Whether it's your first Bonnaroo or you’re a music festival veteran, we welcome you to Inforoo.
Here you'll find info about artists, rumors, camping tips, and the infamous Roo Clues. Have a look around then create an account and join in the fun. See you at Bonnaroo!!
Post by ChiefPemperToadWigginsky on May 29, 2010 20:17:00 GMT -5
Always tip. Especially the first beer, I always tip like 8-10 dollars my first round because I know that I will be coming back for more and will get excellent service. I don't know what you guys are talking about with bartenders leaving and being replaced, I always see the same bartenders all night long. Also.....Know how the heat and massive amounts of people kinda suck at Roo sometimes? Multiply that by 10 if you have to work 12-14 hour shifts. My roo bartenders are the shizz, I even found a cool chick in 07 who exchanged clouds n coughs with us and gave us free refills as long as we kept our cups. Last week I tipped the awesome mexican girl at McDonalds 6 bucks cuz she was super cool and i was super drunk.
Post by ChiefPemperToadWigginsky on May 29, 2010 20:19:58 GMT -5
I'm selling Thai food in centeroo this year. I'm giving most of my share of the tips to the cooks, because working over a grill in that kinda heat would be horrendous. Unless it rains the whole time, then I'm keeping it. But some thai food, I won't be mad at the non-tippers but I will be mad if you don't make eye contact.
I can sympathise with arguments from both sides of the fence but ultimately the act of tipping is a weird, foreign concept to me. If I forget to tip (and I feel like an a*hole later on when I realise) it's not through lack of cultural ignorance or absolute defiance, it's because tipping doesn't exist here and it simply doesn't occur to me in the moment.
That said, my personal rule of thumb that I devised on my US trip last year is "If you have to question it, just do it."
When the tip jar sign says something along the lines of, "all tips help support the Manchester Fire Dept," or, fill in the "help support" blank "_____" well, knowing that your tip dollars are going directly into the local economy of the people who invite you back each year? If you don't have the money, you don't have the money, and nobody is going to really judge you for it, but otherwise, I don't understand why this is even a question? The #1 reason we are asked back to the Farm every year, is because we help support the local economy. No better way to make sure that your money goes where it is supposed to, than through something as simple as a tip, I think. These aren't full time bartenders at the hottest trendy club in NYC selling you $20 drinks and pulling down hundreds or thousands a night for opening bottles you know.
These are the people in OUR community, for 4 amazing days a year at least, and the fact they put up with us? Like us? It deserves a freaking dollar here and there. You don't know how strongly i feel about this.
/preaching
This is pretty much how I feel about it, too. Please remember that it wasn't that long ago that the locals really rallied against Bonnaroo every year and it was almost impossible to find anyone locally who would say an even somewhat decent thing about the event. In fact, it was something that you didn't mention unless you really wanted your head taken off quickly. But then things changed and more of the revenue of the event started going back out into the community and people started seeing that it is something that helps keep the local economy going and also can support some of the charities/etc.
With that being said, please know that no one inside that beer tent is judging you on whether or not you tip. The years I have worked there, I would say that about 65% of the people who come in there leave a tip at least once per day. But I think it's important to realize that a lot of those people are there multiple times per day. Leaving a tip EVERY SINGLE TIME would slowly eat away at any extra money they have for the festival. So it's understandable that they aren't going to tip every time they go through a vendor's line. And there are some that NEVER tip. And it's ok.
Believe me, the ones who do tip often make up for those who don't. I can't tell you how many times some guy drunk off his butt would pull out a $20 and drop it in the jar. Amazing how a little alcohol will loosen some people's purse strings.
If you are buying your beer in the Broo'ers Tent, you are not paying the "bartenders" for the beer. You are paying the person at the ticket counter, then handing tickets to the bartenders. I always tip at minimum a dollar, but only when the situation calls for it. I am not going to hand them four tickets AND a cash tip. Someone said that it is a dance team that works the tent. I don't know what they are talking about. The people tending bar are with the breweries that are represented. In fact, they insist that you staff your own spot so that you have people that are knowledgeable about your brewery and styles of beers.
