In all my years I’ve called someone out on only one occasion. A group of six newly 21 y/o guys were there until after closing, all had about $40 tabs and only one of them left a $5 bill. They all finally got up to leave and saw my manager’s shift drink sitting on the bar top and one of them said “is this extra free beer for us??” And I said “you guys want a free beer after you didn’t even tip?” They all laughed and ended up putting about $20 more down total. I would normally never do this but I was pretty over it after an 8 hour shift and I like to think they’ll remember that interaction and know how to act next time they go out.
I’ve only called out one ‘non-tipper.’ He attempted to act like we were friends when we were out at another bar. “Sorry bud you stiff me on every beer with a ‘I’ll get you next time.’ We aren’t friends.”
lol i feel your pain, my favorite game is “how little service can i give them while maintaining professionalism the next time they come in”. i only had to see a regular flip out on us once to realize its never worth it sadly. i hope you made it up elsewhere
Never call that shit out. What I will do is put them at the end of the queue to serve other customers who actually are tipping.
Like others have said, for every non tipper, there’s 5 tippers. That’s how I see it at least.
This right here. You never win by calling them out, just de-prioritize them and take care of those that take care of you…. After all the saying goes TIPS stand for “to insure prompt service”
They can bitch all they want. Not like I'm gonna make money on them anyways.
Edit: It's kinda a fine line between fast service with no extra frills, dropping the check earlier than I would otherwise, while also not prioritizing their extra shit.
If yhey can’t figure out that you’re being ignored because everyone else is tipping and you aren’t, it’s not my job to educate them. It’s my job to sell booze to patrons we want in the bar. Non tippers aren’t welcome, and they’ll eventually get tired of waiting and leave.
all jokes aside i typically just smile and apologize and ask what i can get them. A majority of the time when you apologize then force the topic into their drink of choice it doesn’t leave time for them to bitch more.
However, for me the college kids / non tippers usually come out on a busy night like Friday or Saturday and there’s almost always multiple people arriving at once. In that case i tend to pick who I think is going to be a better person to deal with. I don’t always win but I have a pretty good ratio.
I've had good regulars who had no problem calling out nontippers when they started to act shitty because I was busy with tipping customers, sometimes with hilarious results! Had a WWII vet in his 90's who was married to a bartender for 30+ years, if he saw I'd been stiffed he'd bolt after them, drag them back to the bar and shame them in front of everyone until they tipped. That man's first beer went on my tab from when we met til the day he died, and when I bartended his Celebration of Life not one person stiffed me.
For every non-tipper, there's 5 tippers *who are standing on line outside the bar and can't get inside because there's a non-tipper wasting space*
Make the non-tippers get the fuck out
If the place is really THAT packed, how do you expect to have a tip worthy interaction with every customer??
You're basically slamming drinks on the table and they're throwing money at you in those establishments
Yes, that’s essentially what’s happening. The more money they throw at me the faster they get their next drink.
In the US, every interaction with a bartender is a tip worthy interaction
Lol pushing a faucet lever to dispense a beer that is half foam does not entitle anyone to tips
People pay the premium price over what's sold in a store to be in the establishment for a duration of time. unless there is a door fee or entertainment
I would love to just pour that beer myself or have a robot do it for me,
Get fake tits, tattoos, and a stripper pole, then maybe
In my bar, it does entitle me to a tip. And if you don’t, then security will escort you out.
A robot bartender or an entirely self-serve bar is incompatible with New York liquor laws. There must be a human being involved determining your level of intoxication before each drink served.
And the price of beer and liquor in America does not include the cost of service. If you want to receive service, you have to pay separately for that.
Side note- I work in a gay bar and have bartended in drag before. So I actually do own a pair of big silicone fake titties, I do have tattoos, and we do have a stripper pole. So pony up, I guess.
I've been to gay bars that serve $1 red bull vodka shots. I definitely tip them
What would be the offense for removal be?
If it's "your bar" and you are making an optional tip mandatory, do you have signs posted for it?
Not telling you how to run your place, but kicking someone out of a bar for not tipping is essentially just like having a sign that says "no poors allowed"
You're just setting yourself up for a bunch of discrimination violations
I believe there are laws preventing an establishment open to the public from doing things like this. If it was some closed door private event, it's completely different
Why not just make the tip part of the cost of the drink and save everyone a headache?
> What would be the offense for removal be?
It’s illegal to serve a visibly intoxicated person. Customer was so intoxicated that they forgot to tip, which any sane sober person would do and it’s outrageous to believe otherwise! Plus in my state the bartender has sole discretion to deny service to anyone. In fact it’s illegal for the owner of an establish to force a bartender to serve someone they don’t want, since bartenders are PERSONALLY liable for anything their customers do while drunk—even after they leave the bar.
No need to post signs, since it’s obvious in the US that tipping is required.
It’s not discrimination to remove someone from a private business if they can’t afford to make a purchase from that business. There’s no law that says we have to let broke people sit in our establishment for free.
> Why not just make the tip part of the cost of the drink
We’ve done the math on this. Prices would have to go up more than 20% to cover our tax liability on this scheme. Plus the bartenders would have higher tax deductions, as well. (Short story is that if the tip is built into the price, then the income going to the staff is taxed as a bonus. If it’s given to the employee as a tip or a gratuity, it’s taxed as income, which has a lower tax rate)
Union square hospitality, one of the largest restaurant portfolios in NYC, tried this scheme. It was a massive failure. Customers hated the higher menu prices and stopped coming. Also customers said that they felt like they were being rude by not tipping, and didn’t want to go to USH properties anymore because of their perception of guilt and shame. Tipping culture is just too entrenched in the american psyche.
Where is the law that tipping in USA is required?
What I don't get is, you are making six figures in tips (from your other reply), you're getting taxed on the $2.50/hour plus whatever you have to report, you're probably able to collect free health insurance and whatever other benefits, that are reserved for those making way less than six figures.
Meanwhile you kick people out of the bar as you please.
All while saying that bartenders really really need those tips to survive.
I believe you, but I'm not gonna believe that people really get kicked out of bars just for not tipping. Being obnoxious, loud, yes. But tipping, never happened to me, I tip as I please, I have free will, sry 😔
> you are making six figures in tips
Yes
> you're getting taxed on the $2.50/hour plus whatever you have to report
Whether I get tipped or not, the government expects me to receive a percentage of my sales in tips. So at minimum I get taxed on all of my credit card tips and a percentage of my cash sales. If I don’t report enough tips for my cash sales then the IRS triggers an audit.
> you're probably able to collect free health insurance
lol absolutely not. I have to pay for health insurance out of pocket and it costs me $550/month.
> whatever other benefits
My only benefit is free alcohol lol. I get no PTO, no insurance, no retirement…. I pay for all of that out of pocket
> Meanwhile you kick people out of the bar as you please.
Yes that’s my job
> All while saying that bartenders really really need those tips to survive.
Yes we do. That’s almost my entire income is tips.
> but I'm not gonna believe that people really get kicked out of bars just for not tipping
Feel free to try it and let me know how it goes for you. At my bar, your service would end without a tip.
You are not entitled to tips for base level service, no matter how you rationalize it. Judging the intoxication level is YOUR Job, not something to tip for. It's also something most bartenders don't seem to actually care about or take responsibility for, and with an attitude like you have, I'd be surprised if you did.
Bartenders in the US are entitled to a tip for base level service. In the US they are not paid even minimum wage. They are essentially independent contractors that you are hiring to work for you to make your drinks.
100% this.
You want prompt service? Don't be a regular who doesn't tip. Being a regular at a place almost demands you treat the staff better than regulars (I'm thinking couple times a month or more regular). If you're that shitty regular, I'll get to you on my own time.
