I will be in Kerala, and during my stay there I will be getting a lot of ayurvedic massages. I know that tipping is very common in India, and people tip their drivers, waiters, and housekeepers (as usual like anywhere else), potters, etc. I would like to know ideally how much to tip for a massage? I don't want to be giving too much or even too less so an indication of the amount would be great.
I actually think it solely depends on the quality of the massage that you have received. The culture of tipping has been changed and changed through the years, and for some places it becomes more of mandatory to give them extra rather than as a form of additional thank you for a job well done. It's up to you, if you want to be generous or cheap about it, and they really can't complain, as you are technically paying for the main service with the bill.
I agree with the fact that tipping is to be done on the basis of your Satisfaction and happiness. If you Tip for a bad massage you are encouraging him to lower his quality of service and still get paid more. You should never pay any extra if you are not satisfied with the massage so that you let him know that his massage was bad. This will only help him improve. Survival in India is not a struggle. The extra money would only buy him luxuries. So, Pay him if he is worth it.
The previous commenters beat me to the punch but yeah it depends if you liked the service or not then you can tip higher or lower. I usually tip 10% and add more if the service is excellent. I think if you want someone to improve on their service you're willing to tell them also while tipping.
