Day 11 – A bit of Bitching, Shopping and Food. Again!
There’s something about America that I need to bitch before I forgets. Tipping! Everywhere you go make sure you have plenty of small note for tipping. For example our tour to Disneyland and Universal Studio. End of the day when we are back into the tour bus, the tour guide will announce this over the mic, “Please get ready your tipping. Minimum is US$5. I’m making my rounds shortly after this to collect from you.” Wah, I thought we only get rob like this in China. Never know America also like this! KNN.
Toffee apples and Krispy Kreme
Regardless if you are dining, taking a cab, the bell boy that helps you with your luggage, room service…. etc… Can you imagine how much I have to spend on tipping per day? For example when you are dining, the rough calculation of tipping is 15% of your total bill. Let’s do some simple calculation *searching for calculator*. Your bill is $30 x 15% = US$4.50. After conversion, that is about RM15.75 *ding! ding! ding! ding!* Of course you can walk off without tipping. But will you do that?
Stuffed Portobello
You can escape paying tips in restaurants but one thing for sure you can’t escape is “The Mr. Cab Man”. In fact, they ASK you for the tips. Minimum US$5 also. Another RM17.50 *ding! ding!ding! ding!* To Malaysians (x 3.5), this is like broad daylight robbery!
Spicy Buffalo Wings
Finised bitching liao. Sorry if I’ve offended any Amelicans, but really hor, if you come to our country, no need to pay tips wan. The most when you settle your dining bills, leave them those cents and coins for tipping. No one is going to curse behind your back like how we get cursed, “Cheapskates!” Almost makes me wanna shout back, “Baskets!”
This time really finished with my bitching liao *look left, look right for any rotten tomatoes and eggs*
My favourite outlets in Las Vegas is Premium Outlet.
I can’t be sure if this is your ideal shopping place. It all depends on what you are looking for – Coach Bags, French Connections, Ann’s Taylor, Osh Kosh B’gosh, Gap, Guess, Levi’s, etc… I went there 3 times and each time I’ve never fail to leave empty handed.
Let me bitch with you something good about Amelica this time. I love their “Goods Refundable” or “Goods Exchangeable” policy.
I was in Osh Kosh B’gosh. It says on the banner, 4 or more items, you save 50% on store wide item. Therefore, I’ve grab 6 items from the store – 2 normal priced, 3 further reduction and a pair of sandal. After paying, I’ve realized ‘further reduction’ item is not included in the promotion. Which means I’m entitled to 40% off. That is a lot of difference in currency if I were to convert back to Malaysian Ringgit. I walked back to the store, explained that I’ve overlook on the promotion and if they could allow me to pick up another item so that I will get 50% off instead of 40%. I was glad they allowed me! I quickly went and grab a US$10 t-shirt. After working out my new bill, not only I get another piece of t-shirt, I got a refund of US$3 for nothing! See, if you ask you will get.
There’s another similar incident. On a Friday, I bought a Guess watch at 40% off and didn’t notice there’s some scratches on the metal bracelet. The next day I went back for a goods return or an exchanged. Since they are out of stock for the design that I’ve bought, I decided to grab another design albeit higher price. And since it is a Saturday, their watch is at 50% off! Which means, I don’t have to pay the balance and still get some refund!
See! Now you know why I’m such a happy shopper.
Ok. So much bitching for today’s post.
I was told, Americans prefer Puma shoes and I bet, you won’t meet any Malaysian wearing this design of Puma shoe! If you can prove me wrong, at least I’m glad there’s someone other than me is having a sense of good taste 😉
… Go back to read Day 10 in Grand Canyon here
… proceed to read Day 12 Red Rock Canyon here
Lil said,
April 30, 2007 @ 4:57 pm
well, service industry is very badly paid in US, and their minimum wage is not even enough to feed an adult properly, so they do rely on tips to survive… imagine earning something like just USD5 per hour without the tip, and it ain’t a cheap country to live in, they just have to thicken up their face and rely on generosity based on the service provided… of course, i don’t agree with the whole “minimum $XX for tip” idea… hmmm…
LB said,
April 30, 2007 @ 6:05 pm
You are right! I had almost forgotten such daylight robbery until I read this.. The most blatant time was when I was ‘designated’ to pay the bill after a big group dinner in a posh restaurant. The bill arrived, and because I was earlier not exactly thrilled with the service, I declined to leave the hefty ‘tip’. That snotty waiter made such a huge drama of the thing!! “Have I offended you?”, “Was my service not up to par?”, “Why did you not leave a tip?”, screaming and pulling his hair, etc. etc!! Made such drama at the restaurant!! OMG, malu like hell, and even though I could have made a scene as well, I didn’t (I tried, but not m style) and in the end, left him his ‘tip’!! Damn… Robbed! …
may said,
April 30, 2007 @ 7:35 pm
daylight robbery indeed. I’m sometimes thankful that even though they charge us service in KL restaurants, at least we’re not forced to give tips — already paid the standard 5% liao, hor?
