Cartagena Reports

[QUOTE=GreenBud;2573899]- In Colombia, they automatically add the 10% voluntary tip in upscale restaurants. No one will refuse. T[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;2573902]I do not think it is a scam. I think they just assume you are going to give it anyway and save you the trouble by adding it. Because I mean why not. No need to be cheap.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Xpartan;2573988]There are plenty of restaurants in the USA That do the same thing (think some areas of NYC or Miami Beach). And then they have the audacity to add an additional TIPS line to your check after ripping you off for 17-20% with the service charges..[/QUOTE]I used to manage restaurants years ago and I have to throw in here that in many restaurants, it does not matter how fancy or expensive really it just matters how it is staffed, so in many restaurants that tip could end up being split up to four ways, some places the tip is split down between the wait person, the bus person, the bartender who made the drinks and then sometimes there is a person doing salads and desserts who has to be tipped out too. If you are at very place then you also have to account for the maître the' getting a cut and if you drink wine there is the Sommelier. At a bare minimum unless the place is really slow the wait people are tipping out to the bus people (10% of there tips) and the bartender (20% of their tips) , as some one who worked in the industry my view is that not tipping enough isn't just not cool, its straight up being freeloader.

That being said I think we can all agree that if Colombia wants gringos to tip they need to learn to go back to that table once in a while a say "Hola, Necesitas algo más" instead of me having to practically chase the waitress into the kitchen at Crepes and Waffles to let her know we would like to order dessert. LOL.

[QUOTE=MojoBandit;2574253]I used to manage restaurants years ago and I have to throw in here that in many restaurants, it does not matter how fancy or expensive really it just matters how it is staffed, so in many restaurants that tip could end up being split up to four ways, some places the tip is split down between the wait person, the bus person, the bartender who made the drinks and then sometimes there is a person doing salads and desserts who has to be tipped out too. If you are at very place then you also have to account for the matre the' getting a cut and if you drink wine there is the Sommelier. At a bare minimum unless the place is really slow the wait people are tipping out to the bus people (10% of there tips) and the bartender (20% of their tips) , as some one who worked in the industry my view is that not tipping enough isn't just not cool, its straight up being freeloader.

That being said I think we can all agree that if Colombia wants gringos to tip they need to learn to go back to that table once in a while a say "Hola, Necesitas algo ms" instead of me having to practically chase the waitress into the kitchen at Crepes and Waffles to let her know we would like to order dessert. LOL.[/QUOTE]Are the owners trying to push their labor costs onto us!

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;2573889]Shit. I know they are. Don't know if you saw the video a couple of weeks ago about the guy in Sosua paying the chick $100, but she tried to change it after the fact and say it was supposed to be $150. And people said that they only do cheapskates like me that way. I have never given a Sosua chick even half of $100. Here this man agrees to $100 and she still tries to rip him off. I think she stole his necklace too, but he did not realize it until it was too late. Damn. Stole his shit and stuck around to argue for more money. These mfs are relentless. And some mongers have the nerve to kiss up to them. LOL.[/QUOTE]I saw that video when it came out and shook my head in disappointment when I saw her face. My thoughts was that he over paid because she was licking his ass or he have some crazy fetish because she looked like someone who been out there too long walking those streets.

He paid her $100 for TLN which was way too high. This is one of the reasons many are no longer going to DR. The chicas became too Americanized when these mongers started paying them in $USD at US prices. I have friends who pay $300 a session in NYC / NJ and would travel to DR thinking $100 a session is a great deal not realizing they overpaid 4 X the price as its only 1500 pesos a session.

[QUOTE=MojoBandit;2574253]I used to manage restaurants years ago and I have to throw in here that in many restaurants, it does not matter how fancy or expensive really it just matters how it is staffed, so in many restaurants that tip could end up being split up to four ways, some places the tip is split down between the wait person, the bus person, the bartender who made the drinks and then sometimes there is a person doing salads and desserts who has to be tipped out too. If you are at very place then you also have to account for the matre the' getting a cut and if you drink wine there is the Sommelier. At a bare minimum unless the place is really slow the wait people are tipping out to the bus people (10% of there tips) and the bartender (20% of their tips) , as some one who worked in the industry my view is that not tipping enough isn't just not cool, its straight up being freeloader.

That being said I think we can all agree that if Colombia wants gringos to tip they need to learn to go back to that table once in a while a say "Hola, Necesitas algo ms" instead of me having to practically chase the waitress into the kitchen at Crepes and Waffles to let her know we would like to order dessert. LOL.[/QUOTE]I understand where you stand, but our tipping culture should stay within our borders. There is no need to spread this nonsense around the world. If you believe in doing what Romans do, then tip like Romans in Rome, not like Americans in Rome, GA jaja.

It must be borne in mind that in Colombia and especially in Cartagena, the restaurants and bars in the tourist area are focused on serving people who are not from Cartagena, and for most local people it is a luxury to eat or spend a night drinking cocktails and beers in a bar in the center or Bocagrande as you do.

In Colombia, the minimum wage is approximately COP 900 k, but let's be honest that is not enough to support a single person, much less a family and unfortunately in Latin America the poorer a family is, the larger it is, and the more children they have.

