This is the archived version of our free weekly newsletter. To start receiving it in your mailbox on the send-out day, join the newsletter list!
Hi from Živogošće!
South of Makarska, this next-door town to where I work this summer season literally translates as “alive guests”. I couldn’t find the reasoning behind the name, but I assume it would have to be connected to the tradition of hospitality that goes back to at least the 5th century, when Roman ruler Licinian carved an epigram into a rock above a freshwater spring, where “tourists” of the time certainly made a refreshment stop as well.
I’m not sure if they had to pay for the service back then or reward the locals in some way, but in more recent history, tipping has become a part of the tourism culture. So, I thought I would expand on what I wrote in Newsletter #177, when I just started working as a bellboy for a Croatian hotel.
Here are a few of the more unusual tips I was given by guests in my trial month:
1. Two pairs of flip-flops.
As I brought the guest’s luggage to the car, he pulled out two sets of promotional flip-flops to thank me for my service. I kept shoes number 43 and gave number 38 to a colleague.
2. A pack of salt.
Another guest pulled out a package of salt before they departed the hotel. A kilogram of this essential seasoning from Ston Saltworks, the oldest active salt-extracting facility in Europe, was bakshish that I just couldn’t discreetly slide into my pocket.
3. “I love you.”
Just yesterday, I escorted a guest to their room. Apologizing for not having any change to provide a tip, he said, “I love you.” I’m sure he meant to say “thank you”, but what came out of the guest’s mouth left me a bit confused.
There are people who tip, in cash or PayPal (as a guest proposed the other day), and there are those who just awkwardly smile after you helped bring their luggage up the stairs.
Favorite bizarre recent episode: As I was showing guests to their room a few floors up, carrying their heavy bags in my hands, I kindly proposed, “Shall we use an elevator?”
“No, we are fine with walking”, they said and continued climbing stairs, as I puffed and panted along, dragging the luggage.
Besides this apparent social blindness, there are also those who are so afraid that getting help from a porter means an obligatory tip. These practically fight against their bag being carried.
Tips, at least where I am from, are never obligatory. They only show appreciation. But you don’t need to hand out coins or a banknote to express gratitude. You can also do it with a sincere smile, a gesture of kindness, or by just saying “thank you”. Alternatively, “I love you”. 🙂
Have a loving week,
Ivan Kralj
Pipeaway.com
This is the archived version of our free weekly newsletter. To start receiving it in your mailbox on the send-out day, join the newsletter list!
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you click on them and make a purchase, Pipeaway may make a small commission, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our work!
