I am in my mid-30s. The quality of service depends on if I am going to tip the waitress or bartender (depends on the situation). If they provide quality service whether I am at a bar or restaurant, they would get 15-20%. However, if their service is terrible, they might get 10%. I simply do not put up with horrid customer service.
Well, I do always end up tipping. But I no longer do the $20 in, $20 out. Ever. Also, I don't tip on every drink. If the first time up, Once I get the Bartender, I will drop the cost of a drink in a tip. IE: If the drink is $10, I give him/her a $20, when they come back, I tell them to keep it. The next time up, if the Bartender is not paying attention to me, or doesn't pore a stronger drink, I will drop a smaller tip, like $1 or $2 max. If the third time up it's the same shit, then no more tips. Since I barely go out drinking, when we do, we are good for at least 10 rounds. It averages out to like $1 a round. Obviously, if the bartender notices me/us and pores us some good drinks, they get more $.
I used to tip really well also. But it seems like the younger generation that is hopping into these service jobs these days just doesn't give a shit and expects tips anyway for pisspoor service...because, well, people feel morally obligated to. So I too stopped doing that shit. Not just with bars (I don't really go out drinking anymore) but mostly with dining. Tips are not given anymore, they are earned. Want to complain about getting nothing at the end of your terrible service? I'll happily talk to your manager and explain why.
Same age group as you and in NYC what you did worked back then as I used to go there alot and tip big as well.
The bar I go to during hockey playoffs I make sure to tip well. No where near as much as that and a couple of the bartenders are usually good for a buyback or two a night. I don't think I would go out drinking in NYC at the prices/tips you mention! Chuck
This is actually a good point. What I find is that the non commercial (Buffallo Wild Wings) mom and pop Sports bars do a much better job at the buy back. In all honesty, I prefer to go to those bars now. Not much to look at in terms of hot chicks, but I am married now.
If the bartender is good, I usually tip 20%, but at the places I frequent, I do the same - auto $20.00 for a couple of drinks. Same with wait staff vs wait staff I know well. I usually do get little extras or "freebees" due to my generosity, so much so I've had them be on-site "wingmen" when I'm talking with chicks I've met or bring with me. I'm never a cheapskate, even when I'm earning less, and a few of the people I know have actually told me to keep the tip any time I've been out of a job.
No point in going there or any bar. That's like going to a buffet of different kinds of ethnic food, spend all your money until your piss drunk without touching or even getting a sniff of the glorious sexy food... why go through all that suffering man?
There's a very distinct shift in perception for tips---and this comes from a person who was in the service industry for 8 years. Back on, we expected tips BECAUSE we provided good service. I find it very sad that I stumble upon the worst barista, in terms of both customer service and quality of their product, and that such "professionals" are sadly the average of today's barista and barmen. Personally I do not tip barista or barmen anymore. When I was bartending, I had to keep my bar/work area clean, serve the customer as soon and fast as I could with they very best quality of drink/coffee I could, and also, for whomever sat at the bar, provide a casual chat and/or get into a proper discussion when time permit. That way the customer knew that he/she was being looked after, had incentive to be a repeat customer when I had a shift, and brought friends over to chill out in this relaxing, casual, yet professional atmosphere. Nowadays the damn barman will either be flirting with the waitress/barwoman while I am holding out the damn cash to pay him, be completely oblivious to any request, take forever to serve me for no apparent reason and so on. A few weeks ago I went for a night out with some co-workers, and we visited a place that had a 2 for 1 deal on cocktails before 8 at night. The catch is that your cocktails have to be the same [ie you order a margharita, your "free" cocktail is another margharita]. No prob with that, as if 2 people order different cocktails, you get a neat variety and so on. 3 people ordered cocktails at 5 to 8. One of my colleagues got hers within 3 minutes, me and my manager were at the bar until 10 past 8 to get ours. That's 15 minutes of waiting to get 2 sets of cocktails. Needless to say, no tips for them from me, as we were the only people waiting to be served and there were like 3 bartenders behind the bar. Of course I view it this strictly because I was on the other side of the bar as well, was well known and casually walked out with 30-40 euros in tips.
Now I freely admit I have no idea what kind of wages bartenders get paid before tips, but i would think it would be worth it to pony up for good bartenders especially in bars that tend to get slammed as a good bartender can usually get more properly made drinks out quicker.
At NYC bars, depends which ones you go to, but in the past 14 yrs I've been legally going to bars, I've only tipped $1 a drink at a bar. In lounges which I go to now, I tip 15%
I don't go to bars, but this is pretty much why I don't go to sit-down restaurants any more: The servers have started expecting at least a 10% tip for BAD service. If they rely on tips to make most of their income, then they should put in the effort to earn those tips, rather than giving crappy service and still feeling entitled to a reward. Completely agreed. On the rare occasion I do go out to eat, if I get bad service, I don't hesitate to leave just a few pennies on the table - that makes it clear I didn't just forget.
So one time me and 6 friends went for Dinner. Literally got the worst service we ever got. So I got annoyed, and we folded up the tip and put it under our glasses. The waitress comes out screaming at us, telling us were scum bags for not tipping. So, I walk back into the restaurant, lift my glass and take the $40 we left for her. I said, if I am going to get yelled at for something, I may as well just do what I get yelled for.
first ppl need to realize that bars are a business. buy backs are gone at most places unless the place wants to run itself to the ground. that is why a lot of places measure drinks, some have the toppers with counters which is a way to control costs. just cause youre spending money doesnt mean you should get cheaper drinks or some for free. i use to bartend for many years. and yeah, you act a dick, yell at me, hit the bar, youre getting served last or not at all. just cause i am working does not mean i need to serve you. also if you are a shitty tipper for no reason, the more you drank, I've heard of bartenders charging you more and took the difference as a tip. some times, i will charge the customer and put no alcohol in at all when they are beyond their limit. just keep things in mind when being an ass to some one else or dont understand why maybe the service is so so. tipping is still an option and not saying you have to regardless of how poor or amazing the service is.
That's kind of illegal. And dick-ish. You don't decide how much tip you're going to get, the customer decides.
