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Happy 4th of July!
SFist Drinks: The Rio Grande Cocktail at 15 Romolo
Goodness, it's been quite an enthralling day, hasn't it? The tale of the cheap patrons versus the cranky House of Shield bartender got many of us hot and bothered. And in an effort to pour fuel on that fire -- oh, you're welcome - we contacted both the House of Shields' owner, the awesomely-named Schlomo Rabinowitz, and the anonymous bar patron who spent much of last night digging glass out of her foot.
While the patron preferred not to go on record with her name or story, we did ask Rabinowitz what went down and what he heard from the bartender in question. He tells us that "the customer in question refused to tip for a $200 bar tab," which then prompted the unidentified bartender to slam "a glass down on the side of the bar," smashing it and sending shards down to the ground.
In the end, you know, these things happen. Working with the public is difficult; working with an inebriated one is next to impossible. Then again, it was the servers job to rope the crowd in, so...group hug, ladies. (On a personal note, we're biased since we deeply love House of Shields and their bartenders. They place has a very low staff turnover rate, many of whom have been there for several years.)
Rabinowitz left us by saying, "If someone doesn't want to tip, then they shouldn't come to House of Shields."
Update: Bridges gave been built, folks. Rabinowitz tells SFist that he's throwing a personal party for the patron in question to mend fences. Aw. Life really is like a Judds song!
Altered image credit: Kenn Christ
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Case closed.
"If someone doesn't want to tip, then they shouldn't come to House of Shields."
er... it works like this: We go to places, get service, get the bill, then base our tip amount on the level of service we received. If our server was a fucktard we tip zero.
Shlomo you fershtinkiner
*slam "a glass down on the side of the bar," smashing it and sending shards down to the ground*
Riiiiiight.
Look, I used to be a bartender. I got nothing but love and respect for the trade. But the service I have gotten at that place has been downright rude. The shit some of the bartenders dish out in that place need not be met with cash incentive to continue on in that manner.
Maybe I should go there with Brock. See if my story changes.
TIPS = to insure prompt service.
Thus if your service is shitty expect not to get a tip.
That bartender sounds like a real cunt to me. I hope her cab drivers don't throw things at her when she doesn't tip to their liking.
On second thought, I hope they do.
If every bar was perfect, I would never go out drinking.
Props to an owner who stands up for his bartenders.
Yeah, if they are being harassed. Not sure what to make of an owner who is cool with his staff throwing a fit and BREAKING GLASS around a crowded bar.
if you're not going to tip, then stay at home.
oh and megang, there are two problems with your post.
one is that the english language would require use of the word 'ensure'.
the second is that once corrected, it would probably still only apply to how quickly service began (hence prompt), since we don't normally use that word to signify constant attention.
Props to an owner who sleeps with his bartenders.
"If someone doesn't want to tip, then they shouldn't come to House of Shields."
As someone who got through college on tips, I support this position. Bad service=bad tip, not bad service=no tip.
The story, it touches a nerve.
A few drinks will dull that nerve
Schlomo Rabinowitz; is that Italian?
Pretty much anything any of us say here is not going to be, you know, useful since we didn't see any of it. Sounds like both people acted badly.
But as a former bartender, I'd way rather my boss tell people to get the hell out if they don't tip than otherwise. As a customer I'd tell him to shit rusty barbed wire.
'course, i like House of Shields and hate other people going there, so I'm on their side regardless of shcrodinger's tip.
periqueblend, I just checked a few online dictionaries and insure is listed as a synonym of ensure. Plus if I had put "to ensure prompt service" someone would have jumped to point out that "teps" is not how you spell tips. Regardless, I apologize from the bottom of my heart if I offended you or anyone else in any way.
If you work in the service industry and don't like to serve people, then stay at home or find a different job.
In related news, hobos should get a job.
One might think that a tip on $200 (plus whatever else they didn't spend) might warrant at least a "hey you guys are drinking mojitos and they take a long time to make. can you wait a few minutes?" Bypassing them for the reported 15mins is not the way to communicate that, even if you are a seasoned and loyal bartender.
Basically, dipshits all around.
No offense taken, and no I don't work in the industry anymore, I'm just a customer.
But have you ever noticed how certain people always seem to be receiving bad service?
I hate to prolong a useless semantic discussion, but those two words, even if they are listed as synonyms (third or fourth entry probably) do not mean the same thing.
oh god, yes! certain friends of mine are always getting this alleged bad service. i seem to do just fine.
Thing is, the patron admitted to having an attitude about wanting to close out her tab and twisted the knife by not only saying (paraphrased) "had the service not been so slow I would have spent twice as much money" but then gutted her by refusing to leave any sort of tip.
I don't condone the bartender's inability to maintain her composure, but for fuk sake, after a very busy night and dealing with these pissy and cluelessly demanding patrons is enough to drive even the most even-tempered person over the limit.
Cheers to the manager for supporting his staff.
travin: The service was only slow after they were bypassed for ages (as the story says, anyway). The tip was already gone by the time the bartender heard (listened) that they wanted to close out the tab. Note that the HoS story starts only here.
If a tip is assumed, then why have them? Just raise prices.
Here's how to get good service in a bar:
1. Put on some of your best trousers
2. Walk up to the bar and make eye contact with bartender
3. When bartender comes over, ask their name. Tell them your name. Shake hands. Order ONE drink (even if you're in a group)
4. When you get the drink, tip $4
5. You can pretty much behave anyway you goddam please after that, you'll get instant service and plenty of help being carried to the door at closing.
@ fizzandpop
Me: bartender for 7 years.
You: absolutely correct.
A tip never assumed. However, it is a well-known given and stiffing a service person is only for the most dire of circumstances.
