[Malekhit]

I always tip 20% only when service was horrible I will tip 10%. I was always thought that tip anyone that works as server, bartender because most of these ppl work for school etc. Also ever since I came to Canada that kinda thing was deeply engraved in to me. If I don't have money to tip I just don't go out thats it.

[Enigma]

(05-27-2012 07:28 PM)Parlay44 Wrote:  

I read somewhere that bartenders and waitstaff call bad tippers "Canadians".

They call black people Canadians.

For your situation, where you're there several times per week, I would recommend 25%. I usually do about 33% or 1/3 of the bill but I don't go anywhere that often so I have to keep their memory fresh . If your bill is much smaller or you're there for a particularly long time, maybe a little more percentage wise (if the bill is only $10, consider dropping $5).

Everyone can argue all they want but servers and especially bartenders consider 20% a "normal" tip. They will not be upset (unless you were a dick) but they will not be jumping for joy either. Entitled, stupid, whatever, that's how our restaurant culture works. A few more dollars per visit will change you from the cool regular to the cool regular who everyone wants to wait on and hook up where they can.

But if they do give you free shit, take Thedude's advice on tipping on what the bill should have been. So say your bill should have been $30 and you would've tipped approximately 25% or $8. The bill is $20. Leave at least $8, if not $10+. They are potentially risking their jobs to hook you up in appreciation of your generosity.

[lavidaloca]

Tipping people is an absolutely silly culture. Why should we tip low income people to make them middle income people. Their jobs are easy and require little skill / expenditures to be licensed. With that said i tip 10% only due to it being culturally frowned upon not to and I guess I'm not red pill enough. I always laugh at all the tourists tipping the barmen at the resorts. Those people are already well in the top 1% of earners in Cuba. But hey, perhaps we can convince them to tip their Doctors, Lawyers and Dentists back home because they have high education costs. I suspect the people in this thread saying we should all tip work in the service industry.

Tipping for better service is again silly. Maybe it makes you feel jolly inside to get better service at the bar have the bar people chat you up and make you look better infront of your date. But that extra money you are likely to spend over the course of 10 years or whatever time you spend going out will certainly add up to a lot. No different than 2 coffees a day at 5 dollars. Over 40 years thats 73,000 dollars. I'm sure most people would like to have that back. Yes, some of you do land connections and end up paying less. Personally, I don't buy drinks at bars in North America any more. If I'm going to drink I drink before hand. Nothing is a bigger waste of money then paying 5-20 dollars per drink in my opinion.

Every rich person I've had lunch or dinner with has tipped low...Lots of students I know tip silly amounts i.e. 3 dollars for a 8 dollar cab ride. I suspect theres a reason the rich guy is rich and it comes down to train of thought.

[RouteBackwards]

(05-18-2012 07:47 PM)Parlay44 Wrote:  

I've been hitting a favorite bar of mine for lunch and drinks during the week once in a while. Gives me a chance to schmooze the new barmaids when it's slow. I see the same girls working on Saturday nights. They come over and smile and say hi and take care of me right away.

If I'm off a day during the week I'll invite a girl out for a lunch date at the bar. If im working I roll dolo. I'll usually be suited up minus the tie. On Saturday nights I'll tone it down a little and just do jeans and a dress shirt. Suit would be way overdressed for the crowd there.

What are you guys dropping for a tip these days? I usually tip $1 per drink or 20% of the tab. So $50 bar tab gets a $10 tip.

I know it's useful to grease the bartenders. What's a decent percentage tip that's considered grease but not obnoxious? I'm obviously not gonna drop a $50 tip for a $50 bar tab.

My goal would be to use the hot barmaids' attention as DHV to my lunch date and to swoop the barmaids at some point in the future without coming across obnoxious or pretentious by over greasing. It's a delicate balance.

How do you guys lock down your favorite bar?

At my favorite bar I usually tip fairly high on my first drink purchase. So, even if it's a four dollar beer, I'll tip three dollars. After that, it's usually a dollar tip a drink. I do this for two reasons:

1. I find the bartenders remember me and tend to me first over others every time I come in, and even if the bartenders don't remember me (or because I'm at a different bar besides my favorite bar), the high tip amount for the first drink usually puts me in priority sequence when I go to purchase again.

2. When I'm broke the bartenders who do remember me are usually pretty cool with me even if I'm barely tipping/not tipping at all.

[germanico]

(05-21-2012 07:45 PM)thedude3737 Wrote:  

If you're a random joe shmoe, throwing around generous tips generally does very little for you.

It's worth every player's time to establish some very solid connects and friendships at restaurants and bars. It can save you money and be a good DHV over time.

Great info.

