Does anyone tip a budtender?

[superx]

Living in Ireland i would gladly tip the bud tender if i had one lol

Though i am quite sure the novelty of it would soon wear off.

I some times tip my local bar tender the odd euro here and there, i have also done it with the local cab driver.

The postman gets a bottle of whiskey for Xmas time.

I guess i am lucky i do not have a window cleaner or milk man, as i would end up been skint every week.

Its a nice gesture is all.

 

[OldSSSCGuy]

When I first asked the original question I never expected such brazen negativity about something so small as tipping your budtender. Some of the people who responded are the same types that never tip their waitress, never tip their barber, never tip their bartender, and sure as hell never tip the bellhop carrying their bags. In the service industry those are the folks normally and simply called "assholes". Thought that the European perspective might be echoed here - the "why? its already included?" perspective and that's fair - if you are anywhere but the USA.

Guess my age is showing because I just don't understand the negativity from some on here. I've met tenders in CO who shared my passion for quality, one's that honestly know the subtle differences between strains and who were just tickled to assist an old fart with over 40 years growing & breeding experience - because they enjoy what they do and enjoy talking with other people who also share the passion. These are the people that earn a tip because their enthusiasm, knowledge and passion deserves rewarding. And just because I like 'em. Too few good people in this world...

When I'm in Vegas I tip a good dealer when I win. When I buy a meal and enjoyed the wait staff I tip them. And when I suck devil alcohol I always tip an attentive and friendly bartender. I also leave a small tip for the maids who clean my hotel room (gasp!) 'cause they deserve it. So when budtender does their job really well I am tickled to toss a few bucks into their jar was a way of saying "thanks" in a tangible way. Methinks they are not knocking down $80k a year and couldn't use a little green smile now and then. Did I ever tip my dealer? Not in the normal fashion, but anytime I came across some fire bud my dealer was almost always the first person I'd share a nug with if he/she wasn't an asshole.

So I just don't get the frothing negative attitude of some folks and have to guess its a generational thing or something. I listened to customers treating their tenders like lowly shoeshiners (oh yeah - they get tips too) or something like that. Really arrogant little shits. It was fun to watch and listen when the tender was cut from the same cloth. Like listening to 2 Trumpers fighting over how to outlaw human private parts.

Lighten the F-up folks - if you drop $100 on some fire remember that the person who helped you is doing it to pay their rent. If they're good at what they do throw them a bone fer christsakes ya stingy damn dweeb.

 

[Grow God]

I’m a very generous tipper but when it comes to budtenders no way!
I don’t know where you have shopped but 99% of the budtenders I have dealt with only try to push the product that they are overstocked on. I go into shops where I know the owner and have grown most of the strains they have and the budtenders still try to sell me up.
So they can take there chill “nothing I. The world bothers me” vibe along with the cool piercings, tattoos big titsand get a real job. I don’t care how cute you think you are.
These people get a pay check so in no way can you compare them to waitresses bartenders etc.
I was in a shop one time and the first 5 things I wanted to look at was either her favorite, her girlfriends favorite, her boy friends favorite or her cousins favorite. I about facepalmed myself.

 

[Calgrow]

Lighten the F-up folks - if you drop $100 on some fire remember that the person who helped you is doing it to pay their rent. If they're good at what they do throw them a bone fer christsakes ya stingy damn dweeb.

So you started a thread asking Do people tip ? then you attack people that say they don't ? Call them "stingy damn dweebs" ? This is the attitude that sucks.. People now demand tips and if people do not tip they are called "stingy damn dweebs" "stiffs" "ripoffs".

This is a problem business model designed to make the customer pay the wage of the worker and it makes the worker a aggressive jerk.

Now days everyone wants a tip.. buy a cup of coffee "where my money damn dweeb ??" buy a small package "where my money damn dweeb ??"

Do I "tip" retail workers ? NO. Do I "tip" homeless beggars sometimes.

 

[AgentPothead]

Lighten the F-up folks - if you drop $100 on some fire remember that the person who helped you is doing it to pay their rent. If they're good at what they do throw them a bone fer christsakes ya stingy damn dweeb.

 

[Water-]

YES

If someone is helpful and friendly and looks me in the eye than I always tip

 

[Noonin NorCal]

fuck no, most of them have no clue what they are even talking about lol.
The tax you are paying on it is their tip

 

[Switcher56]

When I first asked the original question I never expected such brazen negativity about something so small as tipping your budtender. Some of the people who responded are the same types that never tip their waitress, never tip their barber, never tip their bartender, and sure as hell never tip the bellhop carrying their bags. In the service industry those are the folks normally and simply called "assholes". Thought that the European perspective might be echoed here - the "why? its already included?" perspective and that's fair - if you are anywhere but the USA.

