Hello there! I’m Javier, an expat living in Guatemala City. I moved here a year ago and it’s been an incredible journey of self-discovery since then. Living in a different country has its challenges, but it also comes with a wealth of opportunity for learning and growth. In this blog post, I’m going to share some tips that have helped me to make the most out of my time living in Guatemala; things that have made life easier and enriched my experience. Hopefully these tips can help you too!
## What Is A Tip In Guatemala?
A tip, also commonly known as a gratuity, is an act of generosity. It’s a way for people to show their appreciation and gratitude to those who provide a service or do something extra special. In Guatemala, tipping is customary in many places such as restaurants, bars, taxis and hotels.
## Types of Tips in Guatemala
In Guatemala there are two types of tips: ‘propina’ which translates into English as ‘tip’ and the other type being ‘servicio fino’ which means fine service charge (usually added on top of the bill). Both types are expected when leaving any establishment where you have received good customer service.
## The Reason For Tipping in Guatemala
Tipping is ingrained within Guatemalan culture; it’s seen as an expression of gratitude for the quality of services provided by waiters, drivers etc. As one can imagine wages in these sectors are not particularly high so any additional money coming from tips can make all the difference to someone earning minimum wage or less. This practice also allows employees to gain respect amongst their peers for providing exemplary services that deserve recognition and reward!
## Tipping Etiquette in Guatemala
Whilst it isn’t compulsory to tip everyone you encounter throughout your travels – it’s important know how much you should be tipping if you want to avoid embarrassing yourself or worse offending someone with no intention whatsoever! Generally speaking 10-15% per cent will suffice but this does depend on various factors like what kind of establishment/service industry you’re at (e.g restaurant vs taxi) and whether they’ve gone above and beyond expectations during your visit/experience etc… To play safe always round up when calculating; don’t forget people here appreciate even small tokens!
## The Amount to Tip in Guatemala
One thing that remains consistent across different establishments/services industries is that the amount varies depending on the quality & speediness (or lack thereof!)of service given – it could range between 5-10%, 10-15% & 15-20%, so take that into consideration before deciding how generous you’d like to be with your tip! When dining out some restaurants may add a mandatory fee onto bills already – generally around 10%. This however doesn’t apply everywhere so remember double check before paying just incase…it’ll save potential embarrassment later down line too 😉
## Service Industries That You Should Tip In
Anywhere really where manual labor has been involved e.g restaurants, cafeś bars hotel staff members such bellhops porters housekeeping staff etc.. Taxi drivers typically expect anywhere between 10-15% but again this isn’t always necessary especially if journey was short another example being airport shuttles if ride costs more than $30 then might consider giving them something else instead (bottle water pack snacks whatever!). Hairdressers & barbers normally receive 5–10%. Lastly when staying overnight at bed&breakfasts guesthouses hostels even Airbnbs hosts love getting little gifts upon departure too never hurts say thank y ou afterall why wouldn’t ya ? 🙂
## Common Mistakes When Tipping In Guatemala To give faulty advice about how much should be tipped can result disaster experience wise…so think twice before offering guidance anyone unless familiar customs here otherwise risk showing ignorance disrespecting locals entirely wrong reasons altogether 🙁 Other mistakes include forgetting leave change behind after paying bills cashiers need off work same day others don’t expect anything return kinda defeats purpose gives impression stingy skimping rather than expressing genuine appreciation appreciated ones effort!.
## When Not To Tip In Guatemala Although almost always cases ‘yes’ answer question ‘should I give someone tip?’there only handful situations where better telling person ‘no’ i .e banking transactions using ATMs supermarkets grocery stores pharmacies shopping malls banks government offices post offices churches mosques temples museums cinemas theatres parks tourist attractions theme parks zoos aquariums oh yeah airports sometimes ticket counters require payment handling fees either case best ask beforehand rather assume automatically assuming likely offend unintentionally hopefully avoided :).
## Tips For Tipping Properly InGuatemala Always err side caution until adapted norms locales..if unsure about gratuity appropriate situation simply ask person behind counter they would know better likewise feel free doublecheck prices make sure aren’t overpaying hidden fees included bill since common occurrence certain establishments check receipt well noted 😉 Be aware taxes VAT charges applicable businesses pay tax part proceeds goes towards staff salaries bonus points knowing willingly contributing ease conscience mind 😉 .
## How To Calculate A Tip lnGuatemala Believe me I’ve there done maths calculations calculations..whole process pretty straightforward standard formula total amount due times % desired rounded nearest dollar denominations coins works fine!! So let’s say had meal cost 100 quetzales calculate 20% would multiple hundred by 0 2 then divide number two get twenty quetzales exact sum owed waiter server having said all though keep mind overall aim giving back enjoy hospitality graciousness kindly shown towards visiting foreign guests!. Differences Between North America And Guatamala Although quite similarities differences exist particularly regarding amounts paid tipped individuals establishments lastly unlike North America majority tended toward using cash payments opposed credit cards debit cards travellers cheques perfect opportunity brush dust off rusty old Spanish language skills negotiation tactics while shop till drop haggling buying souvenirs tourists find quite rewarding adventure itself 😉