Slow service is not a dire circumstance. Your description added in "for ages" but you know no more than I what precipitated that wait. It could have had any number of contributors, including the patrons behavior and attitude - which the bartender reserves the right to serve at will. If the bartender doesn't like your face you can be asked to leave. However, the bartender didn't seem to have any problem helping others, so go figure.
Per the Terms of Service of the very popular bar I last worked (cheekily ironic):
- Our attitude matches yours. Go fuck yourself.
Work in a bar some time in this town, and you'll get the drift.
And the HoS story starts and ends there because after the fact it is the most professional response - he has a business to protect and likely he wasn't there either.
When I was a waitress I got stiffed once. The customer ordered a lobster and he mis-read the price on the menu. When the bill came he went ballistic, first chewing out me, then demanding to see the manager. The manager and I both calmy and politely showed him the menu where the price of the lobster was clearly listed. Didn't matter. He stiffed me on a $300 meal. Did I want to throw a glass at his head? Oh hell yes. But if I had I would have been fired. Then again, this was at a fancy restaurant. Maybe batshit bartenders are considered the entertainment at HOS.
Screw the Yelp twats. Have you seen the absolute wanks that post on that site? They deserve to be bottled.
Oh, by the way, five stars for the Bus Stop.
The comments on Yelp from the people who supposedly had the glass thrown at them remind me of the scene from The Lives of Others when the German Stasi agent tells his class that you can tell when someone is lying because they never diverge from the fake story they made up for themselves.
All of the complaining Yelpers' stories are almost exactly the same.
1)I used to love House of Shields but..
2)We waited 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 20-40 minutes!
3)Everything was cool until: SHE THREW A GLASS!
4)Her cigarette dangled unappealingly from her lips as we left.
I called bullshit when I read that they waited at the bar for half an hour. Seriously, has anyone, anywhere, ever waited that long for a drink?
Former bartender here. You would to be really bad to not get 20% from me. I always over tip. From what I have read, I would not have left a tip.
One of the bar owners I used to work for made sure that I knew it was my responsibility to make sure the patrons were happy and putting money into the register. We both made money when I kept this in mind. He liked it when we both made money, as long as he made more. That being said, he would be the first person to back me up if somebody messed with me. In this case, he would be firing a bartender.
Looks like my cheap ass will never be going to the House of Shields.
I think the real issue here is that the House of Shields is very close to Stevenson Street!
If the service is that bad... don't go ordering $200 worth of drinks. FWIW, the one time I've been to HoS I had no trouble getting served... and the band even had an accordion. One of these days I'll go back and laugh that someone was enough of an asshole to have a bartender throw a glass at them.
There are plenty of people worth picking fights with, like republicans. Bartenders are your friends, mm'kay?
"Tips" is not an acronym for "to insure prompt service" - that's an old wives tale and one of my hundreds of thousands of pet peeves. Here's some background at snopes:
http://www.snopes.com/language/acronyms/tip.asp
I've never been to House of Shields - and now I can't decide whether I'm dying to go or scared to go... Maybe I should go, but be scared while I'm there?
I do tip, though, so I guess I shouldn't be too scared...
I haven't bartended but I've waitressed, and the type of woman described in this fracas seems like the kind of woman who is looking for an excuse, any excuse, not to tip. I can picture them even as I type this. I've waited on them before. F**k them, I say.
And kudos to the manager who actually stands up for his employees. This is one business I look forward to supporting.
There should be an SFist mixer at HoS.
YES.
Brock will leave the tip
If you aren't willing to tip, you should be drinking at home, not a bar. Slow service when there is one bartender for a crowded bar is no excuse not to tip, especially on a large bill. Bartenders make MINIMUM WAGE, people. And while you may think they make tons of cash in tips, keep in mind that they don't have heath insurance or sick days or paid vacation, and there always seems to be that large group who racks up a giant bill, is demanding, and either skips the tip or tips very poorly. In addition, they have to deal with drunk people while they are doing work that is extremely physically demanding.
What it comes down to really, is treat your bartender with respect, (not like a servant,) and they will treat you with respect in turn.
Great idea, Icebalaam. We can make it happen.
For the record, I've had nothing but great service at House of Shields, but I guess I've never been there during yuppie hour.
"If you aren't willing to tip, you should be drinking at home..."
...and then call jeff vanvonderen or candy finnigan.
One, good idea re: the mixer. Maybe everyone could all break glasses wrapped in a napkin or something. Safety first.
Two, I can't resist ensure vs. insure. Although I'd like to live in a world where people understand that there used to be a difference, that world has gone the way of the telephone booth. Webster's Online lists them as synonyms, especially if you go the way of looking up insure first. If you look up ensure, you get a little more of the flavor of the difference which used to exist. And, by the way, you never have to apologize for prolonging useless semantic discussions which you were responsible for starting.
Three, doesn't this all come down to a very basic dichotomy: those who believe that tips are really part of a serviceperson's compensation and should only be denied in cases of active jerkiness (and rationed in cases which fall short) and those who believe that it's a jungle out there. If the bartender reserves the right to refuse or slow down service if the feeling strikes him or her, customer reserves the right to stiff bartender. I, having waited many a table in my day, opt for the former but see the point from those who opt for the latter. Personally, I like fizzandpop's suggestion and intend to make it a habit.
this is the feel good story of the week! there's nothing like alcohol to burn bridges, mend fences, and mediate a financial dispute.
And if it keeps flowing there's nothing like alcohol to reopen old wounds, make new enemies and ruin your best pants.
I waited something like 30 minutes for a bartender to to serve me at a place called 42 degrees, over by the old Esprit outlet. It was the night it opened, but still.
Mixer @ HoS? If that happens, I better get "elite" status too!!!!!!!!!!