Just curious...how many of you put out a tip jar?
I've always avoided doing so, though I see full jars at the shows of others and it does get me to thinking.
That said, I definitely accept and expect a tip if I make a singer a CD of his/her performance, $5 is suggested. But I NEVER accept a tip to put someone up.
Tip jar?
Nope, no tip jar, I don't accept tips. To me a tip jar just looks tacky. I never liked them with the guys that play piano at the food court in the mall, I definitely don't want one at my show.
As far as making recordings, I'll mention this just for the sake of mentioning it. Unless you've worked out something with ASCAP and BMI, you could get yourself into trouble recording those performances, especially if you receive money in exchange for the recorded material. IF you haven't already, I would recommend you do your homework on that just to protect yourself.
As far as making recordings, I'll mention this just for the sake of mentioning it. Unless you've worked out something with ASCAP and BMI, you could get yourself into trouble recording those performances, especially if you receive money in exchange for the recorded material. IF you haven't already, I would recommend you do your homework on that just to protect yourself.
I will accept tips. TIPS.
Lately I have several people that give me $20 every couple weeks. One guy does it on every visit. And his brother is a KJ.
Do they get special treatment? Not really. It may get them in the rotation as a new singer a little faster. But then again my new singers get worked into the rotation somewhere anyway.
Will anyone actually sing more songs than any other singer?
NO ... It won't buy them an extra song.
Now one night the regular tipper gave me an extra $50 (on top of the $20) to stay 1/2 hour later. He and his table sang the majority of the songs in that last half hour. I think that's perfectly fair and reasonable.
He bought the last half hour of my time that night after my regularly scheduled 4 hours ended.
I feel I am deserving of a tip. I don't ask for them with a tip jar.
What's funny is, I have had many people ask me where my tip jar is. I hold out my pocket and tell them here. THEY NEVER PUT MONEY IN MY POCKET. So I don't get the tip because I have NO jar. Does that make sense? That's the time I wish I had one out.
People sometimes throw some paper money on my table. I thank them and keep going. I act like it was exactly that. Nothing more than a tip for being good. I can't blame them.
Lately I have several people that give me $20 every couple weeks. One guy does it on every visit. And his brother is a KJ.
Do they get special treatment? Not really. It may get them in the rotation as a new singer a little faster. But then again my new singers get worked into the rotation somewhere anyway.
Will anyone actually sing more songs than any other singer?
NO ... It won't buy them an extra song.
Now one night the regular tipper gave me an extra $50 (on top of the $20) to stay 1/2 hour later. He and his table sang the majority of the songs in that last half hour. I think that's perfectly fair and reasonable.
He bought the last half hour of my time that night after my regularly scheduled 4 hours ended.
I feel I am deserving of a tip. I don't ask for them with a tip jar.
What's funny is, I have had many people ask me where my tip jar is. I hold out my pocket and tell them here. THEY NEVER PUT MONEY IN MY POCKET. So I don't get the tip because I have NO jar. Does that make sense? That's the time I wish I had one out.
People sometimes throw some paper money on my table. I thank them and keep going. I act like it was exactly that. Nothing more than a tip for being good. I can't blame them.
Agreed, in this business perception is way more important than reality. When you're thinking of your reputation, it's how people percieve you that affects this. If people think they just saw you take a bribe, they're not going to ask you about it, they're going to nitpick everything you do until they find "evidence" that you showed preference to the person that gave you money. Now this could cause some bad blood and word of mouth will spread the news. Worst case scenario, they could complain to the bar and now your client is asking questions. Not a good scenario so I choose not to chance it. I don't take tips.DanG2006 wrote:I should state my reason for not accepting tips. It looks too much like a bribe and if their turn happens to be next, it then looks as if I can be bought. I can't be bought, my rotations spots aren't for sale.DanG2006 wrote:I don't accept tips and I don't record.
hi everybody, been awhile but this was the very first topic i decided to jump on because i really do feel that i provide a service and as such should be intitled to recieve tips just as every other server does. you would tip your bartender who is serving you drinks, i serve songs. i run a straight show. my rotation IS my reputation. now tips have no rhyme or reason but in saying that i give each person the opportunity to thank me by showing thier appreciation monitarily. i love what i do. but bottom line i am in this biz to make money. just like the guy at the mall. tacky, is it tacky to show anyone in the service industry your appreciation? i say it's tacky if you don't.
