Do you tip a bartender when filling a growler?

[ChshreCat]

I don't mean to hurt any feelings, but it's just plain ******-y to not tip as a general rule. If I went out on a pub crawl with you and you didn't tip, I wouldn't be going anywhere like that with you again. It's just not right. For certain things (like drinks or dinner) tipping is just expected as part of the price. If you don't tip, you might as well try to short change the cashier when you pay the bill.

 

[blkandrust]

Most of the bars I go to price their beers at 4 bucks a pint, so if I pay cash I always just hand over a 5 and call it good. If I run a tab, I usually tip about 5 bucks.

Yeah, a bartender is just filling glasses while a waiter/waitress has to do a lot more. But the bartender is also having to deal with a lot more people who become jackasses as soon as the slightest bit of alcohol enters their system so I kind of have more sympathy for them. Especially on Friday and Saturday nights. Plus, a lot of bars I've been to have had as many as 100 people in them and only one bartender working, so he's busting his butt. If I'm making him take the time to fill a growler, I'm definitely gonna give him something for it. Probably a couple bucks.

My sentiments exactly.

 

[dallasdb]

I don't mean to hurt any feelings, but it's just plain ******-y to not tip as a general rule. If I went out on a pub crawl with you and you didn't tip, I wouldn't be going anywhere like that with you again. It's just not right. For certain things (like drinks or dinner) tipping is just expected as part of the price. If you don't tip, you might as well try to short change the cashier when you pay the bill.

Hopefully noone is offended. I totally agree it is ******-y not to tip.

However, there are certain gray areas when it comes to tipping. I've also recently noticed more and more places adding "tip cups" in front of their register.

There are some fast food/casual dining mexican places in Denver that have a tip cup next to the register.

They are like a Subway but for Burritos and Tacos. It is a half step above fast food. I don't feel like tipping for a "fast food" burrito.

To me, that is a gray area.

 

[thezepster]

Hopefully noone is offended. I totally agree it is ******-y not to tip.

However, there are certain gray areas when it comes to tipping. I've also recently noticed more and more places adding "tip cups" in front of their register.

There are some fast food/casual dining mexican places in Denver that have a tip cup next to the register.

They are like a Subway but for Burritos and Tacos. It is a half step above fast food. I don't feel like tipping for a "fast food" burrito.

To me, that is a gray area.

Places that do that probably dont pay their employees in a way that they are expected to get tips. If I have some spare change ill toss it in (because I hate change) but I wont add a tip amount on my card. As far as tipping for a growler, I think its just expected of you.

 

[madbaldman]

Tipping is like scoring a exam. In my book, it's pretty hard to earn a zero on a test. My baseline is 20% for an "average grade". From there, I'll subtract points for bad service and add for good service. I have no problem tipping 30+% for exemplary service. I'm far from a wealthy man and live quite modestly, but when I do out, I want to have a good time and service can make or break a good evening. I also tip higher than average because I know there are many people who feel basic service deserves no tip. It brings balance back to the universe.

 

[samc]

I briefly owned a small retail food biz and I noticed that the biggest tippers were service people from other local rest. /bars. Especially the Hooters ladies, big tips and I would have paid them to hang out longer. lol

 

[skibb]

To all you cheap ass ****ing morons who think you are so above tipping - try serving for one day. Then come back and post here.

 

[IffyG]

To all you cheap ass ****ing morons who think you are so above tipping - try serving for one day. Then come back and post here.

Agreed. I tend to overtip to make up for the cheap asses that feel they don't need to...

 

[rycov]

Tipping the cooks has been either required or recommended at every restaurant job I've had. Generally around 10% of either tips or food sales. If it's food sales then it really sucks for the bartender since most people did not tip when ordering food from the bar.

The difference is probably that in OR everyone gets full minimum wage.

ok. in SC servers don't get paid anything. well, they get paid 2.15 or something, but like i said before that all goes to taxes. so that makes sense that they might share tips. i had to tip the bartenders and bus boys, and pay tax based on sales, not on what i got tipped. a few times the only reason i didn't follow non-tipping customers into the parking lot was because i absolutly LOVED my job (not kidding, i worked at an amazing place). so here in SC not tipping me would be like stealing from me. i have a wife and two kids and that doesn't sit well with me. had i hated my job (which i'm sure some servers do) those nights would have not ended well for the theives.