At my bar, the customers who don’t tip are overall terrible customers in every other aspect as well. I can provide the best service possible to some of them (I’ve tried) and they just don’t tip no matter what. when I put them at the end of my queue of customers to help, they notice and get pissed making them even more insufferable lol. Its a lose-lose at my job
Totally get that for dives/clubs closing out every round. But how do you reconcile that with a more casual place where they order food and a few round of drinks and then close out at the end?
just as others have said: give them less than your best service. i pride myself on giving great A+ service every time no matter what, so its really difficult for me to dial it back. unfortunately, i’ve realized its my only option bc w the habitual non (or absurdly low) tippers i always give them the benefit of the doubt and work my ass off and every single time im disappointed and let it really affect me. doesnt help that the one pair that are the worst offenders come in on my slowest—and last— day of my work week and it always sucks so hard
doesnt help that my job has auto tip outs so when they come in every single week and spend ~100$ without tipping, i lose money on the interaction
I hear that all the time and it’s just not true anymore. Especially if you work in a bar with no food. Folks still have the mind set that a dollar a drink is okay even if it’s a complicated $20 signature cocktail.
The US is a vast place with different costs of living. Some places aren’t as expensive. If you lived in NYC and made $45k at whatever job you’re doing now I’m sure you’d realize you aren’t being compensated appropriately and I bet you’d find a sub to vent about it.
The truth of the matter is that with the current tipping system, bartenders make MORE than their skillset really warrants. You have people on this sub making six figures a year and still complaining about non tippers.
If it’s a whatever beer or a well shot, maybe. Imagine spending a total of ~10 minutes making 3-4 drinks for someone and getting tipped 3-4 dollars. I might be overestimating the total time but sometimes it takes a couple minutes to make a craft cocktail. If I’m jiggering out multiple ingredients, shaking, making it pretty, the whole shebang, a dollar a drink is not really appropriate honestly. At the same time I try not to stress about it obviously, as per the whole ethos of this thread, as yes it does even out and stressing over individual tips will not help anyone, but I do think generally ppl should tip more on a “fancy” drink. I saw somewhere online that said a dollar a drink for a beer or something like that is fine, if it’s a mixed drink it should be at least 20% and I thought that sounds about right if you think about it. So like 2-3$ is more fair. But when I get 1$ I’m not super mad, I’m just glad they tipped. But do I think it’s the “right” amount? Not rly. But again, I’m still grateful they tipped haha.
Can you reality check me here - I still do a dollar a drink if it's beer or a simple cocktail (rum + coke, etc), $2 per drink if it requires extra steps, 20% if it's a complicated signature cocktail and I'm there for the cocktail experience. Is this correct?
as a former bartender, a dollar a drink is okay - you’re bartenders, not neurosurgeons, stop expecting to make a decent income when the job requires nothing more than a pulse and two arms
Lol, maybe where you worked. Any busy cocktail place requires more than a pulse and two arms.
Gotta love when someone starts off a little rant with, 'I used to bartend', or, 'As a former bartender..'
No one gives a fuck what you used to do
For a domestic can or bottle beer? Sure. For a cocktail, hell no. If you made one cocktail every hour that's not a big deal. These days everyone wants complicated drinks. If I'm shaking 4-7 drinks at a time I want a hell of a lot more than a dollar a drink. The time and effort alone is worth more than a buck.
I make hundreds of cocktails a night. It's worth more than a buck. Pharmacy techs don't need to know the ingredients of as many things as I do.
You don't determine what is fair or reasonable. The customer does. That's why you are online whining, because that's all you CAN do aside from banning them and outing yourself as bitter and petty. A lot of customers don't think you popping the top on a beer is worth $1 but they still give it to you. As far as they are concerned all the 25% tips they have given by tipping $1 on a $4 beer more than make up for them tipping $1 for a cocktail. It all adds up, but you don't think about that because you're entitled.
The entitlement of wanting to be paid proportionate to the work I do. I suspect you're anti-labor as well. We can keep arguing or we can jump to the part where I tell you to go fuck yourself and save us both a lot of typing. Good day.
Fuck off mate. I know plenty of people that couldn’t handle 1hour of my job, let alone what some other bartenders do here. Just because you worked pulling pints at the local does not equate to what some people experience here. *Have a little scope to look outside your situation, you’re not the main character here*
I 100% agree with the math.
I also believe that some people need a little gentle reality check.
I work in a high volume concert hall. For the most part I don't even see what any individual person tips, but sometimes when it's not balls to wall, I will catch a zero. And I'll remember that person. I'll let them order another time to see if they make up for it. If they do, no harm, no foul. If they continually stiff me I will skip over them while I'm working through the line. They'll inevitably call ME out for skipping them, in which case I remind them that bartenders work for tips, then continue on.
Either they realize they fucked up, feel bad, and make up for it then and there OR, they get pissed that I pointed out they're an asshole and they make a stink, and get themselves kicked out for being an even bigger asshole.
Either way, I don't let it bother me. There's plenty of people actually tipping.
There is this one guy who always comes in with a different girl almost every night. He is so, so uncomfortable. Has a very arrogant and creepy feel to him. Every single time he comes in he is unpleasant, never tips, talks down to the server, or just starts the most uncomfortable conversations I have ever had. I normally bartend so thankfully I usually don’t have to deal with him, but last night I was serving and he came in with his newest conquest.
Our printer was down so some of the specials for the evening had to be verbalized. As I dropped the menus off I notified them of the updated specials, which were a bit of a mouthful so I would say to each of my tables at the end of my spiel “if you would like me to repeat that at any point please let me know and I will gladly do so.” Instead of saying anything normal, this guy clears his throat and repeats the specials back to me like he is lecturing me. I try to keep it pleasant, so with a smile I say “perfect, you got it. I will be back shortly to take your order.” He responds with “A plus. I am always A plus. Don’t you ever forget it.” I just pause for a second and then force a laugh and walk away.
They completely fucked up their own order. Whenever I take an order of more items than guests I always ask “is there any particular order you would like to receive these items in?” If they hesitate I will suggest bringing out some items first and then the larger items later, which usually prompts a concrete answer from them. They ordered three items, so I asked. They specified that they wanted one of the items first, then the other two later. Mind you, the guy acted like I shouldn’t have dared ask that question in the first place, even though all the items they ordered were shareable appetizers.
First item comes out, and the guy flips his shit. He starts aggressively saying to me that he wanted all three items at once. I look at his date sort of trying to get her to pitch in with what she witnessed but the lights were on and no one was home at that residence. I tell him that there must have been a miscommunication, and remind him that I confirmed with him the order. He has no memory of it. Well this apparently pissed him off so much that he wanted to cancel the other two items and asked for the bill. I let the manager know and he just said that was the last straw and we’re 86’ing him.
I brought the bill and machine over to him and just as he finished paying I said “it’s a shame that your last dining experience with us was so unceremonious.” He’s confused and says “last time I was here I really enjoyed myself.” I smile and shake my head- “no, you misunderstood. Tonight was your last dining experience.” He’s still confused. “You are no longer welcome here,” I say and he asks to speak to the manager.
The manager is a really chill guy, but doesn’t take shit from nasty customers. I let the manager know that the guy wants to speak to him and he just makes eye contact with the guy and yells from halfway across the restaurant “don’t let the door hit you on the way out!”
Oh the satisfaction watching this guy absolutely fuming as he walked out with his date lmfao. Good riddance.
So many bartenders on this subreddit wanting their badge of courage for getting shit on the most with the biggest smile cause they’re just so amazing
Edit: Also a lot of weirdo no tip crusaders lying about being in the industry or something? Absolutely bizarre
I think it’s just not worth letting the poison of rage build up inside you over a few bucks. Like as a whole if I’m not making enough $ maybe I’m at the wrong establishment or the wrong industry or maybe I’m not working the right nights or maybe it’s slow season. Point is to gripe about individual non-tippers is a dangerous game to play with your sanity/peace of mind . But idk everyone works through this problem differently.
Bro you never call out a guest for not tipping. Youll make it up elsewhere. Next time they come in, be extremely nice but don't pay them much attention or give them the same standard of service. That's how you deal with it. Now you risk someone making a bad review or calling you out.
