Okay, this was a real situation I experienced as bartender years ago. The customer actually wrote on Tip/Gratuity line “Don’t feed seagulls!”. LOL
At the time it happened, I thought it was really really funny. (I should disclaim the total on the bill was nothing close to the $576 depicted in the comic.) While I still find the memory funny today, my thoughts about the situation are more nuanced, now. And by ‘nuanced’, I mean I’m angrier about it. (lol)
First of all, tipping should always be fully discretionary (unless it’s a party or large group). The acronym itself, “To Insure Promptness”, says everything you need to know. You should only TIP if you feel like you’ve received good service. Having been a bartender and server for 20 years, on and off, I’ve never felt slighted at receiving a poor TIP (or even zero TIP) for my poor service. Errors and mess-ups happen to the best of us.
That being said, if you’re one of those cheapos who’s always complaining about the service you receive EVERYWHERE YOU GO and never leave a proper TIP anywhere where you go, then you’re part of the problem because recruiting good talent to these jobs becomes even more difficult for employers. Providing good service is a skill set and if you don’t recognize it as a skill set then you’re making a conclusion that experience doesn’t matter in these service jobs. If you think these jobs are “plug and play”, or “next person up”, and “anyone” can do it the same…...you’ll probably keep receiving crappy service via your misguided attitude alone.
Also, be aware that when you are TIPPING, you’re usually paying for a lot more work than what you see. For example, pretend a bartender is preparing a cocktail which takes 2 minutes to construct. Being on the service side I hear customers doing the “TIP MATH” all the time. They say to their friend, “I just TIPPED $2 on this drink and the drink took 1 minute to prepare therefore this bartender is probably making $120/hour on top of their wage.” (Which is ridiculous in itself.)
On top of the cheapo math, the part the cheapo never includes in the calculation is how much time the bartender spends before each shift stocking fridges, cutting garnish, bottling citrus, preparing syrups, and setting up a mise en place. They also don’t calculate the slower times before the rush or the long cleanup after the rush.
After the party, bartenders & servers still have hours of work cleaning up spilled drinks, broken glass, discarded food, etc. We’re often adult babysitting (drunk guests who’ve lost their phone, friends, or soul.) at our most fatigued hour. At 3 am we’re weighing bottles, polishing glassware, restocking fridges again, and reconciling sales. You’re not just TIPPING your bartender to crack you a beer, you’re paying them for a party that is organized, fun, and safe.
Lastly, please remember you’re usually TIPPING multiple people with each gratuity! (At least in a well-run establishment.) Meaning, the bartender or server is sharing their TIPS with a Hostess, a Bar Back, The House, and sometimes The Kitchen as well. That $2 TIP of yours is getting split multiple times. And if you’re still not sold on TIPPING properly…then just use your brain and look around life. When was the last time you saw a bartender or server making “real big moves”?? Are they driving fancy cars or living in obnoxious houses or always going on lavish vacations?? The answer is almost always no. So, slow your roll and don’t do amateur math and slight people because you concluded that your bartender is making $120/per hour plus wage, tax-free, every night. It’s not happening.
