Tip your waiters!!!!

[lewpac]

Being an ex-bartender, I'll tell you what I do almost 100% of the time. I PERSONALLY go to the actual bar and bartender and PAY HIM/HER for the first round, tell a few jokes, make sure he/she knows who I am. And, I leave a big tip right then and there.

Then, the rest of the evening at dinner or even seated at a table in a club, every time I order a drink from the server, I give 'em the ole "The bartender knows what I'm drinking" routine. That usually takes care of any potential problems with not only GETTING my drinks to the table, but getting the BEST drinks as well. I make sure to pay another visit to bar at least once more on the way to the bathroom or something as well.

There's another reason I go directly to the bartender as well, and you servers ain't gonna' like this one bit: The bartender has two people he takes care of all night. The servers going back and forth for their drink orders, and the actual customers sitting at the bar.

The servers have their own agenda and want their drink orders pronto, as they should. Their trying to take care of their tables and get tips too. The bartender has his own customers at the bar, who are going to tip HIM directly for his service to THEM. The bartender has to juggle this thing all night.

Servers are supposed to "tip" the bartender at the end of their shift. I, for one, KNEW FOR A FACT that I was getting stiffed all the time by the servers. NO WAY I was getting the honest amount I was supposed to be getting, and there was no way to prove it. So the problem was always "who do I take care of first?" MY CUSTOMERS, who are going to tip me 15-20% all night, or the waiters and waitress's who are very demanding all night, and giving me 5% instead of the 15-20% they're supposed to be giving me?

When I bar tended for 10 years, I made sure that the servers knew who had the upper hand. If they screwed with me, gave me attitude, or tried to make my life miserable, I showed them in VERY SHORT ORDER who was in charge! If you mess with me, it's going to be a LOOOOOONG night for you getting the drinks out. And if you played "funny money" with the tips, I'd know about it and your next shift is going to be a living hell at the bar.

Of course, having the manager on your side is key, in case they complain or whine about you. So I always made sure of that too.

Anyway, back to the "going to the bar" routine. Before I leave the joint, I AGAIN tip the bartender on the way out. Just to make sure he got his fair share of the dough.................

 

[CowboyMcCoy]

As a member of this board, and slight contributor. I want to apologize for posting a video which contained foul language. This board is a great place and I should have known better than to do such a thing. In my honest defense, my audio is not functioning on my PC. So I send my sincere regrets and apologies to all members.

As far as tipping, it all depends on what I can afford to tip at the time, although I almost always tip something. For me not to tip a waiter would mean they did something very wrong and were rude. That only happened one time at Chili's in Houston.

In any case, I'm an average to above average tipper because I once, too, was a waiter and it aint no easy gig. Not to mention, it makes for a large portion of the American workforce, so I view that they deserve the money. However, restaurants should also be obligated to ensure they make a certain amount of money, because most of the big chains are making plenty of dough to support their employees.

I agree with the original post. I thought this was an interesting thread. And I just wanted to give my two cents and apologize for posting an inappropriate youtube.

Sincerely,
CowboyMcCoy

 

[ethiostar]

In the service industry, especially with bartenders, there was an unspoken understanding that when one of us goes out to drink at bar where we know the bartender, our bill usually reflects only a fraction of what it was supposed to be. For example, if there were four of us and we eat appetizers and drink quite a bit, our bill should be over $100. But the bartender will only give us a bill maybe for $20, usually for the food and one or two drinks. We would leave about $120 or more to cover the bill and the rest is tip to the bartender.

Isn't it "stealing" either way? What Ethio described is even worse as there is food involved and the profit margin on food is far less than on drinks. Even if you only actually sell a quarter of the beers in a keg, you'd still come out even. Food on the other hand is going to break you if you give it away.

It depends on the restaurant but usually you would have to ring-up food orders cause that is the only way that the kitchen will prepare the food. They are often held accountable for the food that leaves the kitchen and the manager might ask for the ticket if he suspect that they are giving away food.

 

[AbeBeta]

Servers are supposed to "tip" the bartender at the end of their shift. I, for one, KNEW FOR A FACT that I was getting stiffed all the time by the servers. NO WAY I was getting the honest amount I was supposed to be getting, and there was no way to prove it. So the problem was always "who do I take care of first?" MY CUSTOMERS, who are going to tip me 15-20% all night, or the waiters and waitress's who are very demanding all night, and giving me 5% instead of the 15-20% they're supposed to be giving me?

Wait, they are supposed to give you 15-20% because you pulled yourself away from the chick you whose pants you were trying to get into to pull a tap for 7 seconds? Come on.

