How much do you tip at cafes and restaurants?

[Rich One]

I make a regular habit of leaving a 300 peso tip at the lavanderia, and I get same day service, even when they're telling other customers they will have to wait until the next day. It's a dollar, FFS, and it's worth it.

Not to mention that working in that laundry in the summertime is absolutely brutal. I really pity the ladies working a steam iron for hours at a time.

To me this represents the upside of capitalism. I pay a little more and in return I get a little more.

Red, true it get's warm in summer at the Laundry... No one cares about the Pizzero year round in the heat...!

 

[Greg M]

I make a regular habit of leaving a 300 peso tip at the lavanderia, and I get same day service, even when they're telling other customers they will have to wait until the next day. It's a dollar, FFS, and it's worth it.

Not to mention that working in that laundry in the summertime is absolutely brutal. I really pity the ladies working a steam iron for hours at a time.

To me this represents the upside of capitalism. I pay a little more and in return I get a little more.

Reading most of the comments here reminds me why all of my friends and acquaintances are locals. Years ago I had a merienda with an American who whined vociferously to the waiter about having to pay an extra 100 pesos or so, at today's exchange rate, for cream instead of milk in his coffee. It was embarrassing. And he mentioned that he always eats all the bread (servicio de mesa) since he pays for it. And then, as a man of his word, he proceeded to eat it all. He probably has Crohn's disease or some other IBS disorder by now from all the processed starches. SMH

 

[Johnny]

Reading most of the comments here reminds me why all of my friends and acquaintances are locals. Years ago I had a merienda with an American who whined vociferously to the waiter about having to pay an extra 100 pesos or so, at today's exchange rate, for cream instead of milk in his coffee. It was embarrassing. And he mentioned that he always eats all the bread (servicio de mesa) since he pays for it. And then, as a man of his word, he proceeded to eat it all. He probably has Crohn's disease or some other IBS disorder by now from all the processed starches. SMH

I remember many of my fellow Americans who fit that picture from years ago. So embarrassing as you say. I remember one guy who was furious a restaurant didn't have Heinz ketchup, so he left the table and bought Heinz down the street and returned.

Not a few of those ugly Americans are now dead.

 

[on the brink]

I vaguely remember that during Peron's time there was a law passed to end tipping, which was considered demeaning. So, a "LAUDO INCLUIDO" item was included in all restaurant bills, with a set percentage going to the workers.

If that law is still in effect, when Args. tip now they are double tipping. If anyone knows more about that law, please correct me - it was so long ago.

 

[Girino]

I vehemently protest that you lump the waiter/waitress in the same category with a trapito!

A waiter/waitress is a worker, who performs a demanding job under difficult conditions. A trapito is a criminal running a protection racket, in which he threatens to vandalize your car if you don't pay him off. He does no work, he contributes nothing to society, he pays no taxes. Trapitos are scum.

A worker should be fairly compensated in the first place, and not rely on tips to make a living. Otherwise, it is not worth calling it a job. Some jobs pay more, other pay less. Admitting that without my tip the waiters would be starving, should be turned in an argument on business owners exploiting waiters. Why do I have to blamed and they don't? It is not my duty to establish the staff salary and I have no say on it.

Furthermore, it is not clear to me if the tip goes toward all hire staff, or just the specific waiter. If so, the whole argument "I got a super service, it was worth tipping more" does not hold, as you only interact with the waiter. When I was in my teen, I had a job where some clients tipped (and it was a non-tipping work, it must have looked very demeaning to them!).

I was the last of the staff that they saw, I processed payments and did the greetings and goodbyes. Some of my colleague barely interacted with clients, some had an attitude. Who deserved the tip? In that workplace, tips were shared among all workers at the end of the week. Including the rude ones, the lazy ones, and those who got a permit every week for some reason.

Discussing tips is like opening the pandora's box, which is why I am against tips in the first place. Many countries do not need tipping at all, and they don't make headlines. The ones who do, are always the countries with a tipping system in place.

 

[Aztangogirl]

What would people do if it were 1 peso 1 dollar? I remember that very well. That may not recur but the rate may not always be so favorable to expats with hard currency. Would you tip as generously as some people here say they do? Also if you are earning pesos, you think in pesos and not in USD blue exchange rates. That makes you be more cautious I think. A problem of tipping significantly above the local norm is that it can create expectations that locals can't live up to. I do agree that people who leave a pittance after an expensive meal are mean-spirited.

Do you really think the servers don't know the difference between expats and locals?

 

[Rich One]

Agreed Redpossum. I have waitress friends here who are single mothers and who carry trays full of heavy ceramic dishes, silverware and full glasses up and down a flight of narrow stairs for eight hours a day, five days a week, to take care of their children. And sooner or later they take a tumble. So I am incredulous that there are those anguishing over whether or not to leave a 10% or 15% tip. It's not like people here are dropping $400 USD a meal as they would at Le Bernadine. And to count out a 5% tip for a delivery person. Really? That reminds me of the Judge Smails character in Caddyshack. My philosophy is that I take care of those who take care of me.

By the way, in Santa Cruz, Bolivia it was not uncommon for unrequited trapitos to occasionally to remove and sell a tire or a headlight to send a message.

Tiluchi very true . However there are several Socio-Economic groups of Retired/Expats living in Argentina, namely.

1. Expats that have lived here for a long long time on a limited budget, and live like locals.
2. Expats that commute and spend part of the year in the US. Always aware of US prices, Middle America.
3. Expats that own property here and come from major US Urban Centers with high dollar ticket.
4. Expats from Manhattan that may have once walked past, Le Bernardine or entered once to dine at $200 per person..!

Feel free to add comments.

 

[Traveler]

Tiluchi very true . However there are several Socio-Economic groups of Retired/Expats living in Argentina, namely.

1. Expats that have lived here for a long long time on a limited budget, and live like locals.
2. Expats that commute and spend part of the year in the US. Always aware of US prices, Middle America.
3. Expats that own property here and come from major US Urban Centers with high dollar ticket.
4. Expats from Manhattan that may have once walked past, Le Bernardine or entered once to dine at $200 per person..!

Feel free to add comments.

I fall mostly in category #2 as having first been here since 2011, I haven't returned to the U.S. since 2019 because of all the covid bs. For me Tucson is good and some here gave me a reference for sushi restaurants which when I go, I'll report on here. I'm thrilled to have great friends here that, in addition to one being a carniceria (excellent meats) they love parilla, like I'm having today. I used to be a regular at places like Siga la Vaca/Entre Riano if I spelled that right and even the Trilenium Casino in Tigre which had a fantastic all-you-can eat buffet until that was discontinued due to the virus.

As far as cost, I surely can't complain as life has been good to me. The last $200 meal was in Ft Lauderdale years ago. It was called Chima, much like a Brazilian steak house or fancier Tucson. No more prices like that!

 

[Pat Murphy]

These comments remind me of the saying: "If you need to ask what the price is, you probably can't afford it."

 

[Traveler]

These comments remind me of the saying: "If you need to ask what the price is, you probably can't afford it."

Quite the contrary as most here just don't want to get hosed when spending their money.