Tipping confuses me. It always has. In the US where 20% seems like an average tip now (and I have some friends who leave even more than that), when I travel, I get really confused. I like hard and fast rules. In Japan, you don't tip. In Argentina, you leave 10%. But from what I read about Spain in my guidebook, the rule was very fuzzy. Some people tip, some people don't. Some leave small change (which was what I was told to do in Guatemala and Mexico, sort of a gesture), some leave more. I did not know what to do.
Basically, my rule was, if I was planning on returning, I'd leave something. If the service was bad and I didn't plan on going back, I would leave nothing, and then leave as quickly as I could, expecting the waiter to come running after me yelling.
This was all working fine for me until I got to Madrid. Then the doubts started.
I went to the Churreria around the corner from me the other night. The service was spotty. I sat and waited for quite a while while a waitress stood in the doorway looking out into space. Finally a waiter came and took my order. Another one delivered is, giving me the bill immediately (I liked that, but thought it was odd). It came to 4.70 Euros.
I paid with 5 Euros and left the .30 cents change in the little tray. As I was finishing my chocolate and churros, the waiter came back for the little tray that had my bill and the change in it. When he saw the change, he held it out to me with a questioning look on his face. I just kind of nodded my head towards him signaling that it was for him. Instead of my expected "gracias" he kind of frowned disgustedly at me. I wasn't sure why he wasn't happy. Was it because I shouldn't have left a tip or because I should have left more? I wanted to tell him to come back so I could just take the change. It made me not want to go back again.
But I did. The location is good - it is right around the corner - and they have tables outside, making it a good place to sit and watch people walking by.
So, the next day I went back, and I got the same waiter. This time when I paid, I took all of the change and left quickly.
I felt funny about that.
Yesterday, the little bar that I went to where I got the excellent service was a major dilemma for me. The service was so good, but the bill was so cheap, only 2.80 euros. Was I going to leave .20 centavos? If I left 10% it would be only .30 centavos. If I left a Euro, it would have been over 30%. I left exact change and scooted out, feeling very odd. I was looking around, hoping someone else would pay their bill to see what they did, but the ladies at the table talking, the woman reading a newspaper and the guys discussing films were all engaged and going nowhere.
So, today I did an internet search to see what I could find and came across a good article. Seems tipping is just not normal in Spain, unless you are with a larger group and the bill is expensive, but even then they only leave 5-10%. For my churros and chocolate, it seems that no tip is required. I still don't feel comfortable leaving nothing, so maybe at some point, if I get the chance, I will ask. The cute, attentive waiter in the nice little corner churros place seems like a good candidate to ask.
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