To tip out or not to tip out?
When I start at a new club I always like to tip out more than the minimum in order to make a good impression. My boyfriend and I have been working at my new club for 7 months now and because my boyfriend and I have actually made friends with the staff, we all hangout outside of work with them and they are more like friends than just coworkers. My boyfriend says that all the other bouncers/managers love me because I consistently tip out more than the other dancers.
So typically there are 3 bouncers, 1 manager, DJ and Champagne room host. The minimum is $5 per bouncer and manager. $10 to DJ. There's no set amount you had to tip the room host but I've heard them guilt trip other dancers into tipping them even though our room hosts get to hustle every customer we bring up for a 10-20% tip for the amount of the room and that tip goes straight to them. Customers rarely tip after the champagne rooms because they already had to tip a decent amount to the host at the begining.
So because I don't tip minimum my tipout looks like this
Bouncers $15×3 =$45
Manager. $15×1= $15
DJ. $25×1=$25
Room host $25x1=$25
Total in tipout not including house is $110 per night.
So currently I'm in great standing with the staff. They all are very kind to me and the room hosts even invite me to hangout with them and go to the beach etc. I just don't feel like my increased tips to them reflect in them bringing more money to me in the club.
Recently we had to sign a revised contract that said we agree not to sue the club for hourly wages etc, we were also given the option to be paid hourly if we wished but I declined that because it came with other strings attached I was not comfortable with like having to work set shifts.
On this new contract it said that the only thing we are now responsible for paying is our house fee. We no longer have to tip the staff at all. I called one of my managers to confirm this and he said it was true but "please don't tell the other girls that it says that". ( most of the dancers I work with are not a 100%fluent in English and probably didn't bother to understand what they were signing.)
Most everyone still tips out their minimum.
I was speaking to one of my dancer friends the other night. She actually read the contract. She said she only tips out the dj and manager. She said one time a bouncer confronted her about not tipping him, and she told him to read the contract.
So i did the math and figured that if work 5-6 days per week I'm tipping out $2,200-$2,640 per month...$26,400-$31,680 per year! That could be a mortgage on a nice house/nice amount to invest each month etc. Plus unlike me, all the other staff gets paid to be there and don't have to pay a house fee in order to be there, also they don't have to hustle for their money really, the money just gets brought to them and isn't based on their performance.
I just feel like it would be really awkward if I went from being the best tipper to not tipping at all or even dropping down to tipping the minimum. I don't want them to think it's anything personal because I do really like all of them and enjoy being friends with them.
Should I just keep tipping what I'm tipping, should I tip the minimum even though it's not required? Should I not tip at all and save all that money and possibly just give them gifts on holidays and birthdays or maybe homeade cookies or something on a nightly basis so they know I still appreciate them and let them know just how much I'm paying out so they understand?
I just don't know, am I being greedy if I choose not to tip out or am a being really stupid for spending so much money when it's not even required?
Re: To tip out or not to tip out?
I'd keep tipping more so you don't lose social capital. You'll make more money in the long run because the staff will do things like directing you to good customers. Social capital is so important in this business and it's definitely helped me out many times over. Plus you might be able to write it off when you do your taxes.
Re: To tip out or not to tip out?
I *think* you can only claim the tip out if you issue a tax form (1099?) at the end of the year to each person you tipped detailing exactly how much you tipped them, which means getting their social security number for you to file the form with the IRS to claim the deduction, and also means they'd need to claim however much you tipped them on their taxes, since it would officially have a paper trail now.
That said, it is definitely a bit like the prisoner's dilemma regarding the social capital. It also depends a lot on your club. If girls who skip out on tip out/always tip the minimum get similarly skimped on the services the various staff members are being paid to provide (bouncer looks the other way when they need them, DJ screws them out of money/stages...) then it's probably not something you want to risk becoming. In that case, absolutely, keep up the good graces. If there's no real danger of that, though, it all depends on you and how you feel. If you're okay with the amount you're tipping, by all means.
The only thing is, it might bite the other girls a bit if they're not okay with the amount they're tipping out, and see the new contract as a breath of relief. If other girls continue tipping, though, the girls who take advantage of the contract change and stop tipping out might start to get the short end of the stick, treatment-wise (see scenarios above). It becomes less a matter of "who's tipping the best" and more "who couldn't wait to stop tipping entirely?". Again, though, if that's not an issue at your club, it's not an issue. Do whatever feels right to you. If you don't mind the money you give away at the end of the night and feel it's a worthwhile investment, it most likely is. As Rare pointed out, social capital isn't exactly something you can have too much of. If something comes up and you need someone to have your back in an otherwise grey area, you setting yourself apart early and continuing to set yourself apart now will probably pay off. As long as the amount of money doesn't hurt you, tipping out everybody generously certainly doesn't hurt with anything.
Re: To tip out or not to tip out?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
rareaspasia
I'd keep tipping more so you don't lose social capital. You'll make more money in the long run because the staff will do things like directing you to good customers. Social capital is so important in this business and it's definitely helped me out many times over. Plus you might be able to write it off when you do your taxes.
My tip out goes to the house in general, so I write it all off as "rent." I treat it as if it's the fee I pay to rent space at my club, which is not actually what that money gets used for by my "employer." I'm sure a little bit of it goes to the venue where he's hosting the lap dance party, some goes to the house moms and bouncers, and most goes right into his pocket (of course, he doesn't consider me an employee, so I file as an independent contractor).
Re: To tip out or not to tip out?
Another thing to consider: Total wages and tipping help attract quality personnel (usually). Professional employees will make your club life easier.
I've worked with managers and bouncers who were no more than kids themselves and acted as such.
