Should I tip for a free drink?

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"Yeah, I got a song for you. It's called, 'While You Were Singing, A Puerto Rican Stabbed Me In The Head.'"

--Norm MacDonald (who probably tips)

― Ally (mlescaut), Friday, 23 May 2003 01:20 (twenty years ago) link

If your drink was free 'cause you didn't have any small denominations to give the bartender, than what exactly were you meant to tip her with anyway?

I dunno, you whacky Americans...

― petra jane (petra jane), Friday, 23 May 2003 01:36 (twenty years ago) link

Do British people who work in pubs that serve a lot of Americans do better on tips? I have tipped a British barperson twice - once cos I was flush and fancied saying "and have one for yourself", and the other time because the barmaid (the one at the Apple Tree, FAP fans, though Vicky told me she was moving on) was so fucking great and helpful and smiley and friendly in the perfect way.

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.

― Mark C (Mark C), Friday, 23 May 2003 09:31 (twenty years ago) link

Oh, and yes, of course you should tip for a free drink. They're still fetching you the drink - unless you normally tip for the complex action of ringing it up on the till.

― Mark C (Mark C), Friday, 23 May 2003 09:32 (twenty years ago) link

I think the US tipping business is grebt, because the more arcane and complicated social rituals are, the better. This seems very obvious to me.

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.

― Tim (Tim), Friday, 23 May 2003 09:48 (twenty years ago) link

I didn't say I tip badly after the first splurge, necessarily. I just am generous first time round. There, that sounds better.

― Mark C (Mark C), Friday, 23 May 2003 10:02 (twenty years ago) link

Why does ILE have a grillion threads about tipping and very few about the intricacies and etiquette of round-buying?

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Friday, 23 May 2003 10:31 (twenty years ago) link

US imperialism?

― N. (nickdastoor), Friday, 23 May 2003 11:25 (twenty years ago) link

Because round-buying isn't exactly a concept that anyone is debating; apparently manners have hit the outer-US in that issue!

― Ally (mlescaut), Friday, 23 May 2003 12:32 (twenty years ago) link

It seems like the discussion got into whether or not people should tip or be tightwads because of some of the things I said upthread. I want to make it clear that unless you tip a waitress for the water, you tip like me.

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

― Stuart (Stuart), Friday, 23 May 2003 14:27 (twenty years ago) link

im just really surprised that theres all this talk of free soft drinks! the chance of getting a soft drink in the uk that was 50% more expensive relitively than an alcoholic one is v. slim. this free-ginger ale nation sounds like paradise!
what about ginger beer? is that free too?

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

― ambrose (ambrose), Friday, 23 May 2003 14:52 (twenty years ago) link

One person's tab probably pays for all the free Coke these bars give away in one night.

― Stuart (Stuart), Friday, 23 May 2003 15:02 (twenty years ago) link

I want to make it clear that unless you tip a waitress for the water, you tip like me.

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.

― Ally (mlescaut), Friday, 23 May 2003 15:05 (twenty years ago) link

Mark C's second-to-last post wraps the issue up nicely, it's hard to imagine what more could be said.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 23 May 2003 15:31 (twenty years ago) link

And if you disagree you can "suck it"!

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 23 May 2003 15:39 (twenty years ago) link

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

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.

― felicity (felicity), Friday, 23 May 2003 15:54 (twenty years ago) link

Yakov Smirnoff's doing standup on 42nd St. soon!!!

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Friday, 23 May 2003 15:55 (twenty years ago) link

whatta country

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 23 May 2003 16:00 (twenty years ago) link

"In America you can always find a party. In Russia the party always finds YOU."

― felicity (felicity), Friday, 23 May 2003 16:01 (twenty years ago) link

i almost added "wadda country"

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Friday, 23 May 2003 16:05 (twenty years ago) link

Do I go into restaurants and order only water? No.
If my water glass is constantly empty, will it affect the waiter's tip? It might. A lot of times I ask for a pitcher to make it easier for both of us.

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.

― Stuart (Stuart), Friday, 23 May 2003 16:12 (twenty years ago) link

I have sometimes tipped for free things -- dinner in one instance --and the waitstaff waved it away, no, no! So now I am afraid to offend waitstaff by tipping their generosity. I think free sodas are fairly common -- for some reason waitstaff can't seem to be bothered to charge for them sometimes, I think it's fine to accept graciously, no tip. Then again, I'm not a big fan of generous tips for bartenders, they tend to be all rocked out and I don't like their attitude, I don't really like them, they make me wait a long time for a drink, even before they realize I'll only give them a dollar tip -- what am I tipping them for, treatlng me badly? Anyway, the $ will only go to their tattoo fund.

― Mary (Mary), Friday, 23 May 2003 17:09 (twenty years ago) link

No one's mentioned the phenomenon of the "open bar", encountered at promo events, weddings, etc. where tipping is even more important than usual.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 23 May 2003 17:22 (twenty years ago) link

It is?

― Mary (Mary), Friday, 23 May 2003 17:23 (twenty years ago) link

the gratuity is taken care of by the host of the open bar.

― gygax! (gygax!), Friday, 23 May 2003 17:26 (twenty years ago) link

I was at a BBQ festival at the Brooklyn Brewery two weeks ago. All you can eat and drink, tickets were $85. And the bartender was giving me dirty looks when I wasn't tipping! I PAID $85!!! (well, I didn't, but my friend did for me)

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Friday, 23 May 2003 17:29 (twenty years ago) link

That's annoying. Like when you go to a place that has service included in the check (like often hotel bars and restaurants of they automatically add 18% for large parties) and there's also a line for the tip on top of the service charge. In Europe, sometimes they even yell at you for not tipping, even though service was included in the bill. They want to shame you into tipping just because they know you're American, even though you're not in America!

― felicity (felicity), Friday, 23 May 2003 17:34 (twenty years ago) link

just keep telling yourself that, gygax

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 23 May 2003 17:55 (twenty years ago) link

The Brooklyn Brewery is lame. Next time he sneers, give him a little chunk of wood. There's your 20%...

― Stuart (Stuart), Friday, 23 May 2003 18:08 (twenty years ago) link

t.,

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"!!!

― gygax! (gygax!), Friday, 23 May 2003 18:08 (twenty years ago) link

it is urgent and key that Felicity and I bond over Yakov Smirnoff asap

― M Matos (M Matos), Friday, 23 May 2003 18:12 (twenty years ago) link

One Smirnoff on ice for me, and one for my friend, please.

― felicity (felicity), Friday, 23 May 2003 18:19 (twenty years ago) link

"bond"

"over"

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Friday, 23 May 2003 18:20 (twenty years ago) link

ok fine, "make fun of." happy, Y-pants?

― M Matos (M Matos), Friday, 23 May 2003 18:22 (twenty years ago) link

"pants"

*KISS*

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Friday, 23 May 2003 18:36 (twenty years ago) link

That does sound devious, gygax. I suppose those situations are worked out pretty thoroughly beforehand so no one gets the wrong idea and no one gets screwed (except of course you). But at an open bar at a club or a bar I always assume the bartenders are just making the same thing they always do but that CERTAIN people harbor CERTAIN misconceptions about their compensation leaving certain others of us to take up the slack.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 23 May 2003 18:57 (twenty years ago) link

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