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I was in Australia about 2 years ago, where tipping is not the norm. We stayed at an amazing hotel right off of the harbor. We had a party of about 12, and wanted to eat at Doyle's, the restraunt right off of Circular Quay. Well, you can't get a table at Doyle's, certainly not without a reservation well in advance, and certainly not for a group that large.
I asked the concierge at our hotel if he might be able to help. Not only did he get us a table at Doyle's, it was the host table on the second floor overlooking the Sydney Opera house, in a glass atrium with a view all around. Unbelievable.
When I got back to the hotel, I tried to tip the guy by doing the "American Handshake", with a bill folded inside the hand, the kind of thing any concierge or maitre'd in the states would have picked up on. Well, he was so shocked to feel something in my hand that he dropped the bill. When it landed on the counter, he tried to hand it back to me. I tried to explain that it was my way of appreciating his efforts at landing us a table, and he was completely flustered. It was awesome.
Why is the service so much better in countries where tipping is not the norm?
-sm
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