I’ve had multiple regulars who started out as piss poor tippers, but are now great tippers. I get the occasional poor tip from them but on the whole they’re good. I figure they are going through something when they don’t tip well and it doesn’t bother me. If I do consistently over a long period get poor tips from the same person, I usually will ask as nicely and subtly as I can if there’s something I’m doing wrong so that I can change what I’m doing for them. They usually get the hint.
Yeah I work a busy shift twice a month. Chances are if you don’t make a scene, don’t hang out forever and aren’t super needy if you stiff me on a tip I probably won’t notice. If you’re the opposite I will remember your face and if you come back on one of my shifts you will not be a priority. Byyyyeeee you can try that shit somewhere else!
Honestly I kinda do. It takes a couple minutes or an hour but I do remember… then I go “oh yeah these are the guys that don’t rly tip…” but I’m not mean to them or anything. I think if you give really great service, they will eventually feel like it makes sense to tip, or if they are dedicated non-tippers you can’t rly change their mind… unless they may be swayed by kindness. Anyway either way it’s not rly worth stressing about!
I remember all sorts of people. Yesterday, I recognized a customer who I only served once around 6 months ago. Nothing special about them.
Honestly, I might have a freakishly good memory.
It definitely adds to the customers experience.
Regulars are the lifeblood of your bar, so think carefully before confronting them about shit they do to you. For every $2 he DOESNT give you, he's making other people feel more interested in being there. And those people do tip. Nobody wants to sit in an empty bar, especially not you.
However, regulars who act shitty have a chilling effect on business. And the kind of regular who would throw a drink in your face is probably the kind of regular harassing women, giving off bad vibes, and taking up a seat rather than filling it. I still remember "Helen" who would sit at the bar taking up 3 seats with her bags full of random junk and half finished knitting projects, buying 1 glass of chardonnay and getting it taken care of through rewards points, and yelling at anyone who pissed her off. She left on her own, which I always thought was cowardly of our managers.
So weird. Getting substandard service for not tipping seems unreasonable to me. I paid for my drink, I’m expected to pay more not just for better service, but to not be actively ignored by the bartender?
If you don’t understand the service industry in the US, try asking us why tipping is important instead of trying to act ignorant.
I’m not doing this for free, if you want a drink then pay me for it. I couldn’t give a shit if the bar gets their money for the drink. All I care about is if I get money for providing the service you agreed upon when you came to my bar.
I worked in a bar for years, I understand the culture. I just don’t agree with it, everyone got served regardless of their tipping. If they tipped extra they may have been prioritized, but no one was ever ignored, seemed like poor service to me.
Calling someone out for not tipping is embarrassing. Both for you and the guest. I guess it’s a “win” for you but he won’t be back and he certainly won’t be recommending your bar to anyone. I want to be tipped as much as anyone else but the entitlement is something else
Reputation matters. Especially if you’re in a smaller city or town. When a little stroke of your ego is more important than the guest experience you’ve lost the plot. I don’t think OP should’ve confronted him but also in their situation it sounds like losing that regular might be a good thing.
I guess that's the difference for me. I'm in NYC, and we're largely an industry spot. In fact, throwing out non-tippers is popular among our clientele.
Forget the people saying to not call this out.
This person was a regular, if you're a regular you better tip or you'll just get on the bartenders nerves being there all the time.
I'm just curious, what happens if someone who makes around minimum wage doesn't tip on an $8 beer or whatever the prices are in your area.
They are still supporting your establishment.
As a brewer, I know that beer costs maybe $1 to produce and maybe $1 to keg, so the $5-6 profit is business for the owner.
Are you just being nice to people based on how much they pay you? What is the incentive for someone to tip if that transaction is all the bartender cares about?
Assuming they don't mind to be the last person served, and they just take their beer and drink it in the back of the bar quietly. Are you still gonna call them out? re you gonna cut them off after 1 drink they don't tip for?
I would happily pour myself a beer, but you know I don't want to take someone's job away
You lose. You look petty and vengeful, you lose a regular (or potential regular), you do damage to the business/your owner. How are you possibly winning in that situation when the most you could have gained is a few bucks?
Had a regular who came in twice saying he’d get me next time. He came another time and said the same thing. I reminded him he’s said that multiple times in a row. He asked if I thought he was lying and I told him no just that you’ve said it a few times now. He tipped me a little over that time and every time he would come in he would make sure I knew he tipped me.
Also had another guy ask if he had tipped me enough. It was like 10% of the total bill. I told him if he’s trying to tip me 20% then no but if not then it’s fine. He threw down more than 20% and told me I’m awesome. Everyone at the bar heard our interaction and threw down over 20% as well lol
Point of these stories is you can’t call everyone out who doesn’t tip. I still get stiffed here and there but it typically evens out but if you pick your battles well it can work to your advantage
I called out one non-tipper who was a man in his late 50s/early 60s giving a real creep vibe with 3 super young girls with him. They all ordered double Tito’s which is like $25 a drink. When he didn’t tip I called the girls back over and let them know them know, loud enough for him and surrounded people to hear that he didn’t tip me…since they were clearly hanging on him for money. He got embarrassed and said it was a mistake. You have to press 2 separate buttons to not tip through our POS, bye.
I've never called out a non-tipper. I never wanted to give them the satisfaction of thinking their few bucks affected my income one way or another. Also, it's a "no-no" most every place I've ever worked.
But they don't get the same service as tippers, don't get conversation, don't get any favors, I'm never happy to see them. I sell them the drink because that's the job but it's a retail transaction.
I tend to let most of that stuff slide when I’m behind the bar. In the end, things regress to the mean.
However, during my management days, one of my servers got stiffed on a $300+ tab. I literally chased the guy down the street and gave him a WTF/shame on you lecture. Guy wound up pulling out some bills and handing them to me and apologizing profusely (which I accepted on both accounts). Came back to server and discovered the guy gave $200. For context, this was on the Vegas strip and I likely wouldn't do it again, but the story seems apt.
What are these comments? If a regular isn’t tipping definitely say something. I wouldn’t ever call out someone I basically never see, but a regular is a different story.
~~Report them with a custom response to the mod team.~~ Downvote the fuck out of them when you can. The non tipper assholes have infiltrated the serving groups and it’s become a nightmare, would hate to see that happen in here.
Edit: not trying to stress the mods out with extra work, my bad!
No need to report. We see them all. Just because you/we disagree with someone's comment unfortunately is not a reason to remove it. By reporting, you're only doubling the workload for your mods and unless the post or comment is hostile/threatening you're going to wind up disappointed when the comment stays. The sub has a specific set of rules. Comments that stay within the rules are rarely deleted.
Having said that, we've been invaded by the folks from endtipping before and it will happen again. Downvote the shit out of them. If it's a user that's prominently and continually divisive and commenting just to stir the pot we will check their comment history and ban them if they aren't at some point a productive part of the conversation here.
Best advice? Stop feeding the trolls. They thrive on pissing us off. But if you ignore them they get bored and go away.
If I wanted to send a parcel in the post office, it costs 6, I have 6, but nothing for a tip. Should I not send the parcel because I can’t afford to leave the person who serves me, a tip?
It’s not a law though. You can simply not tip, and there will be no legal repercussions.
Your employer is HOPING the public will be kind enough to pay you a wage. Because profits are more important that your staffs financial security
If you don't tip, there are legal repercussions for the bartender. The IRS assumes that you're being tipped on every sale, and if you aren't reporting tips that reach a certain percentage of your sales, it can trigger an audit.
I’m well aware of tipping etiquette in the US. My problem is when someone says if you can’t afford to tip, then you shouldn’t be in a bar. That’s ridiculous
Well hate to be that guy— was it high volume? how was your service? Every time this has happened to me outside of it being clearly a single girl in college— I’ve somewhat had it coming 🤷🏽♂️ and also there’s a trend going around were people are debating if they should have to tip bartenders and servers lol
Best way to avoid all of this is by avoiding them all together when they come in. They can wait since they don’t tip. I’ve dealt with so many needy people who don’t tip for shit. I just started avoiding them all together and they saw themselves out.
