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magic-dabra Regular user Knoxville, TN 153 Posts 
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What is a general guide for how much you should tip a magician in a restaurant? For wait staff you have a guide of 15-20%. For bellhops you have a guide of $1-$2 per bag. What about a magician (or singer for that matter)?
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Skip Way Inner circle 3771 Posts
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The tipping guides I've seen suggest $2-$3 as the average. $5 if you make a special request (special song, personal attention to guest of honor, etc.) This should vary with the quality of the establishment and the level of enjoyment you and your guests receive from the entertainer. My average tip is $5 with the occasional $10-$20 tip if the guests feel that I've really provided a great time.
I'm paid very well at my restaurants so I don't solicit tips and I politely try to discourage them...but, when offered I graciously accept. I, personally, turn my tip money around to provide gratuities to the managers and staff; A large bag of mixed mini candy bars each time I come in for the wait staff and quarterly family movie & concession passes for the managers. Once a month I'll bring in special little toys or cheap magic tricks for the kids as a surprise treat. I also send a couple of scratch-&-win lottery tickets with each weekly invoice. When I perform at a major event like the Shrine Circus or the state fair I usually negotiate for complimentary admission passes that I can hand out, as well. All of this increases my popularity among the restaurant staff and managers which has them singing my praises through the week. This seems to increase my popularity with the guests which influences my tips. It's a win-win.
How you leave others feeling after an Experience with you becomes your Trademark.
Magic Youth Raleigh - RaleighMagicClub.org |
SoCalPro Inner circle Southern California 1634 Posts
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That post was GOLD!! They don't teach this stuff in any magicians handbook.
Thanks Skip. 
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Daryl -the other brother Special user Chicago 594 Posts
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Quote:
On 2007-09-11 13:32, SoCalPro wrote: I second that! Top notch info! 
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Christopher Lyle Inner circle Dallas, Texas 5698 Posts
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Oh boy...another thread on Tips! Ok...I'll bite (like always).
I will usually tip a Magician $20 if they perform for my table. Why? Because I believe in what goes around comes around. I wish more people would tip me $20. Out of 50 tips, I'll get 25 tips that are between $1 and $3, I'll get 10 that are $5, and the rest are between $10 and $50. Just think how much more cash I'd have if I could somehow convert a % of the 25 small tip amounts into the big bucks!
In Mystery,
Christopher Lyle Magician, Comic, Daredevil, and Balloon Twisting Genius For a Good Time...CLICK HERE! |
Bad to the Balloon Inner circle Clearwater Florida 2116 Posts
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Chris you can visit my restaurant any time!!!
My goal for a night is 5 $20 or 20 $5 which ever comes first. Average tip is $3-$5 with gusts up to $20. Once I got a $50 tip from a table I didn't even entertain at. They said they like what I did!!! I id feel bad afterwards because I asked the cashier to see the counterfeit pen! It just seemed weird.
Mark Byrne
AKA Mark the Balloon Guy As seen on the TODAY SHOW www.balloonguy.net Creator of Bad to the Balloon DVD series Go to my store: http://tinyurl.com/Bad2theBalloon |
Magic_Steve Inner circle Maryland 1476 Posts
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My thoughts on getting good tips are simple. If you do your job well and entertain them, and they thoroughly enjoyed it, then they will feel obligated to tip well (most times).
But then again, I'd never work for tips only. That's why I'm paid by the house, as I'm sure you all are as well. Working for tips only is an insult to all the other working magicians, and degrading to the performer as well. But like I said, these are just my views. Best. Steve |
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phillipsje Veteran user 329 Posts
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Quote:
On 2007-09-11 13:06, Skip Way wrote: Thanks for the post. |
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ldl1017 Elite user 476 Posts
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OK, I'm confused. I assumed that magic-dabra was asking what we as entertainers would tip another magician that performed for us as guests of his restaurant. IF that is so, I have tipped $5.00 to $10.00 in the past for a table side performance.
Lou
“I am, as I've said, merely competent. But in an age of incompetence, that makes me extraordinary.”
Billy Joel |
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Bad to the Balloon Inner circle Clearwater Florida 2116 Posts
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Personally I took it as a guideline question (you tip waitress this, Bell Hops that)
I was speaking of the reality from a magician's view. Or what I get. My favorite line is when they are looking in the wallet "Don't worry you can't over tip me!!" ............. I would say the same thing when I bartended [this is said in jest and candor.... don't freak out non-tipping magis!!!]
