Christmas tip for hotel staff?

[MJones 19]

I am retired and live in a pension house. I notice a big change in the attitude of the cleaning staff towards me the last week. They are not friendly as they used to be. 

My girlfriend said I should have given them all a tip (cash) for Xmas. I am not cheap just never thought of this. Can someone tell me if this is expected here in the Philippines?

 

Thanks

[jtmwatchbiz 31,414]

i never had an extended stay in a hotel but i suppose they may have expected an xmas tip of some sort.   i guess if you plan on staying there much longer and want the smiles back you may as well throw a few pesos at them.  just tell them it's for xmas and new year?  

[+RogerDuMond 13,849]

16 minutes ago, Rexsmith said:

Can someone tell me if this is expected here in the Philippines?

Everyone here is looking for a pinaskohan (Christmas gift), but whether you give it or not is up to you. Someone like cleaning staff that effects your comfort and health, I would consider giving a gift to. It doesn't have to be a lot, a couple hundred pesos or so each would be enough to make them feel appreciated. My suggested amount might be small for the city as I am basing that on provincial living.

[Bama 1,743]

The employees of your pension house are probably covered by the 13 month pay rule which is a mandatory benefit in the PI.Whether they got the extra months money typically paid in December is unknown. If you are happy with their service then I would tip them.

 

https://kittelsoncarpo.com/labor-employment/13th-month-pay/

 

 

[MJones 19]

Thanks for your thoughts. As suggested above I will give them some cash and say it is for Xmas and New Years. 

[Jim Sibbick 1,037]

I would not give any cash at all.  I would give small value presents. 

I rent a room long term at the Cebu Century Hotel. They have room boys who clean the rooms. male guards and mostly women at the front desk. Plus there is a man who has been the main person to clean my room over the last decade or so called Eric.

I went across the road to Colonnade supermarket, meant to buy 20 x 375 ml bottles of Tanduay 5 years but only arrived at the check out with 19 and thought that is enough. I bought a more expensive bottle of boxed whiskey for Eric and then went to Goldilocks and bought a massive cake on which they put Merry Christmas. 

 

I took it all back to the hotel, handed a bottle of rum to the guard as i entered. gave the cake to the girls at the front desk. gave a bottle of Rum to one of the senior desk clerks and took the rest of the rum up to the controller of the room boys. 

 

Then when I saw Eric late on Christmas eve, I gave him the bottle of whiskey. He thanked me very much and informed me that the room boys were all drunk and passed out in the controllers room and he had missed out on getting his bottle of rum. So was pleased to get a special bottle of whiskey!

[jtmwatchbiz 31,414]

12 minutes ago, Jim Sibbick said:

I would not give any cash at all.  I would give small value presents. 

I rent a room long term at the Cebu Century Hotel.

not everyone wants to adapt a colon lifestyle.  cutting loose with a few pesos might be more useful to workers since they might be able to buy food for their families.  of course just my opinion

[savarity 609]

Agree about food as an ok gift. I don't tip often, but my friend does and he said food gifts were more memorable with the recipients and kept expectations reasonable.

[+to_dave007 5,914]

Here in the province..  a live chicken is a nice gift.. fully grown for dinner.... though likely not appropriate in the cases you mention.  Plus it's hard to walk in with a dozen under your arm 

[lamoe 14,547]

1st year here gave out gifts.

Asked one person I'd gotten to know what gifts I should give this year?

$$$$$ - so I did.

 

[Jim Sibbick 1,037]

On 12/30/2018 at 11:02 AM, jtmwatchbiz said:

not everyone wants to adapt a colon lifestyle.  cutting loose with a few pesos might be more useful to workers since they might be able to buy food for their families.  of course just my opinion

Thankyou. Perhaps you could explain a Colon lifestyle so I know how I am supposed to be living.

[jtmwatchbiz 31,414]

42 minutes ago, Jim Sibbick said:

Thankyou. Perhaps you could explain a Colon lifestyle so I know how I am supposed to be living.

colon lifestyle: low end subsistence in an over crowded poverty-stricken area.  and before you say i don't know the colon area like you do...i have been going there with my inlaws work crew at least 3 times per week for over 12 years.  we know everyone doing biz there. 

as far as how you are supposed to be living i think that would depend on your budget.  however if one can afford to buy bottles of booze to hand out i don't think it's too much of a stretch to tip a few pesos...but of course that's only my way of thinking.  

[+RogerDuMond 13,849]

21 minutes ago, jtmwatchbiz said:

as far as how you are supposed to be living i think that would depend on your budget.  however if one can afford to buy bottles of booze to hand out i don't think it's too much of a stretch to tip a few pesos...but of course that's only my way of thinking.

I am afraid that I have to agree with Fred here. Cash is more appropriate for poor workers than a bottle of booze. What do those hotel workers have to take home to their families for Christmas, other than a hangover?

[Woolf 8,550]

Some years I have bought danish butter cookies, for the guards etc. to take home to the family 

that is something special that they normally do not get

 

[jtmwatchbiz 31,414]

7 minutes ago, Woolf said:

Some years I have bought danish butter cookies, for the guards etc. to take home to the family 

that is something special that they normally do not get

you have very good taste in food and gifts, so why is it you chose the shocking yellow color for your scooter?  you look like you're riding a banana on wheels