Recently TVO visited Sophia’s, Peppermint Hippo, The Library, Honey’s, Treasures, Palomino & Sapphire to conduct a survey of their employees. We wanted to know what the employees want customers to know, below are the most common answers from each position (at every club):
- Drivers
– Drivers make minimum wage or close to it. Your tip (or lack thereof) can make or break a driver’s night.
– If you called the club to arrange a “free pickup & admission” a standard tip is $20 per person to the driver, If you’re partial to the driver an additional $20 per person will guarantee you a ride back with that particular driver (be sure to exchange numbers)!
– Ride backs aren’t a sure thing in some establishments (especially if you didn’t take care of the driver). Their number 1 focus is bringing customers in!
- Doormen
– Stop bringing weapons to the club!
– Don’t bring your own alcohol to the club!
– There usually is no “coat check” however, if you tip (no less than $20) to each doorman they’ll be happy to hold your coat, your backpack, luggage, whatever
– Dress Code!!!!!! Vegas summers are hot, we get it! Regardless, you should dress to impress (ball caps, sandals, board shorts, and sleeveless tees are all frowned upon and may get you turned away)
- Cashiers
– For every group of 4 you should buy a bottle! If you have a big group, same rule applies for every 4 people buy a bottle! It’ll waive your admission costs, provide you with appropriate seating arrangements and create a more enjoyable evening for you and your party!
– Get your single dollar bills from the cashier upon entry, and tip the cashier $5 for every band of $100 you get.
– Whether you’re getting in free or paying the approximate $40 cover your tip to the cashier should be $10
– Cashiers are just that, cashiers. Please don’t hold up the admission process with shameless flirting
- Hosts
– Hosts are there to accommodate you! In some clubs hosts serve as both Security and as Hosts at others each role is specific, nonetheless these guys exist to provide you with a safe and enjoyable experience. So don’t hold it against them if they seem to always be close by, they are not wanting to rain on your parade but rather maximize your experience through superior customer service!
– A safe tip for a host (provided they made themselves a utility to you and your group) is $100 if you didn’t do bottle service, or any of the extras but maybe utilized them to check on drink and food orders, bring a waitress to your table, exchange larger bills for singles, bring you the lady you’ve been eyeing all night, escorting your wife/girlfriend to and from the restroom, or maybe providing an extreme level of patience for that one friend in the group whose beyond wasted. However, if they’ve facilitated your VIP experience just tip them 20% of what you spent. You’d be surprised what a difference a host can make!
– Exchange contact information with the host in particular, they have their own community within nightlife and they are the key to access! Day clubs, night clubs, strip clubs, they all know one another and usually work at multiple places as well. So if you’re an out of towner here to party for the weekend a Host is who you’ll need for the best deals and overall experience. Needless to say, if you stiff them on a tip they wont help your trip!
- Waitresses/Cocktail Servers/Bartenders
– THEY ARE NOT DANCERS! In some clubs you are allowed to “buy a girl off the floor” provided that individual girl is wanting to do it and maybe isn’t a “stripper”, but for the most part your bartenders and your cocktail servers are there to provide you with your drinks, your hookah & answers to general questions. Should you be permitted to “buy a server/bartender off the floor” be prepared to spend way more because you’re not just taking a dancer to the back but are causing the club to lose an employee, a utility needed for that night 😉
– DON’T SEPARATE YOUR ORDERS! Bartenders hate when groups charge their orders separately, cash app-venmo-zelle one another then run one card for your groups transaction(s) & tip(s)!
– BUY A BOTTLE IF YOU’RE A GROUP! Come in during that clubs happy hour (if you’re on a budget), tip 20%, and have a better experience. A bottle makes you the center of attention and focus for entertainers and all employees
- Security
– Security are the first ones and last ones who see you, take care of them!
– Get personable with Security, there is a lot for them to oversee during a clubs operating hours if you want some added security then getting to know the guys running it is your best bet!
– Some clubs run tip pools per department, others don’t. If you’re wanting to tip someone be sure to tip that someone specifically, don’t assume your $20 is going to get back to that individual if you’re tipping it to someone else
- Barbacks/Porters
– Handle your liquor!!! There should be no reason for you to be puking in the club (if it isn’t in a toilet)
– Tip the guy cleaning up after you
– The tips going to a server aren’t getting split between her and the busser
Tip the cashier? Haha no.
This little survey is definitely for tourists and not locals.
Hi Joe,
What makes you think this wouldn’t apply to locals?
Hey Guys,
Haven’t seen any new posts since 6/9. Is Scott on vacation? Thanks for all the great info – need more of it!
Hello, TVO is going through a bit of a restructuring/revamping right now. We will be updating the website and it’s contents over the next month or so. Please bare with us. Thanks!
Good to hear the website is not done. Very useful website. Hope all is well with Scott, are you taking over the website from Scott or is he going to still be involved?
What I’d really like to know from club staff, especially dancers is what is acceptable as far as mileage is concerned. But it’s good to know that we shouldn’t bring weapons and our own booze to the club. I guess that needed to be said.
Hugh,
Mileage has always been dancer discretion. It can go from air to the opposite end of the spectrum. Thus the old saying YMMV.
I never thought of going back with a server. Didn’t even think it was a thing. To me they were servers. Interesting that people try.
Oh its certainly a thing, consider it like In-N-Out’s “secret menu” ha!
“You’d be surprised what a difference a host can make!”
For a 20% tip what does this mean?
If I go to VIP room who do I tip?
Hi Harry,
If you go to the VIP (generally speaking) you pay for the time, you pay a drink fee, and if you run a card and tip 20% on the line at the VIP desk that will either go to the club (owner), to the management tip pool or split between both. Then on the drink fee side if you tip on the line using a card that’ll go to the server and/or bartender.
So if a Host (not necessarily a manager) hooked you up with a girl, informed you on fees and costs, and took care of the drinks and the overall experience its best to have cash and to tip that person specifically, otherwise he’ll feel stiffed and the tip you leave on the credit receipt may not even go to the Host who was taking care of you.