Do South Africans know what a gratuity is?
Sunday, 30 October 2011 10:27 | 
Written by Viv | 
Do you leave a tip for your waitron . . . the car guard . . . the staff who clean up after you at the B+B?
Very definitely many South Africans take these services for granted and, after spending a small fortune at a restaurant, at the grocery store, or on holiday accommodation - drive off without even thinking about gratuities.
While it can be argued that some restaurant patrons feel entitled not to tip unless the service was outstanding ~ leaving a place like a B+B ( like us for instance! ) without rewarding the person/s cleaning your room/washing your plates/making your beds/cleaning the mucky braai area daily, is just plain gauche.
Oh and by the way ... R5-00 on the bedside table is either an insult or just a coin you forgot to pick up on your way out .
Spare a thought for our ladies who, in the heat of a Kosi summer, slave away daily making sure your room, your bathroom, your kitchen and every other facility you use whilst you're here, is neat and tidy and clean.
Consider the service you'd receive, if you were to arrive shortly after a guest who'd left a decent gratuity 