Now the other areas outside the Broo'ers tent accept cash payments, not tickets. Tip them, because they are usually donated to something local to the area.
Support the brewers inside the Broo'ers tent though. They have to pay to play, and most have to sell about 15-18 kegs to make their investment back.
Post by unregistered on Jun 1, 2010 9:31:34 GMT -5
How has this thread gone on for this long without someone posting this:
Anyway... As mentioned I'm probably not tipping when tickets are involved. The ticketing process breaks the tipping cycle for me. I'm certainly not tipping someone for counting out a few tickets and once you remove cash from the next transaction it breaks the process as well.
On the other hand I'll almost always tip at the other stands that are cash based. I am more likely to tip when a jar is present that is labeled with who benefits from the tips.
If I am in a certain area for a few hours and hitting up the same beer stand repeatedly and the servers are hustling and also having a good time then I am more likely to just give them the tip directly and let them decide to either pocket it or put it in the jar otherwise I'll put it directly in the jar myself.
Perhaps you should think about this more as a charitable donation to the community than a standard tip. To my understanding the beer stalls are manned by volunteers from the group that is earning the tip money. So if it says the Manchester Fire Department than the people serving you are affiliated with the Manchester Fire Department.
Now the vendors are a different story and they are working as a business.
Just to play devils advocate here, do you tip at McDonalds? I'm all for tipping someone who is putting effort into serving, but at a beer tent where they're taking your order, and filling a cup from one of 5 choices, or handing you a bottle (after stealing your cap), how is that any different than counter service at McDonalds? If a bartender is mixing drinks, or you're taking space at their bar, of course you tip, but at a cash and carry beer tent? I'm not even arguing about the food vendors where they're making your food, although you could argue that since they get to set the prices on their food, if they're not making enough profit on the price alone, they're doing something wrong.
The difference is simple: bartenders have a low hourly wage (way lower than minimum) that is meant to be supplemented by tips. Not so at McDonalds.
Just to play devils advocate here, do you tip at McDonalds? I'm all for tipping someone who is putting effort into serving, but at a beer tent where they're taking your order, and filling a cup from one of 5 choices, or handing you a bottle (after stealing your cap), how is that any different than counter service at McDonalds? If a bartender is mixing drinks, or you're taking space at their bar, of course you tip, but at a cash and carry beer tent? I'm not even arguing about the food vendors where they're making your food, although you could argue that since they get to set the prices on their food, if they're not making enough profit on the price alone, they're doing something wrong.
I'm kinda feeling the devil's advocate position myself. I have no problem tipping a lot of people for a variety of tasks. I usually tip more, and more often, than most of my friends and acquaintances actually.
However, when I'm (essentially) getting ripped off for $6 a beer, the person who is serving me has (possibly) received a free ticket to Roo just for pouring me that beer, and it takes them all of 10 seconds to do so, AND I'll likely never see them again, AND they aren't actually getting the tip, then yeah I don't feel such a need to tip. It makes more sense to me to tip the taxi drivers and food vendors, most of whom actually have to slave over some hot stove (or of course ride around in their taxis all day) in the hot Tennessee heat.
And yeah it's real nice that the tips go to some local business or charity or event or whatever, but hey isn't part of the enormous ticket price supposed to go to them anyway? Or at least the community in general? And the tens of thousands of people coming into that community and spending money and donating and so forth really doesn't help me feel too bad for the community. They are rolling in it (or someone is anyway).
I guess I felt the need to respond because of those of you who are so demanding about it, telling us to tip every time anyone does anything for us because otherwise we are liars and thieves and shouldn't even be at Bonnaroo. I think the American way of tipping practically everyone for everything and it being EXPECTED is actually kind of a problem. Most especially when nothing remotely worthy was done to actually deserve a tip. But hey you make up your own mind about that.
Regardless of all the things I have just said, I tipped every time I got a beer last year and probably will this year too. Make of that what you will.
Someone said that it is a dance team that works the tent. I don't know what they are talking about. The people tending bar are with the breweries that are represented. In fact, they insist that you staff your own spot so that you have people that are knowledgeable about your brewery and styles of beers.