 

[rexbanner]

To all you cheap ass ****ing morons who think you are so above tipping - try serving for one day. Then come back and post here.

I worked at one of the busiest Starbucks in the U.S. We had six employees working at once--a normal high volume store has 4 max. The line was out the door for the entire time I worked. Try staring down a line of 30 drinks to make. That's like 30 mixed drinks.

You get no sympathy from me. I made minimum wage. I worked from 5 AM to 11 AM and then went to class until 4. I got ZERO tips because it was a franchise store.

Half the bartenders I've dealt with have either been cocky *********s or girls who think they are miss California. Last week I tried to buy a water at a club for 5 bucks. The stupid bitch didn't tell me there was a $30 minimum until I asked her why there was no dollar amount for the total. When I told her I'd pass, she put a $250 tip on my name and forged my signature afterward. A month ago a bartender refused to serve me because I only gave him a 10% tip on the first drink I ordered. In college, there was a bar where if you signaled that you wanted to order in any way, shape, or form, you got cut off.

**** THAT. I tip all waiters 20% standard. Bartenders should be grateful for anything I give them. I always tip between 10-20%. You want more? Be nice. Don't be a ****ing ******. Next time one of these idiots has a problem I'm seriously going to try to get them fired.

 

[jd3]

To all you cheap ass ****ing morons who think you are so above tipping - try serving for one day. Then come back and post here.

If you seriously want to cry to me about how hard being a server is, I suggest you come to grips with reality. When you grow up and get a big boy job, we can talk about tough jobs and touch circumstances.

Has your job ever resulted in the life or death of someone merely based on your decision making?

Didn't think so.

Your job is to go to work, take an order, bring said order back, and wipe of the ****ing table. STFU.

If you want a tip, earn it. And bitching about it in settings like this is just more likely to make more people anti-tipping.

 

[Qhrumphf]

I have refused to tip one time, exactly one time in my life. I've gotten into street fights with people who mouthed off less than this server did. 20% is standard for me whether it's a waiter or a bartender. And it takes a LOT to get me to tip lower than that. Not uncommon tip closer to 30%. This goes for baristas too. I make a dismal salary for where I live and I'm always paycheck to paycheck if not hand to mouth. But at the end of the day, an extra couple bucks on my bill means less to me than it does to whoever's serving me. I would have brought up the Reservoir Dogs scene had it not been brought up already.

 

[iaefebs]

70 posts? really.... my thought is I couldn't imagine anyone not tipping the bartender for a growler.

 

[edb23]

since everyone's off topic anyways...

As a working cook, my opinion of waiters is pretty low. almost every server that's worked in my kitchen (i've been working at this place for some time and have a seen a lot of servers come and go) is an absolute idiot. orders get lost every day, they put in tickets for the wrong thing and then blame me when i cook what they asked for, etc etc.

That being said, every single person who works in a restaurant is moving as fast as they can and busting their ass, especially at the time of day when you're likely eating. Whether or not they're good at their job is really more related on their aptitude for it then their effort. Especially in the case of bussers (who depend on the tips you give just as much as the servers do) they're working that job not because they want to but usually because they're in a bad financial situation and it's the first job that came around. whether or not you agree with it, every american (and most Europeans too) knows that a tip is expected, and not tipping someone because they couldn't get your special order right or didn't fill your water glass the second you finished it is a terrible thing to do. those people are busting their ass to try and make sure YOU have a good time their. the environment doesn't allow for lazy, so if someones moving slow it could have to do with something else. just because it's not currently crowded doesn't mean the cooks don't have fifty tickets they're working on. and if someone appears to be giving you attitude, it could be because a cook like me just chewed them out for losing messing up a ticket, or because for the twelfth time today some customer order a medium rare steak, got a medium rare steak, insisted it was in fact medium or even something ridiculous like well done (this happened today) and then sent it back and didn't tip because they got the "wrong" doneness on their steak. tip your server

 

[jd3]

since everyone's off topic anyways...

