Kochi: It is interesting to note that tipping is a rather common practice in Kochi. Though many hotels and other service providers do not encourage the tourists giving tips to their employees, tipping has become an inevitable part of this society. There is no fixed yardstick on the amount paid as tip; nonetheless in many cases it will be around a small percentage of 10% of the total bill amount in case of hotels or restaurants.
Tourists often face a predicament whether to offer tips or not for room boys who carry their baggage and accompany them to their rooms. As you will be moving around a lot in a hired taxi for your sightseeing trips it could be a fair practice to give a tip to the driver and teh porters at teh time of your departure. If you are taking the services of a good tourist guide to explore the tourist destinations, it is a common practice to give a tip to the tourist guide. Though it is not obligatory it has become a common practice much to the chagrin of many foreign travelers.
In case the tourists are making use of the much popular home stay option, it is expected that they tip the domestic servants employed there before leaving. However, it is better to always take the opinion of the house owner. Many restaurant employees make more money out of tips than from salary. It is a great attraction for many to offer their best possible services. Thus tipping has its own good and bad sides; on one hand it improves the quality of service, on the other it might leave a bad taste in the minds of the visitors.
Visitors need to employ their smart tactics to wriggle out of these sticky wickets with élan. The moment you set foot on a new city, you might stumble upon a variety of people from waiters to drivers and bar boys. While some consider tips as a token of your appreciation for their services, at least a few black sheep might fleece you without doing anything to help you.
The bottom line is that whatever be the pros and cons the bottom line is that tipping should never ever be thrust upon the visitors and should always remain a choice of the customer.
some hotels allow you to tip in one go which is then shared out between the staff together. That certainly saves on the emotional headache