Do You Tip At Hookah Bars?

[Caila]

I always tip at the hookah bar that I go to! Most of the servers who work in Hookah bars are treated just like normal servers. They make 2.13 (at least here in GA) and rely on tips to make minimum wage. Plus we usually eat to when we go to the hookah bar but even when we don't I have never left without tipping.

[gunsboy]

My tip ranges from 0-30%, all depending how nice/busy/good is the server. I hate gratuity charge.
99% of hookah bars I went to had crappy service, crappy products and sometimes very bad manners.

I worked in some jobs during University where I depended on tips for income. It is unfortunate that the owners would be making tons of money while workers are so underpaid they would need the tip money for rent/food or and tuition.

Minimum wage should be raised to the point where people can survive and business owners have to consider this as a cost when starting their business.

[kyleSD]

I work at a hookah bar and I make minimum wage. If you were to come in my place and get a hookah a drink and a snack I would most likely be doing everything. I'm the bartender waiter busboy all that stuff. I help pack hookah often as well. So it's nice to get a tip from someone when you're working for minimum and doing your best to give good service. Also you shouldn't take price into consideration. Yeah you're mad about the prices oh they're expensive blah blah well when you tip someone you're tipping the service and it shouldn't be a reflection on your feelings about the price. Edited July 26, 2010 by kyleSD

[kyleSD]

oh and most places only charge gratuity for parties of 7 or 8 and more, which would be noted on the bill... Edited July 26, 2010 by kyleSD

[Dereksd]

i tip kyle when i go to his place but he calls me a fag and throws it back in my face so i WONT be going back there

[king_lunchb0x]

i dont think tipping hookah bar/lounge is necessary. MY local lounge charges and arm and leg and is horrible with coal management. But of course if its a bar and grill also that is a different story...bar rules are usually about a dollar per drink. Its because of the customer that you have that job. So if they dont tip then oh well. At least they give the place business. At least u did the right thing in quitting the place

[Caila]

[quote name='kyleSD' date='26 July 2010 - 02:28 PM' timestamp='1280172490' post='476419']
oh and most places only charge gratuity for parties of 7 or 8 and more, which would be noted on the bill...
[/quote]

I agree with this. Usually only parties are charged gratuity. I have worked in several restaurants and we never charged gratuity unless it was 8 or more people.

[squidget]

At my normal hangout I tip usually $2-$3 bucks. The guys have a good service going though - they are very attentive with coals; usually changing them out ever 30 minutes or so. If you get a pot of tea, at the 2nd coal change they check the pot to see if you need more. They have a mix of music going on usually but if you want something specific, they will usually play it for you if it's not too busy/crowded.

[kyleSD]

You just have to keep in mind you're tipping the individual, if coals suck or whatever it's not their fault but they still make minimum wage regardless. I'll say that if people come in and get a hookah and just water I expect no tip because the customers are usually kids that just turned 18 and have no idea what's going on, but when i receive a 3$ or whatever tip it's really nice. Even if someone is honest and is like look I don't have enough to tip but you did your job well it's good enough for me. Just don't blame bad hookah on your waiter/ waitress, we didn't choose to use quick light death coals we just work there.

[Cole.]

Sadly I think I have tipped once in my experience at the local hookah lounge. They were honestly pretty busy that night, and they only had one girl walking around checking things. She still managed to do a great job, I thought. But, my decision to tip her was made by the table next to us who was calling at her in very rude manners. As a waitress I was whistled at like a dog once. I thought she deserved the little extra from me that night, out of understanding.

