Tipping - Private Transfers
Aug 27, 2015, 10:06 pm
#17
Ambassador: China
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Aug 27, 2015, 10:11 pm
#18
Ambassador: China
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Tipping UBER and LYFT "ride sharing employees" is not customary in US, but if you are aware of their avg pay its lower than the 15/hr minimum wage enacted in LA. At least give them a cash tip for gas.^
Aug 28, 2015, 5:19 am
#20
Join Date: May 2009
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Aug 28, 2015, 5:21 am
#21
Join Date: May 2009
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That's odd. I was there more than 5 weeks ago, and I'm normally a little directionally-challenged after disembarking from long-haul flights in premium cabins. I definitely followed signs that were clear to me, and was through in seconds.
Aug 28, 2015, 9:43 am
#22
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: China and Canada
Posts: 1,886
You tip nobody. And if you were to, then you have to do it in local currency. They can't pay rent or buy groceries with US$. They have to waste an hour waiting at the bank to exchange it. But then again, no tipping is required.
Aug 28, 2015, 10:00 am
#23
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Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
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I had one of the building guys assemble some Ikea furniture for me a few weeks ago. While this service is technically free, he spent an hour of his time that he could have used to play cards with the other maintenance people. Had I not tipped him, I'm guessing he might not have been too willing to help next time. I was just back from HK at the time, so I gave him hk$200. He didn't seem the least bit upset.
Aug 28, 2015, 10:06 am
#24
Ambassador: China
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Malibu Inferno Ground Zero
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But employees of a 5 star hotel in Beijing should have no problem
converting foreign currency.
Aug 28, 2015, 10:18 am
#25
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Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
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+1 when cny hits and you realize that the foreign currency in your drawer is worth y30,000, it's not especially hard to justify cutting a lunch short by 30 minutes in order to convert.
Aug 31, 2015, 2:55 pm
#26
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Needless to say, none of the main counters mentioned the visa free transit and our guide took us straight to the APAC/Diplomatic desk instead. This was a low level desk (rather than the higher podium type used elsewhere). We were through in 5 minutes (there were 5 of us - lots of stamping & cross checking of e-ticket receipts).
Data point - we landed at 9am on a Saturday, the main lines were empty when we got off the plane (we were in J) but by the time we got through immigration they had backed up some way.