"Tipping Unacceptable" says Bartender - Page 2

acsparks312 · 11-08-2005, 06:11 PM

I agree wtih that, however all of my new friends here in college, especially one who's been in the bar/ night club industry for nearly a decade, insist on leaving massive tips, i think they are a little excessive, like leaving a 5 dollar tip on a 12 dollar tab but thats them.

jamesglewisf · 11-08-2005, 06:21 PM

I believe in being a good steward of your money. If you can't afford the tip, then you shouldn't go out. If you can afford it, then enjoy.

If someone wants to be excessively generous in a tip and they can afford it, more power to them. I can afford it, but I prefer to be reasonably generous (20%) and save the money for a different use.

tface · 11-12-2005, 08:39 PM

It would be great if bartenders and servers were paid the same as accountants and computer programmers, but we are not. We are forced to rely on the genorosity of strangers. It's bad enough that we are treated like idiots, when the majority of us are college-educated, but look at it this way: The service industry is not going to change, not this year at least, so know the facts. If you get poor service, do what you feel is morally right. But don't punish the person behind the bar, because you think the drinks are too expensive, or you feel like opening a beer does not justify a dollar. And please don't treat us like beggars. Tipping is par for the course, not your good deed for the day.

aqua73 · 08-16-2007, 05:52 PM

I thought I'd add that the tipping system actually saves average people money when they want to go out for a nice meal. Why? Two reasons:

1) Big tippers do measurably increase the average for servers more than poor tippers decrease it (because there is no upper limit on tips, but you can't tip a negative number). That means that if we had to increase the price of the food to pay the servers the same amount, the formerly big tippers would be saving money, and everyone else would be having to spend more money.

2) The tipping system means that servers' base wage is lower, so on slow nights the restaurant doesn't have to subsidize the server's wages. If waiters were paid a fixed hourly wage, then the prices would either have to go up to make up for the higher costs of downtown, or restaurant owners would have to make up that money in one of several "savings" ways, such as having fewer waiters scheduled on potentially slow nights because of the cost associated with the risk.

Both of these points bear out perfectly in Norway, where there is almost no tipping. Poor and lower-middle-class people hardly ever eat out because it's too expensive since all those service costs have to be averaged across all the food and big tippers no longer subsidize the moderate tippers.

WCFields · 03-08-2009, 08:07 PM

Even though this an old thread it came up on google so here I am. These bartenders make it sound as if they would starve to death if they were ONLY tipped a dollar for each drink they served.

If they served ONE drink a minute that $60 an hour.

40 hours X 60 drinks X 52 is what? $124,800

40 hours X 30 drinks X 52 is what? $62,400

40 hours X 15 drinks X 52 is what? $31,200

jamesglewisf · 03-08-2009, 09:35 PM

Check your facts - The 2008 report - http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes353011.htm

The average annual wage for a bartender is $19,740. The average hourly wage is $9.49.

The median annual wage is $17,090. That means half of the bartenders make less, and half make more. The 90th percentile makes $30,170.

They aren't getting rich off tips.

If you don't like tipping bartenders, drink at home.

WCFields · 03-09-2009, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamesglewisf

Check your facts -

The average annual wage for a bartender is $19,740. The average hourly wage is $9.49.

The median annual wage is $17,090. That means half of the bartenders make less, and half make more. The 90th percentile makes $30,170.

They aren't getting rich off tips.

If you don't like tipping bartenders, drink at home.

You seem to be saying that bartenders who only get $1 for serving 1 drink, 10 drinks an hour, are under paid because $1 a drink is a cheap tip.

I just pointed out how much would be made from those "cheap" $1 tips at a rate of 1 drink a minute, 1 every 2 minutes, and 1 every 4 minutes.

I got a kick out of the absurdity of suggesting a $20 "goodwill" tip to start out on the right foot with your bartender.

I don't see a bartender not serving at least 20 drinks an hour and getting at least that CHEAP $1 tip for each one. That's over $40,000 a year.

Dude111 · 03-10-2009, 04:58 AM

Welcome to the site!!

