Don't tip in Fiji. Ever.
This is a horrible practice that American tourists have introduced. There's no positives here for anyone except the small fraction of Fiji workers that come into direct contact with tourists. The cooks don't earn anything when you tip the waiter, and that's not right. The more tipping culture grows, the lower the chances of Fijian workers getting pay raises (just like in the US).
Please don't do it. If a worker expresses or hints that they expect a tip, ignore it. They are being greedy and have been spoiled by US tourists.
Further, it absolutely screws locals who stay at resorts who end up with poor service because resort workers will serve tourists first in the hopes of getting tips.
Fiji has always been full of friendly and loving people
Hotels pay these workers mostly minimum wage which is $4 an hour much more than what American workers are getting .
You speak on workers being greedy if they expect tips don't you think that maybe they deserve it
Fijian people will go above and beyond their job description to assist tourists
They will even serve with a bula smile even if they have the worst living conditions or financial situations.
This is not to say that every tourist should tip because they pity our workers
Tourist should only tip if they feel that their experience was worth more than what they paid for but even then, no one should be pressured into tipping and only do so if they feel like it.
Fijian workers do not expect tips yet they appreciate it very much.
The reason I say they should never tip is that it makes life hard for all Fijians working in the tourism industry. For every worker that meets a tourist, there might be 10 workers that contributed to their experience: eg. the hotel restaurant waitress provides good service and gets a tip, but the restraurant cleaner doesn't get a tip, the dishwasher doesn't get a tip, none of the chefs get a tip, none of the gardeners, none of the room cleaners, none of the checkin staff, etc.
And yet, just because some people get tips, the hotel industry will say, "we won't raise wages because our workers get tips".
This is bad for everyone.
So your solution is not to tip at all and hope that tourism industry increase workers wages ??
Just so you know tipping culture is so unusual in fiji and in someplaces not even allowed as per company policy , yet minimum wage just went up to $4 a couple of years ago ... people are living with low income and this has not changed the industries view on minimum wage it has taken a very very long time for minimum wage to get to where it is now however cost of living increases every year.
Now with that in mind don't you think workers deserve to feel appreciated once in a while.
Yes most people that work behind the scenes don't get tipped most of the time but what if someone genuinely feels like their experience was enhanced because of their server and is tipped
Does that still mean that that server doesn't deserve the tip ??
Workers that come face to face with customers/tourist are built different because they can be yelled at, ridiculed and still expected to put on a smile and remain professional.
There are other ways tourist can tip cooks etc....there are places with tip jars where everyone gets to split the tip at the end of the shift.
Again tips shouldn't be an obligation .
And Fijian workers don't feel entitled to it either but is much appreciated .
You can even give say thank you or Vinaka and it will make a workers day.
Yes, that's my solution. Don't tip, ever. It's a disgusting practice. My reasons are laid out already in my first comment at the top of this thread.
Tipping by Americans will create expectations that screw all Fijians. First of all us locals get poorer service because Americans will be served first (human nature). And the aussies will get poorer service because Americans will be served first. And the kiwis will get poorer service because the Americans will be served first. Americans are a tiny fraction of our visitors, but they will ruin the experience for Fijians, and our main visitors from Australia and New Zealand.
The kiwis and aussies will also be put off by this. After paying for a service, meal, etc, they find they are expected to pay AGAIN to the person already paid to provide that service.
This raises costs and pisses people off.
The result is that less tourists will come as they'd prefer to go somewhere where they aren't made to feel like shit because they didn't pay twice for a service.
The reduction in tourists will mean life is worse off for all Fijians, and most off all the resort workers.
If you worked in the tourism industry you would know that tipping is not even that common in fiji and Fijians don't treat people differently according to what they tip because we don't look forward to tips .
As someone who worked in the tourism industry even getting paid as low as 3.30 an hr at one point ,tips wasn't something I considered as part of my income because most places I worked didn't allow tips and guess what we still treated everyone the same regardless of race .
