Calis Beach and Fethiye Turkey Discussion Forum
Turkey Related Subjects => Cost of Living in Turkey => Topic started by: m495 on June 28, 2007, 13:31:29 PM
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Hi All
Hopefully this is the right place for this posting
I'll be in Calis Beach for 2 weeks at the end of July. This will be our first visit to Turkey.
I was wondering if anyone could give us pointers on how much and when you should tip and also any hints, tips etc on haggling.
Thanks
Margaret
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Haggling - start at 10% of the price they offer - they don't call me 'Mrs Ali Baba' for nothing!
Wear sunglasses & keep a smile off your face if you're too easy to read - like Hubby - or send the partner that is easy to read away. One thing that perplexes them & puts them off their stride is when they get down to say 60 & you're offering 40 suddenly offer them 30, then they get fixed on -'but you just offered 40!' Our friend Dave tries this & often he gets then for 40 - but he can read them on what they want. LOL
Choose a price that's comfortable for you & don't go above it. If you get to this price OK, if it looks like they're not going to budge then walk away. They will often come running after you. If they don't then your price is too low but you'll probably see the same item a few stalls/shops away & at least you know what to aim below now. You can always return to the place later in the day & try again.
Tipping depends on how good the service/food is. We've been told off in the past for tipping too much by some expats - who reckon that prices go up to tipping levels next year. Seen prices rise quite dramatically in some places & food portion sizes go down in the last few years - so they might be right. Around 10% probably is the norm. More if excellent, less if abysmal service. As far as I know the waiters live off their tips the rest of the year, not their wages. I'd be interested in other views on this.
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If I have just a drink, I don`t tip.
If I am dining at an over inflated restaurant like all the ones in Calis, I don`t tip. (I feel that I`ve paid enough already)
If I am dining in Koycegiz, I tip 1 Lira, which is more than 10%.
Crabbit (waiting for Scunners remark) :D
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Won't keep you waiting too long then
There is a restaurant we go to in Koycegiz, which won't charge you anything if you only have cay - amazing but true. Crabbit even haggles over that price lol
Linda's post was rather excellent - I would only disagree on one point. Abysmal service does not get a tip from me!!!
Tipping shows appreciation of good service - and that is why I rarely tip - if it is excellent I tip well.
Also, a local told me that tipping taxi drivers was totally unheard of before us stupid Brits started coming.
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quote:
Originally posted by Scunner
There is a restaurant we go to in Koycegiz, which won't charge you anything if you only have cay - amazing but true. Crabbit even haggles over that price lol
That`s only because I feel that "free" is too bloody expensive. (http://www.telmessos.co.uk/avatars/crab.gif)
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I go with 10% for services, unless poor then nothing. Haggling I start at 33% of asking price and try not to go over 66%. (I not very good at haggling!) It depends how much I want something. One exception is when Eren Spot delivers goods to our apartment I tip all of them. Those guys really deserve it. Also tip the security staff when leaving the complex 10 ytl.
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And don't forget this useful Turkish phrase when they tell you their first price,
Ben Aptal Miyim ?? Do I Look Stupid ?
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my husband sends me away because i feel sorry for them and start taking their side!!!!!!!!LOL
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Good post from Linda, we start haggling at 30 to 50% off, if cant get a good price walk away. Nothing worse than seeing some Brits on the market saying to the trader "cor thats cheap mate" to the advertised price.
Cant remember the last time we tipped anyone, have seen prices follow the tipping level upwards and gives an impression of Rich Brits.
If we have anyone doing work for us then we make drinks available and if they are working all day then will send out for lunch for them but no cash.
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Thanks all for the haggling info. I am just useless at it. I didn't know where to begin. Going down to 30% seems like a huge drop. However I will have a go soon and see what happens. Can you do this anywhere? I can't imagine you'd do it in Migros and I really couldn't get them to budge in the furniture shop where all the prices were in a brochure. I assume you can do it in the market - what about jewellery shops?
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Abysmal service or food doesn't actually get a tip from me either.
I also refuse to pay a normal tip if we're offered 'free' coffee or tea & it ends up on the bill - do they think we're stupid?
I have a pretty good idea of how much our total bill should be so if it's above what I expect & I can see the price of say water has been vastly inflated - this also comes off the tip.
Taxi drivers - no way!
I must admit that we don't tip as often as in the past now - the local place we use the most, due to mine & others recommendations on here has increased prices quite dramatically - up 100% on many dishes in 3 years.
Why do I keep on recommending places? Please ignore any future ones from myself.
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Please dont haggle in Migros or any other supermarket.
Take no notice of catalogue prices in furniture shops or electrical shops, would you pay mrsp in UK?
If you pay cash you should expect at least 10% off the catalogue price, more with a good haggle.
Have been in one electrical shop where they tried to charge us the catalogue credit price on a tv, glad I can read enough Turkish to know what was happening, but have heard of others being caught on that one.
You must haggle on the market (not for groceries unless you are buying loads).
Haggle at Jewellery shops.
Although we try for 30 to 50% off we dont really expect to get that much off its just a starting bid, the trader may come back with 10% so you say 25% and so on.
If you get yourself a really good deal the trader will expect cash, dont offer him a credit card.
Above all else enjoy yourself, in some stores you are expected to haggle and the tea or raki will come out to loosen things up a little.
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Nice one Smudge - wish I had that info 2 years ago!
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Thanks for all of your replies.
Will give haggling our best shot and hopefully grab some bargains.
Only a 12 days to go!
Margaret.
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Excellent replies there, and I can only echo them, especially not tipping taxi drivers, no way, We cut down alot on our tipping this year all of those liras add up. We do tip if we have had good service and a good meal,we always tip on the boat trips, but when a taxi driver stands there fumbling for change,stand and wait for it.A turkish taxi driver told our friend to stop being so nice to tourists when he was getting a price back to Calis for us, and then charged us more than the agreed price, making excuses he had gone a different way, he defo never got a tip, the little rip off merchant.Just use your loaf where you can, Happy Holiday.