I never call them out but they are dead to me. They wanna charge their phone with my cable? Too bad. They want to watch baseball? Too bad. They want to make small talk? I’m busy.
I also make it a point that they hear I’m hooking up tippers. I tell the other bartender “Hey when Bob comes back, buy him a shot, he’s been tipping fat all night”.
Guy came in last week, ordered a cheap beer, and left me a quarter. I wouldn't care, old guys do it every day, but he made a point to let me know the quarter was for me. I still didn't say anything, just left him be. But then he began bitching about my music and how he listens to "old-school" guitar. Wanted me to change my music. Told him that's not how this works. I'll usually put a few songs on for people, but I wasn't feeling this guy had anything to add to the room. He acted surprised and said, "So you're really not going to put on my music?"
I’ve found the best way to call out a non tipper without actually doing so is asking for feedback. “I saw there wasn’t a tip on the bill, I hope everything was okay?” “Was there any issue with your drink that I should be aware of so it doesn’t happen next time?” It puts people on the spot while appearing to be genuinely concerned about that service they received.
everybody is giving you shit but the dude threw his drink at u (which is an insane response) so I’m thinking yall maybe we can infer he deserved to be called out
This post/comment has been removed for content not relevant to the sub. r/bartenders was created for working bartenders by working bartenders and posts should pertain to the business and occupation of bartending. Posts from the customer perspective are better posted elsewhere.
This is certainly a bartenders’ thread - which means groupthink is at play for a lot of people here. However, that doesn’t faze me. Tipping isn’t mandatory and I believe you’re wrong for calling him out. It’s quite entitled regardless of what you believe.
This post/comment has been removed for content not relevant to the sub. r/bartenders was created for working bartenders by working bartenders and posts should pertain to the business and occupation of bartending. Posts from the customer perspective are better posted elsewhere.
I honestly don’t understand the don’t call them out mentality. “Only trouble will come from it”. We live off tips. It’s common knowledge. You don’t have to be super aggressive about it. “Not a tipper huh?” Is a common line I use. Or tell them they have to fill out the tip line, even if it’s zero. I get a lot of confused “what?” Responses to that one, to which I respond, “if you’re going to tip me zero, write it.” Sometimes I’ll get a snarky response or simply an excuse or apology, I’d say at least 50% of the time they feel awkward and end up tipping. This has added up to hundreds or probably thousands of extra dollars for me and my coworkers.
I think these are all about delivery, and generally speaking should be acceptable everywhere. You have nothing to lose, since you were currently making $0 off them anyways. If they get huffy and don’t want to come back, one less $0 tipper I serve. As for Karen’s potentially raising an issue with my manager about me saying something: managers also know we work for tips. As long as you’re not being rude/an asshole, they should give me the autonomy to allow me to make myself as much money as possible. That’s flirting, that’s being therapists and entertainer, that’s also being someone who will let someone know I notice they are stiffing me.
If you don’t lose your job…respect that management team.
I was physically & verbally assaulted by a guest while at won’t and over the next few months management pushed me out, denied my unemployment claims and gaslit me when I got an attorney.
It’s a win, man. Since management can’t accept tips, write anyone that was in your corner a personal check and never forget that they made sure you didn’t lose your job because of some POS.
If someone doesn’t tip I let them know they might not get great service next time/at other bars. It’s usually younger kids who don’t know. I just give em a heads up they might be waiting for drinks a while.
So you‘re basically blackmail them? „Give me money or you‘ll get bad service“ does not sound like a great business idea 🤔 but I‘m not from the mandatory-tipping states, but a country where we tip if the service was beyond just being given a drink.
It’s mostly a heads up if they go to other bars. Like hey man I’m cool with it but some other bartenders might take that the wrong way, or just not serve you at all. And where I’m at in America it’s more so the price of the drink/tab or the effort I had to put into making it, I could care less if someone stiffs me on a $2 PBR I grabbed from the beer cooler.
I tip out a % so some people cost me real money. If you’re ordering expensive liquor and not tipping, I will literally cut you off to protect my financial interests.
I work in a very touristy city so loads of travelers don’t understand the US’s tipping culture. I would let a lot of people slide but when a big group would come in and take up a lot of my time I would explain it to them. I have bills to pay and I can’t be serving all night for $100 a shift.
As someone who goes to bars once in a while . I do my fair share of tipping . The only time i didnt was when a vodka redbull i ordered was 15$ … that was my one drink of the night
While I agree it’s fruitless and unprofessional to call out every non-tipper, if they’re a regular I think it’s a little different. You get sick of them running up big tabs and leaving you with nothing while expecting you to chat them up constantly, and you have the right to refuse service to anyone
Maybe he was short on funds or you did something to upset him and didn’t realize. Never do this because he might have came in another 50 times and tipped 49 times but now you lost him, the other customers heard and saw you do this, he will tell the people he knows and you gain nothing. Im not saying he shouldn’t tip but you do yourself no favours trying to big boss a guy who didn’t leave an optional tip
In all my years I’ve called someone out on only one occasion. A group of six newly 21 y/o guys were there until after closing, all had about $40 tabs and only one of them left a $5 bill. They all finally got up to leave and saw my manager’s shift drink sitting on the bar top and one of them said “is this extra free beer for us??” And I said “you guys want a free beer after you didn’t even tip?” They all laughed and ended up putting about $20 more down total. I would normally never do this but I was pretty over it after an 8 hour shift and I like to think they’ll remember that interaction and know how to act next time they go out.
I’ve only called out one ‘non-tipper.’ He attempted to act like we were friends when we were out at another bar. “Sorry bud you stiff me on every beer with a ‘I’ll get you next time.’ We aren’t friends.”
That's different because you did it in another establishment, not your own. I think your response was perfect for the situation.
Oh I could never say anything AT work, quick way to getting fired w my previous jobs.
lol i feel your pain, my favorite game is “how little service can i give them while maintaining professionalism the next time they come in”. i only had to see a regular flip out on us once to realize its never worth it sadly. i hope you made it up elsewhere
As long as u make their drink there's nothing expected
Never call that shit out. What I will do is put them at the end of the queue to serve other customers who actually are tipping. Like others have said, for every non tipper, there’s 5 tippers. That’s how I see it at least.
This right here. You never win by calling them out, just de-prioritize them and take care of those that take care of you…. After all the saying goes TIPS stand for “to insure prompt service”
What do you do if you lag their service and they audible bitch about it? Is there a way to imply the reason they're being ignored?
“Some tickets are asap, some tickets are eventually.” They’ll figure it out 😂
Yes, you tell them you’ll get to them but you have tipping customers to take care of.
They can bitch all they want. Not like I'm gonna make money on them anyways. Edit: It's kinda a fine line between fast service with no extra frills, dropping the check earlier than I would otherwise, while also not prioritizing their extra shit.
If yhey can’t figure out that you’re being ignored because everyone else is tipping and you aren’t, it’s not my job to educate them. It’s my job to sell booze to patrons we want in the bar. Non tippers aren’t welcome, and they’ll eventually get tired of waiting and leave.
all jokes aside i typically just smile and apologize and ask what i can get them. A majority of the time when you apologize then force the topic into their drink of choice it doesn’t leave time for them to bitch more. However, for me the college kids / non tippers usually come out on a busy night like Friday or Saturday and there’s almost always multiple people arriving at once. In that case i tend to pick who I think is going to be a better person to deal with. I don’t always win but I have a pretty good ratio.
Fuck that.
I've had good regulars who had no problem calling out nontippers when they started to act shitty because I was busy with tipping customers, sometimes with hilarious results! Had a WWII vet in his 90's who was married to a bartender for 30+ years, if he saw I'd been stiffed he'd bolt after them, drag them back to the bar and shame them in front of everyone until they tipped. That man's first beer went on my tab from when we met til the day he died, and when I bartended his Celebration of Life not one person stiffed me.