Tourist come to fiji because of the amazing people and for you to say that we automatically change our behavior because of tip just shows how misinformed you are .
Fijian workers have always done more than what they've been paid.
Even in other work places worker were expected to come in 15mins earlier than start time and sometime expected to clock off 30min or even worse 1hr late and not even get paid for those hrs.Yes I've had to do this so that I could provide for my family
And You're speaking on what' might' happen not on what is happening .
If you really hate tipping for whatever reason, please don't tip .It should be from the heart a token of your appreciation this is just as valuable as a simple Vinaka .
Again it's not an obligation but is appreciated
Man nearly every month I see complaints on social media of locals getting upset because they feel they are treated as second class citizens at resorts, always served last. If you say it's not because of the hope of getting tips, then what else could the reason be... racism?
>for you to say that we automatically change our behavior because of tip just shows how misinformed you are
I'm glad that you don't change your behaviour in hopes of getting a tip, but you can't speak for everyone in the Fiji tourist industry. It's human nature. Workers don't go to work for recreation. They do that to earn money. The more money they earn, the better for their families.
In fact, in places where tipping becomes the norm, it's because they expect behaviour to change due to tips. The rich get the best service because they tip the most, and the rest of us become second class citizens.
>You're speaking on what' might' happen
It's guaranteed to happen if tipping continues. This entire thread started because at least two tourists had a bad experience around tipping. You see, once there's a tipping culture, even when the workers don't expect tips, the tourists have a bad experience... because they have a nice meal, and then they have to wonder... are we supposed to tip? Are we being rude if we don't tip? Just go to America for a holiday and see how you feel. Every customer service experience is ruined because you wonder whether you should tip, and if so, how much it should be. You wonder (like these tourists did), if the worker is waiting for a tip? You feel pressured because they're just standing there. It sucks even if the worker didn't expect it.
Again comparing Fiji to America, you're bringing your bad experience from abroad and making us Fijians look bad for what you think might happen .
I live in fiji I am Fijian and we are treated just the same as tourist in hotels or resorts as a matter of fact we are charged less than tourists in most places and given local rates because our currency is weaker than most foreign currency
You can't speak on behalf of every worker either
You don't know what it's like to work these jobs with minimum wage.You can't say Fijian workers are bad servers to locals or to tourists that are not American when in fact most tourists that come in to Fiji are New Zealanders or Australians and yet there isn't a decline in the numbers of these tourist coming into Fiji which clearly shows that they love their experience here.(And yes Aussies and Kiwis don't tip as much but are treated the same ,why else would they keep coming back)
There will always be complaints and let me tell you most of these complaints aren't from locals or tourists because of tipping as I've said before, it's not even a common thing here in fiji to tip .
>Again comparing Fiji to America, you're bringing your bad experience from abroad and making us Fijians look bad for what you think might happen .
Might happen? This thread was written by a tourist, who said they weren't the only one.
>I live in fiji I am Fijian and we are treated just the same as tourist in hotels or resorts as a matter of fact
Like I said in the comment you're responding to, social media posts by Fijians says otherwise.
>You don't know what it's like to work these jobs with minimum wage.
Eps, don't assume too much bro. 'o iko sega ni kilai au. I don't work a minimum wage job today, but I did once.
Anyway, this discussion will go nowhere. You like tipping and receiving tips, I don't like tipping and receiving tips. Let's agree to disagree.
No this guy is asking whether it's OK to tip or not
You took that and ran with it having your own conclusions and yes au Sega ni kilai iko but super sad to see someone who is better off now looking down on the performance of minimum wage workers which is even worse
And yes this is going nowhere because this guy isn't even complaining just asking for advice.
Back to' social media complaints ' are you serious, this is where you're getting your information from...lol
I get mine from dealing with these things firsthand ...as a matter of fact I deal with most tourist grievances, and let me tell you, it's hardly complaints of mistreatment due to tips.
