We're in China, we don't tip..

Yesterday Mark and I were arranging for property management to come yet again to take a look and see the damage from Linfa. They like to visit our apartment, I think it's to check out what we have. Anyway, the young lady who has been assisting us, as she's the only one in the management office that speaks English, sends us a message that she and her colleague will be coming to our place today and oh, by the way forgot to mention we will also be collecting tips.

Tina: "Tips? what tips? We're in China we don't tip."
Mark: "That's what it says.."
Tina: "Send her a message and ask her what the deal is.."

Mark sends her another message. We then get a response from this gal, and I quote: "If someone service with you and you pay the tips, I mean this. I don't how to explain."

Mark then sends her another message stating that we have never tipped, so what's the deal?

Her response, "yes, before I never, this our new rules, I don't know my coworker can repair that in tomorrow, he can check."

Mark and I came to the agreement that since we are laowai they figure that can ask for tips. We then send her a message stating that the landlord can pay the tip. Now I understand why my dear sister Hong disliked going to the market. She always felt like she was getting ripped off, she's Chinese and speaks the language.

Since we were at Temptations yesterday (they were having a wine sale, and you know we couldn't resist), Yih and Shelly basically said what we said, there is no tipping in China and she was trying to get some extra cash.

Today Mark asked Rocky (co-worker and go to person in China) about it, and he too confirmed what we thought. Tips? he says, we don't tip in China.

Needless to say, when she did come today, she had an attitude, and didn't want to assist with getting a new hose for the drain pipe.

Maybe we should have tipped her....