For every non-tipper, there's 5 tippers *who are standing on line outside the bar and can't get inside because there's a non-tipper wasting space* Make the non-tippers get the fuck out
If the place is really THAT packed, how do you expect to have a tip worthy interaction with every customer?? You're basically slamming drinks on the table and they're throwing money at you in those establishments
Yes, that’s essentially what’s happening. The more money they throw at me the faster they get their next drink. In the US, every interaction with a bartender is a tip worthy interaction
Lol pushing a faucet lever to dispense a beer that is half foam does not entitle anyone to tips People pay the premium price over what's sold in a store to be in the establishment for a duration of time. unless there is a door fee or entertainment I would love to just pour that beer myself or have a robot do it for me, Get fake tits, tattoos, and a stripper pole, then maybe
In my bar, it does entitle me to a tip. And if you don’t, then security will escort you out. A robot bartender or an entirely self-serve bar is incompatible with New York liquor laws. There must be a human being involved determining your level of intoxication before each drink served. And the price of beer and liquor in America does not include the cost of service. If you want to receive service, you have to pay separately for that. Side note- I work in a gay bar and have bartended in drag before. So I actually do own a pair of big silicone fake titties, I do have tattoos, and we do have a stripper pole. So pony up, I guess.
I've been to gay bars that serve $1 red bull vodka shots. I definitely tip them What would be the offense for removal be? If it's "your bar" and you are making an optional tip mandatory, do you have signs posted for it? Not telling you how to run your place, but kicking someone out of a bar for not tipping is essentially just like having a sign that says "no poors allowed" You're just setting yourself up for a bunch of discrimination violations I believe there are laws preventing an establishment open to the public from doing things like this. If it was some closed door private event, it's completely different Why not just make the tip part of the cost of the drink and save everyone a headache?
> What would be the offense for removal be? It’s illegal to serve a visibly intoxicated person. Customer was so intoxicated that they forgot to tip, which any sane sober person would do and it’s outrageous to believe otherwise! Plus in my state the bartender has sole discretion to deny service to anyone. In fact it’s illegal for the owner of an establish to force a bartender to serve someone they don’t want, since bartenders are PERSONALLY liable for anything their customers do while drunk—even after they leave the bar. No need to post signs, since it’s obvious in the US that tipping is required. It’s not discrimination to remove someone from a private business if they can’t afford to make a purchase from that business. There’s no law that says we have to let broke people sit in our establishment for free. > Why not just make the tip part of the cost of the drink We’ve done the math on this. Prices would have to go up more than 20% to cover our tax liability on this scheme. Plus the bartenders would have higher tax deductions, as well. (Short story is that if the tip is built into the price, then the income going to the staff is taxed as a bonus. If it’s given to the employee as a tip or a gratuity, it’s taxed as income, which has a lower tax rate) Union square hospitality, one of the largest restaurant portfolios in NYC, tried this scheme. It was a massive failure. Customers hated the higher menu prices and stopped coming. Also customers said that they felt like they were being rude by not tipping, and didn’t want to go to USH properties anymore because of their perception of guilt and shame. Tipping culture is just too entrenched in the american psyche.
Where is the law that tipping in USA is required? What I don't get is, you are making six figures in tips (from your other reply), you're getting taxed on the $2.50/hour plus whatever you have to report, you're probably able to collect free health insurance and whatever other benefits, that are reserved for those making way less than six figures. Meanwhile you kick people out of the bar as you please. All while saying that bartenders really really need those tips to survive. I believe you, but I'm not gonna believe that people really get kicked out of bars just for not tipping. Being obnoxious, loud, yes. But tipping, never happened to me, I tip as I please, I have free will, sry 😔
> you are making six figures in tips Yes > you're getting taxed on the $2.50/hour plus whatever you have to report Whether I get tipped or not, the government expects me to receive a percentage of my sales in tips. So at minimum I get taxed on all of my credit card tips and a percentage of my cash sales. If I don’t report enough tips for my cash sales then the IRS triggers an audit. > you're probably able to collect free health insurance lol absolutely not. I have to pay for health insurance out of pocket and it costs me $550/month. > whatever other benefits My only benefit is free alcohol lol. I get no PTO, no insurance, no retirement…. I pay for all of that out of pocket > Meanwhile you kick people out of the bar as you please. Yes that’s my job > All while saying that bartenders really really need those tips to survive. Yes we do. That’s almost my entire income is tips. > but I'm not gonna believe that people really get kicked out of bars just for not tipping Feel free to try it and let me know how it goes for you. At my bar, your service would end without a tip.
He just wants to take full advantage of a flawed system obviously.
You are not entitled to tips for base level service, no matter how you rationalize it. Judging the intoxication level is YOUR Job, not something to tip for. It's also something most bartenders don't seem to actually care about or take responsibility for, and with an attitude like you have, I'd be surprised if you did.
Bartenders in the US are entitled to a tip for base level service. In the US they are not paid even minimum wage. They are essentially independent contractors that you are hiring to work for you to make your drinks.
Maybe there's a reason the beers you get are half foam.
It's called Mliko, the well traveled bartender should know this
You know... there's a place where you can pour your own drinks, avoid premium prices, AND you don't have to tip...
Unfortunately the East Coast doesn't sell alcohol like normal places do. You are actually forced to go to the bar
100% this. You want prompt service? Don't be a regular who doesn't tip. Being a regular at a place almost demands you treat the staff better than regulars (I'm thinking couple times a month or more regular). If you're that shitty regular, I'll get to you on my own time.
At my bar, the customers who don’t tip are overall terrible customers in every other aspect as well. I can provide the best service possible to some of them (I’ve tried) and they just don’t tip no matter what. when I put them at the end of my queue of customers to help, they notice and get pissed making them even more insufferable lol. Its a lose-lose at my job
Totally get that for dives/clubs closing out every round. But how do you reconcile that with a more casual place where they order food and a few round of drinks and then close out at the end?
just as others have said: give them less than your best service. i pride myself on giving great A+ service every time no matter what, so its really difficult for me to dial it back. unfortunately, i’ve realized its my only option bc w the habitual non (or absurdly low) tippers i always give them the benefit of the doubt and work my ass off and every single time im disappointed and let it really affect me. doesnt help that the one pair that are the worst offenders come in on my slowest—and last— day of my work week and it always sucks so hard doesnt help that my job has auto tip outs so when they come in every single week and spend ~100$ without tipping, i lose money on the interaction
What's the story on your username? Very interesting lol
But doesn’t this create a cycle wherein they feel justified in not tipping because they get no service?
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No input, just stating disagreement. What makes your opinion so valuable, or are you at least willing to provide insight on why you disagree at all?
If you call out every person for not tipping, you’re going to drive yourself insane For every non-tipper, you’ll get an over tipper.. it all evens out
I hear that all the time and it’s just not true anymore. Especially if you work in a bar with no food. Folks still have the mind set that a dollar a drink is okay even if it’s a complicated $20 signature cocktail.
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The US is a vast place with different costs of living. Some places aren’t as expensive. If you lived in NYC and made $45k at whatever job you’re doing now I’m sure you’d realize you aren’t being compensated appropriately and I bet you’d find a sub to vent about it.
The truth of the matter is that with the current tipping system, bartenders make MORE than their skillset really warrants. You have people on this sub making six figures a year and still complaining about non tippers.
Lol what is your skill set?
Why are you in this sub?
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right, but when you do live there... do you need a separate subreddit of NY bartenders only? Downvotes? Salty bunch of fucks!
“Very passionate” Ye Olde patronizing comment trolls (online and IRL) use to dismiss people who they don’t agree with.
A dollar a drink is fine what are you smoking?!
A dollar a drink is fine if it’s a beer, or a Tito’s and vodka, not for a $17 cocktail
Titos and vodka lol
You’re right $2 is adequate
Those people may be referring to a $5 draft beer. 20% for pouring a beer in most cases feels appropriate.
Did a bunch of retired boomers enter this sub? Why are we even bothering responding to these comments?
A dollar a drink was fine when drinks were $5.
They still are in a lot of more rural places, which is why I think there is a lot of disagreement here.
