What is tipping etiquette at large fancy clubs?

avatar for sharkhunter
sharkhunter
I visited some beach clubs recently.

At a fancy club, Thee Dollhouse I saw an older guy tip a dancer a five. I saw very little tipping at all so it was hard to determine. Apparently in Myrtle Beach the people who sit at the stage are expected to tip a lot. The stage seats were empty most of the time. I tipped one dancer at Thee Dollhouse two dollars and I got the impression she thought that was a low dollar amount. I decided not to tip anyone else. Another dancer didn't give me that impression but I already bought dances from her and a drink or two.

Over at The Masters I sat at the stage a few times tipping usually two singles at a time unless someone came over I wasn't interested in. One dancer who wasn't my type seems awfully aggressive pulling her garter or rubber band back 4 times before saying something that she expects everyone who sits at the stage to keep tipping. Talk about entitlement. Most dancers did not act this way at the club. I see why they don't have many chairs next to the stage though and why not many sit there.

Should I be required as a customer to tip every single dancer at the stage to come over and want a tip especially if there are up to six dancers on stage at a time and I'm not interested in the one who decides she's going to keep asking for tips? Should I leave the stage if I'm willing to tip everyone at least two but don't feel a need to tip more than that per song? For 98% of dancers at The Masters, this wasn't an issue. I didn't mind sometf the hotter dancers coming back to me more than once. It was the rather aggressive dancers who weren't my type.

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avatar for sharkhunter
sharkhunter
8 years ago
In South Carolina, I believe a two dollar tip at the stage should be sufficient per dancer per song if sitting at the stage and that you shouldn't be required to tip every dancer on stage if there are multiple dancers on stage. If dancers think otherwise, I say tough luck to them. If a club disagrees, then they can post signs or just expect very few people to sit at the stage. If that's what they want, they will get it. I think a five dollar minimum tip standard is maybe what is expected in New York or some of the bigger city clubs out of state, not South Carolina. If I'm wrong and Thee Dollhouse is catering to New York and other residents used to tipping more, please let me know.
avatar for Tiburon
Tiburon
8 years ago
proper tipping ettiquete for fancy clubs is not going. The less money they get, the more they'll realize nobody wants a girl that refuses to be touched.
avatar for MrDeuce
MrDeuce
8 years ago
Sorry, I don't understand the question. What is a "large fancy club"? I'm only familiar with small, mid- to low-end clubs :) I often tip favorite dancers or those who put on an especially good show two singles or a deuce (hence my handle), but almost never more than that.

Surprisingly, many dancers get offended when I offer to drop a deuce on them. Why do you suppose that is?
avatar for JohnSmith69
JohnSmith69
8 years ago
I tip the same at any type of club. If you're sitting at the stage then you are required at most clubs to tip each dancer. If you don't want to tip move back. At least $1 is the minimum. I usually tip at least $2 unless the girl is particularly unattractive or lazy. If I want to get to know the dancer better or if she's a fav, then I tip more.

A $2 tip is adequate at any club. Ignore any dancer who suggests that you need to tip more. But $2 may not be enough to get her attention and get her on your lap.
avatar for sharkhunter
sharkhunter
8 years ago
Thanks for the comments. I thought the one dancer was out of line trying to get too much money from me. I left the stage rather than keep tipping a dancer I wasn't interested in. I guess I could have sat there and let her put on whatever show she wanted to but didn't need nor want drama from her. I think she got to two other guys as well who sat in the same spot. They sat near where I was sitting but left the stage shortly after she got to them. Meanwhile there was one very nice looking dancer on the other side of the stage I wouldn't have minded tipping. It looks like there is an advantage to only having one dancer on the stage versus six. Drawbacks too if you don't want to create a scene with a potential drama queen.
avatar for jackslash
jackslash
8 years ago
This is how I tip at the strip club:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MBoQTeP…
avatar for metaldude
metaldude
8 years ago
I believe sitting at the rail means you should be tipping every dancer who gets on stage and agree with JS that $2 is fine. I've seen plenty of guys at DH and Masters in MB only tip $1 and most of time it doesn't seem to attract a negative reaction. Personally I only go to the rail when I want to tip a specific dancer and then its with ulterior motives and larger donations.
avatar for Dominic77
Dominic77
8 years ago
Unless the doorman tells you differently, the rules are the same as they are at dives. I think more confident, shark-y hustlers are less shy about asking for tips, sometimes, especially if they aren't too worried about repeat business from you (the whole not stopping to pick up nickels in front of bulldozers advice). The likely difference is larger, more upscale gentleman's clubs will have a larger population of agressive hustlers than dives will. But this type of dancer exists in dives, too.

Tip whomever you want. The SC is not a charity. Rude, maybe, expected, probably, but not required. I tip most but not all dancers unless they are just not sexually attractive to me to they are just being lazy up there.
avatar for Harderlap
Harderlap
8 years ago
I usually tip $1 to each dancer. Those I like or would like to have a dance with get $1 for each of the dances they dance, usually two per set. In most of the clubs I go to most of the guys don't tip every dancer, so if you do, you stand out. If I sit at the rail, I tip $1 every dance. If I get extra attention when I tip, I usually pull out another $1.
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