Mark Byrne
AKA Mark the Balloon Guy As seen on the TODAY SHOW www.balloonguy.net Creator of Bad to the Balloon DVD series Go to my store: http://tinyurl.com/Bad2theBalloon |
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Christopher Lyle Inner circle Dallas, Texas 5698 Posts
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Mark,
I usually say "the management has a rule...I'm not allowed to take anything less than a 50!" That usually gets a laugh as they hand over the wadded up greese stained $2 from their wallet.
In Mystery,
Christopher Lyle Magician, Comic, Daredevil, and Balloon Twisting Genius For a Good Time...CLICK HERE! |
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Skip Way Inner circle 3771 Posts
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Like Steve, I believe that fishing for tips on a well-paid restaurant gig is just bad form. It ticks off the guests and that ticks off the managers. If one plans to push for tips, take up busking and brush up on your hat lines. In a restaurant, a tip should be guilt-free and voluntary and, frankly, a surprise gift offered in exchange for a really great time. But then...I'm off-topic - Again! Wandering minds, eh!
Fair call, Lou - Back on topic! I'll give a fellow magician exactly what I honestly feel the performance was worth. And no...I don't let on that I, too, am a magician. I simply sit back and enjoy the show. If they provide a mechanical "first I'll do this then I'll do that" type of performance, I'll stick with the guides and hand over a couple of bucks. If it was less than that, the cash stays in my pocket. If he or she blows me away and makes us feel like V.I.P.'s, $20.00 would not be out of the question. Rule of thumb - Impress my magic-jaded and hard-to-entertain wife and the big bucks are yours! In my opinion.
How you leave others feeling after an Experience with you becomes your Trademark.
Magic Youth Raleigh - RaleighMagicClub.org |
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magic-dabra Regular user Knoxville, TN 153 Posts
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Quote:
On 2007-09-11 23:39, Skip Way wrote: Thanks Skip, Your posts are exactly what I was looking for. I appreciate your guidance and honesty and kindness as well. (With 25 post, you can see I'm new here. Thank you for taking your time to give guidance.) Magic-dabra |
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Skip Way Inner circle 3771 Posts
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Always welcome, MD! This is why Steve created the Café. Don't forget to thank Lou for refocusing us and keeping my wandering fingers on topic!
How you leave others feeling after an Experience with you becomes your Trademark.
Magic Youth Raleigh - RaleighMagicClub.org |
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SoCalPro Inner circle Southern California 1634 Posts
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Skip, question.........
What if a "performer" (and I use this term loosely) comes to your table, does his/her thing and makes a comment or gesture hinting that you tip them? What do you do in that case???? Do you forcefully give them a few bucks?? This is why I am so against doing any type of a suggestion after my performance such as finishing off with their dough on the table etc. Don't get me wrong, I'm a really good tipper and don't mind tipping but I hate it when I take my family to a restaurant and the entertainment makes me feel like I have to tip them. If I don't appreciate the feeling, I am SURE my restaurant guests don't like it either. Just like a few on here, I politely decline the first time and if they insist (not taking it at this point would be rude) I gracefully accept it. What do you do Skip?
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Dannydoyle Eternal Order 21245 Posts
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My goal when performing is to do such a bad act that a tip is never even contemplated. That way I avoid it completly.
Danny Doyle
<BR>Semper Occultus <BR>In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act....George Orwell |
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SoCalPro Inner circle Southern California 1634 Posts
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Quote:
On 2007-09-12 13:02, Dannydoyle wrote: Hmmm..I must have mastered this. I only get between $2.00 and $30.00 (on a good night)per 2 hour shift. Then again, I don't do anything to suggest that I accept tips. In fact, my sign out front even says "Complimentary table side magic". |
Pete McEwen Special user Durham, N.C. 576 Posts
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I am with Skip, I would give what I feel that performance is worth. If I knew the performer personally it'd be different, depends on the situation (those answers are too big to post). I am generally a really good tipper, Basically I agree with Skip.
If the performer was not good and was basically begging for tips, I would not give one. I don't give it just because someone asks. I also feel that looks horrible at the restaraunt. My goal as a performer to make their night better, and make them want to come back to that restaraunt. Why in the world would they go back to a restaraunt where they knew a magician was going to come up and ask for money? It doesn't make sense, it could even turn people away. That's just my two cents. Thanks again Skip for you wonderful post. Pete
The magician formerly known as SPEEDcuber
"no one will believe the things we do if we don't believe them ourselves." - Slydini PeteMcEwen@mac.com |
derrick Inner circle I dug holes for 1044 Posts
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I like to tip the magician with $100. Then I zip it back into my hand with with a reel. All magicians think this is hilarious.
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| The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Table hoppers & party strollers » » Other side of the table (0 Likes) | |
Posted: Sep 11, 2007 04:32 pm 
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