Tip Jar?

[Bigdog]

I have been asked many times over the years where my tip jar was.

I say I don't have one and they walk away without tipping me. Does that mean if I had a jar i would have been tipped?

I have asked other KJs if they have seen other KJs with a tip jar. They answer no.

I heard a story about a DJ that played for $50 a night. I think one of his friends went around the bar with the tip jar trying to solicit money for the DJ. He did get money but the bartenders were highly mad about it.

Several points to make about this.

1. We are paid a fee, not normally an hourly wage. Unlike bartenders and waitress' whose hourly wage is lower and expected to be offset by tips.

2. If you put out a tip jar several things can happen.

A. The bartenders might receive less in tips because of your tip jar. If people planned on leaving a certain amount of tip and they decided to spit it between you and the bartender. Could tend to make the bartender not like you and suggest to the bar owner to find another KJ.

B. You could be tipped as a "bribe" to move someone up in the rotation.

C. You could be tipped because people think you are good at what you do.

3. People could just give you money without a tip jar, for being so good at KJing.

I have never used a tip jar. Too many implied things come with it. Such as begging or playing singer favorites.

I have recently read about other KJs that feel it's OK to use a tip jar, no matter what it looks like.

Tipping you to "play over" would be acceptable. Tipping you because people love you would be acceptable.

Does a tip jar make you look cheap?

Does a tip jar look tacky?

Does a tip jar make you look like you don't charge enough or can not get enough from your job?

Hair dressers get tipped, why?

Should we expect to be tipped?

Do we deserve to be tipped?

Would you tip another KJ? Why?

[Bigdog]

Do you think the bar owner would frown upon your tip jar?

What about the singers?

What about the bartenders?

[Bigdog]

Last night 2 people I have never seen before tipped me and both of them asked where my tip jar was. Like it's a standard practice and it should have been out.

[DanG2006]

Have seen it at one of the shows I use to go to. Haven't been to the show since my shows got me too busy to visit other shows. That said, I would not put one out nor do I accept any tips for the appearance of taking a bribe.

[letitrip]

On a number of occasions I've had patrons that wanted to tip me. I tell them I don't accept tips. Sometimes they just say ok and put the money away but other times they insist on me taking the money. When they do, it is my policy to give that money to the bar tenders as a tip.

[stormy]

Hi everybody. I'm new to posting. but not the site i've been following the karaoke forum for about a year now about as long as i've been in the biz. I work in a lounge in a little sea side town on the coast of or. we have karaoke 7 nights a week. We're a tourist town. My situation might be a little different but i look at it this way. I provide evening entertainment in a social enviroment. I am providing a service and just as my bartender serves drinks, i serve music. every bar band or performer i know has a tip jar. i say go for it!

[Bigdog]

If I worked a tourist trap I would probably have a tip jar.

But Bartenders and waitress' work at a reduced hourly wage, tips are considered part of their wage and their W-2 tax info reflects that.

A waitress getting paid $3.00 an hour pays taxes on $7.00 (amount withheld by employer) an hour. Whether they get that much in tips or not. It's assumed by the government that you will make that much in tips per hour.

You charge what you charge for a night of karaoke and tips where never part of your fee. The bar owner didn't say I'll pay you this amount and you will also get "X" amount in tips.


The thing that makes me mad is bartenders and waitress' have made as much or more than I charge per night. They came to work wearing their clothes. $50 investment.

I just unloaded over $50,000 worth of equipment and music. I ran around all night and worked setting up and tearing down. Put up with the same drunks and jerks.

[stormy]

far be it from me to short change the work that our bartenders and waitresses do but any server worth thier salt will be able to hold thier own. i'm not sure what size rooms you work but there always seems to be enough to go around and bottom line WE are working that room together. loading and unloading equipment is just the nature of the beast in our industry. and as far as dealing with the public i will say when 5 people get up to sing at once and you know it's not going to be a pretty sight it helps when the designated driver flips you a fiver and says thanks sort of takes the sting out. tips are a lot like lady luck, very fickel you can have eight people in the bar and end up with $50 in the jar at the end of the night. then you can have them 25 deep and maybe there will be $20. you just never know. so i put my jar out there and go with the flow.

[RockinBruce]

I have worked for a couple of local KJ's here in Napa, filling in at their regular gigs from time to time...they both have used a tip jar, some nights are great tip nights, other nights there are no tips at all. I don't think tipping a KJ in any way undercuts the tips that bartenders and/or serving staff may receive. I do understand the concerns that some may have regarding customers that tip, then expect to be moved up in the rotation. I have had that happen to me a couple of times...and in both cases, when the customer complained to me that "I gave you a good tip so I can sing quicker," I offered to return their tip, explaining that I don't accept bribe money, and that they would have to wait their turn. In both cases, they insisted that I keep the tip and they both waited until their regular turn came up in the rotation.

[fancyloves2karaoke]

TIPS..... I do not personally use a tip jar however I am hired for four hours a night at one of my bars 9-1 if the place is packed at 1 then bucket is passed around if the customers want to continue the additional 2 hours they tip or the bar owner pays me an extra 50 bucks an hour. I am not cheap but I get paid for my time. Any tips that come in before the end of my show at 1 0'clock get split with the bartenders and waitresses this works very well. Most of my tips come from customers who want me to sing certian songs thoughout the night and if it is a slow night I don't mind doing so expecially because my customers are not cheap when they tip 20-40 bucks a song. I have been asked by people who aren't reg. where my tip jar is I do tell them that I do not place one out if they want to leave a tip feel free however I do not move my rotation around for people who do TIP they have to wait thier turn like the rest of the singers. We are entertainers we get paid to entertain it is the customer who decides whether or not to tip NEVER Feel guilty about taking tips it can work both ways. If you pass a jar around at the end of the night for yourself and you see that the tip jar looks pretty empty for the bartenter use half of what you recieved at the end of the night and tip the bartender and waitress there will be no annomosity between you if you dothis every time you are tipped because you are making bank and so is the staff.

[michaeljvaughn]

Speaking just as a customer, I think it's fine. And I know my KJ gives the bartender and waitress a cut, so there's no hard feelings.

[LarryKaraoke]

As a Profesional performer, I agree with Tip Jars. No different than tips to a waitress. As a club manager, I also agree with them as it allows me to pay the performer a little less. That makes the performer work harder at entertaining so that they get the tips and Customers get a better show. As a Karaoke Host, I don't, as some MAY see it as a way to bribe their way to a shorter rotation or getting the song they want. I have been offered well over $100 to shorten a rotation wait. I never realized how Cut-Throat Karaoke can get till I started hosting.