Members Shaster Posted September 20, 2015 Members Share Posted September 20, 2015 Apologies to the Gershwin brothers (and S.M.). BTW if you work for the tax department, this is just a fictional story! I usually don't bother much with tip jars. They are a bit of a hassle, and many of the places I play don't allow them. However, last night, the on duty manager put one near my "stage" area. I didn't notice it until I was playing so I didn't even salt it with a fiver, as I normally might. During my first set, this fellow would wander up if he liked a song I was playing, and throw in a toonie (a two dollar coin), and then sit down again. He repeated this two or three times and did this again in the second set. I should add that by doing this, it was very clear as to where he was heading and the coins made a nice plop in the very large brandy snifter. Lo and behold, other people started tipping, mostly when they were leaving. So what's the big deal you ask. Well I've been playing this place for two or three years, and even with the rare placement of a tip jar, I usually only get a couple of people tipping. I get tons of compliments but few tips. Somehow the "constant tipper" made tipping a cool thing, a must do, if you will. He basically trained or shamed people into tipping. Sure it was a good night and I played well but I've had many good nights there before, and often made no tips. So instead of a couple of people throwing in a five or ten, I had seven or eight tables tipping. Made a total of $54.00 - very unusual for that place. I know we've talked tip jars before, but I'm again considering rigging something up with business cards. That way it wouldn't seem like I'm looking for money, and it might get around the no tip jar policy of many of the hotels. Anyone care to revisit or update their tips on tips? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted September 20, 2015 Moderators Share Posted September 20, 2015 one of the rooms where I co-host a jam was abysmally bad on tips, so I would wait until the room was fairly full, and mention tipping the bartender, and then point out our tip jar, explaining it was our 401k plan...the tips do improve on teh nights I point it out...sometimes blunt is just needed... $54 Canadian is what, like a buck and a quarter US now? Still, the recognition factor also helps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members steve mac Posted September 20, 2015 Members Share Posted September 20, 2015 Tips aren't really the "done thing" where I live. But when I am in the U.S. I find that tip containers that have some form of illumination and a humerous sign tends to be the most fruitful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Shaster Posted September 21, 2015 Author Members Share Posted September 21, 2015 $54 Canadian is what, like a buck and a quarter US now? Still, the recognition factor also helps! Ha ha! I realized after I posted, that the amount might seem a little pathetic. I mean in other places, I've been tipped forty or fifty bucks for just one song, but in this place, my usual take is four or five dollars for the whole night, so a ten fold increase was significant. Anyhoo, it was interesting to me what peer pressure could accomplish. Kind of like when (apparently) Frank Sinatra's manager used to hire girls to faint, during the concerts Frank did in the early forties era. People are impressed by people that are seemingly impressed. Or to put it another way, success breeds success. Still working on what lesson I'm supposed to be learning here. Do I get a neon tip jar, or do I start the night with Hotel California (or the equivalent thereof)? I usually avoid the sure fire tip songs like Wonderful World and so on, but maybe pride goeth before an empty bank account... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Notes_Norton Posted September 21, 2015 Members Share Posted September 21, 2015 <...>Somehow the "constant tipper" made tipping a cool thing' date=' a must do, if you will. He basically trained or shamed people into tipping. <...>[/quote'] Can I hire him? I'll split the take with him Insights and incites by Notes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Shaster Posted September 22, 2015 Author Members Share Posted September 22, 2015 Can I hire him? I'll split the take with him No kidding. I'm thinking that if friends come down, I'll give them ten bucks in bills or coins and ask them to come up and tip me during the course of the set - maybe get them to applaud loudly, whistle, scream and faint as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pogo97 Posted September 22, 2015 Members Share Posted September 22, 2015 I'll give them ten bucks in bills Um, that would be two fives here in Canada. Maybe you need to go a bit bigger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted September 22, 2015 Moderators Share Posted September 22, 2015 I know some bands and comics put shills in the room to request songs...set up heckling...so why not have them prime the jar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Notes_Norton Posted September 22, 2015 Members Share Posted September 22, 2015 Actually, I'd like to figure out how to get paid what I think I'm worth instead Insights and incites by Notes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Shaster Posted September 23, 2015 Author Members Share Posted September 23, 2015 Um, that would be two fives here in Canada. Maybe you need to go a bit bigger. Ha ha. Just respecting the international audience we have here. Actually though, I keep all my US currency tips, so I've got plenty of one dollar bills. I've even got some old Canadian one and two dollar bills. In fact, bartender I know used to start his tip jar with an old Canadian two dollar bill. He claimed it drew attention to the jar and improved his tips - so there's a tip for anyone that wants to try it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted September 24, 2015 Moderators Share Posted September 24, 2015 kind along that line...we'd finished a gig, and usually, I go through the tip jar and split it up, but one of the other guys picked it up...shook it and said...'Damn! Some cheap SOB put quarters in here.' I checked it...they were 'Susies'...dollar coins...ten of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RoadRanger Posted October 7, 2015 Members Share Posted October 7, 2015 Tips aren't really the "done thing" where I live. But when I am in the U.S. I find that tip containers that have some form of illumination and a humerous sign tends to be the most fruitful. I've actually pointed a color changing LED spotlight at our tip jar at the farmer's market - works even in the daylight (in the shade) . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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