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Forum: General Discussion

Topic: Tip the DJ?

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Just curious if any of you put out a tip jar, vase, bucket etc.. at your booth or console in the bars or clubs you work in?

I have before but it seems like people like to give compliments rather than cash.

Discuss..
 
Posted Mon 13 Sep 10 @ 4:17 pm
Nope. You are not a bartender. Assuming the client is trustworthy and won't stiff you, agree ahead of time to accept the balance of the fee at the end of the night, do a good job, and graciously accept your balance and whatever tip you might get with it. If there is no tip, keep smiling and wait until you are alone in your vehicle or get home to curse, punch, kick, rant, etc. to let out whatever frustration you may be harboring. Just hope you'll get the tip the next time.

I recall doing a job where nobody, including the maitre'd was tipped. The maitre'd actually accosted the customer and really let em have it. For a private function, it is standard to tip the maitre'd. Bartenders are next who are usually tipped. Deejays are among the last in the chain, but should be tipped if did a good job. Not sure about photographers and videographers. You could put something in your contract indicating "gratuities are not required, but appreciated", but I believe that is tacky.

Lastly, you want to be careful about taking advantage of somebody who, for example, may be intoxicated and offers to pay you a hundred bucks or something ridiculously high to play a song. Depends on the situation. Some situations may call for you to accept a lower amount, as it shows you to be courteous and professional.
 
In reviewing your question, I see that you were referring to bars and clubs. I stand by my response, and would further add that it could get you fired by the manager. Don't do it.
 
I used to have a plastic fish bowl hanging from my DJ booth. On the front of it was this "TIPS: We take requests, not demands" It was put there by the club manager. Then again, this was Chicago. The city that lives on tipping.....
 
Well I would never put a tip jar out at a private gig, I agree that is tacky and unprofessional.

I do like the "we take requests, not demands" though.

A nice lady tossed me a 5 for playing her request the other night and it just got me thinking that I had not had a tip jar out in a while and just wanted to get the communities input on the subject.
 
Nah, it'z not that serious and + if you're already being paid to be there no need to "shake down" the customerz as they've already paid to be there as well...some do, some don't, I won't.
 
Only time I have ever used a tip jar (which is a beer pitcher I have) is at a mexican restaurant I did karaoke at a few times, but the owner told me ahead of time to do it (I hadn't even considered it) and he also told me to push for tips. In clubs though, I have never used one cause 1. there is really no point, and 2. that is one more thing you have to grab on the way out the door. But that is just my .02 cents.




Michael
 
Never have, never will.

I have received tips from people many times though at the clubs. A fiver here & there.

At weddings & functions I have received tips or a 'Bonus' as I like to call it for doing a good job.

My residencies have been over many years at some places & I have even received cards with money, gift certificates etc. in them.

 
I had a job last year that was so low paid that the only way it was viable was through the tip's I received, people used to ask me where my tip jar was all the time!!

Depends what country your working in, if I'm in the middle east, then yes, I have one.

I get well paid in the UK and it's not really part of the culture to tip the DJ, so no, I don't have one back home.
 
i refuse to take money/tips from customers for a few reasons:

1 - already getting paid. and dont want to have to report tips on tax forms too!
2 - 99.99% of customers think that tossing down a few bucks is paying to get their song played - not a tip. i will not gaurantee to ANYONE, that their song is gonna get played. and i damn sure wont take money for it and have them come back pissed off, drunk, or unhappy that i didnt play what they wanted when they wanted it. especially since i know they will most likely go whining to management about it. who will either tell them i will play it as soon as i can (hello technical difficulties!), or distract them enough that they wont care anymore.
3 - look around you. if you're in a club setting these days and your money is already set in stone - have a freakin heart. those waitresses are making a lot less than they used to. bartenders not so bad. but people have less money to throw away and tips for them are way down in some parts.
4 - and this one i have told many customers over the years, and they usually think its funny and makes em feel a little better - "nah, save yer money for the bar. i'll take care of ya/we've got bills to pay too/ (or may all time fav) spend it at the bar - i need a raise!"

they have actually told the boss i need a raise and am doing a good job and took care of them so good. whether i played their song or not.


customer relations, gotta love it.

not
 
Yes agree, again though, there are many variables/different cercumstances to take into consideration so you have to think far and wide.

The guy's from Philly used to tip me a lot, they used to say "that how we roll down there man!"
 
ever get the ones that were so insistant about it that they would just leave the money on the counter or "drop" it on the floor?

annoying.

one of the other things i have told them was if they really wanted to they could wait till after i played it. usually never see them again. problem solved.
 
i used to spoof the whole idea for a long time .....

i had a bedpan , not a jar ....

i encouraged outlandish "tips"

so i would get pennies , tide coupons , condoms, rolling papers ......

the best i ever got was a fake hand giving the finger .....
 
I found my tip jar today, thought I would share.

Was when I worked in a pub called Dublin
 
I see nothing wrong with a tip jar in a pub/nightclub, They pay so poorly it's almost mandatory to make it worthwhile.

It's incredibly tacky at a Wedding or Corporate affair. Any DJ who did that should be fired on the spot.

Things I used to have on my bar Tip jar....

"Tips or Tits"
"Tip-ping is not a city in China"
"Tip Jar - Put your money in it"
"Tip the DJ"
"Ass,Grass, or Cash, no-one requests for free"
 
As a club DJ, I always gave my tips to whichever bartender was supplying me with beer. That's how we ended up with a garbage can full of ice and Corona in the booth. Way better than the extra $20 - $50 I'd make in a night.

As an operations manager and mobile DJ for a large company, I would always tell clients in the pre-job call that "tips are not expected but appreciated. If you do enjoy the service and choose to tip, the typical amount is $25 - $50." Never did it for my clients, cause that's tacky but the DJs working for me loved it. They saw their tips go up about 200%.
 


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