How about 25%?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/...r-cent-tip.html

depends...not so good 10-15% Typical 20% Very good 40% JMHO

Agree - typical 20%. When forced to tip when it is included on the bill - 0!

.

my tipometer runs from one penny to 40%. one penny just for the couple times in my life service was atrocious. 40% for the best, like when they somehow get my daughters shoes into the to go bag...

20-25%.

I would be curious to know what Belizean's consider correct.

Some very generous folks here, which is good!

However, I don't think 20-25% is typical of what the average tip is.

With some exceptions, I suspect that Belizeans tip somewhere from a few loose coins to 10%.

Most Belize restaurants, such as those at fancy lodges and hotels, that include a service charge in the bill, are typically at 10%. Even Cayo Espanto, the most expensive resort in Belize, levies only a 15% service charge.

San Pedro probably has higher tip levels than most of the rest of the country, since the tourism culture is more engrained on Ambergris Caye.

--Lan Sluder

To address Probus' original question about the San Francisco proposal, most people here in the Bay area are pretty much saying "I dont think so..."

Restaurants aside I'm still perplexed by tipping in general in Belize. More than once I've felt awkward in situations you would tip in the States and its not typical in Belize. At times when I've attempted to offer a gratuity I've gotten this look like "Excuse me? I have done this because its part of my job".

I would say from 10-15% depending on service,maybe more.If we have to beg for service, we typically go somewhere else.

Don't know where I read it but remember that if it is strickly a family run business (no hired help)no tip is expected.

I feel that in the US tipping has gotten totally out of hand.

Whether you tip or not and how much changes from country to country/
. When I'm in Sweden, its very rare that my Swedish relatives tip anything at all. According to a cousin who works as a waitress, the staff get a regular hourly wage. In the States, wait people get paid less since there is an expectation that they will be tipped. In fact, restaurants have to figure how much in tips you have been earned. Then they tax that amount as wages. That ensures that the waitpeople declare all the money they make. In Belize, I leave usually 20% sometimes more, sometimes less.

You really believe that to be the case?? I think you are more likely to find that the employer bumps the tip amount up to what would make total compensation equal to minimum wage or slightly above (upscale restaurants excluded).

Psssssssssssst wanna buy a genuine Rolex?

Having been in food service and having had two sons in bar/restaurant service, I'm here to say 'tip your server in cash, in their palm'. At any given restaurant, tips assigned to a credit card or picked up at the table by the bussers may divided in quarters...1/4 to the kitchen, 1/4 to the server, 1/4 to the cleaning staff and 1/4 to management...or so they say. FME, because they do the accounting, more than half goes into the management pocket.

That was the argument when they passed the legislation. Eliminate under the table tips. They also raised the minimum wage for restaurant workers at the same time. Now as Hon says the restaurants often split tips. When I worked in a private country club the tips were split about the same as Hon says. But they definitely now make sure the restaurant keeps track of the tips paid and taxed.

I do have a bridge in Brooklyn I can offer you.

I did read a report in a reputable place somewhere which said that something like 90% of tips left on credit cards do NOT reach their intended recipients.

I am strongly of the view that a tip should be earned, should not be expected, and should be in addition to a decent living wage, not instead of it. This view is commonly held in Britain, which explains what is seen by some people as British "meanness". The Inland Revenue in Britain has from time to time assessed waiters on what they (the IR) deemed the waiter to have received in tips. This is relatively easily rebuffed on appeal, on two grounds - (1) income tax is generally intended to apply to income contractually earned but tips are not contractually earned, and (2) a notarised declaration by a waiter that (s)he has not received all those tips has to be taken into account. The IR may well conduct an investigation, but the onus is on them to prove on the balance of probabilities that the tips were received, NOT on the taxpayer to prove that they didn't receive them.

In San Pedro, if you ask your server when you use a credit card, if they will get the tip (and if they will get it that evening or soon), they will tell you. It seems most of our favorite restaurants do give the entire tip to servers.

Do ask, as some restaurants take a cut...

I was upset when i was told by a waitress that if i tip
on a credit card she has to give money back to the kitchen staff
I can not understand that at all .
I think the owner of the place should take care of them and pay a good wage ?
why should Have to pay for his staff?
Now thwe waitress and her asst. like bus boy is ok
but the kitchen ? JMHO
I tip 20% cash !!!

It has been quite standard that tips are shared with the kitchen staff. After all the waiter wouldn't get tips if the dishes were dirty or the meals were slow and served cold etc.

Often the kitchen staff gets shares of tips - at least in my long forgotten past in the F & B industry - in the situation with pooled tips, the kitchen staff got something like 5-10% of the total of the collected tips (not 5-10% of the meal cost - but 5-10% of the gross tips).
The kitchen staff's performance has a great deal to do with the overall experience and therefor the tip you leave.

