stories:
Table Manners
 |
Stiffing the BartenderHow much should you tip on drinks? |
Dear Helena,
I’m having this debate with my friend right now. I’m a whiskey man, and she likes serious cocktails—the really serious kind where they make their own maraschino cherries in order to accurately replicate a recipe from some old cocktail manual from 1913. I always tip a buck, but so does she. It takes the bartender two minutes to pour a whiskey, and maybe three times as long to make one of her froufrou drinks. I think she should throw in a little extra, or maybe I should be “allowed” to tip less. It just doesn’t seem fair to always tip a buck no matter what the drink. What do you think? —Baffled Barfly
Dear Baffled Barfly,
In general, you should indeed tip a dollar per drink, whether that drink is a straight whiskey or a classic cocktail. (There are a couple of exceptions, which I’ll get to in a minute.) Granted, it does seem a little unfair that if you order a $4 beer you’re tipping 25 percent for the bartender to open a bottle, whereas if you have a $10 martini that requires mixing, shaking, pouring, and garnishing with an olive, you’re only tipping 10 percent.
But one reason why the dollar tip has stayed the same for decades is that it’s convenient. Tipping less often involves fiddling with coins (and of course it definitely does if you’re only ordering one drink). If you’re ordering multiple beers and you feel a buck a beer is excessive, you can subtract the dollar tip for one of the drinks (leaving, say, $2 for three beers) every other round or so.
But bear in mind that bartenders make most or all of their income from tips, and the customary drink tip has not increased with inflation. Jason Kosmas, principal bartender at Employees Only and Macao Trading Company in New York, points out: “One of the guys has been bartending for 30 years and says he made the same amount of money in tips back then.”
There are two occasions when you should tip more than a dollar. First, add a couple of bucks if you’re in a large group and you take a long time ordering. Neyah White, a bartender at San Francisco restaurant Nopa, says: “One person flags you down and asks everyone else, ‘What do you want? What do you want?’ Then there’s this back-and-forth dance.” You should compensate the bartender for making him wait when he could be making drinks for other customers. But it’s OK to tip as you normally would if you deliver your party’s order briskly and without fuss. Says White: “Come with a plan and have it make sense. Like, don’t just order one Grey Goose, one Ketel, and one Belvedere just because everyone wants to be different.”
The other occasion when you should tip more is if your drink takes extra skill or trouble. For instance, tip extra if all you say is, “I’m in the mood for gin and something summery,” and the bartender whips up a cocktail to suit your fancy. Tip extra for labor-intensive drinks, like a Bloody Mary with five different garnishes. Or even if your drink is simple, you might reward the bartender for making it exceptionally well.
You need not increase your tip if your drink is pricier. This might seem less than classy, but it makes sense. White used to work in the Redwood Room, an upscale San Francisco hotel bar. “Customers would order two glasses of champagne for $36 and tip $2, and I would feel a little [annoyed] momentarily, but in the end I got $2 for 25 seconds’ worth of work.”
Finally, beware of tipping big on the first round in the hopes of securing the bartender’s attention later. Bartenders are wise to that strategy, and they don’t appreciate it. White explains: “When I see someone throw down superhuge, I know they’re trying to buy my affection and love, and it burns me.” A tip is for services rendered (otherwise it’s a bribe). So if you want to reward your bartender, do it at the end of the night.
Your friend sounds cheap and oblivious.
I really can't go with Helena on "you should indeed tip a dollar per drink, whether that drink is a straight whiskey or a classic cocktail. "
Anything less than 15% is rude and 20% is really more like it.
So, yeah, if you're just ordering a draft beer at your corner bar, $1 is plenty. But for a labor-intensive cocktail at a nice place, where you're easily paying $10 a pop, I couldn't imagine tipping less than $2. The bartender is not only the server, he's also the "cook" in this instance; there's a multitude of expertise going on behind a cocktailian bar.
"...in the end I got $2 for 25 seconds’ worth of work.”
Why does that "make sense" (Helena's term) when applied to drink but not to food? You might as well say it's OK to tip the same when the server brings your $5 burger as when (s)he brings your $45 porterhouse. Same amount of work.
I'm not saying it's logically justifiable to tip nine times as much for the steak as for the burger, I'm just looking in vain for a little consistency here.
Tipping in this town has gotten out of control. I don't care how hard the job is, whether you have to change a keg, customers are ordering different Vodkas, or its a busy night. If you don't like the tasks associated with your job, change jobs. Servers are working for us, the customers, pour the drink/bring the food. I will tip, but it is a merit based system and you must earn it with good service.
Minimum wage in SF is $9+, working full time (30-40 hrs) with tips affords you to live here.
FYI - you don't tip on tax...9.5% either.
