Where does the word "tip" come from and how much is left in the countries of Latin America?

"Money is the origin of all evil, get rid of it in this pot".

This message can be read in a bottle in a bar in Buenos Aires. And half in the joke, half seriously, what he's looking for, is that customers tip.

• Psychological Stuff With Which Servers Get Better Tipping

In other words, they are generous when it comes to rewarding service beyond the price as a reward for the workers.

Tips are given mainly in the food, hospitality and some transportation sectors, among other benefits.

And although this is not mandatory in most Latin American countries, tipping extends to almost the entire region.

But behind the custom there is a curiosity: the origin of the word tip.

Drink

"The word tip comes from the Greek so it's not a Spanish word in itself and the origin comes from the action drink it's [19659015] pin or ] in Greek and pro which means before " says the Spanish philologist María Nogueira to the BBC Mundo.

"It is somehow related to the money that remains thank you sample for the drink you consumed, it's a bit like a gift," adds -t it. image
Getty Images

But with the passage of time, the word ceased to be exclusively related to the drink and became associated with the gratuity on the services.

• The curious origin of tipping (and why in some countries are given and not in others)

Another curiosity is that tipping and drinking are not just an association in Spanish but s & # 39 also apply to other languages.

"It has the same meaning in other languages, as in the French it is for tip which means to drink or before drinking, and in German it is trinkgeld (or silver for drink), "illustrates Nogueira.

Why do people tip?

Leaving a tip is not the only purpose of rewarding those who provide a good service, such as a waiter or taxi driver.

There are other reasons behind this award.

According to American professor Michael Lynch, consumer behavior analyst who has conducted many studies on the tip, people give extra money after paying the bill to get approval social, avoid remorse and clear, to increase the salary of the worker details on his website.

• The customer who left US $ 750 to tip a waiter for him to visit his family

And many employees from the hospitality and hospitality sectors. restoration earn lower wages than normal. United

We expect then that tips are high to compensate for low wages. As a result, the minimum wage for disabled workers is lower.

In the United States tips can range from 15 to 2 1 % of the account payable.

How much is left in Latin America?

This is a recurring question from travelers who arrive in the area or when one has the chance to visit a country in Latin America.

And most of the time the answer is: "at discretion".

• The generous tip of more than US $ 1,200 left by a customer for an account of only US $ 100

Although in several countries there are regulations that mark a minimum for gratuity.

This is the case of Costa Rica where the law establishes the right to peak workers of restaurants, bars and other establishments where table service is provided, in addition to the salary , a supplement of 10% supplied by the consumer.

Similarly, Dominican Republic regulated the payment of gratuities.

"In hotels, restaurants, cafes, bars and, in general, in commercial establishments where we sell food or beverages to these same places, it is mandatory for the employer to Add 10% as a board in the notes or accounts of customers, or in any other way that satisfies that perception, in order to be distributed entirely among the workers who have rendered service ", says section 228 of the Labor Code 19659021] Copyright image
Getty Images