Tipping question (us)

[alsosprachzar]

On more than a few occasions now, I have
1.  gone to a bar
2.  given a credit card to run a tab
3.  drank quite a bit
4. been significantly undercharged

Like charged for 2 $8 beers when I drank at least 5.  So how much should i tip on the $16 bill?  $24 to cover what I should have been charged?  $8 to tip 50%?  How do I not know this answer at this age. 

 

[Athos_131]

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#Resist

[MintJulie]

On more than a few occasions now, I have
1.  gone to a bar
2.  given a credit card to run a tab
3.  drank quite a bit
4. been significantly undercharged

Like charged for 2 $8 beers when I drank at least 5.  So how much should i tip on the $16 bill?  $24 to cover what I should have been charged?  $8 to tip 50%?  How do I not know this answer at this age. 

 

Why does this not happen to me?    I used to have to dispute the charges because the bartender would put his friends drinks on my card.   Luckily I would only have 2 or 3 drinks, but when the bill came at 7 drinks, I knew it was wrong.

To your question.  The proper thing to do would be to tell them you had two additional beers.   But, who does that, right?   Especially because that beer costs the establishment $0.25 per beer to purchase, and they charged you 32 times the cost.
    
At the very least, (if you don't correct them on what they should have charged you) tip on $40, which should have been the bill total.    Please don't screw over the server, that tip is what they count on.

[Remington555]

This is an interesting question and I'll say right up front I don't know if there is one 'correct' answer. There are some other variables that might factor in, such as how busy was the joint. Also, when I first read the question I was thinking in terms of tipping the server, not the bartender so that's another variable that isn't specified.

As a rule, I will always question a bill which overcharges me so I feel it's only right to do the same if the bill is less than it's supposed to be, but like MJ said, who does that (besides me)? Basically I ask myself how I would feel if the positions were reversed and act accordingly. Fair is fair.

Lastly, I'm not sure I'm qualified to even give you an answer since the last time I was actually in a bar was close to 40 years ago, but given the facts as outlined, I might be inclined to tip $20, which would be quite a bit more than even 20% of what the bill should have been. I'd still come out ahead, having spent $16 + $20 instead of the $40 + $8.

You said this has happened on 'more than a few occasions' and my thought on that is to take advantage of it while you can, because they may not be able to stay in business very long if they aren't getting paid for their product. 

Remmy


Trying to remember the last time I bought a beer and I think it was at a major league baseball game in 2001. I do remember that it cost $6. And I didn't offer a tip.

[alsosprachzar]

Some more background:

This happens when a place is very crowded (college town, bar after a big game, or a packed club).  It has happened in different bars.  I cannot challenge the amount, since I don't count my drinks but know I had more than that.  I would not challenge the amount due to the crowding of the bar, the bartender has too much going on.  On of my friends theorized that they make me out to be a 'rich older guy' and figure by undercharging they will get a big tip, and I try to oblige. 

[alsosprachzar]

So it turns out that "bartenders undercharge in hopes of a big tip" is actually a thing, to the extent that companies have software that looks for suspicious tip amounts on bar tabs!  I read about it in a Harvard business case of all things.

[Jed_]

So it turns out that "bartenders undercharge in hopes of a big tip" is actually a thing, to the extent that companies have software that looks for suspicious tip amounts on bar tabs!  I read about it in a Harvard business case of all things.

I nearly always tip in cash, so let’s see a software that can track that!