Discovering Costa Rica

you just met or whom you have just been introduced to recently, because it is only used with very close friends in a very informal manner. Instead, use the formal second person pronoun “usted.” You may use the word “vos” and call a person by their first name only when the person requests you to. Similarly, you shouldn’t address a person by his or her first name alone. You should always use a person's courtesy title: “Don or Doña” followed by the first name, or “Señor or Señora” followed by the last name. Professionals with a title are usually named by their title (e.g. “Licenciado” for lawyer). Their last name is preceded by the title. Titles are also used in business cards, and formal documents. In the case of Costa Rica, it always precedes the person’s full name. Social Protocol Costa Rican social protocol dictates who pays the check: if a person invites you to a restaurant, that person will pay the bill, and you should not try to pay the check yourself. You can return the courtesy by inviting the person next time and paying for the tab yourself. Restaurants, by law, include gratuity automatically; this amount is 10% of the total. Sales tax is always included as well, and represents 13% of the total tab. It is at the discretion of whomever is paying, whether or not the service was good enough for an extra tip. If you are the only person invited, the main topic of the conversation will likely be business- related (usually for lunch). If you are invited with your spouse, it usually does not involve any business conversation, but will be more of a social gathering (typically for dinner). In neither situation (lunch nor dinner) should you initiate a conversation about business-related topics. Helpful Hint: Constantly declining someone’s invitations is not well-received, especially if they are given without a reasonable excuse. An important skill to learn is how to decline an invitation to lunch or dinner with a credible excuse. Business Etiquette + Punctuality: Although punctuality is very important in every meeting, punctuality in Costa Rica does admit certain flexibility + Coordinate: To set up an appointment with someone, the telephone remains the best tool even though some other means like fax and email are also accepted + Duration: Business meetings or presentations should not take too long, unless the two parties disagree on the topic. Don’t be surprised if a meeting is postponed. Breaks during meetings are more common in Costa Rica than in other countries + Trust: The relationship between Costa Rican businesspeople places a high value on trust, and they often know each on a personal level as well. Do not be surprised if some personal questions arise the first time you have a business conversation with someone + Values: Costa Ricans have their own principles and values that are very traditional and old fashioned. Specifically, they still place a lot of importance on trust and honesty + Deadlines: Punctuality in a meeting, agreed-upon deadlines, and compliance of obligations (such as payments) may be delayed on certain occasions

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Discovering Costa Rica