 

[CowboyMcCoy]

Being an ex-bartender, I'll tell you what I do almost 100% of the time. I PERSONALLY go to the actual bar and bartender and PAY HIM/HER for the first round, tell a few jokes, make sure he/she knows who I am. And, I leave a big tip right then and there.

Then, the rest of the evening at dinner or even seated at a table in a club, every time I order a drink from the server, I give 'em the ole "The bartender knows what I'm drinking" routine. That usually takes care of any potential problems with not only GETTING my drinks to the table, but getting the BEST drinks as well. I make sure to pay another visit to bar at least once more on the way to the bathroom or something as well.

There's another reason I go directly to the bartender as well, and you servers ain't gonna' like this one bit: The bartender has two people he takes care of all night. The servers going back and forth for their drink orders, and the actual customers sitting at the bar.

That's the best consumer strategy I've ever heard.

 

[AbeBeta]

It depends on the restaurant but usually you would have to ring-up food orders cause that is the only way that the kitchen will prepare the food. They are often held accountable for the food that leaves the kitchen and the manager might ask for the ticket if he suspect that they are giving away food.

Pretty easy to track the drinks as well. Gee, a keg holds 100 or so pints. It is empty but we only sold 50...

 

[AbeBeta]

As far as tipping, it all depends on what I can afford to tip at the time

Ya see, I don't think this is right. if you are going out you have to be able to pay fairly for whatever service you receive. it shouldn't be about how much you can afford b/c that is part of the cost of going out to eat.

Keep those dirty movies coming!

 

[ethiostar]

What i found key to being a good waiter was a good relationship with the cooks, bartenders and those who clean the tables. They can make or break a waiter. When/if you mess up, the cooks will give you someone else's order so you don't have to wait, bartenders will get your drinks as quickly as possible and busers will clean the tables quickly so you can turn your tables over asap.

If you have a good relationship with the hostess, you can tell them to never sit anyone who is known to be high maintenance or cheap in your section ever again. In the past, I have told my managers that i would not wait on a particular table because they were being jerks or a holes. Of course, you would have to be very good at what you do and very valuable to your managers to pull that off.

Being an ex-bartender, I'll tell you what I do almost 100% of the time. I PERSONALLY go to the actual bar and bartender and PAY HIM/HER for the first round, tell a few jokes, make sure he/she knows who I am. And, I leave a big tip right then and there.

Then, the rest of the evening at dinner or even seated at a table in a club, every time I order a drink from the server, I give 'em the ole "The bartender knows what I'm drinking" routine. That usually takes care of any potential problems with not only GETTING my drinks to the table, but getting the BEST drinks as well. I make sure to pay another visit to bar at least once more on the way to the bathroom or something as well.

There's another reason I go directly to the bartender as well, and you servers ain't gonna' like this one bit: The bartender has two people he takes care of all night. The servers going back and forth for their drink orders, and the actual customers sitting at the bar.

The servers have their own agenda and want their drink orders pronto, as they should. Their trying to take care of their tables and get tips too. The bartender has his own customers at the bar, who are going to tip HIM directly for his service to THEM. The bartender has to juggle this thing all night.

Servers are supposed to "tip" the bartender at the end of their shift. I, for one, KNEW FOR A FACT that I was getting stiffed all the time by the servers. NO WAY I was getting the honest amount I was supposed to be getting, and there was no way to prove it. So the problem was always "who do I take care of first?" MY CUSTOMERS, who are going to tip me 15-20% all night, or the waiters and waitress's who are very demanding all night, and giving me 5% instead of the 15-20% they're supposed to be giving me?

When I bar tended for 10 years, I made sure that the servers knew who had the upper hand. If they screwed with me, gave me attitude, or tried to make my life miserable, I showed them in VERY SHORT ORDER who was in charge! If you mess with me, it's going to be a LOOOOOONG night for you getting the drinks out. And if you played "funny money" with the tips, I'd know about it and your next shift is going to be a living hell at the bar.

Of course, having the manager on your side is key, in case they complain or whine about you. So I always made sure of that too.

Anyway, back to the "going to the bar" routine. Before I leave the joint, I AGAIN tip the bartender on the way out. Just to make sure he got his fair share of the dough.................

 

[ethiostar]

Pretty easy to track the drinks as well. Gee, a keg holds 100 or so pints. It is empty but we only sold 50...

Bartenders usually have a lot of leeway on their jobs and there is usually not a lot of over the shoulder supervision. It might be theoretically feasible to do it but it is not as simple as it appears. There are spills, comped drinks to customers okeyed by managers, what employees are allowed to drink for free or for reduced price after their shifts, etc.....