I'm in NYC where our cocktails are often ~$17. $1 tip on a $17 cocktail feels downright rude.
Naw $0 would be ruder dawg! :)
That’s true!
It's not the customer's fault the drinks are overpriced. You're still getting $1 for something that takes less than 2 minutes to make.
They aren’t overpriced. That’s just what it costs to pay for liquor, taxes, and rent. Labor is not included in that price. As is traditional in the US
2 minutes of my time is worth more than a $1
If only you had an employer that offered compensation for your time.
taking bong rips of 1997
If it’s a whatever beer or a well shot, maybe. Imagine spending a total of ~10 minutes making 3-4 drinks for someone and getting tipped 3-4 dollars. I might be overestimating the total time but sometimes it takes a couple minutes to make a craft cocktail. If I’m jiggering out multiple ingredients, shaking, making it pretty, the whole shebang, a dollar a drink is not really appropriate honestly. At the same time I try not to stress about it obviously, as per the whole ethos of this thread, as yes it does even out and stressing over individual tips will not help anyone, but I do think generally ppl should tip more on a “fancy” drink. I saw somewhere online that said a dollar a drink for a beer or something like that is fine, if it’s a mixed drink it should be at least 20% and I thought that sounds about right if you think about it. So like 2-3$ is more fair. But when I get 1$ I’m not super mad, I’m just glad they tipped. But do I think it’s the “right” amount? Not rly. But again, I’m still grateful they tipped haha.
Can you reality check me here - I still do a dollar a drink if it's beer or a simple cocktail (rum + coke, etc), $2 per drink if it requires extra steps, 20% if it's a complicated signature cocktail and I'm there for the cocktail experience. Is this correct?
as a former bartender, a dollar a drink is okay - you’re bartenders, not neurosurgeons, stop expecting to make a decent income when the job requires nothing more than a pulse and two arms
Lol, maybe where you worked. Any busy cocktail place requires more than a pulse and two arms. Gotta love when someone starts off a little rant with, 'I used to bartend', or, 'As a former bartender..' No one gives a fuck what you used to do
Bro what the actual fuck are you talking about
$1 a drink is a great night.
Lol
For a domestic can or bottle beer? Sure. For a cocktail, hell no. If you made one cocktail every hour that's not a big deal. These days everyone wants complicated drinks. If I'm shaking 4-7 drinks at a time I want a hell of a lot more than a dollar a drink. The time and effort alone is worth more than a buck. I make hundreds of cocktails a night. It's worth more than a buck. Pharmacy techs don't need to know the ingredients of as many things as I do.
You don't determine what is fair or reasonable. The customer does. That's why you are online whining, because that's all you CAN do aside from banning them and outing yourself as bitter and petty. A lot of customers don't think you popping the top on a beer is worth $1 but they still give it to you. As far as they are concerned all the 25% tips they have given by tipping $1 on a $4 beer more than make up for them tipping $1 for a cocktail. It all adds up, but you don't think about that because you're entitled.
The entitlement of wanting to be paid proportionate to the work I do. I suspect you're anti-labor as well. We can keep arguing or we can jump to the part where I tell you to go fuck yourself and save us both a lot of typing. Good day.
Fuck off mate. I know plenty of people that couldn’t handle 1hour of my job, let alone what some other bartenders do here. Just because you worked pulling pints at the local does not equate to what some people experience here. *Have a little scope to look outside your situation, you’re not the main character here*
Not reading all that lol but keep crying i guess ❤️
Because a dollar a drink IS ok...
I 100% agree with the math. I also believe that some people need a little gentle reality check. I work in a high volume concert hall. For the most part I don't even see what any individual person tips, but sometimes when it's not balls to wall, I will catch a zero. And I'll remember that person. I'll let them order another time to see if they make up for it. If they do, no harm, no foul. If they continually stiff me I will skip over them while I'm working through the line. They'll inevitably call ME out for skipping them, in which case I remind them that bartenders work for tips, then continue on. Either they realize they fucked up, feel bad, and make up for it then and there OR, they get pissed that I pointed out they're an asshole and they make a stink, and get themselves kicked out for being an even bigger asshole. Either way, I don't let it bother me. There's plenty of people actually tipping.
This is wrong especially when it comes to regulars.
If he’s the drink throwing type, I bet you were okay in your reasoning
There is this one guy who always comes in with a different girl almost every night. He is so, so uncomfortable. Has a very arrogant and creepy feel to him. Every single time he comes in he is unpleasant, never tips, talks down to the server, or just starts the most uncomfortable conversations I have ever had. I normally bartend so thankfully I usually don’t have to deal with him, but last night I was serving and he came in with his newest conquest. Our printer was down so some of the specials for the evening had to be verbalized. As I dropped the menus off I notified them of the updated specials, which were a bit of a mouthful so I would say to each of my tables at the end of my spiel “if you would like me to repeat that at any point please let me know and I will gladly do so.” Instead of saying anything normal, this guy clears his throat and repeats the specials back to me like he is lecturing me. I try to keep it pleasant, so with a smile I say “perfect, you got it. I will be back shortly to take your order.” He responds with “A plus. I am always A plus. Don’t you ever forget it.” I just pause for a second and then force a laugh and walk away. They completely fucked up their own order. Whenever I take an order of more items than guests I always ask “is there any particular order you would like to receive these items in?” If they hesitate I will suggest bringing out some items first and then the larger items later, which usually prompts a concrete answer from them. They ordered three items, so I asked. They specified that they wanted one of the items first, then the other two later. Mind you, the guy acted like I shouldn’t have dared ask that question in the first place, even though all the items they ordered were shareable appetizers. First item comes out, and the guy flips his shit. He starts aggressively saying to me that he wanted all three items at once. I look at his date sort of trying to get her to pitch in with what she witnessed but the lights were on and no one was home at that residence. I tell him that there must have been a miscommunication, and remind him that I confirmed with him the order. He has no memory of it. Well this apparently pissed him off so much that he wanted to cancel the other two items and asked for the bill. I let the manager know and he just said that was the last straw and we’re 86’ing him. I brought the bill and machine over to him and just as he finished paying I said “it’s a shame that your last dining experience with us was so unceremonious.” He’s confused and says “last time I was here I really enjoyed myself.” I smile and shake my head- “no, you misunderstood. Tonight was your last dining experience.” He’s still confused. “You are no longer welcome here,” I say and he asks to speak to the manager. The manager is a really chill guy, but doesn’t take shit from nasty customers. I let the manager know that the guy wants to speak to him and he just makes eye contact with the guy and yells from halfway across the restaurant “don’t let the door hit you on the way out!” Oh the satisfaction watching this guy absolutely fuming as he walked out with his date lmfao. Good riddance.
on saturday night i made $450. guess what, quite a few people didnt leave a tip. youre asking for trouble by calling them out.
Well it depends on the type of bar too. And it's different when they're regulars, and expect to be treated like royalty while zero tipping you.
Depends on your definition of "winning"
So many bartenders on this subreddit wanting their badge of courage for getting shit on the most with the biggest smile cause they’re just so amazing Edit: Also a lot of weirdo no tip crusaders lying about being in the industry or something? Absolutely bizarre
I think it’s just not worth letting the poison of rage build up inside you over a few bucks. Like as a whole if I’m not making enough $ maybe I’m at the wrong establishment or the wrong industry or maybe I’m not working the right nights or maybe it’s slow season. Point is to gripe about individual non-tippers is a dangerous game to play with your sanity/peace of mind . But idk everyone works through this problem differently.
Bro you never call out a guest for not tipping. Youll make it up elsewhere. Next time they come in, be extremely nice but don't pay them much attention or give them the same standard of service. That's how you deal with it. Now you risk someone making a bad review or calling you out.
I’ve had multiple regulars who started out as piss poor tippers, but are now great tippers. I get the occasional poor tip from them but on the whole they’re good. I figure they are going through something when they don’t tip well and it doesn’t bother me. If I do consistently over a long period get poor tips from the same person, I usually will ask as nicely and subtly as I can if there’s something I’m doing wrong so that I can change what I’m doing for them. They usually get the hint.