Native, not that I want to turn this into a "tipping on tax" thread, but there are plenty of people who DO tip on the tax. It's purely subjective; there's no definitive policy. Do as you like, but realize many others feel differently, and neither of you are wrong.
Dear Table Manners,
A dollar per drink is customary, so I stick with it, but it's also wrong.
First, bartenders make a lot of money. I met up with a buddy of mine recently, and he put himself through a second college degree with 15 hours per week of bar tending. He was tending up in north beach at a dive bar. If you're going to use this argument, you'll have to explain why $1 instead of $2 or $5. I shouldn't have to see the bartender's tax return in order to decide how much to tip. So don't use the "we need the tips" excuse.
Second, there need to be latitude, otherwise it's a tax. I want to tip large for better service, and tip small for worse service. $1/drink is a straight jacket that improves nothing.
If I have to wait 10 minutes and the bartender is screwing off, I want to leave a quarter. If I have to wait but then get a really nice chat and a custom cocktail (I'm remembering a particular evening near lake merrit), I want to tip pretty big but not huge. For opening a beer promptly, something but not a lot. For a solid tap pour, maybe a little more.
I think we should be encouraged to break the rules. To tip $2 for a good mixed drink, and $1 for shots and beers. Maybe $2 for pouring a rack of 6 shots. $1 for a sloppily mixed drink. $3 for a gorgeous custom-made affair.
I do the same thing at coffee shops now. Nothing at starbucks (making coffee is a push-button affair there). Nothing for drip coffee counter service. An actual barrista pulls my shot - a buck or my change if it was more than 50 cents. If a barrista raps with me about how I like my shots and pulls something I like - which has never happened - I'd tip $2.
Rap about pulling shots? You bet! The grind and the tamp can bring out different taste profiles in the same bean. Give me a find grind, solid tamp, and a 30 second shot and I'll order straight. Give me a weak tamp and a 15 second shot and I'll ask for a little dab of foam on top to make up for the loss of crema.
Because I *want* to pay more for good service.
Here's a question that's been bugging me: how do you tip on the $4.25 beer? I'm darned annoyed with bars that have raised their beer prices to that level, because it makes it difficult for everybody. If I have dollar bills on me, I collect my first round of quarters and replace them with a $1...then apply one quarter at a time to subsequent beers to fill out the tip. I know the raw cost is less than $1, and the labor involved with serving a beer small, so why the $4.25 price? If it's a nice environment, charge me $5. If it's a dive, $4 or even $3.
I tip variably for drinks. If it's very simple like a beer or whiskey, $1 is the tip down to a minimum of 15%. If it's an expensive whiskey in a nice bar, they're typically using better glasses and hand-polishing, so a tip getting closer to 20% is appropriate even on a "simple" drink. Cocktails involving muddling fresh garnishes and more than two ingredients get a 20% tip unless I'm deducting for poor service or using the wrong ingredient--peppermint schnapps does not belong in a mojito!
I'm not tipping $1 to open a $4.50 bottle of bud light. I don't care if that makes me cheap or not.
Jeez, I've never heard of a dollar as standard. I've always tipped $15-$20 for drinks at the bar as for food. If that's a lot for not much work in some cases, so be it. In other cases they get screwed. As for "bartenders making a lot of money"—it's a hard freaking job with shitty hours. More power to 'em for making some money.
And no, I've never been behind the bar myself, and no, I don't have money to burn.
"Finally, beware of tipping big on the first round in the hopes of securing the bartender’s attention later. Bartenders are wise to that strategy, and they don’t appreciate it. White explains: “When I see someone throw down superhuge, I know they’re trying to buy my affection and love, and it burns me.”
That is the dumbest fucking thing I have ever heard. Gee, I hate it when someone is really generous, when I am making my living off of other people's generosity. Man, if they tip me really big at the end of the night, I'm really gonna kick their asses.
Guess what? For anyone in a service industry, other that that idiot, being really generous buys you good will anytime. The Golden Rule applies everywhere.
Once again I am not shocked by the number of cheapskates in this thread.
Deadorinjail, I gotta agree with you. Bartenders live off tips, but you're gonna get angry if I tip you big because I want to ensure good service later? Isn't this what every regular in every restaurant does, tipping well because the staff remembers it? If you want to be pissed that someone is doing this and choose to ignore them for their large tip, don't get pissed when everyone stiffs you throughout the night.
"I know the raw cost is less than $1, and the labor involved with serving a beer small, so why the $4.25 price"
-Cost of Inventory. Yes the beer is a buck but you have to stock and hold an expensive inventory of different items
-Spillage and breakage
-Rent
-Labor and payroll tax. The owner pays FICA and UI on tips as well as minimum wage for bartenders. That $8 minimum can easily turn into $15/hour
-Workers Comp. Very high in CA. 3-5% of payroll.