The owner of that club didn't pay much (if at all). He hired his friends who wanted access to beautiful women.
Re: To tip out or not to tip out?
You haven't mentioned what your average take is nightly from this club and how much the staff helps you get customers. I tip well when bouncers are nice to my customers and are helpful in making sales. But otherwise they are glorified ushers. Some club bouncers won't help regardless of how much you tip and will walk past you to hook up other girls! Some bouncers/staff are friendly to you purely to drain you dry. See how many of your 'friends' at work keep being friendly when you reduce or stop tipping them. Then you know where you stand. It's stupid to throw money away when you don't have to and this reckless attitude toward money poisons the environment for all the other women.
Re: To tip out or not to tip out?
At my club I only tip out the house mom and DJ because that's who we're required to tip out. I don't tip out the bouncer because frankly he doesn't do anything for me. I'll tip out the manager if he takes me to a customer or points me in the direction of someone who has money and they end up spending a lot on me. But other than that I make the customer who's spending tip the waitress a decent amount and thats it. I think always tipping everyone a nice chunk EVERY shift is too much. Who cares if they're inviting you to go hangout? If they're not helping you make more money then they don't really deserve so much from you. I don't care about tipping out everyone I work with because I generally make money on my own. It is nice to be shown who has money every now and then but most of the time I'm doing the selling on my own and don't need the manager's help.
Re: To tip out or not to tip out?
it's a very bad idea to stop tipping. especially if they see you still make money. if you go to a new club, you can try tipping less but you are stuck tipping more.
Re: To tip out or not to tip out?
Maybe you could gradually reduce what you're giving them? Or switch to percentage based tipping? That's what I do and everyone knows it, so if I have a bad night they know they're getting the minimum. BTW where are you guys at these days? PM me if you want. :)
Re: To tip out or not to tip out?
Thank you all for your input. To answer Optimist's question, I typically make $500-$1,000 per shift, more during events. And that's after tip out and house. So it's not like I'm going broke in order to tip out what I do or anything, I still just don't like to throw away money. If the staff would point me to big spenders I would totally feel justified in tipping them even more but on a performance basis. For example if each of the bouncers got me an hour room, I would rather tip out 20% finders fee to each of them when they are actually useful to me and tip zero when all they did was stand around and exist. It's not like they are helping out other girls make money either, I just don't think they grasp the concept that I tip them more in order to achieve the "I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine" mentality, they don't realize that they could make more than $15 from me if they would take the time to help me out more.
Re: To tip out or not to tip out?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Candycups
I *think* you can only claim the tip out if you issue a tax form (1099?) at the end of the year to each person you tipped detailing exactly how much you tipped them, which means getting their social security number for you to file the form with the IRS to claim the deduction, and also means they'd need to claim however much you tipped them on their taxes, since it would officially have a paper trail now.
Yes, and no. A literal reading of the law would seem to support this. However, the IRS, and more importantly the Supreme Court, defines income as any accession to wealth, from whatever source derived, over which the tax payer has complete dominion. It's the last part of the definition that saves us. We don't have complete dominion over our money until we complete our tip outs. Thus, it is really the amount of money we walk out of the club with that counts as income. Thus, we don't have to 1099 every bouncer, bar tender, manager, floater, room host and whatever to claim a deduction. We just reduce our income by the amount we tip out.
HTH
Z
Re: To tip out or not to tip out?
I would flat up tell the bouncers that, and gradually drop my tips to the other staff. Unless they are doing you some favor that results in more $$ for you, no reason to throw money away.
But I'm a grinch that tips the minimum most of the time and never ever our bouncers since they never do anything for me. So that's just me.
Re: To tip out or not to tip out?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Optimist
You haven't mentioned what your average take is nightly from this club and how much the staff helps you get customers. I tip well when bouncers are nice to my customers and are helpful in making sales. But otherwise they are glorified ushers. Some club bouncers won't help regardless of Some bouncers/staff are friendly to you purely to drain you dry. See how many of your 'friends' at work keep being friendly when you reduce or stop tipping them. Then you know where you stand. It's stupid to throw money away when you don't have to and this reckless attitude toward money poisons the environment for all the other women.
Well, were I used to work, the mgr would scream @ us if we didn't tip. It was a PIA but yea it sucks to be bled dry
Re: To tip out or not to tip out?
I can relate to your situation. In the past, Entertainers at my club used to be bullied into tipping 10% to the DJ and 10% to the bouncers. For a while they counted dances and hounded you for the correct amount. Owners and management changed and now they aren't allowed to bully because THAT is illegal. If staff says anything about tips, they will be fired immediately.
After much discussion, the manager put myself and another Entertainer in charge of going over contracts with the Entertainers. My contract says the same thing yours does. Tipping in not mandatory and isn't encouraged. This whole topic got really messy in my club and the staff got VERY upset because Entertainers finally realized that they didn't HAVE to tip anymore. We wanted to adjust the ratio of tipping and express how unbalanced the scale was if we were going to tip. So we said, Tip Manager, DJ, and bouncers, whatever you desire. There is no minimum and there is no standard. We can't tell you that. But basically, we are all working in the tipping industry and it's rude not to tip.
So how have I adjusted my tipping? I'm not strict to the 10% anymore. I give what I can and what I feel is a nice gesture. If I made a $1000, I'll give the Dj $60 and the bouncers $80. I'll shoot the manager a $20. If I had a shitty night, I won't give them anything and they all get it.
Re: To tip out or not to tip out?
You should definitely keep tipping, but make it based on how much you make, and on how much they help you. Just make it so that they know you appreciate their help. No matter what the contract says, they still rely on tips the way we rely on dances and rooms. If they help you, you should give them something.