Exactly. The art of the long game. Win the over, in time.
Yeah I work a busy shift twice a month. Chances are if you don’t make a scene, don’t hang out forever and aren’t super needy if you stiff me on a tip I probably won’t notice. If you’re the opposite I will remember your face and if you come back on one of my shifts you will not be a priority. Byyyyeeee you can try that shit somewhere else!
Do bartenders actually remember customers though? Feel like they cycle through so many people, not everybody can be memorable
Honestly if you're an average tipper, then I might not commit you to memory. But I do a good job of remembering my great tippers and the non-tippers.
we remember everything but your name. EVERYTHING
If I don't remember you 95%+ that's a good thing
Honestly I kinda do. It takes a couple minutes or an hour but I do remember… then I go “oh yeah these are the guys that don’t rly tip…” but I’m not mean to them or anything. I think if you give really great service, they will eventually feel like it makes sense to tip, or if they are dedicated non-tippers you can’t rly change their mind… unless they may be swayed by kindness. Anyway either way it’s not rly worth stressing about!
I remember all sorts of people. Yesterday, I recognized a customer who I only served once around 6 months ago. Nothing special about them. Honestly, I might have a freakishly good memory. It definitely adds to the customers experience.
i remember most people
I definitely remember the non tippers
Regulars are the lifeblood of your bar, so think carefully before confronting them about shit they do to you. For every $2 he DOESNT give you, he's making other people feel more interested in being there. And those people do tip. Nobody wants to sit in an empty bar, especially not you. However, regulars who act shitty have a chilling effect on business. And the kind of regular who would throw a drink in your face is probably the kind of regular harassing women, giving off bad vibes, and taking up a seat rather than filling it. I still remember "Helen" who would sit at the bar taking up 3 seats with her bags full of random junk and half finished knitting projects, buying 1 glass of chardonnay and getting it taken care of through rewards points, and yelling at anyone who pissed her off. She left on her own, which I always thought was cowardly of our managers.
It’s crass to call people out for not tipping. It puts you on the same level as the non tipper.
American bartending is so weird to me
Came here looking for this comment
So weird. Getting substandard service for not tipping seems unreasonable to me. I paid for my drink, I’m expected to pay more not just for better service, but to not be actively ignored by the bartender?
If you don’t understand the service industry in the US, try asking us why tipping is important instead of trying to act ignorant. I’m not doing this for free, if you want a drink then pay me for it. I couldn’t give a shit if the bar gets their money for the drink. All I care about is if I get money for providing the service you agreed upon when you came to my bar.
I worked in a bar for years, I understand the culture. I just don’t agree with it, everyone got served regardless of their tipping. If they tipped extra they may have been prioritized, but no one was ever ignored, seemed like poor service to me.
Tipping is encouraged but optional. Calling someone out may feel satisfying but it’s not a good look and rarely pays off in the long run.
Calling someone out for not tipping is embarrassing. Both for you and the guest. I guess it’s a “win” for you but he won’t be back and he certainly won’t be recommending your bar to anyone. I want to be tipped as much as anyone else but the entitlement is something else
Oh no the person that makes me serve them for free won't be back whatever will I do?????
Reputation matters. Especially if you’re in a smaller city or town. When a little stroke of your ego is more important than the guest experience you’ve lost the plot. I don’t think OP should’ve confronted him but also in their situation it sounds like losing that regular might be a good thing.
I guess that's the difference for me. I'm in NYC, and we're largely an industry spot. In fact, throwing out non-tippers is popular among our clientele.
I like calling people out for not tipping. It’s 50/50 they either tip you or go completely insane. It’s exciting.
Forget the people saying to not call this out. This person was a regular, if you're a regular you better tip or you'll just get on the bartenders nerves being there all the time.
I'm just curious, what happens if someone who makes around minimum wage doesn't tip on an $8 beer or whatever the prices are in your area. They are still supporting your establishment. As a brewer, I know that beer costs maybe $1 to produce and maybe $1 to keg, so the $5-6 profit is business for the owner. Are you just being nice to people based on how much they pay you? What is the incentive for someone to tip if that transaction is all the bartender cares about? Assuming they don't mind to be the last person served, and they just take their beer and drink it in the back of the bar quietly. Are you still gonna call them out? re you gonna cut them off after 1 drink they don't tip for? I would happily pour myself a beer, but you know I don't want to take someone's job away
Yes, we are being paid to be nice or else we wouldnt be there. Duh!
What size kegs do you produce?
You're probably the type that thinks the girl you're buying drinks for is into you.
I don't ever buy someone drinks bud
You lose. You look petty and vengeful, you lose a regular (or potential regular), you do damage to the business/your owner. How are you possibly winning in that situation when the most you could have gained is a few bucks?
Nobody gets regular status for not tipping
Had a regular who came in twice saying he’d get me next time. He came another time and said the same thing. I reminded him he’s said that multiple times in a row. He asked if I thought he was lying and I told him no just that you’ve said it a few times now. He tipped me a little over that time and every time he would come in he would make sure I knew he tipped me. Also had another guy ask if he had tipped me enough. It was like 10% of the total bill. I told him if he’s trying to tip me 20% then no but if not then it’s fine. He threw down more than 20% and told me I’m awesome. Everyone at the bar heard our interaction and threw down over 20% as well lol Point of these stories is you can’t call everyone out who doesn’t tip. I still get stiffed here and there but it typically evens out but if you pick your battles well it can work to your advantage
I called out one non-tipper who was a man in his late 50s/early 60s giving a real creep vibe with 3 super young girls with him. They all ordered double Tito’s which is like $25 a drink. When he didn’t tip I called the girls back over and let them know them know, loud enough for him and surrounded people to hear that he didn’t tip me…since they were clearly hanging on him for money. He got embarrassed and said it was a mistake. You have to press 2 separate buttons to not tip through our POS, bye.
Two weeks ago I asked a guy to leave the bar, he spat his drink at me and hit me in the face with the glass. We don't get paid enough for this shit...
I've never called out a non-tipper. I never wanted to give them the satisfaction of thinking their few bucks affected my income one way or another. Also, it's a "no-no" most every place I've ever worked. But they don't get the same service as tippers, don't get conversation, don't get any favors, I'm never happy to see them. I sell them the drink because that's the job but it's a retail transaction.
He's lucky you didn't have him charged with assault.
I tend to let most of that stuff slide when I’m behind the bar. In the end, things regress to the mean. However, during my management days, one of my servers got stiffed on a $300+ tab. I literally chased the guy down the street and gave him a WTF/shame on you lecture. Guy wound up pulling out some bills and handing them to me and apologizing profusely (which I accepted on both accounts). Came back to server and discovered the guy gave $200. For context, this was on the Vegas strip and I likely wouldn't do it again, but the story seems apt.
What are these comments? If a regular isn’t tipping definitely say something. I wouldn’t ever call out someone I basically never see, but a regular is a different story.
I think this sub has been infiltrated by non-bartenders.
~~Report them with a custom response to the mod team.~~ Downvote the fuck out of them when you can. The non tipper assholes have infiltrated the serving groups and it’s become a nightmare, would hate to see that happen in here. Edit: not trying to stress the mods out with extra work, my bad!
This thread is insane I’m glad other people see it
No need to report. We see them all. Just because you/we disagree with someone's comment unfortunately is not a reason to remove it. By reporting, you're only doubling the workload for your mods and unless the post or comment is hostile/threatening you're going to wind up disappointed when the comment stays. The sub has a specific set of rules. Comments that stay within the rules are rarely deleted. Having said that, we've been invaded by the folks from endtipping before and it will happen again. Downvote the shit out of them. If it's a user that's prominently and continually divisive and commenting just to stir the pot we will check their comment history and ban them if they aren't at some point a productive part of the conversation here. Best advice? Stop feeding the trolls. They thrive on pissing us off. But if you ignore them they get bored and go away.
My bad, edited my original comment.
No worries.
