Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Dan]

all those no longer in korea, what do you miss?

I don't miss the country horribly, but these are some things I wish i had:

1.awesome cellular service in korea. here its crap, and u pay more
2.eating out. $10 dinners, and no tax and tip is a god send
3.you think koreans are fruity...
4.the ability to be rude in public and everyone takes it in stride
5.cheap drinks, and no tip after every freaking drink like somehow pouring a draft beer was amazingly difficult
6.Tips for anything, I paid for the service, then whats the tip suppose to be?
7.people throwing money at you to do a really simple job

again, its not like i loved my stay in korea, but some things were nice.

[Hank Scorpio]

[bucheon bum]

Tipping is just helping out the owner give his employees cheap wages. Its one thing that I've really become tired of back home; Korea has spoiled me I totally agree with Mr. Brown in the movie Reservoir Dogs, but I'm afraid if I weren't to tip, I might get something "extra" put into my food next time I paid a visit to the restaurant. Plus it isn't the employee's fault the owner is a cheapskate.

[Hank Scorpio]

[bucheon bum]

I have no problem paying a tip for good or excellent service. My gripe is that I am expected to pay a tip even when the service is average or worse. Part of the price of the meal includes service (supposedly at least) yet I'm expected to pitch in a little more for that service. Obviously I'm going to give a smaller tip if the service is poor, but why should I have to pay a tip in the first place? Tipping began as a reward for good work, but sadly that notion has left the States and in other tip-obessed countries.

[Dan]

tipping has lost its meaning. case in point, the "rules of tipping" whether they be 20% of bill or twice the tax or whatever. if the service sucked and the waiter had a bad attitude, he shouldn't get a tip, but thats not the way it works. you are obligated to pay tip regardless of the service.

[simulated stereo]

[Wombat]

Tipping is not part of Australian culture. The service would have to be hugely, astronomically above par to warrant giving away extra money. That being said, if the service IS that good, I mean REALLY good, a little tip is in order.

However - and this goes out to Hank - if I went into a bar where you were working, decided that pouring a pitcher of beer simply didn't warrant a few extra dollars, and you gave me crappy service, you can bet I wouldn't go back there. I don't know if acting that way is helping the bar's clientele expand.

Wombat

PS - all hypothetical, of course - I don't mean you, specifically, Scorps.

[rudyflyer]

This is what galls me about tipping. I was on South Beach last year having dinner with some friends who wanted to see if So Be was worth it. We are in this restuarant, lousy service, arrogant as he&& waiter, so-so over priced food. When we got the bill the 15% tip was already added to the bill !!!!! We had no choice but to pay it as we tried to contest it and they wouldn't take it off the bill.

Whats sad was I bet 3/4 of the other people added another 15% to that bill. I've seen this done before.

I'll tip when the service is good and when its very good I'll go 20-25% likewise if its bad I'll do 5% or even 0%. What gets me is they expect a tip no matter how bad the service is. Yeah its a lousy way for resturant owners not pay a living wage but thats another arguement

[Real Reality]

Have you ever had the experience of a Korean asking (demanding of) you or a foreign friend for a tip? In a similar situation, he or she would never ask for a tip from a Korean.

TIPPP

[richinkorea]

I agree with most of Dan's list.

I'll add:

Eye candy - Can't cross the street in Korea without seeing a hottie.
Cheap booze
The Girls
Sense of adventure
Did I mentiopn members of the opposite sex ?
Buddhism
Girls, girls, girls
Cheap transportation
K-Girls
The mountains and the seas

I also miss the 'no tipping'.
Did I mention the girls ?

[chi-chi]

Things I missed after arriving in Taiwan:
3% tax rate instead of 20%
health insurance
random acts of kindness
affordable taxis
cutsey shit like Pooh and Puka and Garu
MAKING MONEY
somewhat affordable Western food
moderate-level air quality instead of dangerous air quality
somewhat dirty streets and ugly intact architecture, instead of disgusting streets and ugly buildings cracked from earthquakes
the lack of earthquakes
english signs

[matko]

cheap booze

cheap taxis

hot chicks

I was tempted to continue with the "cheap" theme with the chicks, but that wouldn't have been nice

[Canadian Teacher]

Cheap booze.

Cheap transportation.

Looooooong vacations.

Nice apartments.

Cheap restaurants.

Clean taxis.

Taxi drivers not stoned on pot.

Good service.

Arriving at the department store and the whole staff bows to you.

Getting your groceries delivered.

Kick-ass free internet.

Free cable TV.

An absurdly easy job.

Free rent.

Good take home pay for hours worked.

Afternoon naps.

Easy access to tropical paradises at reasonable cost.

Any wonder I have been here seven years?

[rudyflyer]