This post is the culmination of my 'expert' opinion over many years of drinking at a multitude of establishments and your experiences may vary. I will cover the basics of tipping cocktail service at bars, restaurants and gaming floors. It is my hope that you can gain some insight from my techniques and there by maximizing your frivolity. While also maximizing your cash to drink ratio henceforth to be designated 'CDR'. CDR is the first concept we need to grasp. So hear we go.
I have been patronizing establishments specifically to drink for 23 years now and have developed a keen sense of CDR. It involves a great deal of observation on key points. These points can be used to evaluate your success anytime there is a server/bartender and patron environment. There are always variables but if you use these observation points you can easily minimize the affects of these variables with judicious tipping techniques. The point of CDR is simple more drinks and stronger drinks for the least amount of money. That being said beer has a low CDR because the strength of the drink cannot be changed so the only variable you can affect is speed of service. Which is still important. But you will not gain as much as a liquor drinker. So let's get this out if the way, stop drinking beer and start drinking vodka please.
Second concept is the 'Food Chain' to be designed FC. The FC is your position in relationship to the servers and bartenders in a drinking establishment. This is arguably the most important thing that affects initial CDR. Also in some situations can be greatly affected by simple choices on your part. For example a typical restaurant would be bad FC position for you as the tips come after the service is completed. So the bartender is not motivated to pour stronger drink on the second round. Even this hurdle can be over come. Compare this to sitting at a bar for say four drinks with a good initial tip when my Goose and tonics 2-4 will be straight goose maximizing my CDR. But even a bad FC can be changed by you if you know what to observe and how to handle situations up front simply. I say simply because too much thinking while your drinking stinks so even if this all sounds complicated read it a couple times and practice. It will be second nature very quickly.
The next concept is key to the initial tipping amount. How long are you going to stay. If your having 1-2 drinks then a standard tip is in order. If your gonna camp out at an establishment then your initial tip should be higher. Then depending on your observations standard or nothing after that. Yes nothing is an option but only in cases of extremely poor service. In some cases a higher than standard tip is warranted throughout. This all depends on your observations.
Now before I get going here are my current tip levels. Gone are the days of handing a bartender $2 and telling them keep the change and they smiled. Now I consider $2 my standard tip. That is per drink by the way. 20% seems to be the industry standard so a server can cover tip outs to other staff at the end of shift and still make a little. This does stink for the server when they get stiffed for no reason but here's the thing. I have seen, had and heard bad servers complain that they got stiffed on the tip and can't pay out the other staff. GOOD if your a bad server I hope nobody tips you, please quit. If your a good server you can expect 25% - 50%. Hence the $2 dollar standard tip rate which is 25% on a Goose and tonic right now. Now by good server I mean you take care of business and do a good job. I can see if your manager has overloaded you and this won't affect your tip, I'll just tend not to come back because your manager stinks. But if I see alot of standing around and socializing while my glass is empty that's on you. Now let's talk exceptional servers. I love you. And I mean I love you when I never have to say anything but Goose and tonic when I get there and can I get the check when I'm done 4 hours later. This coupled with my glass being constantly full with strong drinks and a little talking as you drop my drinks off will net you a healthy tip. 100% - 200% yes I said it and I threw CDR out the window with that but they give gold medals at the Olympics too. So my question is why be a bad server when if your bad enough I may not tip you. A good server is gonna may a $50 if my bill is $100 and a great server is gonna run after me be because she thinks my hundreds stuck together. They didn't I just gave you another one because your awesome. I also tip cash when possible even if I pay with my card. Because the reality is Uncle Sam wasn't serving me and I already paid tax on that money. Nuff said.
So now let's deal with basic observations. First observe who is serving you and is it direct or indirect. If you receive your drinks from the person pouring that is direct service and everything else is indirect. Simple right? Ah but this is a very powerful concept in terms of CDR and FC as you will later see. Whenever possible you should put yourself in a direct service position with the person pouring your drink. If not the entire evening at least once early on.
Next observation is the mood of service personnel. Quite frankly are they smiling and really in a good mood or are they not. Also are they just plain too busy. Busy by the way is usually a dream come true for you because you will end up with everything you want. Because your tipping strategies will draw them back to you more than the other customers. You'll see.
Now check the establishment for population. Including crowd and number of staff. This is very important and will change at different times of day. It also can change your tip amount immensely so keep an eye out. Although there is a huge difference in bars and casinos in this respect so be mindful when scenarios are put in front of you. Sometimes CDR is seemingly sacrificed for enjoyment but that is relative. If your having fun and getting better service than most in a busy establishment your CDR in relationship to others is higher. Sometimes you may have to tip higher than other times. It's the nature of the game.
