I hear you on the tip split. Everyone that got tipped had to share - bartenders on down. New rules we implemented to foster a team environment. It was all designed around maximizing drink sales and happy people. So everyone knew the key was to get someone's empty glass off the table, flag down a waitress, or escort them to the bar. If you weren't drinking, we were ok with that. But we'd just push some juice or a shirley temple on your sober self.
The happiest people with the changes? The runners. These guys got nothing before I started. And they worked their asses off cleaning tables and ashtrays. But they deserved appreciation. Plus, runners give you a head's up on who's had too much, who's about to start trouble, etc...no one watches themselves around runners, so runners hear everything. They're your ears and eyes in the club. The bartenders (the pretentious bunch) were pissed with equal tip sharing. We explained it like this: if we don't keep the crowds funneling to you, you don't sell drinks. Let's work together. In time, most of them came around, or quit. Good riddance.
When I managed security, we didn't hire "bad asses", specifically because we wanted more women in the club. Angry guys with big arms folded across their chests and scowling don't sell drinks, and girls don't like them. But when we had smiley, nice guys with full heads of hair and nice shaved faces, attendance went up. We had security wear a longsleeve button-up shirt (instead of a stupid "security" t-shirt), to look less intimidating. They had to wear dress pants. We made these changes and attendance went up. So too, did tips. People feel like they can't act up as much in a classy place. But if you look like you're running the Double Deuce, you're going to get trouble because shit-kickers they can come in and trash the joint.
The more stupid amongst the security guys said stuff like "what if I get into a fight...how am I supposed to handle myself in dress clothes". Which allowed me to fire them on the spot. Their job isn't to fight. It's to protect the club from lawsuits due to underage drinkers, keep undesirables from ever getting into the club, managing the line so that sexy people get in first and ugly people stay out, funnel guests to the bar so they can drink more, drive bottle service sales, and respectfully taking care of the drunk people so they get in a cab and get home without G'ing out on the sidewalk in front of the club.
I loved that job. Couldn't do it for the rest of my life (I just burned out with all the late nights). But the money was great, the job was easy as pie, and you made a lot of good friends.
Yup, good times and great money. we did our split different...The waitresses pooled their tips, bartenders pooled theirs and security pooled theirs. Which I was just fine with, because the truth is the bartenders would have shit if they knew how much we were pulling. We were the last ones out and would divvy our shit up in the parking lot when everyone was gone.