-Liability insurance. High for bars
-Federal Tax
-State Sales tax 8.75%
-State Income tax
-State Gross Receipts tax.
-bookeeping/accounting
-Liquor License
-Trash including pest control contracts
-Co2
-Utilities. Fridges and ice machines suck power.
-$150/hour overtime drain service that always happens on the weekends when the plumbing is getting overworked
-BMI/ASCAP fees for playing music
The list goes on and on....
The nickel and diming of bars and restaurants is extensive. A bar serving a 4.25 bud keeps maybe 1.25 when all is said and done. A restaurant serving a 4.25 beer keeps 40 cents. No exaggeration here. If people really knew what the take home pay is for the majority of bars and restaurants, they would never complain. In most cases its a labor of love and lifestyle choice.
MattInNJ, I agree. I am a bartender, and I work really hard. Guess what? It's not easy having 50 people screaming for drinks while fending off the frat boys who want my number then trying to figure out what you are in the mood for. 20 percent is a standard tip. I typically walk out at the end of the night with an average 40 percent though, bc I am good at my job and I have a huge amount of regulars. But those tips are all I have. I get paid 2.13 an hour which goes to Uncle Sam.Those regulars tip me well, and I treat them well in return. And luniz, with that attitude, don't be surprised when you get your drink last, if at all. Bartenders remember good tippers and we sure as heck remember the bad ones.
What about Happy Hour? There's a place in Miami (Manny's Steakhouse) that serves free fresh oysters and 2 for 1 drinks for Friday happy hours. Two dozen oysters and two pints cost me about $6.50! The oysters have to be ordered, and it's a madhouse- I usually leave a fiver, and my bartender takes good care of me.
Tipping on percent is no good when the house declares a special- no reason the bartender/waiter should be fined for a management decision.
yea that's a load deets. If I have to wait 30 minutes for drinks, there's no way you're getting 20%. Nor am I paying $6 for a crappy beer and I don't buy the hidden costs at all...those costs listed amount to pennies on the dollar, compared to what bartenders and owners give away to friends. If I get a great drink in a timely fashion at a nice bar, sure it's worth a good tip. But not on cheap swill when I have to wait for the bartender to get 3 phone numbers first.
I tip 20% on drinks, just as I do with food, so if it is a $4 beer I leave one dollar, a $12 martini, I will leave 3 bucks. I know restaurant work is hardwork, even if it is just beer, and i tip the same way as i would with food. In the grand scheme of things, leaving a little extra is not going to hurt me and its going to be appreciated by the bartender who is likely working hard running around getting everyones drinks. its good karma folks.
Tipping at the end of the night if you are paying cash is the worst thing you can do. The bartender will think you're not tipping and that's how you'll be treated the rest of the night.
See this is why tipping is useless. If every drink should be tipped a dollar then what is a tip for? It's just an excuse to make the consumer responsible for the wages of the bartender instead of management.
Plus I get tired of people saying "well it's hard work and they deserve that much". Minimum wage is is $8.00/hr in California. Including tips does any bartender make less then this? If they are getting a $1 per drink then it only takes 8 drinks to reach that. There are many jobs where people do as much work as a busy bartender and only get minimum wage. So I'm not so sympathetic that I need to pay $1 for just pouring me a drink.
If the wage of the bartender isn't factored into the price of the drink then it should be. Every customer should be treated the same because you take pride in your work. If I start giving subpar work to someone rude to me, you know what happens? I get fired for crappy work.
"Finally, beware of tipping big on the first round in the hopes of securing the bartender’s attention later. Bartenders are wise to that strategy, and they don’t appreciate it. White explains: “When I see someone throw down superhuge, I know they’re trying to buy my affection and love, and it burns me.” A tip is for services rendered (otherwise it’s a bribe). So if you want to reward your bartender, do it at the end of the night."
One of the most stupid comments I've ever read. I NEVER run a tab when sitting at the bar. Drink comes. I pay. Leave tip. Order again. Repeat until I leave the bar. If the bartender doesn't recognize my generosity, he/she should be in another line of work.
Ummm...sorry, but as a bartender in the past and frequent bar customer now tipping big on the first round absolutely does work to get better service throughout the night. You are completely off base there.
Captain, no matter how you slice it, the customer is, and always will be, responsible for the wages of the bartender/waiter. If enough people don't tip (like perhaps you don't?), drink prices will increase enough to cover it. Either way, you're still paying. So why not lighten up and enjoy rewarding good service? If you get bad service, you have every right to tip accordingly. If wages were included in the price of drinks, that right would vanish.
invino:
I don't see how that right would vanish. If I get bad service then I stop ordering drinks and start going to a bar where they respect me as a customer.
