Other Half Brewing July 2017

Agreed. Another point: Nobody is tipping the guy at the distributor that's delivering all those beers to the store that you're not tipping.

Also, when did $18-20 become the norm for 4 packs? Kudos to a brewery like The Alchemist that keeps their prices at 12.50/4 pack.

 

Well, I guess there are more apologetic fanboys than I thought.

 

Haha I hear you - but like I said it's totally specific to OH. And maybe like a buck or two per 4 pack. And would never do it at a store. I mean at OH (especially when busy) - the customer experience and employee effort expended for a 4 pack can purchase vs a pour, is about the same. Maybe that means I shouldnt tip for pours either - maybe I'll try that haha

Wasn't me. But since you mentioned it I did buy 3 x 4 packs half cut once and tipped 25% by mistake. Was kicking myself.

 

I think tipping is at your own discretion. Kudos if you tip for can purchases or not, I don't judge either way.

If you have a question about tipping, ask yourself what you would do in a similar situation?

For example, if you can't find an item on the shelf at the store so you ask an associate to look in the back (similar effort as moving a case of beer from a few feet away) and he returns a half hour later (similar wait time on line at OH during non major releases) with your item, do you tip said associate at the store? Everyone has a different answer so just apply what you would do here at OH

 

I don't see anyone saying that there was no other way for them to do this. All I'm saying is that since he was the only one doing the all nighter, and if people felt compelled to reward him for his work then yes, I also agree that he deserved it. OH compensating him or not, it's just a gesture.

 

Not gonna rag on someone for tipping when they don't have to (counterproductive) but the only time I accidentally tipped on my can purchases I was furious. I am already paying a relatively obscene amount for this beer. I will tip a dollar or two when getting pours/fills. Not for someone to walk 4 feet, bend down and hand me something I am paying for.

 

People are really getting in a hissy fit in this thread about this topic wow. Pretty much expected whenever tipping is brought up in any forum though.

Don't feel compelled to tip if you don't feel it's deserved, you're not breaking some moral code for can tips. Don't be guilted into doing it either because others do, people are free to use their money as they please, don't judge them on it. I, however, agree that it's a nice gesture since they're lugging the beers for you, answering your questions, etc, it makes a difference sometimes - a couple dollars added on barely makes a difference in the grand scheme of things. I've tipped a couple times when I felt like it, don't do it every time.

The situation you're mentioning is not analogous at all btw - the mark-up the shop is the "tip" there is no service being provided to you by a third-party other than it being on the shelf. The price you're paying is paying for the stockers/cashiers/beer guy on top of the cost. There's a difference between tipping someone for a service and what you're saying.

 

if you think it's obscene then stop paying for it. what is OH supposed to do? they're selling all their cans at that price, so there's demand...hell the secondary market makes it seem they should be charging even more than they already do.

they really don't seem to be overcharging for their beers ($16-20 4 pack seems very common across the country), and they listen to their customers (growler prices going back down).

 

I love the OH thread. Always high drama.

Also amazed that I'm Scottish (we're some of the most tight-fisted people on the planet) but somehow I've fallen into the blindly over-generous side of this debate. Think I need to move home for a few months to be deprogrammed. When I moved here I didn't tip anyone shit for anything. Gone soft.

 

Out of curiosity, does Tired Hands currently have the highest prices for 4 pks @ $24? I know OH has had $22 4-pks on those rare occasions but that's not the norm (hopefully it doesn't become the norm)...

 

I tip even more @ TH to compensate for the emotional stress their employees go through selling such expensive 4 packs.

 

I agree 100% that tipping is at the discretion of the individual. I will, however, offer one caveat is that the overly generous tippers make even us generous tippers look cheap and those who tip in situations in which tipping isn't necessarily expected inevitably alter that expectation. It's just a fact of life and I am not trying to make a value judgment of any sort.

 

No. The Carson "On The Daily" beer is in the brite tanks right now.

 

What do u guys tip your taskrabbits? Per hour wait time? Per 4 pack? Maybe both?

 

$5/hr is the standard. $10/hr for anything over a three hour wait.

Plus various additional incentive hurdles:

$10 line cutting bonus
$20 for any 4-packs over and above the allocated limit ($40 for collabs)
$5 for tekus they're able to pick up ($15 if they have pictures of vegetables on them)
Etc etc

 

I think it's pretty analogous...

Someone at WF has to stock the shelves and answer my questions. You say the cost of that is built in to the mark-up of the product.

Someone at OH has to move the beer 5 feet from the pallet to the table and answer my questions. How is that grounds for tipping when what the WF staff does is not? How is that service not also built into the mark-up (sale price minus costs) at OH?

People can tip on whatever the hell they want, I don't really care. I may spend 30 seconds writing a sarcastic forum post but that's about it.

 

I think so, I believe the most recent Double Strawberry Milkshake was $25 a 4pk which is just crazy, adjuncts are expensive I guess?

 

amen

 

Question for the non-tippers - do you also not tip when you order carry out?

 

What's the salary/benefit situation for WF employees vs the guys working releases at OH? Not being snarky - genuine question in case somebody knows. I've always worked off the assumption that the former has something relatively comprehensive. But every chance I'm wrong.

Either way I don't ask questions at beer stores and the shelf stocking is more akin to the other pre-release work the guys are doing at OH that they're not being tipped for - so moot as far as I'm concerned.