So if you see a waiter or a bartender or a kitchen assistant in a restaurant or bar or disco in the tourist area, most likely they are being paid the legal minimum and many times less than that, but then because they accept to work In those conditions if, in the end, they didn't even have enough to eat with that money? Yes, you are correct the tips!

With this, I am not saying that you are forced to pay a tip anywhere even if the service was bad, because first of all it is not mandatory and second I believe that tips are earned with the attitude of good service and dedication to doing feel to the client that they are being well cared for and that it is important to them.

Normally the waiter asks if you want to include the service, which is 10% by default, but you have the freedom to say that you want to pay 5% or whatever amount you decide on the account or that you do not want to include it or tell them not to include in the account but that you are going to pay separately to the person who attended you, and for a person whose day is COP 30 K = 10 USD, receive a tip that is half or even less than what they earn in a day whole work is more than enough.

[QUOTE=GameTime;2569704]Fresh back from a 4 day run in Cartagena. This is my 6th time and I got to say, the quality of the babes was as high as ever for me. The curfew put a damper on things but we adapted. Stayed in Bocagrande and had no issue bringing in talent in our AirBnB. Did the beach during the day everyday except one day. Each day snagged a nice on from the beach for 200 k. Anyone saying their paying 100 k on the beach me be paying that but the quality is not that good at that price. Did one day hanging out walking around the Old City and met some stunners just out walking. Nice Cuban Cigar spot called Tobaco why Ron showed us a good time when we brought in some babes we met out walking the please City. Tried Delirium at night and that's just not my scene. Just to packed and to dam loud. Maybe 10 years ago I could party there but not now. Parked it in Dolce Vita and Space every night and had no problem landing stars. They all started at 300 k and I only got one down to 250 k. I too wear flip flops and shorts out at night. I want the babes to know I am a target. I'm not showing up in Versace of I got to pay anyway. All and all, had a fantastic time and going back soon. I prefer Cartagena over Medellin because of the beach and how close everything is. Last thing, those Venezuelan babes know how to party in Cartagena. We got back to my place and we drank and partied for a few hours before any sex popped off. Great time. If that government ever gets its act together, I'll be a regular in Venezuela![/QUOTE]Check your DM.

[QUOTE=Xpartan;2573830]Yep. And not only in Colombia, but in almost all other places in the world. American tourists have spoiled local markets and not by just tipping, but tipping ridiculously large sums like 15-25%. In many countries, even when tipping is expected, it might be just a few euros, or rounding up or maybe 7-10% (what Brits normally tip, if at all). As a result, people in many parts of the world where tipping has never been customary, proactively ask for tips as if it's a fucking norm now.[/QUOTE]Like me! Bwahahahahah, the dreadlocked cheap charlie backpackers hated me in Cambodia because I would tip a $1.50 on a 50 cent beer LOL.

The money is funny there, that's how it worked out.

[QUOTE=MarquisdeSade1;2574262]Are the owners trying to push their labor costs onto us![/QUOTE]Which is exactly how tipping in the US got started. One of the many great magic tricks pulled off in our country over the centuries. It is akin to the one about explorers arriving with bibles and locals having gold, but when the explorers leave they have the gold and the locals have the bibles.

[QUOTE=Xpartan;2573988]Well, this is where I respectfully disagree. The whole concept of tipping, IMHO, to help low-wage employees in the service industry to make ends meet. And it doesn't matter how much you pay the girl who sucks your dick or how grateful you are, she makes more money, a lot more in fact, than your typical waitress, maid, or cabby.[/QUOTE]None of this is complicated, nor are there any conspiracies to pick on cheapskate mongers in need of something to complain about. It's just our system. Wait staff work for tips. If employers in the industry were compelled to pay them a livable wage then the price of meals would be higher, as they so often are in other developed economies with different systems like in Western Europe. Stiffing a waitress who gave adequate or better service is just low. End of story.

Back down here I found a few girls willing to fuck for $20 usd 75000 mil pesos but I'm a be honest they ain't much to look at. This is end of night stuff prices go down a lot LOL.

[QUOTE=MarquisdeSade1;2574262]Are the owners trying to push their labor costs onto us![/QUOTE]It is the simplest of economics. All labor costs are passed on to customers but that does not translate into higher profit for the owners. Restaurants operate in the most competitive industry there is. Because restaurants are what economist call an "easy entry" business compared to say the cable tv business where you would have to spend millions running wires all over the city to get started (which is of course why most cable companies are either a monopoly or an oligopoly in most cities) , for a restaurant you need maybe a grill and a refrigerator, table and chairs. The restaurant that I managed ran in the red 6 days a week and only went into the black on Sundays when the after church families packed the place wall to wall. I talked to enough other managers to know this phenomena of not making a profit most days was common.

If we were not tipping we would be paying about 20% more for the food. Restaurant work when its busy is high pressure and high stress controlled chaos, its why they say most cooks are drug addicts, I used to give my most talented line cook a "marijuana break" when things were about to get hairy. No one is going to do that work for less than what is being earned now.

