NU12 #2 - New Spending Habit/Routine - Lea Olegario

NU12 #2 – New Spending Habit/Routine – Lea Olegario

To Improve Promptness or TIP is something I always do starting when I came back from the states. In the US, it is expected that you give a TIP of about 10-15% of your total bill. If you did not give, the manager of the restaurant will talk to you to ask you if there was something in the service you did not like. This was really new to me and to avoid the embarrassment of being talked to or being branded as a 'stingy Filipino', I gave my dues.

When I was in the Philippines, before my US trip, I leave TIP only when there are some coins in the change and sometimes I leave nothing. After my US trip and I went back home, I now always leave some amount of money, maybe not 10-15% of what I ate but I make it a point that it is not only a few coins. My reason was that if I was able to give to Americans, why can I not give to my own people?

Also, I give specific waiters or servers special TIPs of significant amount when I see that they are doing their job really well. It comes as a big surprise to them always that customers will give them a big amount. It makes them swell with pride and lets them feel a sense of importance in what they are doing. When I do that, I see an instant change in them - they become more polite and even open the door for you when you go out of the restaurant or facility.  When you come back, they smile and treat you really well. Giving TIP has now been a habit and I do it all the time – in restaurants, taxis, hotels, and any customer-serving attendant I am fully-satisfied with. Yes, it adds to my expenses but this is little compared to the value it provides to these people I am giving to and will also benefit other customers including myself as the service personnel are encouraged to 'improve promptness'. 3 <how generous and compassionate>