Tipping varies among different cultures. Generally a tip is a voluntary extra payment offered to the service worker, the amount being at the discretion of the customer being served.  Tipping is not a part of Chinese culture or custom, and many establishments actually have a strict no tipping policy. The place where a tip might be expected includes large hotels, massage studios, which cater to western tourists, who have unwittingly conditioned the behavior of the workers there. I had no experience in tipping before I came to Macau. Now two and a half years has passed, I would like to share my experience with my friends who might be interested in visiting Macau some day.

Centuries of influence by the Portuguese has made Macau in many ways resembling western countries , especially in the service industry. The first time I invited my friends to have dinner at a splendid hotel, I noticed the waiter was very courteous and considerate, so I was aware that  I should give him a tip, but how?  After finishing the dinner, I gave him a large note to pay the bill, and a few minutes later he returned with the change , among which were three coins in 5 dollar denomination. Not knowing how to handle the situation, I took up all the change and  awkwardly put them into my pockets. The next day I asked a local colleague about my experience, he told me that unlike the USA, tipping was not obligatory in Macau as a minimum 10% service fee has already been included in the bill, but the small change was  expected by the waiters to be left gratuitous. The small tip, collected into a special box, was common property and to be allocated to every waiter at the end of the month. Surely that waiter had expected me to leave those coins but I was a green horn then, so I had disappointed him by my ignorance. Anyway I thought he  would understand.

Late on I learned to always leave the coins in the plate and it made me happy when the waiter or waitress smiled up at me and said,” Thank you, Sir.”

After living in the hotel for some period, the government allocated a two-bedroom apartment for me near my work place. The apartment was spacious enough for me, but it needed electricity and gas, so I contacted each company, and they quickly settled my worries. Unlike mainland China, the gas in Macau is not supplied by pipeline, it still uses  the gas shell or gasholder, which is really inconvenient. Each time a workman hefted the heavy container to my house, I felt very uncomfortable, seeing him gasping for breath, so I always round the bill up to the nearest dollar amount and let them keep the change. Once after having given him the notes, the workman grumbled and mumbled a few words, signaling dissatisfaction;  I asked him if there was anything wrong with the bill, he refused to answer and angrily walked away. After inspecting the bill again, I knew the reason behind his anger, because this time the gas price has increased and I still gave him the same amount of money which had left him only a few dime as a change, which was far beneath his expectation. So later on I remembered to double check the bill so as to avoid hard feelings. A few dollars will smooth things after all.

    There are other circumstances such as asking a porter to carry your luggage, or a hotel maid to clean your house, which also needs a little tip. There is no need to pay a taxi driver if he doesn’t help you carry the luggage or open the door for you. And tipping is unnecessary in a small restaurant or a cafeteria. Actually tipping is very simple in Macau once you know the rule. Just be discreet, and factor in your own financial circumstances.  What should be borne in mind is that tipping or not is completely at your disposal.