We ran our show for months without a tip jar and some of our customers kept telling us we needed one.
Funny story ... the deli we work at serves the sandwiches on frisbees. One night, after paying for my meal, I threw the change in the empty frisbee by my husband, who was running the show. Next thing I knew, other people were adding money to it!
We finally put out a tip jar about two months ago. We do not solicit tips, nor mention tips or the tip jar in any way. If I see a person put money in it I thank them. That's it.
Our rotation has always been fair, and always will be. The only time it has not been followed is if one of the kids singing needs to get home for bed (we run a family show). I've only bumped a child up a couple of times and no one minds because we all enjoy the little kids singing.
My opinion is that tips are perfectly fine. As long as you follow a fair rotation people really have no reason to complain.
Funny story ... the deli we work at serves the sandwiches on frisbees. One night, after paying for my meal, I threw the change in the empty frisbee by my husband, who was running the show. Next thing I knew, other people were adding money to it!
We finally put out a tip jar about two months ago. We do not solicit tips, nor mention tips or the tip jar in any way. If I see a person put money in it I thank them. That's it.
Our rotation has always been fair, and always will be. The only time it has not been followed is if one of the kids singing needs to get home for bed (we run a family show). I've only bumped a child up a couple of times and no one minds because we all enjoy the little kids singing.
My opinion is that tips are perfectly fine. As long as you follow a fair rotation people really have no reason to complain.
Sabrina the Cat
Everytime I have seen DJs...If someone asked the DJ to play a song for them...it usually is accompanied with a tip.
Will the DJ play the song faster because you tipped them???
Will they play the song if you don't tip them???
Is the tip the reason????
We look & act very simular to DJs. Does the request thing....to sing faster for a tip carry over to us??? Are we that different?????
Is that an instilled reaction for better service???
MONEY TALKS.....MONEY IS POWER...
Is the tip just because I'm so good????
Or is something else expected????
Another "Can of Worms"....
WHY DO YOU TIP SOMEONE?
What do you expect?
Will the DJ play the song faster because you tipped them???
Will they play the song if you don't tip them???
Is the tip the reason????
We look & act very simular to DJs. Does the request thing....to sing faster for a tip carry over to us??? Are we that different?????
Is that an instilled reaction for better service???
MONEY TALKS.....MONEY IS POWER...
Is the tip just because I'm so good????
Or is something else expected????
Another "Can of Worms"....
WHY DO YOU TIP SOMEONE?
What do you expect?
You make me want to put out a tip jar. 
Have you ever asked the bar owner how he feels about your tip jar? What do you think he thinks about it? Do you think he cares? Do you think he thinks he's not paying you enough? Or he's cheap?
When the bar owner bartends should you tip him? That's like paying double for a drink. Is it or not?
If he gave you good service does he deserve a tip? Or is that part of his job?
Isn't good service part of my job. If I sucked you would surely complain about me. If I'm good it's expected.
Should I expect a tip for being great?
Does a tip jar change how you think of me? Or how you will treat me? Or what you expect of me?
A tip jar means you expect to get a tip, RIGHT? And you expect it to be put in the TIP JAR. So everyone else will see it. And they will feel like they should give you a tip. It's psychological. But I'm not sure if that's good or bad.
If someone doesn't tip you, how will they feel about it? Won't they feel obligated to put a token in the jar just so they don't appear cheap?
I just stepped on a worm...
Have you ever asked the bar owner how he feels about your tip jar? What do you think he thinks about it? Do you think he cares? Do you think he thinks he's not paying you enough? Or he's cheap?
When the bar owner bartends should you tip him? That's like paying double for a drink. Is it or not?
If he gave you good service does he deserve a tip? Or is that part of his job?
Isn't good service part of my job. If I sucked you would surely complain about me. If I'm good it's expected.
Should I expect a tip for being great?
Does a tip jar change how you think of me? Or how you will treat me? Or what you expect of me?
A tip jar means you expect to get a tip, RIGHT? And you expect it to be put in the TIP JAR. So everyone else will see it. And they will feel like they should give you a tip. It's psychological. But I'm not sure if that's good or bad.