I am afraid i dont know ANY BARTENDERS that dont like tips!

jamesglewisf · 03-10-2009, 08:05 AM

My point is that very few bartenders make $1 per drink, 10 drinks per hour, for their entire shift.

Although you "don't see a bartender not serving at least 20 drinks per hour and getting at least...That's over $40,000 a year," statistics prove you wrong. Most don't make $40,000 a year -- they make half that. Even most of the ones who do well don't make that much.

WCFields · 03-10-2009, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dude111

Welcome to the site!!

I am afraid i dont know ANY BARTENDERS that dont like tips!

Nor do I. Nor do you ever hear a bartender bragging about his or her tips. Spechally on their tax return. Hardy HAR HAR HAR. (that was the famous Jackie Gleason laugh)(famous bartender skit)

WCFields · 03-11-2009, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dude111

Welcome to the site!!

Thank you! Glad to beer here.

tface · 04-22-2009, 07:03 AM

WCFields,
so basically you are saying bartenders are crooks who lie to the IRS?

jiffy88 · 04-22-2009, 03:53 PM

I am a college student who has worked in the food industry since I was 13. Tipping, as said before should never be expected. It is an unwritten rule. With that said, I've been the guy that tips outrageous(50%) to nothing at all. If the service is good 20%. Some people are just cheap tippers but that never justifies a bartender to cal them out on it. Hopefully the terrible tippers figure out that good service that is well tipped can become excellent service and stiffer drinks. This especially crucial in a crowded busy bar. I have been in a situation where it took 10 or twenty minutes to get a drink in a not so busy bar... He didn't get a very nice tip which was my way of saying your service sucked. Plain and simple you tip what your get in customer service above or below the customary 15-20%

tface · 04-23-2009, 07:17 AM

JIFFY88 "Some people are just cheap tippers but that never justifies a bartender to cal them out on it. "
Ever have someone try to hand you a bunch of pennies and nickles?

Marshy · 07-28-2009, 05:03 AM

I always feel sorry for the staff that do breakfast. They seem to rush around more than staff that do an evening meal, but the price of a breakfast is cheaper so I find myself leaving a smaller tip, which I guess is wrong, but a reasonable tip would be close to 50% of the cost of the breakfast. Hopefully the staff get a faster turnaround of clientele and make up for it that way.

11-08-2005, 06:21 PM	#17
jamesglewisf Doofus Maximus Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Texas Posts: 8,144	I believe in being a good steward of your money. If you can't afford the tip, then you shouldn't go out. If you can afford it, then enjoy. If someone wants to be excessively generous in a tip and they can afford it, more power to them. I can afford it, but I prefer to be reasonably generous (20%) and save the money for a different use. __________________ Jim Lewis - Admin Tipping Etiquette Dining Etiquette JamesGLewis.com iPhone Tip Guide Movies Without Nudity.com To BE or not to BE

11-12-2005, 08:39 PM	#18
tface ZipZamZoom Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 150	The service industry is what it is.... It would be great if bartenders and servers were paid the same as accountants and computer programmers, but we are not. We are forced to rely on the genorosity of strangers. It's bad enough that we are treated like idiots, when the majority of us are college-educated, but look at it this way: The service industry is not going to change, not this year at least, so know the facts. If you get poor service, do what you feel is morally right. But don't punish the person behind the bar, because you think the drinks are too expensive, or you feel like opening a beer does not justify a dollar. And please don't treat us like beggars. Tipping is par for the course, not your good deed for the day.

03-08-2009, 09:35 PM	#21
jamesglewisf Doofus Maximus Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Texas Posts: 8,144	Check your facts - The 2008 report - http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes353011.htm The average annual wage for a bartender is $19,740. The average hourly wage is $9.49. The median annual wage is $17,090. That means half of the bartenders make less, and half make more. The 90th percentile makes $30,170. They aren't getting rich off tips. If you don't like tipping bartenders, drink at home. __________________ Jim Lewis - Admin Tipping Etiquette Dining Etiquette JamesGLewis.com iPhone Tip Guide Movies Without Nudity.com To BE or not to BE

