How Bartenders Make Money: A Guide for Tipping
If you’re becoming a bartender, you need a strategy guide for tipping. Hourly wages can reach as low as $2.13 at some establishments, which means bartenders need to compensate for this wage by getting money from clients. Some people think this is simply a matter of sweet-talking bar patrons. Over time, you’ll realize there…
Increasing the Bar Tab
The first step to getting a big tip is getting people to spend money at the bar. A+ Server Education is focused on serving alcohol responsibly, so this doesn’t mean getting people to buy more drinks than they can handle. Instead, you want to encourage them to open a tab at the bar. Simply asking them if they're going to start a tab can enable them to spend more time at the bar, allowing them to enjoy their drinks more fully. This means they’ll have more time to drink safely at the bar.
Once the tab is open, you can take several steps to enhance it. This can be as simple as the visual cue of shaking your head yes when you suggest a particular, pricey drink or liquor. It can also be as overt as pretending to invent a new drink and name it after someone. Instead of inventing the drink, you may choose to use an old house drink or one of the more obscure drinks that you know.
Work with Other Bartenders to Ensure You’re Making the Most of Your Time
Unfortunately, you’re not fully in control of the tip you’re going to get. Different people are inclined to tip bartenders differently. For instance, people are more likely to tip bartenders who are of the opposite gender. If you have waitstaff helping you, make sure to tip them as well. A busboy clearing your tables or a food runner delivering food to a customer can help ensure your customer receives excellent service. People tend to tip better when they have a unique experience. By tipping your waitstaff, they will, in return, take better care of your customers because they are also making tips. Working as a team will help you focus on your customers. In return, the customer will tip better and leave more positive reviews of their experience, which will help bring in more customers.
Want to Get Your Bartender’s License?
A+ Server Education can help. We offer bartender courses designed to increase smart decision-making. Our courses are state-approved and provide bartenders with valuable knowledge that they can apply throughout their careers. Check out our location map to find your state. If you’re a business owner responsible for multiple servers, we also offer bulk courses.
