Karaoke Forums

Eric, maybe in Manchester it is, but I've never seen a place that it was.

I have no problem with tip jars, I don't use one, but am not against it. Honestly what I would like to see at my venue would be a tip jar for the wait staff, and the bar help. As I am set up in the dining area, I can't tell if the patrons are treating the waitstaff good. Maybe it's technically my business whether or not they're being properly tipped, I'm sure they would let the owner know how happy they are to be working on karaoke night. Good for them, good for me. I do announce, don't forget to take care of the staff that is taking care of you.

Rosario

It's been said before, that over the pond we don't have the tipping culture, which I personally see as a shame. I will tip for good service (taxi's, waitress, bar staff etc) and would love to show appreciation for other shows. . . out of politeness I say thankyou nearly every host/entertiner I meet, providing they have tried to create a good night it's the least they deserve... but I'd love another way (other than buying a drink) to say thankyou. There are a lot of shows in my area... most are okay... but everyonce in while, I'll see a host going that extra mile, buying songs for customers, improving their sound etc. . . all of which is an extra cost they don't have to make. . . and I'd love to be able to financially contribute to that cost, or so that host can have a night off and buy that bottle of wine and relax.

I recieved a bottle of wine once for a childrens party (the mother had booked us before and brought us the wine to say thankyou for our second party)... one of the best tips ever!! It was so thoughtful. Still smile thinking of it.
Same goes for a T-shirt a customer made which had the slogan "karaoke sucks" on it... and the customer that always brings a bar of chocolate for me...

Its nice to know people appreicate what you do, especially now. . . as the majority of customers are getting ruder and more demanding. . .and the thank you's are getting fewer and fewer.

I do the same. Waitstaff and bartenders rely heavily on their tips and they work very hard. I would know. I was a waiter for a short time. It's harder than it looks. I'll frequently announce the bartenders' names and say "they're working hard to take care of you, please take care of them and leave a nice tip"

But a tip jar for myself? It's just like a waiter directly asking for a tip at a restaurant. A tip is a little way of showing extra appreciation for a service performed. If you want a tip, you provide good service, not just ask for one. I see not everyone here agrees with me, but that's just my honest opinion. It seems now it's come to a point in our society where leaving a tip is not a reward for exceptional service, but rather a precaution to avoid BAD service in the future.

From what I'm gathering from some of these posts, it sounds like people feel if they don't have a tip jar out, they are, in a sense, denying their customers the opportunity to tip. As I said before, I've had customers simply come up to me, say I'm doing a great job, and hand me money personally. I much prefer this method because it shows they're tipping because they truely want to, not because I was asking for it or reminding them to tip me with a jar on the table. Plus, the fact that it's more personal is better for me as I like to interact with my audience as often as possible. Not trying to step on anyone's toes. This is just my two cents.

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"K-Jay"
www.kjayskaraoke.8m.com

Depends on the job. For a waiter, the tip is expected in U.S. culture and is not a reward for exceptional service. It is compensation for adequate service, and should go up and down based on how good it is. When your base pay can be as low as negative dollars per hour (yes, you have to buy a position at some restaurants) it is set up to be that way.

As far as affecting service in the future, yes it does that too. I tip well, so I get really good service. Just the other day I had the bartender (who is also part owner) actually leave someone else in mid-order to come get me my beverage. I felt kind of funny about that when the other person looked at me strangely.

(Of course ericlater will argue that the she is insane, because as a non-drinker I must be a drag on the business of the establishment.)

To me, a tip jar is just a reminder that the person providing the service is hustling for those tips. So when you see them hustle, they want you to remember that. Ever go to a wedding and have an open bar? They usually have discreet tip receptacles. You might not think that the way they can provide an open bar might be that the person working it is not paid actual salary.

I am actually thinking about putting out a tip jar, with a bit of difference. This is for my service club, and it would be labeled "all tips go toward providing a better music selection". We could really use some SoundChoice versions of a few of our popular songs, and those custom disks aren't cheap.

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[color=#ffff55]Mickey J.[/color]
Alas for those who never sing, but die with all their music in them.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.