As a working cook, my opinion of waiters is pretty low. almost every server that's worked in my kitchen (i've been working at this place for some time and have a seen a lot of servers come and go) is an absolute idiot. orders get lost every day, they put in tickets for the wrong thing and then blame me when i cook what they asked for, etc etc.

That being said, every single person who works in a restaurant is moving as fast as they can and busting their ass, especially at the time of day when you're likely eating. Whether or not they're good at their job is really more related on their aptitude for it then their effort. Especially in the case of bussers (who depend on the tips you give just as much as the servers do) they're working that job not because they want to but usually because they're in a bad financial situation and it's the first job that came around. whether or not you agree with it, every american (and most Europeans too) knows that a tip is expected, and not tipping someone because they couldn't get your special order right or didn't fill your water glass the second you finished it is a terrible thing to do. those people are busting their ass to try and make sure YOU have a good time their. the environment doesn't allow for lazy, so if someones moving slow it could have to do with something else. just because it's not currently crowded doesn't mean the cooks don't have fifty tickets they're working on. and if someone appears to be giving you attitude, it could be because a cook like me just chewed them out for losing messing up a ticket, or because for the twelfth time today some customer order a medium rare steak, got a medium rare steak, insisted it was in fact medium or even something ridiculous like well done (this happened today) and then sent it back and didn't tip because they got the "wrong" doneness on their steak. tip your server

I never said I don't tip because mistakes happen, or because it is busy or slow.

I will not tip someone who provides me crappy service. Absolutely, will not.

That has nothing to do with the quality of the food, the time it took to serve it, or getting it right. Some of my biggest tips have been left after having an order screwed up. One time and one time only in my life have I asked to speak to a manager, and it wasn't because my order was screwed up. It was because the server was a dick. LIke if I saw him in the bar I'd knock him in the jaw.


For instance: I go to HuHot with my wife a lot. She likes the gimicky food, I think it is hilarious that I pay someone 14 bucks so I can do most of the work. The server does not handle any of the main meal. They great, take drink orders, and bring salds/rice. It is the same routine over and over and over. But Every friggin time I go there, I get a different server(I expect turnover is very high there), and every time the service is stupid bad. Drinks sit dry for 15 minutes(even after asking for a refill. I get that you're running around, but if someone asks for it, just do it), rice comes out cold(this is from a rice cooker, so if it is cold that means they left it sitting too long. And I fully expect that the server is dishing it up, like most places to side salads and the like), or my drink is the wrong thing.


If a server doesn't like their job, move on. Grocery stores and garbage trucks need employees too.

I once long ago worked as a line cook, a server, and even a dishwasher in a few eateries--from pizza joints to 4 star restaurants. I can tell you for a fact that I made a hell of a lot more money when I did my job well than when I was a crabby dick.


If you'd like to see a fast paced atmosphere, I'd offer to let you do a ride a long shift with me and maybe we'll get a major multi-victim trauma or a a cardiac arrest in a friggin mall.


If all someone did was pull the tap and hand me a growler, they might get the difference of the dollar. If they give me good advice on a brew, offer good replacements for a favorite, or tips on something new, they might get a couple bucks.

If they make me feel like I'm not just another buck, they'll prob be rewarded handsomely. If they make me feel like I should have spent my money elsewhere, I probably will.

 

[robtotten]

That's a good minimum guidelines for good service. I usually tip %20 rounded up to the next dollar for good service, more if it's a tiny bill for a meal. For mixed drinks a buck is standard, for bottled beer I'm not sure that there's a consensus. I usually run a tab and tip %20-%30 for drinking beer depending on what I get (ie draft vs bottles) and service.

When I bartended, we had to claim our credit card tips or 6% of our sales as income.

BTW 15% is the standard tipping rate for meals. At the bar, a bone a drink for small bills or 15% for "meal sized" bills.

 

[janivar123]

Its good to knowb that meals and drinks are priced correctly here at home
bucket in the bar usually gets the change at some point of the evening
And i pay as much tip in resturants here as i will anywhere else
but no where near the same%

 

[robtotten]

No kidding. At least a buck, I think $2 is generally about right unless the beer is crazy expensive.

