sucks, there's no getting away with leaving a 5 or 10% tip to indicate you're not satisfied.

Pick your poison.

Theory is that is raises the quality of life for the serving staff. If you think that matters, fine, if not, whatever.

I have no expectation that this would be legislated at any time in the future in Pakistan, perhaps it could be more likely to entertain the thought that private restaurant or hotels or chains may implement such a system in their brand as a differentiating factor?

There's this one's take on the matter.

 

[Azadkashmir]

i never tip taxi drivers are greedy shady perverted bunch, take away delivery i only tip the least i can, they all make good money.

some of them are very dirty wealthy but pretend to be average and in need.

sorry but some pakistani are greedy.

They will pick allah name oath and promise then back out when it comes to business or paying back.

 

[Hyde]

There's a lot of fuss in India over a recent government directive to eateries to stop the practice of levying a 'Service Charge' (usually 10-15%) on food bills. This amount ostensibly works as a guaranteed tip and is paid to the staff. Perhaps the government believes tipping should be completely discretionary and not coerced. Restaurant owners are divided (many have exploited the confusion between this and the service tax (which is a government tax) to fool diners into paying for service twice). On this point I agree with the government.

Some countries have a strong tipping culture - the US for example - food, taxis, home deliveries, doormen, etc.. After coming here I found out how rude it is to not tip (or leave a small tip <20%). Other countries like Italy and Japan have no tipping.

What's the scene in Pakistan?

Same thing happens in Pakistan and I have once had a very bad experience of it.

In 50% restaurants its discretionary
In 40% restaurants they add it to the bill
In 10% they beyond service charges

If you take away then in 90% restauranrs you are exempt of service charges that is between 15-20% in most restaurants. Only once in my life I had to give a treat to my cousin and I had 900 rupees in pocket at that time. I ordered a dish for 600 rupees and in my calculation drinks and naan would have acrrued the bill to 740 rupees or so. So I was glad that I would give rest of the amount as tip as the restaurant was not far from my home and would have access to cash again upon return. So the guys left a plate of salad that was pretty much onion and tomatoes... so my cousin took 1 bite of onion and left rest of it on the table as he didn't want it and I thought its complimentary as is the case in mist restaurants where they clearly write prices of salad or is complimentary so when I reached the cou ter I was told to pay 940 rupees and I only had 900

Such an embarrasi g situation that was but luckily my cousin is like a little brother to ne so i borrowed 40 rupees from him when he said he faced similar scene yesterday as well when he went to the restaurant with his friend and they overcharged them and his friend got angry but had to pay.

I had visited that restaurant for almost everydau as I used to love soup and was paying about 500 rupees each day for a bowl of soup almost everyday. Never evervI went again in that restaurant after that incident and rather preffered to stick to my other favourute restaurant as their pricing structure was clear and despite being the same price of other restaurant, it didn't come with hidden charges. They lost me as a customer who would have paid over 50000 rupees just for soup alone in that winter but what can one say about it, i call it bad customer service as they lost regular customer for the sake of few rupees. I may visit them again upon my next visit but I would know that it would be my last choice and only to drink that soup with clear expression of regret to inform them of their bad service