What if I applied this logic to plumbing? If I find he did a bad job then I pay him a lousy bonus to let him know he didn't do great. That way the next time I call him he knows to do a better job? That never happens. The more likely scenario is that I will call someone else for my jobs and give bad word of mouth on the lousy plumber.
BTW, I do tip and tip often. But I'm under no illusion that it has any effect on the quality of service I get. I actually would rather pay more for a drink and not tip because it's not dishonest.
Captain-It doesnt matter what minimum wage is, servers and bartenders in massachusetts make 2.63hr. If you dont agree with the system STAY AT HOME where nobody expects your $$
"If you dont agree with the system STAY AT HOME where nobody expects your $$ "
I don't agree with the KKK either, I guess I shouldn't complain about them.
Yea, I know that will be taken completely out of context but the insinuation that disagreeing means keeping out of it completely is flawed. I will still eat out and tip despite my distaste for it. But it is true, I stay home 95% of time and it has nothing to do with my opinion on how service is compensated. It has 100% to do with the quality of the food I eat and whether it's better then what I can make at home.
Captain, the right to leave will always be there, whether tips are included in the drink price or not. We're not really talking about that. We're talking about your distaste for paying the bartender's salary, instead of the house doing so. As stated, you will always be the one paying, like it or not.
The plumber gets paid his $28 an hour no matter what. If his work was shoddy, you may be able to get him to come back to fix the problem right, gratis. Or not. That plumber's union is strong. :) Either way, your plumber is paid.
Not so with your bartender. If he gives you bad service, you should give him a bad tip. That's the only way to keep tipping honest. If everyone tips 20% regardless, what incentive is there for service staff to care about your needs?
This statement:
"Captain, the right to leave will always be there, whether tips are included in the drink price or not. We're not really talking about that."
Is not compatible with this statement:
"If everyone tips 20% regardless, what incentive is there for service staff to care about your needs?"
You contradict yourself. The incentive to care is because I'm a repeat customer. And the fact that their jobs are on the line for bad work. Therefore we are talking about that. If the plumber gets $28/hour for everyone he works for what is the incentive for him to do a good job?
I know that ultimately I will be paying the salary. But why even leave me the choice? If that is the case then I shouldn't receive sub-par service for not leaving a tip since you allow me to do so. The reason why it's like this is because there's a chance that someone gets more then the $1 or $2 per drink. Thus they get more from tipping then from charging more for every drink.
The irony is that I would be more likely to tip under a system where the dollar is in the price of a drink. Why? Because I would feel good about it. If I see someone doing something above and beyond then I will leave some money. If he's doing what he's expected to then he gets no tip but I would come back. If he's terrible then I'm not coming back. I know your argument is that it will basically be the same if I just do 25%, 20% and 10% accordingly but that's the rub. While monetarily equal they are psychologically different. In one situation I have to keep track of this garbage instead of just enjoying my drink. Then to expect someone to still leave money for unimpressive service gets to people and makes it much less likely they will return.
Jessa:
To add to my comment it's also impossible to make less then minimum wage even if they give you $2.63/hr
http://www.dol.gov/wb/faq26.htm
"The incentive to care is because I'm a repear customer".
Having worked in restaurants for many, many years, I can say with total honesty that bartenders and waiters see guests as dollar signs first and foremost. I see you as my mortgage, my auto insurance, my kid's braces. I want to serve you in a timely, pleasant manner so you'll tip me better. The side benefit is that you may become a repeat customer. If so, that just means you'll tip me again.
Also, I don't believe the ability to leave a bar at any time and only tipping well for good service are contradictory in any way. I believe both statements are true. If I'm receiving bad service, I can leave. If I choose to stay, I will tip less than 20%.
"Then to expect someone to still leave money for unimpressive service gets to people and makes it much less likely they will return."
I'm saying with a tipping system you DON'T have to leave money for unimpressive service. If the tip is already hidden in the cost of the drink, you're "tipping" regardless.
So why wouldn't they see them as dollar signs if they don't receive a tip? Doesn't selling more make more money? I see what your attitude is also. Your primary concern should be that you can continue business. Tips should be the side benefit. It means you are much more interested in short term rewards then long term sustainability.
That's true for owners, but not the working staff. It's not like your waiter/bartender gets a cut of how much they sold (except in VERY few, ultra deluxe restaurants). Bartenders definitely DON'T see customers as dollar signs of they don't tip- they see them as jerks.
The idea that waiters/bartenders should be more concerned with the owner's bottom line than their own tips is ludicrous. If good service is given, a good tip is expected. Tips are NEVER a side benefit to those whose sole pay is based upon them.
