Tipping in Vietnam

As the phrase goes “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”, you should be prepared with the updated information when booking travel to vietnam flights, including the tipping etiquette there.
Tipping etiquette in Vietnam
Previously, Vietnamese people did not have the habit of tipping; however, a boom in tourism allows this western life style to be adapted by the local, especially in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and other cities frequented by tourists. Many upscale restaurants and hotels add a service charge to their bills, ranging from 5-10%.
For tourists booking travel to vietnam flights, the most common situations to give tips are eating at restaurants, taking a taxi or hiring a tour guide. It all depends on the quality of services they provide you as well as yours’ satisfaction.

Why should you tip?

Vietnamese workers are generally on much lower wages and therefore will rely upon the generosity of tourists. For a person who earns US$100 per month, a US$1 tip is significant.

How much do you tip?

If you want a general guideline, start with 5% of the bill. Reward 10% or more for those extra efforts that you really appreciate. To be more specific, you should tip:

When staying at a hotel

Tipping at hotels in Vietnam will all depend on the quality of service. If you receive good service, you should leave the housekeepers around 1-2 dollars per day. If a bellman carries your bag, tip him 1 dollar per bag. Before you leave, if you wanted, you could also leave a few dollars to the individual at the desk. However, if you did not receive good service, don’t feel as though you need to tip at all.

When eating at a restaurant

In most restaurants in Vietnam, a 5-10% service charge is added to the bill. Unfortunately, this money does not always end up in the restaurant staff’s hands. You could tip around 5-10% of the bill if the service charge is not added. If the service charge is added, you could always leave some change for your waiter or waitress.

When booking a tour

Tour guides do not get paid a lot and rely on tips to supplement their income. If you are going on a private tour, tip your tour guide around 3-5 dollars per day per traveller. Also, be sure to tip your driver as well. One to two dollars should be sufficient.

When taking a taxi

After booking travel to vietnam flights, departing to this beautiful country and taking a taxi back to your hotel, you should reward your taxi driver with a tip, especially if he or she is very well-mannered. You could let him keep the change or give him a few dollars extra.

Tipping can offend

The Vietnamese are a very proud people and a tip can easily offend the recipient. At small hotels, the staff frequently goes out of their way to answer questions, reconfirm plane reservations, look up addresses and the like. You may even be invited to join the staff for a meal! This is a great honor and their way of saying they consider you a friend. Remember, friends don't tip friends! A tip, no matter how well-intentioned, will invariably be taken as an insult, or worse a proposition!
Your best bet in this situation is to buy small gifts for the staff, such as pens, writing paper or hair clips for women and cigarettes for men. If you must give money, give it to every member of the staff and only when you depart. Better yet, buy food during your stay and share with the staff.

Confusion about tipping etiquette can take you outside of your comfort zone. Therefore, before booking travel to vietnam flights, you should do your homework regarding the tipping etiquette in Vietnam.

Sources:
http://www.vietnam720.info/blogs/2012/11/22/tip-in-vietnam.html
http://www.vietnamadventures.com/language_culture/tipping.html
http://www.vietnamonline.com/faqs/tipping-in-vietnam.html
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/vietnam/practical-information/money-costs
http://www.whototip.net/tipping-in-vietnam