A recent survey suggests that Delhiites are easy to please and they offer tips even if the staff meets basic expectations. Hyderabad is the nosy one with higher needs of service
It is believed that Indians do not pay tips. However, it is time to change the perception. A recent survey by TripAdvisor suggests that tipping norms vary across cultures and countries and Indians are definitely not ignorant about them. The survey says that Indian travellers were found to be the most aware and clued in on social expectations of a particular country and thus, 68 per cent Indians clearly stated that they take the trouble to find out tipping norms and expectations of an area.
Indians also love to boast of their nation’s reputation. Thus they pay more tips abroad than in their own country. Twenty seven per cent Indians said they tip more when they holiday abroad. The biggest reason cited for this is that the tipping culture is stronger internationally. The next biggest reason is that vacationers don’t want Indians to appear as cheap travellers.
While a tip is most often given at the end of a service, it isn’t uncommon for people to pay tips at the beginning instead to try and ensure a great experience. In fact 48 per cent respondents in the survey confessed to tipping hotel staff at the beginning of their holiday in order to receive better service for the duration of their stay. However, waiters have to be at their best, keep their fingers crossed and wait until after serving a patron to see the green, with 90 per cent respondents saying they don’t tip waiters at the beginning of a meal.
It was also found out that women are harder to satisfy with service as majority of women respondents cited their biggest reason to tip as, when the staff have gone an extra mile, compared to men for whom staff meeting basic expectations is the top reason to tip.
Women also are careful to note if the bill includes a service charge. Also 49 per cent women are of the view that tipping should be abolished. Survey results also show that the current economic situation impacted more women, with half of the female respondents acknowledging reducing their tips compared to 44 per cent men.
While 51 per cent men travellers tipped to avoid embarrassment, only 49 per cent women considered tipping an obvious need for a service. Twenty one per cent men were confronted about not tipping compared to only 11 per cent women. Eleven per cent men even had their tip returned while only four per cent women confronted such bluntness.
Demographically in India, Chennai had the largest percentage of respondents who said that they usually tip on holiday. Delhi and Mumbai seemed to have the maximum respondents who were easy to please, with majority of them tipping if staff met basic expectations while Hyderabad was the nosy one with higher needs of service.
In the collaborative survey conducted among 1400 respondents, overall 97 per cent respondents all over the world were found to be open to tips for services while on holiday, which includes 50 per cent who said they “always” tip on such occasions. On the other hand, 65 per cent of those who never tip said they don’t understand why they need to pay extra since they are already paying for the service.