 

[daschoo]

i remember when i worked in a bar i told a family to leave because they were too drunk. the mother was going crazy at me and told me that next time she saw me because she would always remember me she was going to rip my sweary word face off. 10 minutes later she came up to the bar and said "excuse me son, i think i was in here half an hour ago. i don't suppose you noticed if i left my handbag?" alcohol is not your friend!

 

[AbeBeta]

Bartenders usually have a lot of leeway on their jobs and there is usually not a lot of over the shoulder supervision. It might be theoretically feasible to do it but it is not as simple as it appears. There are spills, comped drinks to customers okeyed by managers, what employees are allowed to drink for free or for reduced price after their shifts, etc.....

sure, but there are also clearly measured items being purchased.

You might have questions about how much meat you can get out of 40 lbs of shortribs. There is less question as to how many drinks a bottle of rum should hold.

 

[lewpac]

Wait, they are supposed to give you 15-20% because you pulled yourself away from the chick you whose pants you were trying to get into to pull a tap for 7 seconds? Come on.

Bull****.....................

This thread is about a server *****ing about not getting tipped. But Bartenders are supposed spend their lives making sure that the "precious little waiter" gets his prima-donna needs met?

Unless you've been in the biz, you'll never understand that bartenders and servers are not "buddies". More often than not, it's a "mongoose vs. snake" thing. Waiters think that the sole intent and life purpose of a bartender is to make sure they get their drinks to make THEIR TIPS. They're wrong. Bartenders are not busboys, hostess's, expediters, mangers, or valet parkers. Bartenders are TIPPED employees as much so, if not moreso than servers. But too many servers think that the only function a bartender is good for is to GET THEM THEIR drink orders so THEY can look good and make a buck.

Also, any bartender who is there to "pick up chicks" will soon be out of a job. Customers at a bar are a "captive audience". They aren't going anywhere. It would be stupid to hit on chicks over a bar, as you'll get a rap and a bad name in short order and be out of a job.

However, the bartender has sort of a "star" quality to it. He's center stage. It's always "showtime" behind a bar if you understand the pulpit you have. You can really put on a show if you want to. So, you don't need to "hit" on girls. It comes naturally, by osmosis if you're being cool, entertaining, and doing your job.

I'm not talking about bar tending at the corner "Jims Bar" here. I'm talking about the "Cocktail" stuff, which is all I did for a decade. Me and a hundred other guys. If you're good at it, and sling some wicked Whiskey with style, you don't have to worry about getting in a girls pants. They just pull them down for you.

Anyway, the bar tender runs the show. Everyone else's evening in the joint revolves around the bar tender. Because everyone is there for a good time, and that usually involves libations. If the bar tender is having an off night, everyone else is going to have an off night.

 

[lewpac]

Another thing................

With regards to the swipe about "bartenders getting into girls pants", a good bartender already has all the cute waitress's on board. Because a smart girl knows that without the bartender, she's dead in the water all night.

A little hanky-panky after hours is not an uncommon ploy for a smart waitress to get the best service from the bar. Some waitress's, they make the best tips night after night after night after night. Placating your "friendly neighborhood bartender" in the bedroom is usually one of the reasons why....

 

[theogt]

Another thing................

With regards to the swipe about "bartenders getting into girls pants", a good bartender already has all the cute waitress's on board. Because a smart girl knows that without the bartender, she's dead in the water all night.

A little hanky-panky after hours is not an uncommon ploy for a smart waitress to get the best service from the bar. Some waitress's, they make the best tips night after night after night after night. Placating your "friendly neighborhood bartender" in the bedroom is usually one of the reasons why....

Yeah, nothing like giving sexual favors to get your customer's apple martini a few minutes faster.

You're full of it.

Bartending is not glamorous. No one thinks much of the bartender. Sorry to inform you.

 

[bbgun]

Bull****.....................

This thread is about a server *****ing about not getting tipped. But Bartenders are supposed spend their lives making sure that the "precious little waiter" gets his prima-donna needs met?

Unless you've been in the biz, you'll never understand that bartenders and servers are not "buddies". More often than not, it's a "mongoose vs. snake" thing. Waiters think that the sole intent and life purpose of a bartender is to make sure they get their drinks to make THEIR TIPS. They're wrong. Bartenders are not busboys, hostess's, expediters, mangers, or valet parkers. Bartenders are TIPPED employees as much so, if not moreso than servers. But too many servers think that the only function a bartender is good for is to GET THEM THEIR drink orders so THEY can look good and make a buck.

Also, any bartender who is there to "pick up chicks" will soon be out of a job. Customers at a bar are a "captive audience". They aren't going anywhere. It would be stupid to hit on chicks over a bar, as you'll get a rap and a bad name in short order and be out of a job.