I want those candy apples!! could… almost… taste them… *tries to lick screen*
cynthia said,
April 30, 2007 @ 7:58 pm
over here… no need to tip one. only generoud ppl tip. me? admit lar! cheapskate to the max! I wont tip them!!
the point is…is not that they don’t get paid from their boss, right? why we need to tip them???
wuching said,
April 30, 2007 @ 8:21 pm
over here the big department stores are also quite good with refunds & return policies but not the small ones coz small fish cannot live lidat!
sila said,
April 30, 2007 @ 9:10 pm
the tipping is a necessary thing, there is no service charge automatically added to the bill. tipping ensures good service every time. and remember, in the US when you tip your waiter, you are tipping the bus boys, the hostess, etc. they have to share the tip at the end of the night. and lil is right, if you earn $5.15 an hour, that is not going to pay for a lot of stuff so tips are essential for the waitstaff to survive. however, if you are not satisfied with the service, then you have absolutely the right to withhold the tip and to tell them to their face (or to their supervisor’s face) what it was that was not satisfactory (i’ve been out with people who have done this, and remember, the customer is always right! so the supervisor can only just nod and say, ok, it won’t happen again. can i get you a complimentary dessert?).
yep, the return/exchange policy is really a good thing. believe me, i have returned quite a few things in my time (bad impulse buys!!) 😀
huisia said,
May 1, 2007 @ 7:54 am
shopping in state really sounds heavenly to me..
aiya..i want to go la…if no chance, shop in Ebay also can la…LOL!
athena said,
May 1, 2007 @ 10:59 am
malaysia our tips are included in the bill, whether we want to tip or not!!!
the Razzler said,
May 1, 2007 @ 2:19 pm
WoW! Queen .. US$5 for tips is a little hefty .. ain’t it?! especially when kira back to RM .. pheww!! So next time when plan trips to US, must include budget for tips also.
Love the pics ..especially the PUMA shoes. Classy pair of shoes, I must say!! 🙂 🙂
jonzz said,
May 1, 2007 @ 8:57 pm
Is a toffee apple a whole unseeded apple coated in toffee?
1+2mom said,
May 2, 2007 @ 10:12 am
First time drop by, nice blog and pic 🙂
Wah US$5 for tips is a little too much. But shopping in US more fun cause they really discount on the items not like Malaysia, they usually markup the price and discount for us somemore sometime is factory items for sale in the branded shop.
Resurrected said,
May 2, 2007 @ 1:10 pm
As consumers in the US there are tradeoffs. You get better refund/return policies while shopping and generally, the response to customer complaints is better (even in restaurants. For example, we send back food and drinks we don’t like or if they had gotten our specific instructions like no onions wrong, at no charge normally). Tipping is a norm which needs some getting used to but we pay 10% service charge and 5% service tax here in Malaysia for some restaurants right? At least we know the tip is going to the people who are serving, we don’t know where our 10% service charge goes to.
😀 Yes, Puma shoes are the in thing there for the last few seasons. Can’t find the same ones here, the Pumas here look horrible the last I checked a few weeks ago. I miss shopping there.
zara's mama said,
May 2, 2007 @ 5:48 pm
I hate the tipping policy in US too.. but the shopping!! Aiyo.. never mind.. balance it off..
dancing queen said,
May 2, 2007 @ 11:10 pm
I want to go to Amelica….!
Bernard said,
May 3, 2007 @ 12:12 pm
Service charge is tipping already kua?
Sweetpea said,
May 6, 2007 @ 9:51 pm
hi, first time dropping by. the puma shoes, errm… looks like got leather flaps? if not die from brand-conscious maybe can be tortured from having hot feet! 😛
Hijack Queen » Day 12 (part 1) - Red Rock Canyon said,
May 15, 2007 @ 3:51 pm
[…] … go back to read Day 11 with lots of bitching here. […]
4malmal said,
May 18, 2007 @ 6:34 am
hi, nice blog you got here, love your banner and I am so happy to see all these familiar pictures from someone so close to home! I am a Singaporean stranded in US, Phoenix now and we like to go LV cos it is one of the nearer shopping paradise 🙂