Would you go to work for free every day? Maybe, if you were an owner or financially invested in the company. Waiters/bartenders AREN't invested in the company and are paid around $2.50 an hour in almost every state. Try getting anyone to work for that.
I would continue this debate this but if you're going to resort to attacking strawmen then I don't see a point.
Hayday, you missed my (admittedly not perfectly clear) point. $4.25 for a beer annoys me because of the need to involve small change. When the bartender is reaching into a nearby cooler, popping the top, and then making my change, fiddling with quarters adds a significant percentage to the time of the transaction. $0.75 as a tip is both less than the $1 absolute minimum I will tip and less than 20%, so I can't just give the bartender a $5 like I used to for a $4 beer. I have to give them some combination of multiple bills, then they have to give me back a combination of 3 quarters and a variety of bills, which I then sort through to locate the appropriate money for the tip. There comes a point when charging $4 instead of $4.25 for the beer would allow them to serve enough extra customers to more than make up for the difference.
How do other chowhounds tip on a $4.25 beer? Does a long line behind you affect you?
But you said bartenders should be primarily concerned with continued business and that selling more makes more money, did you not? While those things are valid to bartenders, I assure you, paying their bills is their number one concern.
There's no straw man attack here. You think bartenders should be concerned with the bigger picture. That's a sweet idea, but lacks practicality. If there are no tips, no bills are paid.
"“When I see someone throw down superhuge, I know they’re trying to buy my affection and love, and it burns me.” A tip is for services rendered (otherwise it’s a bribe)."
~~~~~
oh, really! bartender gets upset with big tip up front? hmmmmm.
and a big tip before the second round is a "bribe"? aaaah, "table manner"s at its best.
I just realized way back there I wrote $15-$20 when obviously I meant 15%-20% (unless, of course, those two things happen to coincide). Of course, if they're serving as my waiter as well as tender (which they often are since I prefer to eat at the bar) it's more like 20-25%.
PS...hear, hear, invinotheresverde!
The system is what it is, labor laws are what they are, and acting as though it were otherwise is the one choice of the many choices that consumers have that makes them grade-A schmucks.
If you think tipping's a crock, try lobbying for changes to the system that would guarantee fair wages. Or, as IVTV suggested, try putting that money that, for whatever reason, you feel so much better about spending if it's classified as overhead than if it's classified as earnings for a job well done by a fellow human being where your mouth is and staying home altogether. Or, heck, maybe open up world's first liquor automat.
But don't just go around reaping the benefits of the system (service at a public establishment) without doing your part to make that system run. To do so is not to act on principle but on pure selfishness.
tata:
If you are referring to me I have already made it clear that I do tip so I'm not taking advantage of whatever the system is. Suggestions to stay at home are just to stifle debate. Similar to people complaining about the government and having someone say "If you don't like this country then leave!".
Now let's be clear, I am not against tipping. But what is in place is not a tip. It actually is an unspoken service charge. If you don't give a tip then you are cheapskate or castigated for something perfectly legal. The waiter/bartender should not be punished for doing their job. I'm for removing this punishment aspect of tipping because it never works anyway. I am NOT against giving more money and not calling for a ban on tips at all. My position is actually very pro-service because they are at least guaranteed to get paid for the work they do. However removing the stigma of not tipping isn't something people want for some reason.
Calls to accept the system the way it is are hypocritical as well. People working in the system should accept it as well when you don't get tipped because you are the ones leaving that door open. If it is so universally accepted then why does this very article exist where someone is confused about tipping?
Lies!! As a bartender and bar patron i do not feel a need to 'buy' the bartender's love or feel that you are trying to buy me off on the first round with a big tip. In fact, I am more likely to remember your face and your order if you're the guy tipping $5 on your first beer as opposed to the guy who leaves me the 75cents in change from said beer. TIPS = To Insure Prompt Service. The better the tip the better the service is the usual standard. I've never seen another bartender get 'angry' at a generous tip. We live off of that. We live off our regulars and the money they provide. Minimum wage is just that, getting a $200 check every two weeks is NOT gonna pay rent. Neither is the guy at the bar who orders round after round and still tips cheaply (even after telling us how great the service and cocktails were). Bottom line, beers and straight shots are easy so $1 is perfectly generous. The more time spent on the order the more you should tip (this includes the 'dance' of indecisiveness with friends at the bar when ordering rounds) especially when the drinks are promptly served and well-made. If you have a tab, tip on the bill amount not how many drinks were made, it's just easier. If you wait a long time at the bar people tend to get mad and tip less which is understandable; but take the bartender into consideration. If he's running around with 5 orders in hand, sweat beading on his forhead and still smiling - he sees you and will get to you ASAP. If he's ignoring you for the hottie at the other end of the bar, great... he deserves quarter you leave him on the martini it took him 20min to make.
