Tipping

I went to a couple of bars recently that got me thinking about tipping. I went to the first bar, with my brother and two beautiful young ladies. It was a Thursday so business wasn't exactly hopping and there was just enough room at the bar for all of us. As a bartender I would notice 4 new bodies at the bar before their asses hit the stools, especially on a slow night. The bartender this night must have had a different philosophy. We were there for at least 5 minutes before she gave us the time of day and even then she didn't seem like she wanted us there. Before she took our order she did something over near the register, walked past us up to another customer who handed her a box with a necklace in it. She examined it as if she were appraising it’s value, gave it back and talked with the customer for awhile, walked past us again for an unknown reason and finally came over to us. This place is one of those hip college town bars that all the yuppies like to go to and the atmosphere is pretty nice. We were all dressed well and nicely groomed. There was no reason for this treatment. We stayed for a couple of rounds and some appetizers then asked for the check. Just getting her attention so we could get the check proved to be another exercise in frustration. The tab came to a little over $60 bucks and we tipped her $5 dollars out of a sense of obligation. I just don’t have the heart to stiff someone, no matter how crappy the service is.

Skip to a couple of weeks later. A little hottie and myself went into a dive bar located in the same college town. The bartender promptly takes our order with a smile and a little light conversation and throws in a joke of two for good measure. My friend and I finish our drinks at the same time and guess who’s there when we have only one sip left? Ted, the bartender! I know his name because he made us feel so comfortable by the time we left, that we were all on a first name basis. If I went to the restroom he made sure the hottie was entertained, if she went then he entertained me. We never had an empty glass in front of us and we had a nice time. We only stayed for a few rounds and the tab came to about $35. 15% of that would have been $5.25 but he was such a good bartender we gave him more than twice that. I would have given him more if I had the doe but was too close to payday. I would have given him at least $20 if I had it.

I know the first bartender should have gotten at least 15% but I don’t feel she deserved it. She didn’t deserve the $5 she did get, but she did pour the beer and that’s worth something. Ted on the other hand did a lot more than just pour beer. He was engaging, entertaining, helpful, funny and more. Bartenders are there for tips and most people know that but a good bartender should never feel entitled to them. If you want tips, at least pretend to like your customers. Who’s going to willingly give money to a jerk?

I’ll get off my soapbox now but I’d love to hear what you think. Does the bartender at the more upscale bar feel she doesn’t need to try as hard because of the type of establishment in which she works? Is Ted trying twice as hard because his bar doesn’t look as classy? Should I have tipped them more or less? What do you think? Tell us your thoughts on tipping by clicking the comments link below.