[king_lunchb0x]

[quote name='kyleSD' date='27 July 2010 - 03:25 PM' timestamp='1280269515' post='476676']
You just have to keep in mind you're tipping the individual, if coals suck or whatever it's not their fault but they still make minimum wage regardless. I'll say that if people come in and get a hookah and just water I expect no tip because the customers are usually kids that just turned 18 and have no idea what's going on, but when i receive a 3$ or whatever tip it's really nice. Even if someone is honest and is like look I don't have enough to tip but you did your job well it's good enough for me. Just don't blame bad hookah on your waiter/ waitress, we didn't choose to use quick light death coals we just work there.
[/quote]

i guess it depends on the bar, the only bar here is run by a family, you never see the owners do anything, and ive only seen their 2 daughters working, sometimes the wife runs the counter. Ive never ordered food or drink (because i heard the food was shitty). 2/3 times they didnt even give us tongs to move coals ( had to keep asking).
On the last time i went I showed up with 2 friends about 30minutes before closing.... we actually asked if its ok to stay a bit past closing to smoke.. the female owner said its ok. So by the time we sit down with our pipe there was about 20 minutes until closing. There was still about 2-3 groups there. So they close up one group leaves... then the lady comes around i thought she was going to ask how is everything,but instead she says "were closed i gotta take the pipe." She picks it up and walks inside with out even hesitating, but of course there is still a table of 5 with a 3 hose rotator in the corner still puffing away. We basically got kicked out 5 minutes after closing.
Long story short they had horrible service, and said one thing and done another... ive never gone back to the only hookah bar in my town. so thats why i didnt tip everytime there was always something wrong

[brigita]

I don't tip at the hookah bar where I usually go. They'll "prepare" the hookah for you (not that they know what they're doing), and that's pretty much the extent of it. Every now and then a guy will come around with coals and I'm always very nice to them and I've never forgotten to thank them. However, most of the time you have to go in the back and get your own coals. They don't give you tongs either, so you have to bring the coal out with their tongs and then go put them back. I've learned to bring my own.

[Arcane]

[quote name='Tyler' date='26 July 2010 - 08:36 AM' timestamp='1280169381' post='476406']
[quote name='clickhea' date='05 September 2007 - 10:48 AM' timestamp='1189003731' post='154346']
If you go to smoke a hookah, no food no drinks, do you tip before you leave?

[b]I usualy double the tax, but iam not sure if thats too much just for 1 bowl[/b].
[/quote]


Well first of all I think that is a horribly tip system and you can NEVER tip too much -- and I highly doubt doubling the tax on a ~$10 purchase could qualify as "too much" lol.

But yeah, I tip most of the time. I treat it like a resteraunt, if I enjoyed my experience or it was at least status-quo, then I'll usually leave 2-3 bucks but if it sucked for reasons that I know I brought to the attention, that never got fixed or compensated for then no.
[/quote]
if i have you have a $15 tab....then you tip your life savings, car, and house along with any future paychecks you may earn....causing a downward spiral in which you are forced to live homeless and beg on the streets for the rest of your life....that's probably too much...

so, yes....tipping too much is possible...

i'm just saying

[kyleSD]

[quote name='king_lunchb0x' date='27 July 2010 - 04:04 PM' timestamp='1280271881' post='476684']
[quote name='kyleSD' date='27 July 2010 - 03:25 PM' timestamp='1280269515' post='476676']
You just have to keep in mind you're tipping the individual, if coals suck or whatever it's not their fault but they still make minimum wage regardless. I'll say that if people come in and get a hookah and just water I expect no tip because the customers are usually kids that just turned 18 and have no idea what's going on, but when i receive a 3$ or whatever tip it's really nice. Even if someone is honest and is like look I don't have enough to tip but you did your job well it's good enough for me. Just don't blame bad hookah on your waiter/ waitress, we didn't choose to use quick light death coals we just work there.
[/quote]

i guess it depends on the bar, the only bar here is run by a family, you never see the owners do anything, and ive only seen their 2 daughters working, sometimes the wife runs the counter. Ive never ordered food or drink (because i heard the food was shitty). 2/3 times they didnt even give us tongs to move coals ( had to keep asking).
On the last time i went I showed up with 2 friends about 30minutes before closing.... we actually asked if its ok to stay a bit past closing to smoke.. the female owner said its ok. So by the time we sit down with our pipe there was about 20 minutes until closing. There was still about 2-3 groups there. So they close up one group leaves... then the lady comes around i thought she was going to ask how is everything,but instead she says "were closed i gotta take the pipe." She picks it up and walks inside with out even hesitating, but of course there is still a table of 5 with a 3 hose rotator in the corner still puffing away. We basically got kicked out 5 minutes after closing.
Long story short they had horrible service, and said one thing and done another... ive never gone back to the only hookah bar in my town. so thats why i didnt tip everytime there was always something wrong
[/quote]

i agree in that instance no tip is necessary, in fact a big fart on the way out would be.

