from CnewsPubs.com – Opinion
Date August 24 2008 | Topic: Randall Grantham
Next time you’re in a bar and lookin’ for somethin’ to toast,
Don’t forget our friend who deserves it the most.
The bartender listens to our problems and deals with our weird trips.
And tries to make a living depending on our tips.
So hard to be a bartender.
Blues for Bartenders–Steady Rollin’ Bob Margolin
By Randall Grantham, Community Columnist
People have been asking me to write this article for years. Even before the current economic downturn, this was a subject near and dear to the hearts of many employees who we come into contact with on a daily basis. These workers are suffering from the stumbling economy to a greater extent than everyone else (except those who have no jobs at all). And they’ve frequently asked me to address this issue.
Who are these people? They are the waiters and servers at your favorite restaurant. They are the people who bring you your food and drink. They have the power in their hands to make sure it’s served at the proper time and temperature. Or to have it served with that little something extra, that you may or may not have requested.
Most every other worker in the US and in the state of Florida has the right to receive a mandated minimum wage of $6.55 or $6.79 per hour, respectively. The workers who are on the front lines and also receive tips from customers need only be paid $3.77 in Florida or $2.13 by federal law.
This economic not-a-recession has cut through all of the workplace. Construction is down. Retail shopping has taken a hit. Real estate sales are low but recovering a bit. If you work in those sectors and can get work, your pay is pretty consistent.
What is happening in the food service industry is that people are still going out, yet they are cutting back when it comes to tips. This is especially true when you factor in the higher prices that are being charged on the menu as a result of the higher expenses that the restaurant business has to pay. What this means is that people are saving money on the backs of those who can afford it least!
I wasn’t always a good tipper. I used to be a terrible tipper, a cheapskate, a tight-wad. Who knows how many times somebody may have spit in my food. But then, I had an epiphany. It happened in Old Homosassa at a drive-thru liquor store.
We had run out of vodka and took the short drive to the bar/restaurant/liquor store by the old Sugar Mill ruins. (I won’t name the place, but if you can’t find it with those hints, stay home.) After we ordered the bottle and handed the attendant the money through the drive-up window, we were waiting for our change. I remember my wife telling me to tip the guy and I questioned her. “Why should I tip the drive-thru liquor store worker?” She insisted I tip the guy and I reluctantly gave him one dollar.
The next night we were out at one of the other local hangouts and happened to see the same guy who had waited on us at the liquor store. He waved at us and, the next thing I know, the waitress was bringing us two more drinks — compliments of our friend from the night before.
A $1 tip earned us two cocktails. That’s what I call a good return on an investment.
I’m not saying that this will happen to you. These servers are often single mothers, working students or people working a second job to support their families. They need and deserve these tips. The employers aren’t paying them squat and tips are assumed to make up the difference. Plus, as my experience shows, it’s good Karma.
This doesn’t necessarily apply to bartenders at your favorite drinking establishment. There, according to some in management (Bonnie), the people behind the bar make more than the managers directly above them. In that instance the heftiness of the tip is in your interest — if you want to be served promptly and would like some alcohol in your drink.
Overall, the rule is, “If you can’t afford to tip, you can’t afford to go out.”
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August 26th, 2008 | 