I'm DONE! enough ranting. thank you all
The word you're looking for is "ensure", faery, which would make it TEPS. TIPS has no alternate meaning.
As a former bartender I would like to address the "superhuge" upfront tip. Everybody who has commented on this aspect of the article has more or less angrily disagreed with the quote. But your missing the point. The wise bartender doesn't trust the "superhuge" upfront tip for this reason:
Very often this type of move is a red flag for someone who wants to scam you. They either want to
a) buy your tolerance of their annoying and disruptive presence, when you might otherwise throw them out of the bar
b)buy your better service and stick around for long time, taking up an inordinate amount of your attention, and each time they order another round the tip gets smaller, until they are tipping next to nothing for enough rounds so that in the end they have tipped less (in total) than the quiet guy who tips a buck a beer.
c) buy your trust so that when you turn your back they can leave and stiff you with the tab
d) They truly just want better service and are willing to pay a premium for it (This does happen, but very rarely and only a naive bartender would assume this)
So to sum it up dropping the "superhuge" tip will make your bartender wary. Don't get me wrong, he'll take your money but he'll also be watching you closely for signs that indicate you belong in columns a,b, or c, whilst pragmatically suppressing the hope that you are from the hallowed column d. Much better, is an appropriate tip paired with a smile, kind remark, witty comment, or flash of the appropriate body part.
When it comes down to this "super-huge tip" thing, it's important to remember that most bartenders are not standing back there for their health and social satisfaction. I've never known any to look askance at a sizeable tip, whether it's presented before, after or in between service. The most common sentiment seems to be "A fool and his money are welcome in this establishment". God knows bartenders see their share of fools. Better therefore to endure a fool with ready money than a miserly prince. On the other hand, someone who throws down a huge tip with the first drink probably walked in loaded already.
A tip is a reflection of your *experience*, whether dining or drinking, and different experiences merit different levels of tipping. This is why a percentage tip makes sense at a restaurant or at a bar where there is a dining-type experience of service and attention which is what should determine the cost.
Case in point - if you go to a diner you won't be spending more than $20 on your meal. The service will not be the same as you get in an incredible restaurant. The server gets 20% of the bill ($4-5) which is an appropriate amount for the dining experience and expected on the part of the server and the customer. More than that would be ridiculous.
Likewise if you're throwing down $100 each for your meal, the tip should be at least $20, accounting for the higher level of service, attention, experience, additional staff attention (sommelier, etc). In this case if your service is not up to your standard and you are paying $100 per person, you have a right to tip less. It is a grander experience which has higher expectations.
In a bar - the tip also reflects your experience and there are appropriate levels for each. Just as you won't find a diner waitress in a four star restaurant, you won't find a gross dive bartender pouring custom cocktails at a hotel or restaurant bar. There are levels of tipping that differ at each place, and again it is about expectation of experience for both the server and the customer.
At a standard everyday bar, where you're going for happy hour after work and just ordering beers and shots a round at a time you should leave $1 per drink up to three drinks. If you're ordering more than three drinks, open a tab and at the end of the night leave about 20-25% and leave your tip in cash. If you're with a ton of people this is also the easiest way to do it. Do not leave five credit cards for five people - have one tab for your group. If the bartender has clearly comped you then be sure to leave a tip that makes up for the money you saved on the purchases.
At a more expensive bar or an intimate wine bar, one would expect that it will be less crowded, and the bartender will be a little more experienced or at least friendly and attentive, and you're probably not going there with a ton of people, maybe you're there on a date or with your friend. If the bartender is not living up to their end of the bargain for your experience (just like if a gruff waitress were serving you at a four star restaurant) then you have a right to let your tip reflect your lessened experience. But this is hopefully, rarely the case. So leave at least $1 per drink and if they are particularly cool, leave $2 for one of the drinks. If you're planning on having 2 rounds or more at the bar, then a tab is also appropriate and you should leave a percentage of 20-25% as a tip, again in cash.
If you are at a custom mixed cocktail joint then it is expected that you are going to have really great service and a superb drinking experience. Even at a place like Employees Only that is known for their mixologists and is super crowded on weekends, the bartenders really know what they are doing and are going to be sure you get your drink in a reasonable amount of time. It's fun to watch them work, and fun to go - even when its packed its never too packed, because they keep track of the door. Therefore I always tip $2 per cocktail there (20%). Of course, I'm not going to get 5 cocktails, like I admittedly might at a dive bar. I expect to pay for a great drinking experience and tip appropriately. If I open a tab there I will tip 20-25% and the tip will be reflective of the experience.