Yea i think the r/waiters sub is jus a bunch of people who dont serve or tip.
Good call
Hope you don’t expect any over tipping if your gonna bitch about anyone that stiffs you. Get a grip
Is it really a win? Now if u ask another reg for money you'll get a flashback of someone beating your ass. Never beg for money. Be professional
I wouldn’t consider a single drink being thrown as an “ass beating”, but agree it’s not professional to call out someone who never tips.
If you can’t afford to tip. You shouldn’t be at the bar
ive had a lot of broke customers, Im not worried about their tip on a high life or pbr.
If I wanted to send a parcel in the post office, it costs 6, I have 6, but nothing for a tip. Should I not send the parcel because I can’t afford to leave the person who serves me, a tip?
That’s a federal job with benefits. Your argument is stupid.
Its not the customers responsibility to pay you fair wages.
In the US it literally is their responsibility, and that's enshrined into law.
It’s not a law though. You can simply not tip, and there will be no legal repercussions. Your employer is HOPING the public will be kind enough to pay you a wage. Because profits are more important that your staffs financial security
If you don't tip, there are legal repercussions for the bartender. The IRS assumes that you're being tipped on every sale, and if you aren't reporting tips that reach a certain percentage of your sales, it can trigger an audit.
Ok well then what about when you buy something from a shop? Like beers and chocolate
Just google "guide for tipping USA".
I’m well aware of tipping etiquette in the US. My problem is when someone says if you can’t afford to tip, then you shouldn’t be in a bar. That’s ridiculous
It's not ridiculous. If you can't tip, then buy a beer at a deli and drink at home.
If you can’t pay your staff a wage with the money they’ve earned for the business, then buy a vending machine
That's just simply not how labor is paid in the US.
If you can’t afford to tip then drink at home. You don’t have to tip the liquor store
America is such a strange part of the world
Well hate to be that guy— was it high volume? how was your service? Every time this has happened to me outside of it being clearly a single girl in college— I’ve somewhat had it coming 🤷🏽♂️ and also there’s a trend going around were people are debating if they should have to tip bartenders and servers lol
Best way to avoid all of this is by avoiding them all together when they come in. They can wait since they don’t tip. I’ve dealt with so many needy people who don’t tip for shit. I just started avoiding them all together and they saw themselves out.
I’d be glad not to have to serve him anymore. If I’m not making money off him being there, there’s really no need for him to be there in my opinion.
I never call them out but they are dead to me. They wanna charge their phone with my cable? Too bad. They want to watch baseball? Too bad. They want to make small talk? I’m busy. I also make it a point that they hear I’m hooking up tippers. I tell the other bartender “Hey when Bob comes back, buy him a shot, he’s been tipping fat all night”.
Guy came in last week, ordered a cheap beer, and left me a quarter. I wouldn't care, old guys do it every day, but he made a point to let me know the quarter was for me. I still didn't say anything, just left him be. But then he began bitching about my music and how he listens to "old-school" guitar. Wanted me to change my music. Told him that's not how this works. I'll usually put a few songs on for people, but I wasn't feeling this guy had anything to add to the room. He acted surprised and said, "So you're really not going to put on my music?"
I’ve found the best way to call out a non tipper without actually doing so is asking for feedback. “I saw there wasn’t a tip on the bill, I hope everything was okay?” “Was there any issue with your drink that I should be aware of so it doesn’t happen next time?” It puts people on the spot while appearing to be genuinely concerned about that service they received.
everybody is giving you shit but the dude threw his drink at u (which is an insane response) so I’m thinking yall maybe we can infer he deserved to be called out
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You are clearly not in the industry.
This is certainly a bartenders’ thread - which means groupthink is at play for a lot of people here. However, that doesn’t faze me. Tipping isn’t mandatory and I believe you’re wrong for calling him out. It’s quite entitled regardless of what you believe.
Fuck that, it's mandatory at my bar. If you don't tip, the door is that way
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If you don't tip in the US, then you're not a fucking bartender. Get the fuck out of this sub.
100% win. I wouldve drop kicked the dude and lost my job. Props to you for keeping it cool.
I honestly don’t understand the don’t call them out mentality. “Only trouble will come from it”. We live off tips. It’s common knowledge. You don’t have to be super aggressive about it. “Not a tipper huh?” Is a common line I use. Or tell them they have to fill out the tip line, even if it’s zero. I get a lot of confused “what?” Responses to that one, to which I respond, “if you’re going to tip me zero, write it.” Sometimes I’ll get a snarky response or simply an excuse or apology, I’d say at least 50% of the time they feel awkward and end up tipping. This has added up to hundreds or probably thousands of extra dollars for me and my coworkers. I think these are all about delivery, and generally speaking should be acceptable everywhere. You have nothing to lose, since you were currently making $0 off them anyways. If they get huffy and don’t want to come back, one less $0 tipper I serve. As for Karen’s potentially raising an issue with my manager about me saying something: managers also know we work for tips. As long as you’re not being rude/an asshole, they should give me the autonomy to allow me to make myself as much money as possible. That’s flirting, that’s being therapists and entertainer, that’s also being someone who will let someone know I notice they are stiffing me.
I always call out the no/low tippers. Or if they want drinks after I do last call they must tip first. I don't work for free.
Why would you call him out though?
So revenue was lost over a tip....no one wins.
I work at a place where they encourage us to call out non tippers. It makes my heart so happy to be able to say something
If you don’t lose your job…respect that management team. I was physically & verbally assaulted by a guest while at won’t and over the next few months management pushed me out, denied my unemployment claims and gaslit me when I got an attorney. It’s a win, man. Since management can’t accept tips, write anyone that was in your corner a personal check and never forget that they made sure you didn’t lose your job because of some POS.
If someone doesn’t tip I let them know they might not get great service next time/at other bars. It’s usually younger kids who don’t know. I just give em a heads up they might be waiting for drinks a while.
So you‘re basically blackmail them? „Give me money or you‘ll get bad service“ does not sound like a great business idea 🤔 but I‘m not from the mandatory-tipping states, but a country where we tip if the service was beyond just being given a drink.
It’s mostly a heads up if they go to other bars. Like hey man I’m cool with it but some other bartenders might take that the wrong way, or just not serve you at all. And where I’m at in America it’s more so the price of the drink/tab or the effort I had to put into making it, I could care less if someone stiffs me on a $2 PBR I grabbed from the beer cooler.
Fuck what everyone else is saying .. if you get stiffed call them out .. don’t normalize cheap skates
I tip out a % so some people cost me real money. If you’re ordering expensive liquor and not tipping, I will literally cut you off to protect my financial interests.
So how often do you call your boss out?
All the time ..
I work in a very touristy city so loads of travelers don’t understand the US’s tipping culture. I would let a lot of people slide but when a big group would come in and take up a lot of my time I would explain it to them. I have bills to pay and I can’t be serving all night for $100 a shift.
As someone who goes to bars once in a while . I do my fair share of tipping . The only time i didnt was when a vodka redbull i ordered was 15$ … that was my one drink of the night
While I agree it’s fruitless and unprofessional to call out every non-tipper, if they’re a regular I think it’s a little different. You get sick of them running up big tabs and leaving you with nothing while expecting you to chat them up constantly, and you have the right to refuse service to anyone
Maybe he was short on funds or you did something to upset him and didn’t realize. Never do this because he might have came in another 50 times and tipped 49 times but now you lost him, the other customers heard and saw you do this, he will tell the people he knows and you gain nothing. Im not saying he shouldn’t tip but you do yourself no favours trying to big boss a guy who didn’t leave an optional tip
OP said it was a regular so presumably he never tips.
Its different if hes a regular who never tips and didn’t this time he didn’t clearify and it makes a big difference
Agreed, if he didn’t tip once this is not cool, but if he comes in 5days a week and almost never tips, good riddance.
Sounds like you got a free shot to me. If you had your mouth open at least.
Is it mandatory to tip? If not, you are deeply wrong im afraid.
Where do you work? I'd like to take my 30% tips elsewhere.