[ngraz617]

I always tip and maybe it's me but if you get service and it's good unless you are at a fast food restaurant where they hand you what you order on a tray you tip and even then if there is a tip jar I often leave a buck. I can make a cup of coffee at home for a dime but at Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts when the person makes me a cup of coffee and perhaps gives me a piece of cake with it I'll leave my change or a buck in the tip jar because I appreciate the service. If the service is bad your tip reflects it. If the bill is $15 for a hookah and the service stunk you would leave maybe a dollar or maybe even nothing but if the service was good I would give at least 15% and outstanding even more. I think it shows class and also the fact that we are the select few out of most who understand hookah we have to realize that the server is not always going to be as if we were doing it ourselves. If they are trying and attentive and come by and there is always coal available I don't see how you can't tip. Just because it's not a restaurant doesn't mean you don't tip and I see most people stand in lines at clubs to get a crap drink and tip the hell out of the bartender just to try to get a buy back and the drinks may stink yet they get a buck or two for a glass of juice or soda with a shot if you're lucky in it for 2-10 dollars each. If you have people setting up hookahs, prepping bowls, cleaning the hookahs bowls and hoses and the price is fair then to not tip is just wrong in my eyes and it's people that don't tip that cause management to include it or prohibit it and charge more per hookah. We can cook at home and have a nice meal for two for $6 yet we go have the same thing at a restaurant for $30.00 and tip. Hookah is no different, we can make a bowl at home but choose to go out and listen to music and get waited on and try different shisha then we have at home and some tea or whatever and it is a social atmosphere and the owners have overhead so that's why you pay what you do. As long as it's a fair price and service is good you tip in my book and if you don't I think that's not cool and if the few dollars means that much to you then stay and smoke at home and don't worry about the price you're paying for a bowl. People in a service business who cater to you deserve a tip for their service if it's good and only if it's bad service do you not tip but I think when it's built in one way or another and a server knows they are getting paid regardless the service is more likely to be worse and it is motivating for them to work harder knowing that they will get a tip and if they know in advance you never tip why are they going to go out of their way to make you happy when I'm sitting next to you they know if I'm happy they have a 5 spot coming to them. That money means a lot to them and they appreciate it just as you would if you were serving someone.

[king_lunchb0x]

well i guess i have no class... what is considered a fair price at hookah bar

the price is not what really got me..like you said there doing a service you can do at home
i thought service could have been better... i just would want the same service that other tables got
I havent sat down a smoked there in a while, maybe things have changed..i may just have to go back and see how it is

[TonyTheCigarSmoker]

I'm a good tipper, that said, I expect good service in return. Call me a creature of habit if you will, but once I find a place that I like, I go back, whether it's the coffee shop, dry cleaners, hookah bar or mechanic.

Assuming service is reasonable, I tend to tip well on my first few visits to an establishment, (assuming I feel it's worth returning to) and after I've been several times and had the same server repeatedly, I expect to receive a decent level of service consistently. When I was younger, I expected good service from the get go. Alas, with age, comes wisdom (and various aches and pains) and I've come to understand that a server who recognizes you tends to provide better service. Especially if they remember that you tip well. If they don't, I soon find another establishment to fill the niche.

The server isn't responsible for the quality of the product they're serving (generally) but they are responsible for the quality of the service they provide. I go to hookah bars more for the social aspects of it than the hookah itself, having good service helps to provide the atmosphere I desire. If I regularly get bad service someplace, I simply stop giving them my business.

I hate "service charges" or included gratuities. I should be able to tip as I see fit, and I refuse to darken the doorstep of a business that feels otherwise.