Next observation is what kind of establishment are you in. Is it high class or a kicked back joint. To me this doesn't actually change the amounts of the tips. But surprisingly to many it changes the speed by which I will leave sometimes. Because I hate stuck up servers. Confidence in a server is great because they have experience. Cockiness in a server means I will get another server or leave. There is a difference and the high class places seem to have more of both. It's your money so don't put up with an arrogant server, plus some tipping techniques will not work at all with these douche bags. Yes I used the DB moniker. I am pleasant til presented with unpleasant behavior then I have 2 choices leave or get downright nasty. Neither is fun and if you paid a cover or have a table it down right stinks to leave but some establishments breed the DB attitude. So once noticed get a manager and if that seems to be like talking to a wall don't go back. Note that anyplace can have DB's so the same applies to all establishments. Again it is your money and your time. Now kicked back joints are sweet and self explanatory. They can be nice or grungy but the key is relaxed. Almost forgot 'dives' call them what you will but I have had more fun in these so called dive bars. Also and this goes for all liquor establishments observe first are they clean and safe. This applies from the top spots all the way down to a house party. Your drinking so before you get plastered think about how safe you'll be later when you are.
This next one is a direct observation after you've made the decision to order. For beer drinkers ask what's on tap and what's your specials. Because a tap beer at 32 oz that's half the price of a bottle is your chance to optimize CDR as far as the drink itself is concerned after that as I said quality and speed of service is all you have. Oh but you only drink a certain beer that only comes in a special bottle you say well sorry about your lack of adventure you probably have a Northface jacket huh? For liquor ask what's your well vodka or your basic liquor of choice and what are your specials. I have been known to drink a couple long islands to get started when the well vodka is decent and not just go for Goose. Shocking I know.
Sorry I have to apologize for my attitude on beer. I have had many good beers over the years but that was before 'The Great Beer Revolution'. Now every beer I taste has the flavor of a donkeys ass. So to each his own but not me. Same beer opinions apply for wine. Now Porto is another thing altogether.
Now these are the basic observations that we need to start with in any establishment. It's not hard and only takes a minute literally. Once you actually pay attention a couple times it will become instinctive. I can size up anyplace in a matter of seconds as I'm walking in and seconds later have a plan that works 99.9% of the time. If it doesn't I will adjust. Simple.
Now to the application of these observations as it applies to tipping which when correctly done results in happy servers willing to cater to your every wish. Notice I said wish not demand. First things first your paying but don't forget your manners. Try it with me "Hi can I get a Goose and tonic. Please." making eye contact and a little smile. They are servers not servants.
First scenario is direct service this is when you will be directly dealing with the bartender. This scenario puts us in the highest FC position possible and gives us maximum CDR. Let me explain. The bartender is the person receiving our order, pouring our drinks and getting our tips. Most observations in this are for reference but the important ones hear are crowd and length of stay. If your having a couple and it's not busy order one at a time with standard tip. Now if its a 2 drink stay and it's busy order 2 right then and give a standard tip. This is simple and common at a bar and it keeps you from waiting in line for you second drink. CDR can only be affected slightly with a nice smile and a polite order. So on to the long stays with direct service. FC is established so CDR is our mission. My first interaction with the bartender is critical especially if its crowded. I get up and put my order in like this: First smile and politely say "may I have a tall goose and tonic, please" making sure I have eye contact and speak loud enough they can hear me without screaming. Then as soon as they acknowledge I say "thanks". I have a twenty in my hand already when I walked up. A twenty you say what about CDR. Well let's say its a crowded club, a Goose and tonic is probably 8-12 dollars. So a twenty is normal because I never ask a bartender how much a drink is. Indirect servers I ask but not direct service. Bartenders hate that. I know because I'm observant and see the look they give DB's when they ask,simple. They will tell me if it's more than twenty then I'll probably have one and leave cause that's alot for a simple drink. So I hand the twenty to them, pay attention, they go to the register and get change. When they turn around you can see your change so subtract that from twenty and amazingly you now know how much your drink is. $8. So the twelve will get laid on the bar and your going to quickly ,so they see you, pickup the two single bills and leave the ten. If your change was ten or less don't touch it. Now tap the money still laying there and look them straight in the eyes and say " thanks". That's it the magic secret to CDR maximizing with a bartender. Now you can go to standard tip after that without any thought. The result will be obvious. You glasses from that point will be full of Goose with a minuscule spritz of tonic to make it look good for the cameras. The other thing is you won't have to tell them what you want. And as a bonus in a crowded club as you walk back to the bar they will step to the side with your drink and hand it out to you. No standing lines with the DB's. Unless you look like every other person in the club your good. If you do look like everyone else may I ask why? Anyway when you see me you will remember, so come on be distinctive. And in a busy club you may have to up the amounts depending on cost of drinks but it's worth it to see the DB's go crazy cause you walk by them and the bartender yells at them while your getting personal service. Plus they see this and up their tips to get service but it's too late because they all stiffed the bartender earlier. But the bartender will take the extra tips and remember the earlier tips so the DB's are still waiting the next time they get a drink. They are bartenders they know how it is. It's great. And CDR is covered by full glasses so if the second tall glass is full of Goose I will just hand over twenty every time because I won't need nearly as many. The bartender will smile and so will you. Don't forget to smile and say thank you. Note don't be a DB or nothing works so don't waste your time. Maybe just stay at home and look in the mirror. Done. Simple.