However, the bartender has sort of a "star" quality to it. He's center stage. It's always "showtime" behind a bar if you understand the pulpit you have. You can really put on a show if you want to. So, you don't need to "hit" on girls. It comes naturally, by osmosis if you're being cool, entertaining, and doing your job.

I'm not talking about bar tending at the corner "Jims Bar" here. I'm talking about the "Cocktail" stuff, which is all I did for a decade. Me and a hundred other guys. If you're good at it, and sling some wicked Whiskey with style, you don't have to worry about getting in a girls pants. They just pull them down for you.

Anyway, the bar tender runs the show. Everyone else's evening in the joint revolves around the bar tender. Because everyone is there for a good time, and that usually involves libations. If the bar tender is having an off night, everyone else is going to have an off night.

Holy crap. Are you describing a restaurant or an episode of "Dallas"? I had no idea that restaurants were seething cauldrons of rivalry, subterfuge and intrigue.

 

[ethiostar]

sure, but there are also clearly measured items being purchased.

You might have questions about how much meat you can get out of 40 lbs of shortribs. There is less question as to how many drinks a bottle of rum should hold.

The point i was trying to make is that in most places i know, bartenders are not that closely supervised. In most restaurants you'll have a kitchen manager who is responsible for the 'back of the house'. He monitors his employees and is responsible everything that happens there, including making sure that no free food is given out without his approval.

You also have the manager for the 'front', who also tends to be the overall restaurant manager. He/she is responsible for, among other things, for the waitstaff and bartenders. However, he doesn't have the time to monitor every single drink that the bartender serves. He can count the number of bottle of beers before the shift and check the sales figures at the end of the night. But he is not going to breakout a ruler and measure the level of rum left in a bottle. A lot of bartenders 'free pour' anyways without using a measuring cup, so you can't be that precise.

Anyway, it's not like bartenders will give out so much drinks to each other every night. Use some common sense. And no body will be foolish enough to start giving away expensive ports or top shelf tequila that costs about $35 a shot. You might give away some draft beer and some well liquors for which there is really no kind of monitoring. Unless of course you decide to give away a couple of keg's worth of beer in one night.

 

[bbgun]

Yeah, nothing like giving sexual favors to get your customer's apple martini a few minutes faster.

You're full of it.

Bartending is not glamorous. No one thinks much of the bartender. Sorry to inform you.

And to think you wasted three years of your life at law school instead of bartending school. Sucker.

 

[ethiostar]

Unless you've been in the biz, you'll never understand that bartenders and servers are not "buddies". More often than not, it's a "mongoose vs. snake" thing. Waiters think that the sole intent and life purpose of a bartender is to make sure they get their drinks to make THEIR TIPS. They're wrong. Bartenders are not busboys, hostess's, expediters, mangers, or valet parkers. Bartenders are TIPPED employees as much so, if not moreso than servers. But too many servers think that the only function a bartender is good for is to GET THEM THEIR drink orders so THEY can look good and make a buck.

I've worked in many restaurants as a waiter and a bartender and that is not my general impression. Sure, there are some waiters who try to stiff the bartender at the end of the night but mostly we were all good friends and hang out outside of work.

 

[Faerluna]

I've worked in many restaurants as a waiter and a bartender and that is not my general impression. Sure, there are some waiters who try to stiff the bartender at the end of the night but mostly we were all good friends and hang out outside of work.

That was always the case at my jobs, too. We were all friends outside of work and we would never cheat each other. We'd all be buying each other drinks after work anyway.

 

[lewpac]

Holy crap. Are you describing a restaurant or an episode of "Dallas"? I had no idea that restaurants were seething cauldrons of rivalry, subterfuge and intrigue.

What would think happens in a work place full of people who are basically "hustling" for dollars? Also, think about the clientele and social class of people who are waiting tables and serving drinks for a living. There's a REASON a person is a waiter or a bartender................

I'm not making any judgments, but your average restaurant or bar worker is there for a reason. I know some of them are working their way through college, or supplementing another income. But, for the most part, they are people with no other skills or education. And I don't want to hear any social lectures or scoldings about it, because it's true.

That said, why would you be so surprised to hear about a lot of drama or "Payton Place" soap opera affairs in the industry. A lot of the guys are slick and fast and in for the trick. And a lot of the gals are easy and looking for a good time. Being married and settled-down is not that wide-spread in the restaurant/bar industry. It's not exactly a melting pot for boy-scouts and girl-scouts.

Sex, drugs and rock-n-roll are the norm. After all, alcohol is reason why any bar even exist! And you expect the social climate to be normal??? Like I said, unless you've been in the biz, (and I don't mean the local Bennigans), you'll never know. There's a reason why HOOTERS is still in business....................You mix booze and boobs, and it's tailor made for the industry.