The appropriate situations and amounts are judgment calls. Tipping is much less common in India (but see below about "baksheesh"), and you NEVER need to give anything for bad or unwanted services. On the whole, Westerners probably tend to hand out more money than middle class Indians would consider appropriate. However, there are lots of local people providing services to you, and most of them don't earn enough money. For example, in 2002, street cleaners filling in for striking government employees were being paid Rs. 87 (around U.S. $1.80) for a full day's work.
Try to acquire and hoard as many bills in small denominations as you can (Rs 10's, 20's and under), so you have them available for tipping. You're then less likely to find yourself in the position of having to either tip too much or not tip at all.
Hotels: The best arrangement is when the hotel has a "Tip Box" at the reception area. You can wait until the end of your stay, when you put your gratuities in the slot, and the money is then divided among all employees, even the hidden ones like the cook. At a mid-price hotel, Rs. 100 per day (a little over US$2.00) can be considered a reasonably generous (but probably not too extravagant) gratuity to put in the tip box. Unfortunately, the majority of hotels don't have this box arrangement. You can ask at the reception desk, and in some cases the manager will take care of the distribution for you. Or, more usually, you'll just give tips when specific services are provided to you, such as to the room service boys or waiters in the hotel restaurant.
Taxi drivers, rickshaw drivers: Tips are not normally expected, but you can give a little extra when you pay, especially if the service is good.
Waiters in restaurants: If a service charge is added to the bill, tipping is optional. In smaller, less expensive places with no service charge, a few extra rupees will be appreciated.
Train and airport porters, hotel bag boys, room service: Rs 10 is a typical average in non-luxury situations (about US 20 cents).
Driver of a hired car: Rs 50 to 100 per day is probably generous, depending on how satisfied you are with the driver.
BAKSHEESH: This is somewhat different from tipping, in that it's usually given in advance to help ensure good service, or to get a wanted result (in the latter case, especially if the recipient is in an official position, it can amount to a bribe). Personally, we have never seen the need for it as travelers, although it's possible an occasion could arise.
If you're actually living for a long time in India, it's much harder to avoid, as extra payments may be expected in such common situations as obtaining an electrical or telephone hookup, or a government permit, or a job position.
TimeBridges Publishers Home Page
Copyright © 2002 Gary Worthington. All rights reserved.