Now lets use the previous scenario to help us in the worst possible scenario. This is your typical restaurant situation. Since this is your typical indirect situation you may not see the value in tip management for drinks but it is important. First let's discuss what makes this the worst scenario for CDR. Well simple put you are at the bottom of the FC as far as drinks go. Think it through, the bartender doesn't see you, the tipping is done after the service and your server is worried about the food service more than the drink service. Well all is not lost. First decide how many if any drinks you'll have with dinner. If the answer is one or two just have dinner as usual. If the answer is three or more then CDR is not a problem. Here's how you do it, note this is a good time for distinctive drinks and beer because the bartender will remember these when the server places your subsequent orders. So start with your table seating at the front first and if they say you can be seated immediately, just say you will stop at the bar first and then be seated. This is normal when you have to wait for seating but most don't think to do this on the way to the table. So simply put you order your drinks from the bartender and pay right then so you can give them a good up front tip. After this order the same drinks at the table and you will most likely receive good CDR as before. Now for the initial tipping rates. If your staying all night sitting around the table with friends talking, tip high as in the bar/club scenario. If your having 3-4 drinks at a relaxing dinner just 2-3 times your standard tip will be fine. Now you have moved your self back up the drink FC. As a bonus you get a drink before dinner that will help fill you and cut down on over ordering food. Like i said this is were distinctive yet simple drinks are good. A true mixed cocktail is not able to be tweaked the same as a simple mixed drink. Simple and effective.
Now that i said it though let's cover mixed drinks as applied to CDR. If you order any cocktail with more than three ingredients your bartender is not going to be able to affect CDR as much because of the recipe but a tall vodka or gin and tonic has room for improvement. As in more liquor and less tonic. A long island on the other hand can be spiffed up so to speak but flavor is important so it must stay in ratios. This is the driving principle behind true CDR and if a bartender says they don't jack up drinks for good tippers they are either bad bartenders or lying to their manager at the time. Because of the fact that the bulk of their wages are from tips, they will milk out as much from a good tipper as possible so an extra second or two on the pour will be almost a sub-conscience motion for a good bartender.
So far we've covered the basics of getting the most bang for your buck and with these scenarios you can shift and tweak strategies based on your observations. Now some may disagree with these presentations but for me this is standard procedure. I am not trying to stiff anyone. This style of tipping is meant to make you and your servers happy. Also i find that my glass is usually full and strong so that is my argument for you to try these tipping techniques.
That being said in the last few years I have had to adjust to an anomaly in the drink service world 'Casino Floor Drink Service'. This is a whole different animal but using the concepts of observation, CDR and FC you can have a good time and a constantly full glass. The service should be thought of as a direct service in most ways. I say this because I have seen drink strength go up in certain circumstances. Although technically it is indirect. As I said casino drink service is an anomaly mostly because you don't pay for the drinks themselves. Speaking of drinks keep it simple. I just order vodka tonics and don't specifically order brands. I don't usually care after 2-3 while I'm gaming anyway. Note that in the last year drink service has tightened up at most Las Vegas properties. That being said I haven't had a problem with getting good drinks on the 'floor'. Let's start with observation. If it is morning to early afternoon there aren't as my servers on the floor. So observe there patterns and especially the edges of a servers 'territory'. This is very obvious because there is usually someone sitting at a slot looking around for drinks. that is a sure sign that they are on a servers border. Don't sit there. Next look at the pit service to see how it is. If everyone's glasses are empty and some dude keeps looking around you may be better off walking to another casino. This is morning to early afternoon so it can be hard sometimes. The evening tends to have more servers but they have more orders to fill. In the evenings i stay away from servers that don't look like they have their act together. Now on the floor FC as well as CDR is based totally on the ability to get a server back to you in short order. Taking these things in to consideration you must make your initial contact with the server count. Here is the tip schedule and rules i use. I always have the tip ready as soon as I order so when the server gets back they don't have to wait. They are busy enough without you having to fumble for a tip. Next the amount is a standard for me because if I'm sitting for many hours on a good run I am going to be fuzzy. So I start with $5 and singles after that. Keep it simple. If I get on a run $5 is what I tip per drink. Your not forking out for the drink so be generous. The only time this varies is when I'm traveling through casinos and just sitting for short times and at slots. Then it's $1 per drink. But if I get on a run in these situations I will stay. Because you never leave when your in a heater. So them I would just up my tip $2 at slots and $5 at tables. Now if I'm on a bang up run at a table I have caught myself handing the server greens but that just gets them back in a hurry so it happens. At that point though I have been pocketing blacks and purples so it's all good. That said a loss to the casino is no reason to not tip servers and dealers. That's the bulk of their wages. As for whether or not my tipping strategies are correct is up to the servers to decide that. I usually float back to my room happy. I usually cannot tell how happy the server is by the time I leave a table because of the fuzzy factor. Although I have been hugged on numerous occasions and hunted down by servers the next day. Besides the fuzzy factor itself is telling enough for me. So I must not be doing to bad.
So if your ever at a table somewhere on the Vegas strip using these tips and you cannot seem to get the service you expected...look around for me and come over and say hi. Cause I'm on a heater!!!