Now, how would a random Joe Shmoe go about establishing solid connects and relationships in the bar and restaurant business?

Whay would be the best course of action?

[Cincinnatus]

(12-03-2012 08:52 PM)germanico Wrote:  

(05-21-2012 07:45 PM)thedude3737 Wrote:  

If you're a random joe shmoe, throwing around generous tips generally does very little for you.

It's worth every player's time to establish some very solid connects and friendships at restaurants and bars. It can save you money and be a good DHV over time.

Great info.

Now, how would a random Joe Shmoe go about establishing solid connects and relationships in the bar and restaurant business?

Whay would be the best course of action?

Become a regular and get on a first name basis with the important staff.

The G Manifesto once wrote about this - for instance, make sure you're on good terms with the bartender that works weekends, not the guy that works Tuesday nights.

If you're trying to lock a place down, tip well, but don't overdo it. People hate feeling like you're trying to "buy" them.

[Veloce]

(12-03-2012 08:52 PM)germanico Wrote:  

(05-21-2012 07:45 PM)thedude3737 Wrote:  

If you're a random joe shmoe, throwing around generous tips generally does very little for you.

It's worth every player's time to establish some very solid connects and friendships at restaurants and bars. It can save you money and be a good DHV over time.

Great info.

Now, how would a random Joe Shmoe go about establishing solid connects and relationships in the bar and restaurant business?

Whay would be the best course of action?

There are several ways. Obviously the first and foremost is to work in the industry. But assuming most people don't, there are several important things to follow. I would give the following advice for the sole reason of establishing connections in the nightlife industry, not for gaming bitches:

Go out on weds and thurs nights. If you go out on weekends and try to shmooze up a floor or bar manager they simply won't have the time to interact with you or remember you.

Do something like the following: bring a few friends to a venue and order a couple bottles of cheap prosecco or red wine. This is just for the sake of hanging with the guys. Ask to speak to the manager; ask for his card and give him yours. Fluff things up a little. Even if you're a clerk at Blockbuster you can tell him you're a "Manager at a media distribution company" or some bullshit, tell him you really enjoyed the venue and you'll send further business there. Follow up with an email, something nice like, "Hey Bob, just wanted to drop you a line and thank you for your hospitality on Wednesday night. The guys and I will be back for sure." Shit like this goes a long way, trust me. Don't expect miracles overnight but do stuff like this often enough and you will see doors being opened and rounds of drinks getting comped.

From here, you can talk to your friend Bob the Bar Manager and say, "Hey we were thinking of trying out a new venue in town, any recommendations?" If you've played your cards right, Bob might respond with something like, "Yeah, check out X-bar downtown. Talk to Steve and tell him I sent you." So you do that, talk to Steve, and repeat the routine. Follow up email, thank Steve for his hospitality, you'll send more business there, etc etc etc.

Just be cool about it, don't bullshit too much, don't act like an entitled ass. I can honestly say after working in quite a few high end venues that restaurant managers deal with complete ASSHOLES all day long. The nicer you are, the more mature, professional, courteous, and cool you are, the more you'll stick out. No need to tip crazy, but keep it at 20%. The restaurant staff will see you and be relieved, "Ah cool, here comes so-and-so. He's always normal, polite, and tips well."

Don't hit on the bartenders. Quick way to build a negative stigma. If she's obviously into you then go for it. If you've gotten to the point where you're hanging out with a restaurant manager on their time off, have become that good of friends with them, THEN you can say, "Hey that blonde bartender is pretty cute, she taken?" And gauge their response. Some managers are protective, others don't give a shit.

This is the sort of thing that builds with time. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I can get into pretty much any club in L.A. without paying a cover or waiting, but I can't get VIP access. I'm not that high up on the ladder. Sometimes I go out and my entire bill is comped, other times not. Managers and staff come and go quickly. I might be a VIP at a bar and then 3 months later then entire floor staff turns over. I might check out a new venue and turns out I know the bar manager from 3 years back and now suddenly the first two rounds are free.

Just start networking and build it from there.

P.S. this shit works wonders in Vegas. Last time I was there I had a manager friend make me a reservation at one of Mario Batali's restaurants (I used to work in his restaurant group). After my meal I talked to the floor manager and she sent me to meet the door manager at Lavo, who let me right in and got me two free drinks. When I was done there I chatted him up and he set me up at Tao. Walked right in past a huge line of dudes who had to pay to get in. I didn't know any of these people previously. Just gotta say the right things to the right people, talk the talk a little, and be cool.

[Veloce]

delete

[DVY]

Tip when they will remember u. Usually at beginning of night.

[slubu]

One night I started tipping with $2 bills. The bartender remembered me the whole night and would serve me before others on a regular basis.