If someone doesn't tip you, how will they feel about it? Won't they feel obligated to put a token in the jar just so they don't appear cheap?
I just stepped on a worm...
Let's see if I can answer your questions ....
The owner has been enjoying karaoke for years, and almost all of the KJ's around here have tip jars. She knows it goes with the territory. I think we are being paid a fair wage for the size of the show. She has a very small place. She has a tip jar by the cash register and one for the sandwich makers (which seems ridiculous to me).
At the bar we go to, yes, I tip the owner if he makes our drinks. My regular drink has 13 ingredients ... whoever makes it deserves a tip! I'm not paying double because I don't tip the price of the drink. Yes, good service is part of his job, but good service is worth a bit of a tip.
Yes, if your show sucked I would certainly complain to anyone who would listen. I'd even come back and post it on this forum!
A tip jar does not change what I think of you, how I treat you or my expectations of you and your show ... as long as you don't solicit tips. There is a KJ in the area who complains, on the mic, if he doesn't think he's been given enough tips. In my opinion that is out of line.
Do I expect a tip? Nope. If you want to give me one, yes, I expect you to put it in the tip jar. You can hand it to me if you prefer. I really don't care one way or the other.
I am very cheap but expect excellent service. If a waitress gives me the service I expect she is tipped; if not, she is not. If it's really bad I leave a couple pennies on the table (yes, I can be a b. I'm female.)
I know that they expect tips, but I don't feel bad if I don't tip them because of their lack of good service. I am not obligated to give anyone a tip, I do it out of the goodness of my heart. (insert angelic emoticon here)
Now, I happen to think I provide a good show, my rotation is fair, I have a good selection of songs, I am personable, etc., etc. Our tip jar doesn't even say "tips" and it is about the size of a 20 oz cup. It's actually a large size pencil cup from Wal-Mart. Since I make no issue about tips I don't believe I am making them feel obligated. If they do ... that is their issue to deal with, not mine. Some nights we get tips, some nights we don't. And I'm fine with that.
The only thing I expect from the folks that come to my show is respect for the other singers, the people working there, my equipment and me (my husband, too, I suppose).
Tell you what ... you put out a tip jar and I'll edit my song books. And watch out for those worms ... they have feelings too!
The owner has been enjoying karaoke for years, and almost all of the KJ's around here have tip jars. She knows it goes with the territory. I think we are being paid a fair wage for the size of the show. She has a very small place. She has a tip jar by the cash register and one for the sandwich makers (which seems ridiculous to me).
At the bar we go to, yes, I tip the owner if he makes our drinks. My regular drink has 13 ingredients ... whoever makes it deserves a tip!
I'm not paying double because I don't tip the price of the drink. Yes, good service is part of his job, but good service is worth a bit of a tip.Yes, if your show sucked I would certainly complain to anyone who would listen. I'd even come back and post it on this forum!
A tip jar does not change what I think of you, how I treat you or my expectations of you and your show ... as long as you don't solicit tips. There is a KJ in the area who complains, on the mic, if he doesn't think he's been given enough tips. In my opinion that is out of line. Do I expect a tip? Nope. If you want to give me one, yes, I expect you to put it in the tip jar. You can hand it to me if you prefer. I really don't care one way or the other.
I am very cheap but expect excellent service. If a waitress gives me the service I expect she is tipped; if not, she is not. If it's really bad I leave a couple pennies on the table (yes, I can be a b. I'm female.)
I know that they expect tips, but I don't feel bad if I don't tip them because of their lack of good service. I am not obligated to give anyone a tip, I do it out of the goodness of my heart. (insert angelic emoticon here)Now, I happen to think I provide a good show, my rotation is fair, I have a good selection of songs, I am personable, etc., etc. Our tip jar doesn't even say "tips" and it is about the size of a 20 oz cup. It's actually a large size pencil cup from Wal-Mart. Since I make no issue about tips I don't believe I am making them feel obligated. If they do ... that is their issue to deal with, not mine. Some nights we get tips, some nights we don't. And I'm fine with that.
The only thing I expect from the folks that come to my show is respect for the other singers, the people working there, my equipment and me (my husband, too, I suppose).
Tell you what ... you put out a tip jar and I'll edit my song books.
And watch out for those worms ... they have feelings too!Sabrina the Cat
