Originally Posted by Peter N-H
The odds are if you tip you'll create problems for foreigners (Chinese will never tip) who follow you, and for the hotel itself, whose employees may fail to do their jobs in future as well as they did in the past unless they are bribed--directly in contradiction of the terms under which they are being employed.
I'm quite cognizant of the dilemma you to which you have alluded. In fact, the last thing I want is to import the US system of service sector entitlement to China.
At the same time, IMO there is no better way to reward good service than with cash.
As such, my personal philosophy is to refrain from tipping 99% of the time (to the extent that I won't get out of a taxi until the driver parts with that last kuai that appeared on the meter after we stopped). However, on the rare occasion I come across someone who really understands the concept of service, I go out of my way to let them know. The way I see it, exceptional employees won't be waiting tables or driving taxis for long so tipping them is only minimally disruptive.
Of course, the "tip the bellboy," advice that I indirectly proffered above flies in the face of this logic. I won't do it myself, but it should go without saying that throwing money liberabally around a hotel would result in better service for the OP. However, I should add that a more reserved "silver bullet" approach (i.e. focus on the employees that you like) will result in the same.