Should I tip for a free drink?

actually, when I worked in the kitchen of a sweet little restaurant, the other cook and I (there was just the two of us) would take some of our fantastic soup for the waitresses at our post-work bar of choice. It was something he had been doing for a while but it still made me a very welcome regular.
I still tipped regular-like, though.

One of my best friends would get all his drinks for free at our bar, but he would tip them between $100 and $200 by the end of the night. He was often poor.

Yanc3y: that's why I said the situation I'm talking about isn't the same as the one Rockist is. As in, the Cokes are Free, you can drink them all night for Free. They're mostly so that designated drivers have something to drink while their friends get smashed, but either way I'm not talking about a this drink is $3 but for you it's zip free drink.

Horace, I hope you are just implying that I should tip well and not that I should drink something I don't want to drink.

This is my favorite response.

Though to imagine that the bartenders (at most of the bars I go to) really need the money is an absurd illusion IMO. Yeah, shitty hours, whatever. They all make more than I do for the same amount of time. There are exceptions by locale, of course.

Twice in my drinking career I've been yelled at by bartenders who thought I stiffed them. Lesson to bartenders: If I don't give you a bill for every drink, maybe it's because I needed the change for something else. Chances are, however, if you give me a rough time for one incident, it's not very likely I'll make it up to you later, which is normally the standard. You're in the service industry, dude.

Also, on minimum wage exemptions for tipped employees - anytime a bartender or waitperson earns less than they would have on minimum wage because they didn't get enough on tips, they can demand the employer pay them the missing cash. Nobody can legally be denied minimum wage. The exemption is there because otherwise all the kitchen staff would demand raises and then quit, because the waitresses would be rolling in it (comparitively).

of course. suggesting more than implying, relying. Or maybe even COMMANDING.

The exemption is there because otherwise all the kitchen staff would demand raises and then quit, because the waitresses
would be rolling in it (comparitively).

the exemption is there because they can get away with it. back of house makes nowhere near the same as a decent waitron.

Yeah, and we put up with it because we knew at least we were making a steady stream of cash for our toil, even if it wasn't as much. If it got to the point where waiters/waitresses made the same as us without having to work constantly, I don't think there'd be much to eat...

I don't have any set guidelines - most of the bars I go to, I know the staff and get better prices. I tip at least a dollar or two per drink, or if they charge me employee prices, I'll tip 100%. That way the staff gets a great tip and I'm about even with what I'd pay normally.

How can you justify not tipping (in the US, at least)? Most waiters and waitresses are earning about $2.13 an hour, which covers taxes if they're lucky. When I bartended, I was making minimum wage. Service staff depend on your tips. You are their income. Not extra money, not a little something on the side - tips are it. (I don't know if this is the same in big cities like NYC or Chicago.)

That's a lie and a half.

having bartenders ask friends for my addy in ethiopia and send me x-mas cards was both touching and kinda scary.

whas his name? the way it is writeen up there looks like urkel (pronunciation) and that aint no good ethiop name.

That's a lie and a half.

like fuck it is, as anyone who knows or has worked with bartenders can tell you

I mean... if you pay someone for a free drink, it isnt a free drink. Maybe it makes sense if you've grown up with it but it seems nonsensical to me.

We just have "tip jars" on the bar/counter in cafes and bars and you chuck coinage into it if you want to (ie if they've given great service I guess). No one expects tips and would thus sneer at you for not giving one.

Yeah. *makes like West Side Story*

--Norm MacDonald (who probably tips)

I dunno, you whacky Americans...

In the States I've been known to tip generously on my first trip to the bar and less so thereafter. Is this bad? My thinking is that they'll think I'm a good guy on first contact and subconsciously I'll get stuck with that association in their heads.

I also think the fact that, in some of the pubs I like best, if you tried to do the 'one for yourself' thing (which is obviously the only acceptable form of tipping in the pub) more than once an evening, you would be treated with total suspicion and, very likely, derision.

Also Mark C's tipping strategy = glorious skinflintery.

And any bartender who wants to be tipped because his job is so hard can come to work with me or suck it.

also, "In former Soviet Union, they tip YOU for fixing mistake on check" ?????????????

dont remember this. anything like this happened, the onyl 'tip' you got was eyes full of hate 4ever

So you make a habit of going to a restaurant, ordering ONLY water, and thus not having to pay for anything, then? That's a ridiculous comment. The water is part of the service you tip for at a restaurant--assuming you aren't COMPLETELY FILTHY CHEAP and tip after a meal.

Are none of you familiar with Yakoff Smirnoff's schtick? Everything was backwards in former Soviet Union, according to him. Except I think he is serious.

Do I go into bars and drink only free Coke? Nope.
On the seldom occassions that I do have a Coke, do I tip for it? Nope.
Does the bartender come to my table and refill it for me? No, because if he did he'd be a waiter and I'd tip him.

having been the best man at two weddings and i've had to (again, as custom) pony up for this expense each time. one guy even included the tip! so not only were people stuffing ones in his cup, he included his gratuity (buried in the invoice), and he left a line on the bill for additional "love"!!!

"over"

*KISS*