In all cases I can count on one hand the times I've stiffed a bartender, similar to food servers. If you are taking advantage of the great food and drink in this city, and resent tipping service professionals, then you have no right to call yourself a chowhound!! Anyone can make a drink at home in their kitchen or even cook a great meal. When you go out, you are paying for an experience, whether cheap or expensive. If you're unhappy with the place don't punish the server - tip and then never go back. But if you really honestly felt like you've been prevented from having the experience that you've expected no matter where you are then you do have a right to withhold a tip. Make sure you say something, too.
The two experiences are completely different. Yes, there is the experience of having a custom mixed cocktail at a place like, say, the Clover Club in Brooklyn that could be compared to Of course there are lots of
The next time I go to NOPA and Neyah White serves me my first round, I'm going to stiff the asshole, to make him happy.
what you should tip, you already know (%20) given your service was prompt, clean, and courteous and the drink was prepared correctly. Personally, I really don't get upset when I get stiffed, even on a big tab. For a few reasons: 1. I know that I also got outrageous tips on very small tabs. 2. I still have the satisfaction of knowing I gave great service, because I hear it all night.
But, please stop with the verbal tips, my landlord does not accept verbal checks.
"I know i'm late on the rent but this guest said I made an excellent mai-tai"
and what is the deal with "I used to be a bartender" or "I am a bartender" or I want to be a bartender" ? There must be 5 billion bartenders out there. and what I am I supposed to say? "uh, I used to be a bartender too?" or "oh really? what's in a sazerac?" I mean come on.
The only way to ensure the best service is to tip well all the time and become a regular. There is another way, don't be a bad guest. if it's obvious a bartender is busy, be quiet and patient and you'll notice he/she will start to hang around you more because you're the only one not bothering him/her.
and trust me, if it's busy we're not shooting the $%&$ with our boy over there while you're impatiently waiting for your turn. The guy is just being a jerk and needs someone to talk to. we would much rather be giving great service rather than talking all night.
And since when did bartenders job include listening to your sad life story?
heh. it's the life I choose.
I've tried tipping $1 on a $3 beer to begin with (I cash out the drink and leave $1 on the bar) a few times. So that's a 33% tip and it improves nothing since I later order some food.
Also, I think the bartenders make out pretty darn well for what they do. I have some friends that make $12 an hour plus tips as a bartender that do quite well. So, I am a bit concerned that way that tips show some of these bartenders you can make a career out of it, where there's so much other stuff in life. Also, I don't make what quite a bit of bartenders do hourly so why should I be generous with them and do 20%+? So I am always torn between what I should do since I don't what to send the wrong message by tipping too little or too big. Also, I just want to be fair. You don't tip the counter person at McDonalds, you don't tip the people at the supermarket, and yet these people earn minimum wage, while I hear many stories out there that there are servers and bartenders that get $11 or more plus tips. So that's why I come in at about 12/13% as an average tip and many times give 15% for excellent service (rarely do I go higher) as I figure that my 5% back credit card at restaurants takes care of the first 5% of the tip. I just don't want to cheat anyone but I don't want to be overly generous at the same time.
dherpin - "And since when did bartenders job include listening to your sad life story? "
Since forever, I'm pretty sure. Listening to drunks and/or aspiring drunks is a part of the job. A bartender is more of a host than anyone else in a restaurant so a lot is expected of him/her. But I agree that people should not try to monopolize the bartender's time.
One other thing, I think scale and speed are being ignored by some of the "20%" crowd. If I get a drink for $3 or $4 or $5, I'm tipping $1--because I have a dollar to tip with and I don't want to fool around looking for $0.80, etc. Similarly, if I get a drink for $7 I'm still only tipping $1 because I don't feel like I need to tip $2 and I'm not counting out change to give the guy $1.40. I rarely get a cocktail that is $10 or more so switching to $2 isn't something I need to worry about very often.
If I got a $1 tip for each drink I made I'd be making $150+ a night which wouldn't be bad for 5 hours of work. I'm lucky if I get half that though, and that's w/ min wage added in. In my experience most people don't tip, and those that do don't tip because of quality of service. When I go out to a bar I'll tip about $1 per round, or every other beer. If I have the bartender make something I'll tip $1, but I never ask for anything complicated if it's busy.
stoggart - Also, I think the bartenders make out pretty darn well for what they do. I have some friends that make $12 an hour plus tips as a bartender that do quite well.
sir, you make me want to punch you. the fact your lying is bad enough, but now you have several friends that make this much?
I have been professional bartending since june of 1999, and sir, I do not make $12 an hour plus tips. Not even close and I have an extensive resume. you are lying, whoever put this idea in your head that we make so much money is going to hell.
there are many factors you do not know about and I will tell you.
