This topic has already beenn well covered in the following threads along with the overall apparent official policy or practice at the HDR of deliberately shortchanging their gringo customers:
Shortchanged at HDR? http://www.costaricaticas.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=14794
and this one fron just a little over 2 months ago in the Newbie section:
Short changed by Del Rey bartenders! http://www.costaricaticas.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=22521
a) they hope that you're so drunk or distracted that you forget your change or eventually give up and leave without it.
b) when they do bring you your change, they bring you the wrong amount (which not surprisingly is always wrong in their favor) and hope that you're so drunk, distracted or simply meek that you don't notice or say anything.
c) if you give them a large bill, depending on how drunk they think you are, they will often (or at least more often than "honest errors" would explain) bring back change for the wrong denomination (again always in their favor). For example you give them a 10K note and they bring back change for a 5K
d) if you run a tab, you might "mistakenly" get charged for drinks you never ordered.
This will never change on the part of the HDR employees (and to a large extent employees of any establishment that has grown accustomed to the presence of foolishly overspending or financially cavalier gringos). So, if you care at all whether you overpay (or "involuntarily" tip a lot) any "solution" or means of dealing with the problem will have to come from you. Here are "Prolijo's Ten Commandments" for paying your bar bill at the HDR:
1)
Never run a tab. Always pay as you go. Its easier for them to pull scams on the larger bar bills. For example, they may think you'll lose count of how many drinks you actually had (which in fact you might). But even if you know how many drinks you had, you might not notice it on the bill or, if you do, have more trouble disputing it with the waitress if more time has passed and some or all of the empty bottles have been removed from the table.
2)
Know how much you're supposed to pay. If buying rounds or you don't know the price of your drink, check the bill or ask the server how much before paying.
3)
Always carry a sufficient supply of small bills AND COINS. Coins are especially useful where you're buying a drink that costs 1100c (including the automatic 100c servicio)since there will be no way you'll wind up paying a 100% tip unless for some screwy reason that's what you want to do. And, even forgetting about the really small coins which I'd just as soon leave behind than to deal with, I always wind up with more than enough of a supply of 100c and 500c coins. (Latinoheat, maybe if you actually tried to use some of those coins you got back DURING your trip, you wouldn't have so much to deal with when you checked out at the end)
4)
Remember a 10% servicio is already included in your bill and factor that into any tip calculations. Remember that most ticos rarely tip more than that except perhaps for small change. Personally I certainly wouldn't tip ANY extra if I had to wait an inordinately long time for my change or worse received a surly attitude simply having the "audacity" to ask for the correct change back or even any change at all (excuse me, I'll decide how much if any to tip you, not you). And, beyond the "hottie" factor, the service at the HDR is rarely more than merely adequate or anything that can reasonably justify more than the US standard of 15-20% tip on your base bill (again don't forget the 10% servicio). That means on a 1000c beer, that comes with a 100c servicio charge, you rarely need tip more than just an additional 100c coin (or 20% total).
5)
Don't let either trying to impress the waitress with a big tip or the fear of seeming cheap to her or any nearby chica influence your tip. TimBones wrote:
Some gringos need to tip this way as it seems to reflects on their own self importance. Various studies have been done about tipping and the conclusion reached is that tipping is not based on service, but more based on the impression the tipper wants the tip recipient to have about the tipper.
I was actually already familiar with these studies but it bears repeating. Extravagant tipping may get you a little more flirtation from the waitresses but the only thing you're really impressing them with is the degree to which you're a sap that can be played for even more dollars the next time around. Despite your fantasies (which they may help play up), it won't get you any closer to getting in their pants or, if it does, with all the tips you've spent over time not to mention however much you'll have to pay when she does session with you, it will be the most expensive costa rican pu*sy you ever had. Much more often, all you'll really get is maybe spending an extra mintue standing near your table and flirting with you or maybe a rub up against you as she goes to take your empties away (big deal you can get that for free from any of the scores of other chicas in the place).
OTOH, if that is all you might otherwise get, who cares if she acts prissy if you act like the "cheapskate" and keep control of the situation by only paying a reasonable tip. The fact is these gas do extremely well income-wise by tico standards due to all the OTHER guys who overtip. And if what you tip seems cheap to them it is only because they've been spoiled by others. If you're not going to get anything extra from them by overtipping and you're not even getting the basic service you feel you have a right to expect from them, then why shoudl you really give a Phuck whether they think you're some sort of cheapskate of not.
6)
Whenever possible, pay with exact change or change rounded up to the nearest 100c inlcuding whatever amount you want to tip and tell them to keep the change. That way you won't have to worry about how much you get back or don't get back.
7) If you don't have exact change (e.g. your drink including servicio is 1100c and all you have is a 1k note and 500c coin or 2 1K notes) and you want change back
say "cambio por favor" when you hand them the money. Don't allow them to make the convenient incorrect assumption that you wanted them to keep the change or don't care at all about it.
8 ) If you 've failed to follow the earlier advice and all you have is a larger bill (e.g. a 5K or 10K note),
make very clear exactly how much you are giving them (e.g say "diez mil"). This makes it harder, though not impossible, for them to claim you only gave them a 2K or 5K note when they come back with your change.
9) Don't be afraid to
ask again for change if your server fails to get back to you in a reasonable amount of time (based on current bar traffic but rarely should it be much more than 10 minutes). the longer you let it go the more likely she is going to claim to have forgotten or will convenient forgotten how much you gave her. I'd even go up to the counter and ask for it if you have to or can't get her attention.
10)
Always count your change whenever you eventually get it back. And not just bills. I don't think anyone here really cares about the smaller coins, but the 100c and 500c coins can add up and even if they didn't why should we allow these gals to think they can get away pulling such things on us. Substituting a 50c coin for what should have been a 100c one or being short a 100c coin or 2 is not unheard of with the HDR waitstaff. You might even want to grab their arm and say "uno momento, por favor" while you count it if it was a large wad of cash (which it shouldn't be if you followed all of the above). It is a lot harder to dispute how much she really gave you after she walks away from the table.
11)
Don't leave your change lying on the table. HDR waitresses have been known to quickly scoop that up along with your empties when you aren't looking on the convenient assumption that if you left it lying around like that you intended it as a tip for them.
and the big one that really sums it up:
12)
Regardless of how much you want to tip, at least do it because you clearly choose to and not because you're allowing them to scam you.
What you say? That was 12 commandments? Why do you think I called it PROLIJO's Ten Commandments? Did anyone here really expect me to keep it to just 10?
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! What he should be doing is filling his pockets with all those "large" hum... light weight coins like those 20 & 100 colone pieces.... that way his pants would be down around his ankles & he wouldn't have to be ripped off or wait for change.....but best of all he would have all the chicas full attention. 
The change I do collect is really an inside joke I have with the front desk staff at the Prez, most of it is accumulated over the week (drinks, meals, and other entertainment) and I give it to a friend of mine that works the late shift at the end of my trip to keep him busy at 1 or 2 a.m. (things are pretty slow around that time in the lobby) 