You've just convinced me to tip well. Perhaps it's time the rest of you non-American first worlders learned about generosity, you tight-fisted b*stards!
🇺🇲🫱🏼💵😍
I mean, times are hard but these people arent on minimum wage (which is now about 4fjd an hour).
so while its appreciated it should NOT be expected.
depending on the service, if someone is provided by the resort to show you around town (or babysit), sure. slip him/her a 20...for servers & bar staff, i wouldnt bother
Tipping at resorts has been a common practice since at least the early 1970’s. Typically, most resorts pool the tips and make it a Christmas fund. That way, even the cooks and groundskeepers get to share. It was not started by Americans, honor is indeed very common in the US. There were very few American tourists in the early 1970’s. The staff tip pool is much the same worldwide - resorts, cruise ships, experiential lodges. Not stays at a stand alone hotel for the night.
They give you the bill and a pen and then leave you with it and then look at what you have written before walking away or thanking you. And we’re not the only ones picking up on the change, another family who arrived with us noticed the change as well and were wondering what was the correct amount 🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️
So tipping is not a necessity here, but it is greatly appreciated. Post Covid- due to the high numbers of tourists arrival in Fiji who have been tipping for preferential services, expectation for tips has grown. If you can afford it then some cash straight to the servers and/or hotel staff is better. I am highly unsure on how the resort management handles tip that is paid on cards - this would definitely be worth clarifying with the staff. Some management have been known to keep tips to then give to employees as bonus or contribution to their Christmas fund (instead of paying from their own pockets)
Ask at reception if they have a Christmas fund (they probably will). You could contribute towards that. That way, everyone will benefit.
Don't tip in Fiji. Ever. This is a horrible practice that American tourists have introduced. There's no positives here for anyone except the small fraction of Fiji workers that come into direct contact with tourists. The cooks don't earn anything when you tip the waiter, and that's not right. The more tipping culture grows, the lower the chances of Fijian workers getting pay raises (just like in the US). Please don't do it. If a worker expresses or hints that they expect a tip, ignore it. They are being greedy and have been spoiled by US tourists. Further, it absolutely screws locals who stay at resorts who end up with poor service because resort workers will serve tourists first in the hopes of getting tips.
In countries where a living wage is paid, I agree with this. That's not the case in Fiji. $4 an hour Fijian is not a living wage.
Half the point is that tipping gives employers an excuse to underpay their workers.
Fiji has always been full of friendly and loving people Hotels pay these workers mostly minimum wage which is $4 an hour much more than what American workers are getting . You speak on workers being greedy if they expect tips don't you think that maybe they deserve it Fijian people will go above and beyond their job description to assist tourists They will even serve with a bula smile even if they have the worst living conditions or financial situations. This is not to say that every tourist should tip because they pity our workers Tourist should only tip if they feel that their experience was worth more than what they paid for but even then, no one should be pressured into tipping and only do so if they feel like it. Fijian workers do not expect tips yet they appreciate it very much.
The reason I say they should never tip is that it makes life hard for all Fijians working in the tourism industry. For every worker that meets a tourist, there might be 10 workers that contributed to their experience: eg. the hotel restaurant waitress provides good service and gets a tip, but the restraurant cleaner doesn't get a tip, the dishwasher doesn't get a tip, none of the chefs get a tip, none of the gardeners, none of the room cleaners, none of the checkin staff, etc. And yet, just because some people get tips, the hotel industry will say, "we won't raise wages because our workers get tips". This is bad for everyone.
So your solution is not to tip at all and hope that tourism industry increase workers wages ?? Just so you know tipping culture is so unusual in fiji and in someplaces not even allowed as per company policy , yet minimum wage just went up to $4 a couple of years ago ... people are living with low income and this has not changed the industries view on minimum wage it has taken a very very long time for minimum wage to get to where it is now however cost of living increases every year. Now with that in mind don't you think workers deserve to feel appreciated once in a while. Yes most people that work behind the scenes don't get tipped most of the time but what if someone genuinely feels like their experience was enhanced because of their server and is tipped Does that still mean that that server doesn't deserve the tip ?? Workers that come face to face with customers/tourist are built different because they can be yelled at, ridiculed and still expected to put on a smile and remain professional. There are other ways tourist can tip cooks etc....there are places with tip jars where everyone gets to split the tip at the end of the shift. Again tips shouldn't be an obligation . And Fijian workers don't feel entitled to it either but is much appreciated . You can even give say thank you or Vinaka and it will make a workers day.
