The new proposed law will eliminate or not allow that tips be included in the bills for services and products. The tipping will be voluntary and given directly to the waiter in cash if you will.
The new proposed law is still in First Debate. It will have to pass Second and Third Debate to become a law.
Replies
TIPPING is not a place in China!
Right arm !
Many restaurants in Boquete add the tip to the bill but most people pay it and then leave a tip!! I refuse to go
to these restaurants. If the service is good I will tip. If not no tip. How are they going to learn to give good
service if the tip is included in the bill so it does not matter what kind of service they give you?????
Twin
I also discovered that in some restaurants and I do the same you did. I checked the bill before signing the card receipt. If I found that it was already included in the bill I did not include it in the card receipt.
Because of this situation that is was this new law is for. To eliminate this practice done by some restaurants. Propina should not be included in the bill and the customer will pay it voluntarily.
Roger in the U.S. waiters/waitresses are paid a wage below minimum wage and tips are expected to make up the difference (and usually more), but is that the case here in Panama?
Dennis
It is also a malpractice. It is being supposed that waiters/waitresses should earn at least minimum wage. The tips belong to them and are not part of their wage.
Also the philosophy of tipping is money that you give to a waiter/waitress because you are grateful for their great or outstanding service you received in the restaurant/bar. It is something voluntary. This new law will give back the customer the power to give the tip if he/she consider he/she has being well served.
A law is not necessary.
When I moved to Panama City, years ago, I was told by friends that some restaurant owners did not give the tips to the server if you used a credit card or gave the tip to the cashier. The people I knew always paid the tip, in cash, to the server, even if they charged the meal.
Paying the tip in cash to the server, based upon service, is still what we do, in Boquete.
Of course, it is necessary to check la cuenta to make sure la propina in not included in the amount you pay the restaurant.
Alan
With the new proposed law no restaurant should include the propina in la cuenta. It wont be included in la cuenta. So you will give freely la propina to any waiter/waitress at will if you consider they deserve it.
It was a common practice by many restaurant to include the propina obligatory in the bill. You have to pay it even if the service was terrible.
I was in Panama CIty for almost 4 years and did not pay the propina to the restaurant and was never asked for it, Roger.