Credit Cards

[SomeClownConsulting]

Paypal Here is a new reader coming out that is like square except that you can have a list of your items to chose from.

I THINK square does as well... and I don't do business with paypal unless I hafta ;-)

[The White Lotus]

Hm... I've actually never been stiffed by people with credit cards.

...I'm afraid now, LoL. It's only a matter of time.

[unicaw89]

I personally use square and I highly recommend it. It's name and sliding device makes it trusted by guests, especially those familiar with this product (it may be free but it's still a product lol). However be cautious in a tip accepting environment because often times that no cash excuse is just that, an excuse. Find clever lines to introduce the idea of accepting credit cards...

Often families ask how much you charge when your a tip worker. I say, "here at (your location) balloons are always free but we accept tips. Tips like fancy new cars, diamond rings, first born children, cash or credit, and everything inbetween. Ohhkay not first born children but I do take credit" :-)

[mrboma]

I NEVER say the balloons are free but I take tips. The first and only time I tried that, I got stiffed all night long. Now I wear a button that says "I twist for tips" and if someone asks how much, I say, "Whatever you feel is fair."

I have both the Square and Intuit card readers. I really like that the Intuit app lets you create a list of "products" (a feature the Square app only has on the iPad). I have a list of tip amounts from $1 to $10.  The customer selects the amount they want to tip, and if they want to tip me more the amount can either be entered by hand or I can select multiples. I just wish I could get a cell signal inside the restaurant I work in.

[The White Lotus]

Good point. The secret is the BUTTON. "We twist for tips!" has never failed me.

Out of 4 years of line work, I can honestly guarantee ALL of you, that as long as I have worn that button I have NEVER, (count it,) NEVER, been stiffed on a tip more than twice. And those two times I had forgotten about the magical button. Coincidence? I think not...

So..when in doubt, wear the button.

I don't even know what the square thing is, but the button. It should be worn. LoL ~

[unicaw89]

I go back and forth between my arsenal of buttons, I just always stick a $5 or $2 bill to my shirt. I get stiffed about 1 in 15 tables it's very rare, unless in a bad clientele restaurant in a low income area lol

[mackerous]

Square users with iPhones: Have you noticed they removed the tip feature? Maybe I overlooked it but at my last gig they wanted to tip me and I said there would be a section for it. The transaction went through and I had to run a second one for the tip. Not a big deal but slightly awkward. I mainly liked it because it was there to put the notion of tipping in their mind. Most people probably don't even think to tip a paid performer.

On tipping and buttons: I have a I Twist For Tips pin and put a $5 bill in one of the pockets of my apron. When asked how much balloons are, which I still get on occasion, I typically reply "Whatever you think they're worth. I usually get a dollar or two for each balloon used in the sculpture." At first I didn't like saying this because I was often get $5 for a alien hitchhiker hat (even without the gun or helmet), but usually the people who ask this won't give me $5 for something like that.

[The White Lotus]

Yeah, the $5 bill in the front pocket really helps, too. Went an hour without the bill, and had a lot of hit or miss. Within the first couple minutes I put one in, however, the tips came streaming in.

My theory is that as long as you have the button and bill, you dodge every bullet that comes your way.

[mrboma]

I have button that says "Suggested Tip: $3268.95"

[SomeClownConsulting]

Square users with iPhones: Have you noticed they removed the tip feature? Maybe I overlooked it but at my last gig they wanted to tip me and I said there would be a section for it. The transaction went through and I had to run a second one for the tip. Not a big deal but slightly awkward. I mainly liked it because it was there to put the notion of tipping in their mind. Most people probably don't even think to tip a paid performer.

I believe there is an option for tips, I think you turned it off.  Just like there is an option that automatically calculates taxes.

[mackerous]

@SomeClown There we go. It must have reset the defaults during the upgrade. Thanks.

@Boma I LOVE that pin. Might have to steal the idea.

[mrboma]

@Boma I LOVE that pin. Might have to steal the idea.

Feel free Mackerous.  I borrowed the idea off of a website  (I don't remember where.  It might have even been here).  Anyhow, the supposed psychology of it is that #1 - it doesn't contain a 1 in it anywhere, and #2 it starts with the minimum I would like and ends with the number I would really like per creation (in other words, I want my tips to be between $3 and $5 per creation). I still get plenty of $1 and $2 tips, though, so I'm not sure the psychological aspect of it actually works, but it gets lots of laughs.

[The White Lotus]

I just figure that if they sold balloons individually from the suppliers, then one uninflated balloon would retail at about 14 cents.


If you keep that logic in mind, a $1 tip is already profit ~

[dougy]

It is a profit ont eh balloon but you have to think about the time spent making it, the time preparing to make it, the dvd's bought to learn it, the balloons popped procticing it, there is just too many things to think about besides the cost of the one balloon.

[unicaw89]

I have button that says "Suggested Tip: $3268.95"

Lol I have one that says suggested tip $76,096,396.32

My cell phone number ;-) people bring up the number I tell em it's my phone number and I do parties call me :-)