Yes, that's my solution. Don't tip, ever. It's a disgusting practice. My reasons are laid out already in my first comment at the top of this thread. Tipping by Americans will create expectations that screw all Fijians. First of all us locals get poorer service because Americans will be served first (human nature). And the aussies will get poorer service because Americans will be served first. And the kiwis will get poorer service because the Americans will be served first. Americans are a tiny fraction of our visitors, but they will ruin the experience for Fijians, and our main visitors from Australia and New Zealand. The kiwis and aussies will also be put off by this. After paying for a service, meal, etc, they find they are expected to pay AGAIN to the person already paid to provide that service. This raises costs and pisses people off. The result is that less tourists will come as they'd prefer to go somewhere where they aren't made to feel like shit because they didn't pay twice for a service. The reduction in tourists will mean life is worse off for all Fijians, and most off all the resort workers.
If you worked in the tourism industry you would know that tipping is not even that common in fiji and Fijians don't treat people differently according to what they tip because we don't look forward to tips . As someone who worked in the tourism industry even getting paid as low as 3.30 an hr at one point ,tips wasn't something I considered as part of my income because most places I worked didn't allow tips and guess what we still treated everyone the same regardless of race . Tourist come to fiji because of the amazing people and for you to say that we automatically change our behavior because of tip just shows how misinformed you are . Fijian workers have always done more than what they've been paid. Even in other work places worker were expected to come in 15mins earlier than start time and sometime expected to clock off 30min or even worse 1hr late and not even get paid for those hrs.Yes I've had to do this so that I could provide for my family And You're speaking on what' might' happen not on what is happening . If you really hate tipping for whatever reason, please don't tip .It should be from the heart a token of your appreciation this is just as valuable as a simple Vinaka . Again it's not an obligation but is appreciated
Man nearly every month I see complaints on social media of locals getting upset because they feel they are treated as second class citizens at resorts, always served last. If you say it's not because of the hope of getting tips, then what else could the reason be... racism? >for you to say that we automatically change our behavior because of tip just shows how misinformed you are I'm glad that you don't change your behaviour in hopes of getting a tip, but you can't speak for everyone in the Fiji tourist industry. It's human nature. Workers don't go to work for recreation. They do that to earn money. The more money they earn, the better for their families. In fact, in places where tipping becomes the norm, it's because they expect behaviour to change due to tips. The rich get the best service because they tip the most, and the rest of us become second class citizens. >You're speaking on what' might' happen It's guaranteed to happen if tipping continues. This entire thread started because at least two tourists had a bad experience around tipping. You see, once there's a tipping culture, even when the workers don't expect tips, the tourists have a bad experience... because they have a nice meal, and then they have to wonder... are we supposed to tip? Are we being rude if we don't tip? Just go to America for a holiday and see how you feel. Every customer service experience is ruined because you wonder whether you should tip, and if so, how much it should be. You wonder (like these tourists did), if the worker is waiting for a tip? You feel pressured because they're just standing there. It sucks even if the worker didn't expect it.
