A friend and former student of mine (who happens to be a musician sent me the attached photo and asked me for my opinion. The bill has two separate lines for tips – one for the food and/or drinks and one for the live music. You can understand why the owner might want to separate the two – it allows them perhaps to pay the musicians less and ask the guests to fund the musicians. It seems reasonable at first blush but I think there are some inherent problems. Its clear that musicians add value (at least hopefully) to the experience. A tipping convention would then have them share in the tips as an appreciation of that contribution.
My fist concern is that this approach highlights just a single source of additional value. The staff in the kitchen add value to the experience but are not highlighted differently. Its clear…
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