What is the right way to tip a bartender or barmaid?

Question

When ordering a drink at a bar, are you supposed to tip everytime the bartender or waitress brings you a drink, especially in times when the beer or drinks are cheaper, such as happy hour? Or do you wait till your about to leave and leave a tip?

Answer 1

If you are paying as you go, then yes you tip each time. If you are building a tab, then you tip at the time your ticket is presented to you (just as you would if you had ordered a meal). Most of the people who work in the food and drink industry don't make much money, and most have to share their tips.

Answer 2

Drinking/tipping rules are very specific in this area. Your goal is to tip about 50 cents per drink (assuming the drink is more than a dollar fifty). To accomplish this, purchase your first beer and leave the waiter or bar tender a dollar tip. This covers you for your next beer, just make sure to go to the same waiter. After giving them the dollar, they're going to like you because you tipped pretty big the first time around.

Next, buy a drink which requires you to get change back. Especially 75 cents back. This way when he/she comes back with the change (dollars and quarters) and leaves it on the counter, if you don't touch the change, but slip the dollars out from underneath, the quarter left over becomes an acceptable tip.

For more beers, repeat process.

Answer 3

Depends on whether you are paying for each drink as you go or running a tab. If you are paying for each drink as you go, I would suggest tipping well on the first two or three, then you can taper off and make up the difference at the end of the night. As far as happy hour and specials, you should always tip on the amount that your purchase would normally be, not the special price, and if they give you a drink on the house, you should tip what the drink would have cost.

Answer 4

I have found that tipping about 3 or 4 bucks on the first drink and then 50 cents or a dollar on all of the rest makes the bartenders really like you. and there are lots of hot bartenders.

Answer 5

You generally tip $1.00 the first round and every round thereafter if you can afford it. Bartenders have a good memory for customers who tip them well. If it's happy hour and the drinks are really cheap you should definately tip $1.00 every round. You'll be surprised that when happy hour starts to come to an end, and you've tipped well, the bartenders will make sure you get taken care of.

Answer 6

Ok I'm not a tender or waitress I'm sure they'll tell you everytime. I wait till the end of the night then tip them approx 15%, or what's left in my pants I ain't a mathemetition! LOL That was when I used to drink I been clean 11 yrs BTW!

http://www.total-knowledge.com/~willyblues/

Answer 7

Tip every drink. If you wait until you leave, you'll never get any special treatment. Bartenders are there to make money, and if they're making money, they're going to help you have a good time. If you tip early and tip often, you'll get better service and you may make a friend, and friends buy friends drinks.

Answer 8

Tip her as she brings the drinks. She may end her shift before you leave and she'll end up with nothing. Also, by tipping her as you go along, she'll know you're not trying to "stiff" her, so she'll be nicer and serve you better. Trust me on this -- I waitressed for many years at bars and restaurants. Got me through college and on my graduation day I made a promise to myself -- I'd go on welfare before I ever waitressed again. It's tough work and you live by your tips.

Answer 9

If you are different people serving you, make sure the person who serves you get the tip...unless it is a working enviroment is the kind they devide their tips among each other.

Just make sure you tip them, because that is a part of their salary.

Answer 10

After each drink, better Service
And stay out of bars