1. most bartenders, yes MOST make 2.13 plus tips, if your good you might make $6. chances are though you'll make $2.13 yes that's below minimum wage, okay.
2. even the best bartenders can't make everyone tip, and some nights are very slow. so you might leave with $17 after working 12 hours, yes 12 hours. typically bar shifts are longer, if you come in at 2 pm and leave 3 am, that's 13 hours.
3. your comment was offensive in several ways, now not only do we make 3 times as much as we do according to you but we don't work for it? you sir have never worked in a bar.
4. you wouldn't last 10 seconds behind a real bar.
5. I wouldn't wish this profession on my worse enemy, great college work though.
Well, dherpin, also notice that a lot of pizza parlors are $5 an hour under the table (they don't get much tips) and I do realize there are places out there that still do a minimal $2.13 at bars as well as waitstaff.
So I can attest that there are places out there that pay below minimum wage like you and places that pay well above minimum wage like my friend. That's what makes me torn; hearing that there are people out there making $18 including tips at a bar and others making well below minimum wage. You don't want to cheat someone, yet you don't want to tip highly with a bartender making that $18 and send the message that bartending is the best thing to do for work, as there are still many better things out there. If you want the ones that are well above, look for them, as they are out there. Some of it is that the waitstaff has to know where they can do better. Like I saw a sign once at a tourist spot. It advertised $3 hourly plus an average of $3 in tips = an average of $6 to work as a server in the restaurant. To work in the gift store as a clerk, you get $8, which they were also hiring for. What would you take? I would be a clerk in the gift store. Sure, it can work the other way too. I would need a $2.01 increase or more in average tips or hourly pay to draw me to be a server.
So there's always that thing out there. There's many employers who are pompous jerks. Like I heard about this business that is offering an unpaid internship. Happens to be just replacing someone laid off who was paid to send out bills to their customers. And yes, it says it can turn into a paid position (I don't think so). Thing is, if they are pompous jerks like that, just quit and they'll have to keep on looking. Especially in restaurants, if they want to give good customer service, there's definitely an expense to doing that and it increases with the amount of turnover. And there is evidence out there that higher paid employees serve their businesses better as they are more productive and serve customers better (just take a look at Costco or Trader Joes that pay a good $15 an hour to their employees; the workers there brag about it enough that I have heard this a few times).
Also, speaking of that, that is also the advantage to owning your own business (I wouldn't own a restaurant/bar myself as there is a ridiculous amount of competition, but there's many other businesses still out there).
this is unheard of? I love the concept, as a matter of fact i've worked as a banquet bartender before and made 12 an hour + tips, but the tips were few and far between. More private party style, but i've never heard of $18 to ensure service and not only that but at a real bar level.
These owners are cutting their profit. I mean 10 is understandable, and $18 maybe new york or something where bartenders can barely pay rent on an efficiency. other than that it just doesn't make sense. I would feel guilty working these places, I really would. I like to earn my money, more specifically, I enjoy earning it over the bar.
The best bartenders are the ones who would work for tips. A great bartender is someone who genuinely enjoys the art and science and understands that people are half the battle. A great bartender can get every single guest to come back, this is something that can't be bought. Not even with 30 an hour.
don't get me wrong, sometimes I feel like I should be making $5000 a minute putting up with some peoples garbage for hours on end. You can't pay someone enough. I also understand that people pay my salary and give me tips and if I get them to come back I can make more cocktails and even more money.
There are alot of things just like this and I could rant on, that a salary can't buy. personally, I have never met, heard of, even chatted to online a bartender worthy of $18 an hour. I would still tip %100, even knowing how much these friends of yours make. I think i'd order tough though.
I don't get upset when I get stiffed...it happens and it's part of the job. Actually, complaining about tips will get you terminated at my establishment...so we mostly keep that to ourselves. But trust me, if you're a habitual cheapskate, the staff will remember you...and yes...your level of service will continue to decline until you understand the rules.
Also, being kind and courteous will usually carry you far. If you are patient, have your order ready along with your form of payment....we will definitely go to you first if we're weeded on a busy night. Not ironically, the people who are patient, prepared, and understanding...usually wind up tipping really well also.
A dollar a drink is standard, if you don't want to tip..then go to BevMo or Vons and get yourself a six pack.
And to those people that say we also make a salary..remember, I make the minimum wage for the state of California. And also remember that 8% of my sales are claimed as tips. So, instead of getting $500 every two weeks via a paycheck, I usually get about $425 deducted. We rely on tips more than people know.
And yes, we can make a lot of money...but we also put up with more than you do at your job..I guarantee it. If bartending was easy...then everyone would be doing it.