Tips

[Kathy33]

TIps.                                                         A few weeks ago we got our first tip with a card saying thanks. It was 5 dollars but I still have it trying to figure out what to do with it. Maybe a Moca, but every time I go to Starbucks I can’t use it. We’ve gotten bottles wine and beer and even coasters from our guests from down under. But this 5 dollars is hard to use. What have other host gotten? Happy New Year and thanks for all your posts.

[Lisa1122]

Hope you can find a use for the $5! Happy New Year’s to you. We haven’t received a cash tip, but guests have left little gifts. We’ve received shot glasses from some guests’ home country, cookies/other desserts, the offer of beer (but don’t drink 😉 ), discount coupon for jewelry (from a guest’s business (never used though), and items people don’t have space for (like a case of waters) but mostly lots of thank you notes.

[Kath9]

@Kathy33, huh, seems a bit odd for someone to leave a 'tip' in a foreign currency! Maybe you could swap it for some US currency next time you have an Australian guest (or keep it for when you get a chance to visit this wonderful country!). I was once left a $50 tip in the guest room which was a lovely surprise! I've also been given bottles of wine and chocolates, as well as quite a few thank you notes. These really are the guests that make our day.

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Kathy33

I've never recieved a cash tip and to be totally honest I'm not sure how I'd feel about it. I'm the home owner, I'm not hosting for a living, and (I think) we make it pretty clear we're hosts, not the cleaners or maids or housekeeping. All of our guests have left thank you notes and many have either brought us a little something (souvenier) from home or a gift to remember them by. We also give small gifts to guests or take them out to dinner or invite them to join us for a meal at home. 

And Korea doesn't really have a tipping culture - only in special circumstances you might tip a server or cleaner or service provider when asking for something that is normally not provided to customers. It is assumed that employees are responsible for paying workers a fair living wage - they shouldn't have to be dependent on tips from paying customers.