[Caroline and Dave]

The last thread I can find on this is in 2006 and would be interested to have an updated view on this.
Our packers are with us for 5 days ( We have a lot of stuff) and would like
a rough idea what others did. Thought I would do it in a poll to get a better idea.This is a multiple poll so you can pick more than one answer.
Sorry I spelt money wrong, but could not alter the poll
Sorry to people from other countries, perhaps you could do a rough conversion.

dave and Caroline

[holland]

Bought packers beer and provided food while they we're with us

J x

[Jo Jo]

My OH offered our packers in the UK a tip, and they refused it. It didn't even occur to me to tip in NZ as tipping isn't the norm here.

[Kiwi-In-Texas]

You are right Jo Jo tipping is not the norm in New Zealand. My first experience of tipping was here in the USA.

[gemmanz]

My OH offered our packers in the UK a tip, and they refused it. It didn't even occur to me to tip in NZ as tipping isn't the norm here.

I am learning all the time here. What packers did you use as it is very unusual in UK to refuse a tip.Full credit for this firm.
I did not know about tipping not the norm in NZ. I came over 2 years ago and tipped in restaurants and they all accepted. I will be a bit wiser next time


Gemma

[JandM]

Hello, Gemma.:)

A shame people took advantage, but I suppose it's human nature.

[mgbridges]

I didn't give the packers in the UK any kind of tip but I did provide plenty of hot and cold drinks and biscuits. Didn't even occur to me to tip the un-packers in NZ.

Although tipping isn't the norm in NZ if we've had good service at a restaurant I do still tip (usually in cash) around 10% of the total bill. Its always been appreciated.

Anneliese

[peebles16]

The usual hot drinks etc and bought beer for packers in the UK and in NZ

Karenx

[Nathan]

We tipped in the States, but provided lunch to people who unloaded the container. I didn't tip the bunch that moved us from Welly, as I ended up doing half the loading and unloading myself.

[wiki]

A shame people took advantage, but I suppose it's human nature.

There is no law in NZ to say you can't accept a tip when offered - it's just not expected. No one who offers a tip in NZ and has it accepted is being ripped off. If you don't want to tip then you don't offer!

I find this a much nicer system than the times I've spent in the US where tipping is expected no matter what the service.
I know in the UK bar staff are taxed on the assumption that they will get a certain amount of tips on top of their wages, but that still wouldn't induce me to reward bad or indifferent service.

I used to waitress in a NZ tourist resort. US patrons would frequently offer to tip us and we told them all that tipping wasn't expected in NZ as we were paid fairly.

If anyone insisted, we would accept graciously and then pool the tips across all of the restaurant staff and use it for a day out paintballing or rafting when the amount in the tip jar was sufficient.

But to me, and many other NZers being forced to pay more than the quoted price in a bar or restaurant, hairdresser or taxi is ridiculous, unless someone really went out of their way for you.

For the record, I've tipped in NZ and refused to tip in the US... in both it's been a case of whether the tip was deserved. To me that's a better indicator of human nature on both sides of the transaction.

[Smiler]

Samer here provided hot drinks and lunch in UK and OH tipped them at the end of the day. Those two guys worked hard.

Provided drinks in NZ and I'm pretty sure we tipped them, OH did, not me as I was too wited by then.

Also tipped when we moved here, $20 a man and although we offered drinks they didn't stop for breaks.