TOPIC: Tipping

what’s the policy of tipping in mexico for nurses etc. here in the US it would be quite an awkward situation.

jackets5 wrote: what’s the policy of tipping in mexico for nurses etc. here in the US it would be quite an awkward situation.

Nurses? I don't recall the tradition or necessity to tip nurses or any Medical professional in Mexico, this would be news to me.

I will say however, if you go out to eat a restaurant or bar in Tijuana, tips are always appreciated from what I recall. I remember I'd often tip the Taxi cab drivers a little extra because the rides were so inexpensive. Any sort of "hospitality" you can probably tip, but nurses would be complete news to me.

One other recommendation: try and get your American dollars you've allocated for tips converted into pesos first. There are places in Tijuana (like the airport) that do offer pretty fair exchanges for that day. Then get a currency-conversion calculator app on your phone. I find this keeps you from over-tipping if you are on a budget.

In other words, if you use American cash, you will sometimes get pesos as change (many places in Tijuana don't keep American dollars on hand), and these places seldom ever get the currency conversion in your favor.
Example: 2,000 pesos = 113 dollars, but you may get 100 back based on whatever conversion rate they have on hand, which is seldom real-time accurate. As you can see, relying on a 3rd party to do the conversion could hypothetically cost you 13 bucks.

Tijuana makes you feel like a high roller. It's very easy to tip there because everything is so cheap. You can get a good lunch for five bucks throw $2 tip on the top which is a 40% tip. The extra dollar means nothing to you or I but it means a lot to a server in Tijuana. I don't however, see a need to tip the medical professionals.

I guess I'm the type that if I receive a service that I believe is above and beyond, I like to compensate for it. I did give Ian a small tip while I was there in 2019. I felt he works so hard with followup and aftercare. He does go above and beyond. I felt it was a way of saying "Thank you" for the help that anyone can appreciate, no matter how much money you make.

if you mean someone like Ian at Avanti Derma, whos been there non-stop and replying to my texts same day, I gave him an extra $40 just cause he was/is a great resource and very professional. plus he's continued to be there for me when I most needed some guidance. I would have given him more but I ran out of cash by the time I left.

I'm typically a generous tipper, but I've always assumed it was delivery guys, cab drivers, restaurant staff, hotel staff, and barbers/hairstylists that were most tip-dependent. And obviously tipping culture varies country to country.

That said, I agree with the sentiment that if someone goes above & beyond, it's totally at your discretion to pay forward the appreciation by whatever means you find appropriate. I'm sure Ian appreciates it.

Nowadays the “tip option” seems to be included at pretty much every checkout counter.. just bizarre..