70 posts? really.... my thought is I couldn't imagine anyone not tipping the bartender for a growler.

 

[northernlad]

I can tell you how those of us who were pretty good servers back in the day used to think about it: 15% - you did your job well enough, 10% - you did poorly, and 20+% - you rocked. 0% meant you had a bad customer or a European who didn't understand the local custom ( or you were probably going to be fired/quit soon anyway).

Keep in mind, we were making 2.15 an hour when min. wage was around 6-7 an hour.

A tip for simply doing your job is actually expected in these situations in the US. In Tokyo I'm not familiar with the custom.

So if its a good tip it's because of you and if it's not what your sense of entitlement says you are due it's because of the guest?

I have worked in the restaurant industry my entire life and I still think tipping is mostly BS.
I would probably tip $1 on a growler, but a $1 per already hideously overpriced pint of beer is stupid. $2 a drink is bulllllshyt.
I know some of you are in tip credit states so lousy tips can really impact your income. However, I think thats great since it should, by reason, make you want to be better at your job. In Washington the minimum wage, even for servers, is near $9 so they can go F#$@ themselves if they give me crappy service.
Tipping for takeout? HELL NO. The cook did all the work and some ******* server is going to put it in his pocket.
And to those servers who are here bitching about not getting tipped: Its not their culture or you suck. Period, end of report. You will make a ton more money and have a much better time at your job when you stop expecting handouts because you strapped on an apron. I was a server supervisor and trainer in a $3.5M a year concept. Your job can be challenging sometimes, but it is NOT hard. 5 minutes in the BOH and you'll be begging to be out front again. The restaurant can run all day long without you.

As far as taxes go: You are required to claim every penny you make in tips. Since check and credit card tips can be tracked it is best to stay above 10% overall if you don't want a visit from a suit. The only time you are taxed directly against your sales is if you are in an establishment that is small enough to not run your tips through your paycheck. Then you are taxed via Allocated Tips.

 

[brewit2it]

People who don't tip aren't standing on some higher moral ground, they're cheap bastards looking for a way to rationalize their cheapness and not feel guilty about it.

The thing is all of us "regular folks" who realize the tip isn't optional, have, or have had friends and acquaintances who were the bad tipper type. Almost universally they are also the same ones who can't order the way the menu reads but always seem to have a special request. They are the ones who demand the most and complain the most, and they are always the last ones to pick up a tab or pay their share even when they had the lobster and you had the salad. It's always "lets just split it evenly" and then they still come up short (somehow the concept of tax is foreign to them ) plus they "refuse to tip" for that terrible service, so you get stuck with their portion of that as well.

We used to say they were the guys with short arms and deep pockets

 

[Mongrel]

People who don't tip aren't standing on some higher moral ground, they're cheap bastards looking for a way to rationalize their cheapness and not feel guilty about it.

I think it comes down to people who have never worked a service job. Everyone I know, myself included, who ever served a drink, cooked on the line, waited on or bussed a table, or stripped tip like ****ing champs.

Anytime I find an establishment that's willing to 86 a customer who treats their staff like ****, I'll be back. Food might be garbage, but if you keep the douches out, you've probably got a fun place to hang out, and that counts for a lot.

 

[dallasdb]

Consensus seems to be tip at least $1 for a growler, got it.

But how about at a sporting event when you order a beer from a beer cart or the "snack bar."

You are paying $8+ for a BMC crappy beer, do you still tip?

 

[jd3]

THe people saying I need to tip for ****ty service are people who do crappy at their jobs and need some sort of justification for it.

See what I did there?

If you don't like working at a job that depends on tips, I recommend you look into a different line of work. Particularly if you can't do a simple job and provide good service. Smile, do your job, and stfu.

 

[Mongrel]

THe people saying I need to tip for ****ty service are people who do crappy at their jobs and need some sort of justification for it.

See what I did there?

If you don't like working at a job that depends on tips, I recommend you look into a different line of work. Particularly if you can't do a simple job and provide good service. Smile, do your job, and stfu.

