Is it unusual to tip pizza delivery guys in Taiwan? I sometimes tip $50, but the guy looks at me funny. (did I tip too little, or was it just weird
to tip at all?)
Yes, tipping pizza guys isn’t generally done. I tried tipping once too, when I first came here, and the guy kept trying to give it back to me, with a “no, you gave me enough for the pizza!” look on his face. So, I never tried again. 
I’ve had the same experience. I’ve also had the same experience tipping cabbies (some of them have been so insistent that I took my money back).
I tip everyone in service industries, as a matter of good manners. But sometimes it’s clear that there are a lot of people here who aren’t used to it.
guess so…
I’ve also had taxi drivers chased me down to return the extra change I gave him… guess he didn’t think tipping is good manners… 
On the other hand, I’ve had the parking valet at a KTV demanding a tip for parking my car. (the kind where there are “friendly” hostesses singing with you)
[quote=“Ivanchenko”]guess so…
I’ve also had taxi drivers chased me down to return the extra change I gave him… guess he didn’t think tipping is good manners…
On the other hand, I’ve had the parking valet at a KTV demanding a tip for parking my car. (the kind where there are “friendly” hostesses singing with you)[/quote]
you still ahd tip money remaining after running the guantlet of hostesses? You’re my hero!
Chou
I always tip the pizza guy $50. I used to deliver pizza and I know how much it sucks when you don’t get a tip.
[quote=“Ivanchenko”]Is it unusual to tip pizza delivery guys in Taiwan? I sometimes tip $50, but the guy looks at me funny. (did I tip too little, or was it just weird
to tip at all?)[/quote]
It’s unusual to tip anyone in Taiwan. Tipping is simply not part of the culture, and nobody, even cabbies, hairdressers and waiters/waitresses, expects to be tipped here.
I would only really tip taxi drivers in Taiwan. If the fare was say 175NT, i would just say liang bai kwy, hao bu hao? (in my really bad chinese) & they would always say OK & Thankyou. I just think if you randomly hand them money they wont know what to do with it!!
Now i am back in England i hate those restaurants who add a service charge to your bill and then still expect you to tip as well :fume: I think England is halfway between north america and Taiwan; we do tip in certain situations, but waitresses in cafes and the like, bar staff, etc… forget it. Its weird, ey!! Like Mr Pink goes on about at the start of Resevoir dogs, society has selected those who are deemed fit for tipping… is that fair?
Sorry for the rant… its now over!!
I once tried to tip a pizza guy in Taipei, and when he refused the money, I insisted…he then replied in a really pissed off manner, “what? you feel sorry for me? I don’t need your sympathy” he then looked at me out of the corner of his eyes and walked away…after that, I didn’t really try to tip anymore…I mean, if the cultural norm is not to tip, then I’m happy with following it…
I seemed to always live on the roof or fifth floor of buildings without a lift. Whenever the gas man would rock up lugging those bottles I could scarecely drag from the back balcony to the kitchen, i’d want to tip 'em. Never, not once did any of them ever accept.
Later on I started reading how many of the gas joints were ripping off customers by adding sht to the bottom of the gas bottles . . . I always wondered if they couldn’t stand the thought of ripping me off twice.
HG
I really don’t want to encourage the practice of tipping in Taiwan. I enjoy knowing the set price and wouldn’t like things here to become like they are in the states, where “tips” are actually mandatory and people get pissed if you don’t tip, negating the whole point of a tip in the process.
Perhaps a better question for this thread would be: “When the hell have you ever thought a pizza guy was worth tipping?” Maybe I’ve been out of Taiwan too long, but I recall years ago that the pizza delivery guys were always slow and rarely delivered a complete order at a temperature fit for consumption. Has this changed?
First of all, I don’t tip them out of regard for their service. I tip them because anyone delivering pizzas needs the money.
Secondly, my experience with pizza delivery guys in Taiwan has been that they are invariably on time, with hot pizzas.
First of all, I don’t tip them out of regard for their service. I tip them because anyone delivering pizzas needs the money.
Secondly, my experience with pizza delivery guys in Taiwan has been that they are invariably on time, with hot pizzas.[/quote]
Admirable motivation, but hopefully it won’t become too popular, because I can’t afford to go around helping out everyone who doesn’t get paid as much as they should. The same reason, i.e. low wages, is used to justify the tipping craze in restaurants in the US, even though many other professions are low-wage as well. The restaurant owners love it because they can get away with paying terrible wages to waitstaff. The pizze places would love you to pay their employees (but only the ones that show up at your door) instead of paying them decent wages.
I tip.
Not tipping Pizza Person seems unnatural.
The last two times I ordered delivery I had the same guy deliver my pizzas. I believe he was physically challenged in some way. It was either he had a speech problem or there was something different about his hands. He would not accept my tip and I realized in hindsight I tipped him BECAUSE I saw his handicap. That made me feel bad about myself. If he didn’t have any physical challenges, I would not have offered a tip. So in essence, I was…what’s that word I’m looking for? Patronizing him? 
I think it’s great of the local pizza joint to employ someone with a physical challenge. He was so professional!
[quote=“914”]The last two times I ordered delivery I had the same guy deliver my pizzas. I believe he was physically challenged in some way. It was either he had a speech problem or there was something different about his hands. He would not accept my tip and I realized in hindsight I tipped him BECAUSE I saw his handicap. That made me feel bad about myself. If he didn’t have any physical challenges, I would not have offered a tip. So in essence, I was…what’s that word I’m looking for? Patronizing him?
I think it’s great of the local pizza joint to employ someone with a physical challenge. He was so professional![/quote]
I had an experience like this when I tried to tip someone at a local joint once.
Their response was basically, “what?! Do you think I’m poor!?”
[quote=“Toasty”][quote=“914”]The last two times I ordered delivery I had the same guy deliver my pizzas. I believe he was physically challenged in some way. It was either he had a speech problem or there was something different about his hands. He would not accept my tip and I realized in hindsight I tipped him BECAUSE I saw his handicap. That made me feel bad about myself. If he didn’t have any physical challenges, I would not have offered a tip. So in essence, I was…what’s that word I’m looking for? Patronizing him?
I think it’s great of the local pizza joint to employ someone with a physical challenge. He was so professional![/quote]
I had an experience like this when I tried to tip someone at a local joint once.
Their response was basically, “what?! Do you think I’m poor!?”[/quote]
I just explain to him/her that tipping the Pizza person is polite where I come from. They never had a problem with taking the tip after that.
I agree with Poagao that tipping is a highly undesirable practice in economically developed countries like our own and Taiwan. I cherish the fact that we are free of it here, and the last thing Taiwan needs is for waitstaff, delivery people and other low-level service workers to start expecting their customers to tip them.
I agree with DB that tipping is a polite thank you in most of the world. With proper understanding it is a good custom to expand on the island.