I ate lunch at a very nice restaurant north of the cut. I was kind of annoyed at the 15% service charge and explained to my waitress that I would normally tip more than 15% but when it is 'demanded', I do not. She told me that the management take the service charge and the waiting staff get none of it. They only get tips left on top. I was less than impressed.

Management needs to pay the kitchen staff enough to maintain the high standard of their menu, to keep we patrons coming back, so we can tip the wait staff for good service in all countries. jmho of good business.

So, folks, if you use credit cards...ask. Then keep track of where the tips go based on the answers you get. I suggest to the locals, keep change in your wallets and purses, as we often sit at our favorite servers tables. I learned this early on, because it's a small community, and our servers are our friends.

I don't understand why a waiter brings change back in only large bills. Do they think this will get them a $5.00 tip?

The only thing about that that surprises me is that they admitted it.

after being a chef for 25 years, for an excellent meal, i like to give a tip to the kitchen staff as well. tip the wait person plenty, but take a lil to the kitchen staff also. I don't trust the wait person to give it to them. I like to take it straight to the kitchen.

sounds good but I am not totally sure I want to see some of the kitchens of the restaurants where I have eaten.

Belizeans are also classed, At the cheaper local restaurants for $2.oo meals locals dont tip at all. Cant afford it, so no problem. Those that make good money and go to better restaurants tip more but I think most locals tip 10%. Gringos, even those that are dirt poor are expected to tip 15% to 20%,

I don't see Belizeans tip.

Tip generously, in Belize, if you can. You may brighten someones entire day and that to me is worth it.

Tipping well in any country these days would brighten someone's day!

I tiped a cow once that was sleeping standing up. My Uncle who owned the farm was really pissed at me.

And there's always "Debbie Downer" who doesn't appreciate a good tip

Yes. Belizeans do tip. Been living here for 10 years now and I do have Belizean friends and we do go out and they do tip. Dont like it that folks put down the people whos country you are in, then mabe I took tyshepps post wrong. Poor people dont tip anywhere in the world, we happen to have alot of them here but numbers are climbing worldwide. Also a local may not tip a business run by a Gringo with an attitude!!

@cooper - I'm not putting anyone down. I'm just saying what I have observed. I also have many Belizean friends for over 15 years and we go to many places, but I have very seldom seen Belizeans give tips. BTW, in a resteraunt I do give the server a tip in cash if the service is good. I like Marty's idea of helping the kitchen staff as I hadn't thought about that. But one thing I really don't like is the Gringo run bidnez that just add a gratuity on the bill without asking me first.

Lastly,I won't tip a Gringo or a Belizean "with an attitude!!"

For me, over tipping in Belize is much more rewarding then over tipping in the states.

[/quote] For me, over tipping in Belize is much more rewarding then over tipping in the states. [/quote]

why the confused face?

25-40% seems really high to me. Those numbers surprised me when I stumbled upon this thread. Then again, we did just come from Costa Rica, where a 10% tip was added to every restaurant bill. It was nice and easy, no having to do any math. Having been here for only 3 days, we almost forgot to tip.

Our usual is 15%.

I still like tiping cows

I prefer tipping back a few.

I was very sad when the vet said he should cut off my dog's nuts. But eveyone said it was better that way. While DR Bennett was removing Lido's nuts, I cried, and went and got him some marbles.

There are fake nuts available..all different sizes. You could up-size him and build his ego....

I asked the doc if he could put in a couple of coconuts that I had broght from the farm. He kicked me out of the clinic and told me to come in a couple hours and I could get my buddy back. After a few days Lido really didn't seem to mind to much. But when the other dogs in the hood teased him he get mad and chase them off. The only dog in the hood that could beat Lido is a Pit Bull up the the road but she likes my boy. A very funny story -- when I had a Great Dane "Rowdy" She was so big and powerful nobody wanted be anywhere around her unless I was there. And Rowdy would never let any other dog around execpt this one old 3-legged potlicker. She'd even let this dog in the yard and eat her food. One day I'm sitting on the poarch in Poteet TX enjoying watching the grass grow, and a stranger dog came up and attacked the crip out on the road. My 170lb dog ran, jumped my 5' high fence and beat the crap out of the bully dog. Then came and stood by the gate looking at me with her crippled friend until I let crip in. Dogs are very interesting. Unfortuantely Rowdy died when I was in the mid-east.

yer best friend....

Yup, the old saying about a dog being man's best friend is right on. Most women may not understand it at times, but a dog like mine will fight to the the death to protect me and the old hen. For the most part he just wants to play, he's just very protective of us. When near my old hen --I'm out working the farm, this crazy ass dog will never let me out of his sight. When I take a lil walk-about, Lido sits by the door and won't let anyone get close to my old hen. And I haven't even started the intensive training yet. But you can see he is a happy puppy at http://belizewalkabout.blogspot.com/

20% minimum

CHRIS what if the service sucks.
Then what .??

Punch 'em in the nose ?

Ernie Do you punch them before the check comes or after LOL.
And what if they are a female LOL.

Oh Jeff, dont tempt me