You should read "Fight Club" and hope you don't get the Maggie Thatcher treatment.

 

[Beezy]

I just have to mention this because it made me chuckle... One of the good beer restaurants tweeted today that they sold a growler of Miller Lite. Their growlers ain't cheap either. I wonder if they got tipped for that one?

 

[Boy]

@EDB23: Thank you for expressing so well what many of us in the Service Industry feel. Some waiters I work with want many tables and to be very busy. I prefer to have a few table and offer superior service where I'm not running around like a chicken with my head cut off. After 5 years waiting tables I have recognized that tips are far better with fewer tables where you can offer excellent service.

Lesson to others who have not waited tables. LOOK AROUND THE RESTAURANT. If your server is slammed and barely keeping there head above water, cut them some slack. It's probably not the situation they want to be in either.

@ JD3. I'll give you the most recent complaint I had from a customer. 2 life flight helicopters had to land outside our hotel for a rollover crash. Customer was upset that she was woken up at 6am because of the helicopter noise and wanted 50% off her room. I wish I could say this is a uncommon thing.

Customers suck! If you are ever curious why your service was great the answer is the tip.

 

[jd3]

@boy.... while the customer was complaining, I was drenched in sweat, covered in mud, pulling that dumb ass from the car(who was probably drunk in the first place) and ended up shredding my back. At the end of the day, you prob made more money than me, too.

And that was the person that actually needed an ambulance. In the same 24 hour shift I prob went on 15 morons who didn't in any way need a truck, but I can't say that and I can't be a dick just because I think that.

I don't see any soldiers in here complaining about their pay... the average waiter takes home about the same as the average infantryman.

Everyone has crappy jobs. If your medic or nurse or doctor took out their bad day on you and provided crappy patient care, you'd flip out and go ballistic. If you want a tip, do your job. That doesn't mean that **** doesn't happen, i've said it a million times.

We all chose to do our jobs. No one makes you go to work. Hell, you could be on parole and they won't make you go to work. Conscious choice. If you don't want to do it, don't.

If you do your job well, you'll be rewarded. You can't make every customer happy, but if you don't bother trying, you won't be happy either.


Simple as this: go to work, do your job(and as a server, that means put a friggin smile on your face and treat your customers right) and in the end you will earn your paycheck(tips). No one gets paid with expectation that they do a half-assed job. If you do, you won't last long at any job.

 

[Pappers_]

If you seriously want to cry to me about how hard being a server is, I suggest you come to grips with reality. When you grow up and get a big boy job, we can talk about tough jobs and touch circumstances.

Has your job ever resulted in the life or death of someone merely based on your decision making?

Didn't think so.

Your job is to go to work, take an order, bring said order back, and wipe of the ****ing table. STFU.

If you want a tip, earn it. And bitching about it in settings like this is just more likely to make more people anti-tipping.

Wow. Have you found the EAC thread yet?

 

[skibb]

jd3: Was I crying with my statement? Oh wait no, I was just telling you to get an effing clue then come back and post. But that's not gunna happen b/c you def fall into this category

People who don't tip aren't standing on some higher moral ground, they're cheap bastards looking for a way to rationalize their cheapness and not feel guilty about it.

 

[rycov]

Wow. Have you found the EAC thread yet?

+1

so what if you were doing your best to save somebody and they died anyway, then the family was pissed so you didn't get paid and still had to pay taxes on what you should have gotten paid and you had to give money to the other people you work with? you'd be pissed to. don't get me wrong, i'm sure what you do is more important than bringing people food. but as a server you get bitched at, at least once a day, sometimes more. that's from cooks, for doing a special order for somebody, and from customers when anything is wrong. i don't work in a restaurant anymore, but i loved doing it. 99% of the customers loved having me as a server, but that doesn't mean that 1% should steal from me because they didn't like what they ordered. if i ever screwed something up, i apologized and fixed it. the times i didn't get tipped it was because cheap, unhappy ******** didn't feel like me doing them a service warranted anything from them. if you can't afford to tip, or if you can do a better job at serving your own food. then stay at home and service your self.... cocksuckers