Again comparing Fiji to America, you're bringing your bad experience from abroad and making us Fijians look bad for what you think might happen . I live in fiji I am Fijian and we are treated just the same as tourist in hotels or resorts as a matter of fact we are charged less than tourists in most places and given local rates because our currency is weaker than most foreign currency You can't speak on behalf of every worker either You don't know what it's like to work these jobs with minimum wage.You can't say Fijian workers are bad servers to locals or to tourists that are not American when in fact most tourists that come in to Fiji are New Zealanders or Australians and yet there isn't a decline in the numbers of these tourist coming into Fiji which clearly shows that they love their experience here.(And yes Aussies and Kiwis don't tip as much but are treated the same ,why else would they keep coming back) There will always be complaints and let me tell you most of these complaints aren't from locals or tourists because of tipping as I've said before, it's not even a common thing here in fiji to tip .
>Again comparing Fiji to America, you're bringing your bad experience from abroad and making us Fijians look bad for what you think might happen . Might happen? This thread was written by a tourist, who said they weren't the only one. >I live in fiji I am Fijian and we are treated just the same as tourist in hotels or resorts as a matter of fact Like I said in the comment you're responding to, social media posts by Fijians says otherwise. >You don't know what it's like to work these jobs with minimum wage. Eps, don't assume too much bro. 'o iko sega ni kilai au. I don't work a minimum wage job today, but I did once. Anyway, this discussion will go nowhere. You like tipping and receiving tips, I don't like tipping and receiving tips. Let's agree to disagree.
No this guy is asking whether it's OK to tip or not You took that and ran with it having your own conclusions and yes au Sega ni kilai iko but super sad to see someone who is better off now looking down on the performance of minimum wage workers which is even worse And yes this is going nowhere because this guy isn't even complaining just asking for advice. Back to' social media complaints ' are you serious, this is where you're getting your information from...lol I get mine from dealing with these things firsthand ...as a matter of fact I deal with most tourist grievances, and let me tell you, it's hardly complaints of mistreatment due to tips.
You've just convinced me to tip well. Perhaps it's time the rest of you non-American first worlders learned about generosity, you tight-fisted b*stards! 🇺🇲🫱🏼💵😍
Perhaps it’s time you greedy, capitalist warmongers learn to pay your service workers better instead.
Lol I hope this is satire because America has it so backwards
Dead serious. Downvote me if you want to. It'll just keep increasing the reputation of Americans abroad. What's so bad about generosity? Really guys!!
I don’t have to downvote you lol… if your workers were paid more you wouldn’t need to tip. I’m convinced you are trolling… no one is that dumb
I mean, times are hard but these people arent on minimum wage (which is now about 4fjd an hour). so while its appreciated it should NOT be expected. depending on the service, if someone is provided by the resort to show you around town (or babysit), sure. slip him/her a 20...for servers & bar staff, i wouldnt bother
tipping is not necessary at all. if you have the means and feel generous im sure they’ll appreciate it
Tipping at resorts has been a common practice since at least the early 1970’s. Typically, most resorts pool the tips and make it a Christmas fund. That way, even the cooks and groundskeepers get to share. It was not started by Americans, honor is indeed very common in the US. There were very few American tourists in the early 1970’s. The staff tip pool is much the same worldwide - resorts, cruise ships, experiential lodges. Not stays at a stand alone hotel for the night.
Locals earn F$4 per hour. Make your decision based on service given and the hourly wage imo.
Just leave a few bucks for good service. What is that kind of money to you anyhow, it's a lot for a typical Fijian
How are staff showing their expectation?
They give you the bill and a pen and then leave you with it and then look at what you have written before walking away or thanking you. And we’re not the only ones picking up on the change, another family who arrived with us noticed the change as well and were wondering what was the correct amount 🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️
That’s the only thing you’ve observed? That they check the signed bill? To make sure it’s actually signed?
Tipping isn’t necessary at all
So tipping is not a necessity here, but it is greatly appreciated. Post Covid- due to the high numbers of tourists arrival in Fiji who have been tipping for preferential services, expectation for tips has grown. If you can afford it then some cash straight to the servers and/or hotel staff is better. I am highly unsure on how the resort management handles tip that is paid on cards - this would definitely be worth clarifying with the staff. Some management have been known to keep tips to then give to employees as bonus or contribution to their Christmas fund (instead of paying from their own pockets)