03-10-2009, 08:05 AM	#24
jamesglewisf Doofus Maximus Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Texas Posts: 8,144	My point is that very few bartenders make $1 per drink, 10 drinks per hour, for their entire shift. Although you "don't see a bartender not serving at least 20 drinks per hour and getting at least...That's over $40,000 a year," statistics prove you wrong. Most don't make $40,000 a year -- they make half that. Even most of the ones who do well don't make that much. __________________ Jim Lewis - Admin Tipping Etiquette Dining Etiquette JamesGLewis.com iPhone Tip Guide Movies Without Nudity.com To BE or not to BE

07-28-2009, 05:03 AM	#30
Marshy Fart Smeller Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Maidenhead, UK Posts: 13	I always feel sorry for the staff that do breakfast. They seem to rush around more than staff that do an evening meal, but the price of a breakfast is cheaper so I find myself leaving a smaller tip, which I guess is wrong, but a reasonable tip would be close to 50% of the cost of the breakfast. Hopefully the staff get a faster turnaround of clientele and make up for it that way. __________________ Ian Virtual Office services for small businesses www.office-answers.com

11-08-2005, 06:11 PM	#16
acsparks312 Smart Feller Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 1	I agree wtih that, however all of my new friends here in college, especially one who's been in the bar/ night club industry for nearly a decade, insist on leaving massive tips, i think they are a little excessive, like leaving a 5 dollar tip on a 12 dollar tab but thats them.

08-16-2007, 05:52 PM	#19
aqua73 Smart Feller Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 5	I thought I'd add that the tipping system actually saves average people money when they want to go out for a nice meal. Why? Two reasons: 1) Big tippers do measurably increase the average for servers more than poor tippers decrease it (because there is no upper limit on tips, but you can't tip a negative number). That means that if we had to increase the price of the food to pay the servers the same amount, the formerly big tippers would be saving money, and everyone else would be having to spend more money. 2) The tipping system means that servers' base wage is lower, so on slow nights the restaurant doesn't have to subsidize the server's wages. If waiters were paid a fixed hourly wage, then the prices would either have to go up to make up for the higher costs of downtown, or restaurant owners would have to make up that money in one of several "savings" ways, such as having fewer waiters scheduled on potentially slow nights because of the cost associated with the risk. Both of these points bear out perfectly in Norway, where there is almost no tipping. Poor and lower-middle-class people hardly ever eat out because it's too expensive since all those service costs have to be averaged across all the food and big tippers no longer subsidize the moderate tippers.

03-08-2009, 08:07 PM	#20
WCFields Smart Feller Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 6	Even though this an old thread it came up on google so here I am. These bartenders make it sound as if they would starve to death if they were ONLY tipped a dollar for each drink they served. If they served ONE drink a minute that $60 an hour. 40 hours X 60 drinks X 52 is what? $124,800 40 hours X 30 drinks X 52 is what? $62,400 40 hours X 15 drinks X 52 is what? $31,200

03-10-2009, 04:58 AM	#23
Dude111 An Awesome Dude Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 2,337	Welcome to the site!! I am afraid i dont know ANY BARTENDERS that dont like tips!

04-22-2009, 07:03 AM	#27
tface ZipZamZoom Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 150	WCFields, so basically you are saying bartenders are crooks who lie to the IRS?

04-22-2009, 03:53 PM	#28
jiffy88 Fart Smeller Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 18	I am a college student who has worked in the food industry since I was 13. Tipping, as said before should never be expected. It is an unwritten rule. With that said, I've been the guy that tips outrageous(50%) to nothing at all. If the service is good 20%. Some people are just cheap tippers but that never justifies a bartender to cal them out on it. Hopefully the terrible tippers figure out that good service that is well tipped can become excellent service and stiffer drinks. This especially crucial in a crowded busy bar. I have been in a situation where it took 10 or twenty minutes to get a drink in a not so busy bar... He didn't get a very nice tip which was my way of saying your service sucked. Plain and simple you tip what your get in customer service above or below the customary 15-20%

04-23-2009, 07:17 AM	#29
tface ZipZamZoom Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 150	JIFFY88 "Some people are just cheap tippers but that never justifies a bartender to cal them out on it. " Ever have someone try to hand you a bunch of pennies and nickles?