Alright guys, here are the unspoken rules when it comes to tipping at a strip club.
If you’re sitting at the stage you need to actively be tipping. Entertainers dance between 2-3 songs on the light side you should be tipping $2-$5 per song.
Every employee you interact with should receive a tip right off the bat. This will ensure you have attentive staff, strong drinks, the right girls around you, leniency from security as well as a personal bodyguard keeping an eye out for you, and perks offered from management ( such as a comped drink, or special, pricing, etc), a reliable ride to and from and a doorman who will take notice of you for the remainder of the night and in the future.
Driver - tip $20 for the ride to the club, tip $40 if you’re counting on them as your return ride
Doorman - tip $20 (if your ID is on your phone, you’re not in dress code, a bit drunk, a $20 goes a long way)
Cashier - tip $10 (this person generally deals with lost & found, phone calls, and checked bags so tip them)
Host - tip $10 (this person is responsible for your seating, pairing you with girls, and answering your questions)
Security - tip $20 (per person in your group) to the one whose section you’re in
Waitress/Bartender - tip each $20 as soon as introductions are made and the first orders are placed
Management - Managers you’ll typically want to spend at least $50 upon introduction, incentivize them to do their best in seating arrangements, female pairing, drink prices, and any and all requests you may have.
$170 - $200 in tips for staff immediately upon arrival will ensure you have the best time that the establishment is able to provide you with, it goes much further than simply throwing ones on stage or worse relying on the cost of admission alone, trust me.
When it comes to tipping dancers please please please understand that it is not the same as paying for a service. Let's say you’ve tipped an entertainer whom you’ve been socializing with over the last half hour about $75 and she finally convinces you to get a VIP dance from her, the VIP dance is $160 for 15 minutes with a $40 bar charge to go with it. You cannot deduct that $75 from the $200 you now have to pay. Additionally, the cashiers at the VIP are expecting a tip from you for facilitating this experience and if you do get the dance, once it’s complete the entertainer will be expecting another tip for services rendered. With all that in mind it’s always best to know yourself and what your goal is at the club. If it’s companionship & one on one entertainment, shy away from tipping many girls. If you want a VIP experience ALWAYS pay a manager or cashier for it (oftentimes you give the entertainer money that she justifies as a tip and then doesn’t provide you the service you’re expecting, now you’re mad and dealing with management, and security)
If you’re broke you shouldn’t be going to a strip club. However, if you’re also stubborn and decide to do so anyways there’s a right way to go about it. Don’t order drinks from a cocktail server if you’re not intending on tipping her, simply go to the bar and order your drinks & food yourself. If you’re not planning on getting lap dances or paying for VIP experiences, stay your butt at the stage tipping dollars.
When it comes time to close your tab, tip 25%. For those of you unsure of the formula it’s whatever amount you’ve been charged X .25 = the amount you need to tip (at the bare minimum).
In Vegas more so than anywhere else in the country tipping is what makes and breaks careers. Bartenders, security, cashiers, and hosts these types of jobs are usually reserved for people seeking a second job, weekend gig, or a little part-time work in addition to what it is they do primarily, but in Las Vegas, these jobs are decent paying careers that support those individuals, their families & their lifestyles. In a lot of ways, the guests as a collective truly are responsible for the livelihood of those people and the exchange is cyclical. They want to provide you with your best Vegas experience because it is their job and they want to be well compensated for it.
You want your best experience, so knowing how to go about achieving that is paramount. Here at Maximize LV we hope to have better bridged the gap between the two with this article.
