"I'll tip you next time, I promise"

We've all had those customers who say "Oh I'll tip you big the next time I get a round." You simply smile and silently curse them because you know that they will likely not be back.

Turns out, once in a while they aren't lying! The first few fridays of the new school year for the students I was scheduled four o'clock club, which isn't a very good shift. For the most part, during the day, customers will sit down and let the cocktails serve them. So mostly I am busy serving the cocktails. Every once in a while a customer comes up to the bar though.

One came in this day with a group of friends and was seriously dropping some money on shots. He opened a tab with me and ordered multiple rounds of shots for his friends. Well, he kept telling me he was going to tip me really well. He actually wouldn't let my fellow bartender serve him, which really pissed her off. So, I kept a close eye on him, and served him quite a bit for a couple hours. And then the eight oclock bartender came in, and I left.

Well, when I came back later for my night shift I checked to see what kind of tip this kid left. Take a guess. He didn't leave one. At all. I was annoyed, but not surprised. Most people that brag about their tips leave little to none. I later found out that he got into a fight in the beer garden and got kicked out.

Well, a week later I am working four oclock club again, and guess who comes in? Yupp. And when he comes up to the bar the first thing he does is hand me twenty dollars. I ask him what he would like and he tells me that the money is for me because he forgot to tip me and he was such a pain. I was very surprised. I thanked him and asked him if he was going to be drinking today. He ordered a round and left me another five dollars.

It's nice when a customer actually realizes they forgot to tip and come back to give it to you! Especially since I didn't have to claim it or split it with anyone, I just put it in my pocket.