Because of competition one also better have a sensible exit strategy because 60% of restaurants fail in the first year and 80% fail within five years (some of that extra 20% who held on for over year did not have sensible exit strategy and lost their shirt and their underwear, where as those who got out in the first year only lost their shirt). So because the restaurant business is so competitive the profit margins are tiny in most cases, of course there are exceptions for people that choose to pay more at fancy restaurants but the average sit down and order restaurant is trying to squeeze a dime out of a dollar.

Tipping is part of capitalism. You want to know what countries do not have tipping? - countries like France who's labor laws have been overly influenced by socialist policies and unions mandating high wages.

I had to deal with a stupid fucking union trying to tell me how many hours to schedule my cooks. Since cooks get paid wages and not tips, this could have literally shut us down because the revenues from the volume of business would not carry that labor percentage cost without raising prices to the point that it would have deterred customers and cause lost volume. I fucked with the unions though, I would only hire college students, then have them bring me their class schedule and then I would schedule them on days they had class, then when they came and said they had class I would tell them to call in and that it was an "excused" call in and would not count against them.

[QUOTE=Nyezhov;2574502]Like me! Bwahahahahah, the dreadlocked cheap charlie backpackers hated me in Cambodia because I would tip a $1.50 on a 50 cent beer LOL.

The money is funny there, that's how it worked out.[/QUOTE]But hooker prices in PP ain't funny at all, which just reinforces my point. There is no need for tipping working girls (although I have broken this rule myself on more than one occasion, LOL).

[QUOTE=MojoBandit;2574543]It is the simplest of economics. All labor costs are passed on to customers but that does not translate into higher profit for the owners. Restaurants operate in the most competitive industry there is. Because restaurants are what economist call an "easy entry" business compared to say the cable tv business where you would have to spend millions running wires all over the city to get started (which is of course why most cable companies are either a monopoly or an oligopoly in most cities) , for a restaurant you need maybe a grill and a refrigerator, table and chairs. The restaurant that I managed ran in the red 6 days a week and only went into the black on Sundays when the after church families packed the place wall to wall. I talked to enough other managers to know this phenomena of not making a profit most days was common.

If we were not tipping we would be paying about 20% more for the food. Restaurant work when its busy is high pressure and high stress controlled chaos, its why they say most cooks are drug addicts, I used to give my most talented line cook a "marijuana break" when things were about to get hairy. No one is going to do that work for less than what is being earned now.

Because of competition one also better have a sensible exit strategy because 60% of restaurants fail in the first year and 80% fail within five years (some of that extra 20% who held on for over year did not have sensible exit strategy and lost their shirt and their underwear, where as those who got out in the first year only lost their shirt). So because the restaurant business is so competitive the profit margins are tiny in most cases, of course there are exceptions for people that choose to pay more at fancy restaurants but the average sit down and order restaurant is trying to squeeze a dime out of a dollar..[/QUOTE]If you are a business (any business) that has margins that are so thin they can't afford to pay their employees, get the fuck out of the market! No excuses.

Tipping is part of capitalism? According to whom? Those that benefit from it.

I suck at tipping I usually feel I left way too much or not enough, how about getting rid of it all together.

I'm guessing everyone would like that except resto owners.

[QUOTE=MojoBandit;2574543]It is the simplest of economics. All labor costs are passed on to customers but that does not translate into higher profit for the owners. Restaurants operate in the most competitive industry there is. Because restaurants are what economist call an "easy entry" business compared to say the cable tv business where you would have to spend millions running wires all over the city to get started (which is of course why most cable companies are either a monopoly or an oligopoly in most cities) , for a restaurant you need maybe a grill and a refrigerator, table and chairs. The restaurant that I managed ran in the red 6 days a week and only went into the black on Sundays when the after church families packed the place wall to wall. I talked to enough other managers to know this phenomena of not making a profit most days was common.

If we were not tipping we would be paying about 20% more for the food. Restaurant work when its busy is high pressure and high stress controlled chaos, its why they say most cooks are drug addicts, I used to give my most talented line cook a "marijuana break" when things were about to get hairy. No one is going to do that work for less than what is being earned now.

Because of competition one also better have a sensible exit strategy because 60% of restaurants fail in the first year and 80% fail within five years (some of that extra 20% who held on for over year did not have sensible exit strategy and lost their shirt and their underwear, where as those who got out in the first year only lost their shirt). So because the restaurant business is so competitive the profit margins are tiny in most cases, of course there are exceptions for people that choose to pay more at fancy restaurants but the average sit down and order restaurant is trying to squeeze a dime out of a dollar..[/QUOTE]I'm guessing this is the mentality and the rationalizations slave owners used.

If a business (any business) can only afford to pay slave wages, that business needs to close, period.

[QUOTE=TheKid1989;2574538]Back down here I found a few girls willing to fuck for $20 usd 75000 mil pesos but I'm a be honest they ain't much to look at. This is end of night stuff prices go down a lot LOL.[/QUOTE]75 mil is way too low. That sounds like she didn't get any customers at all for the whole day and just needed money to get home or she was past her sell by date.

I wouldn't touch anything below 200 mil.