You walk up to a bar and order a drink. Your bartender is friendly and fun, makes you laugh and takes your order. He or she delivers your drink back to you and takes your credit card or your crumpled bills. An exchange has been made.
And in that exchange, many of us forget something to do very simple: Tip your bartender.
We know college students are broke. We know you don’t have tons of cash lying around.
But your bartender needs those tips. He or she isn’t doing this just for fun — bartending is hard work, and tips make up the majority of his or her pay. Many bartenders in Chapel Hill and Carrboro are supporting their education or working multiple jobs to make ends meet. When you skimp on a tip, you’re telling them the work they do isn’t deserving of payment.
If your bartender was a little slow or too rushed to make conversation, that doesn’t mean you get a get-out-of-tip free card. Look around you and see how many other patrons are also trying to order, and don’t miss the rowdy people at the end of the bar or the picky customer with the impossibly specific order. Yes, you deserve good service, but you are not the only person in the room. Tip anyway.
And most importantly, you should tip appropriately. A dollar for one drink is plenty on a normal day, but don’t consider that your blanket tip in all situations. If you rack up a $50 bar tab, 15 or 20 percent is responsible. If you were a difficult customer or your bartender was incredibly pleasant, consider that too.
Don’t be a jerk. If you can’t afford to tip, you can’t afford to go out drinking.