That was me.
For the record, each microbrewery represented inside the Broo'ers Festival tent MUST have representatives present. True.
Nine times out of ten, the person actually pouring and serving you the beer is a local volunteer that is working for the sponsor of that tent (which happens to be a local dance studio) in exchange for a "free pass" to Bonnaroo. (Please keep in mind that you must volunteer to serve beer for 8 hours EVERY DAY that you want to attend Bonnaroo. So if you want to attend all four days, you have to volunteer for 32 hours of work in exchange. So it isn't necessarily FREE.) The microbrewery representatives also work the tent in conjunction with the volunteers, but they also take long breaks and leave it strictly to the volunteers so they can enjoy the festival, as well.
The best way to support the microbreweries is to buy the beer. Please know, however, that EVERY tip received goes to the *SPONSOR* of the tent - not the microbreweries themselves or the people serving you the beer.
I know this because I have volunteered and been part of the process for the past two years.
Post by thedudeabides on Jun 1, 2010 19:26:22 GMT -5
Yeah man, I'm all for charity, but part of the fees on the ticket goes to coffee county. Everyone who buys a ticket has already given some, just by attending. I just don't feel obligated to tip at B-roo. The tips arnt suplimenting there income, they're not getting paid.
Post by elmorejames on Jun 2, 2010 14:04:41 GMT -5
You guys can't possibly be comparing tipping for actual bar/restaurant service to tipping for a draft beer assembly line. Do you also tip a McDonald's employ for refilling your soda? If no, why not?
You guys can't possibly be comparing tipping for actual bar/restaurant service to tipping for a draft beer assembly line. Do you also tip a McDonald's employ for refilling your soda? If no, why not?
I've never been to a McDonald's that refills my soda. It's all self-serve for beverages around here.
Post by hibouxdufromage on Jun 2, 2010 23:45:02 GMT -5
Simple solution. If you don't want to tip, bring your own booze/coffee/food. I generally don't spend much money inside centeroo, usually just one ninja porter and an arepa and I tip for both. The rest of the time I try to be self-sufficient. Last year after buying groceries on the way down, I got to roo with 36 bucks in my pocket and left with 12. If you're planning on buying most of your supplies on the farm, don't be shy about being generous or charitable. They're saving your valuable time and energy by being available to you. You'll make someone's day brighter or life easier, and that's worth a random dollar.
You guys can't possibly be comparing tipping for actual bar/restaurant service to tipping for a draft beer assembly line. Do you also tip a McDonald's employ for refilling your soda? If no, why not?
I've never been to a McDonald's that refills my soda. It's all self-serve for beverages around here.
Maybe Wendy's would have been a more valid comparison. Most of the Wendy's around here ask you to "remove the lid, please" before handing over my cup for some more Mountain Dew. Maybe that "please" earned them a buck or two.
I'm not saying that draft-pullers aren't worthy of being tipped a little on occasion; it can certainly be the difference between having an inch of room at the top of your cup or your beer spilling over the edge. But the vilification of others by some who don't lay down two dollars for every beer they get - especially when none of the tenants of tipped service are in play here - is laughable.
The vilification of others by some who don't lay down two dollars for every beer they get - especially when none of the tenants of tipped service are in play here - is laughable.
If you don't want to or can't afford to tip for your food or beer at Roo, don't bother buying food or beer at Roo.
scarlet, this isn't like deciding to go out for dinner on a Saturday. You have a captive consumer base, some of whom are pinching pennies to be there. I've worked in restaurants (for tips) for 8 years, and I think your position is horribly elitist and pretentious, and I wish you had read what EJ wrote before you made your post.
Do you tip when you go to the ballpark and buy a beer in line? If the beer man brings it to me in my seat then I tip but I won't if I go to the stand. In fact I don't know that I have ever seen someone tip there... and I am there a lot.
The thought of tipping at 'Roo honestly never occurred to me in the past three years that I've gone, and I've been in the service industry goin' on 11 years now.