Guess my age is showing because I just don't understand the negativity from some on here. I've met tenders in CO who shared my passion for quality, one's that honestly know the subtle differences between strains and who were just tickled to assist an old fart with over 40 years growing & breeding experience - because they enjoy what they do and enjoy talking with other people who also share the passion. These are the people that earn a tip because their enthusiasm, knowledge and passion deserves rewarding. And just because I like 'em. Too few good people in this world...

When I'm in Vegas I tip a good dealer when I win. When I buy a meal and enjoyed the wait staff I tip them. And when I suck devil alcohol I always tip an attentive and friendly bartender. I also leave a small tip for the maids who clean my hotel room (gasp!) 'cause they deserve it. So when budtender does their job really well I am tickled to toss a few bucks into their jar was a way of saying "thanks" in a tangible way. Methinks they are not knocking down $80k a year and couldn't use a little green smile now and then. Did I ever tip my dealer? Not in the normal fashion, but anytime I came across some fire bud my dealer was almost always the first person I'd share a nug with if he/she wasn't an asshole.

So I just don't get the frothing negative attitude of some folks and have to guess its a generational thing or something. I listened to customers treating their tenders like lowly shoeshiners (oh yeah - they get tips too) or something like that. Really arrogant little shits. It was fun to watch and listen when the tender was cut from the same cloth. Like listening to 2 Trumpers fighting over how to outlaw human private parts.

Lighten the F-up folks - if you drop $100 on some fire remember that the person who helped you is doing it to pay their rent. If they're good at what they do throw them a bone fer christsakes ya stingy damn dweeb.

It is all about attitude. I tip for the service I receive. A tip is not a God's given right. Unfortunately,l there has been a tendency that folks should get a tip regardless! I am sorry I am an old fart with old fashion values. You get what you deserve and a tip is a personal thing. Not something that belongs on a discussion board!

 

[CowboyTed]

I've met tenders in CO who shared my passion for quality, one's that honestly know the subtle differences between strains and who were just tickled to assist an old fart with over 40 years growing & breeding experience - because they enjoy what they do and enjoy talking with other people who also share the passion. These are the people that earn a tip because their enthusiasm, knowledge and passion deserves rewarding.

So I just don't get the frothing negative attitude of some folks and have to guess its a generational thing or something.

If I had ever met a "budtender" who was as good as the ones you describe, I would feel comelled to tip them. Sadly, I'v never met a budtender who seemed to be familiar with their inventory, let alone a source of useful information about a particular strain.

My experience with budtenders is that they are young kids who don't know much about their product beyond: "sativas give you a head high and indicas give you a body high/couch-lock." In fact, I find that the budtenders I've dealt with have never actually smoked the strains they are trying to sell. They are just repeating the descriptions I could read for myself in the dispensary's short description.

I don't mean to be negative. But maybe it IS a generational thing. There was a time in this country when we expected the staff at any retail store to know their inventory and offer useful advice. Sadly, in this age, businesses seem to be completely focused on keeping wages at rock-bottom, so they won't pay employees with experience, so the people who would have the knowledge about the product to actually help me understand their products will simply never get a job as a budtender: the dispensaries wouldn't be willing to pay them commensurate with their knowledge. Now we go into pretty much any retail establishment and find that, outside maybe the owner or manager, the staff don't have a clue about the inventory or its typical uses, or the variety of names someone might use to describe it. Go into a Home Depot and ask where to find the visqueen, and the staff will look at you like they've never heard of it. Thirty years ago, anybody working in a hardware store or lumber yard would have known exactly what you were asking for, and these days they are clueless.

Sadly, with one exception, I find that the budtenders I've dealt with have simply not provided any useful service beyond ringing up my purchases and bagging them. They are kids, who haven't been in the business long enough to be familiar with their own inventory, and they don't seem to be compelled to study it so they could provide better service.

As an example, I recently did a round of Denver dispensaries trying to find seed and clones. I recall one dispensary where they had some seeds and some clones, but they were varieties I'd never heard of. There wasn't a single person in the dispensary who could tell me anything about the strains they had available, beyond their name. Indica or sativa dominant? Nobody knows. Names of the parent varieties, so I can do their job for them and learn something about varieties from google? Nope. Is it suitable to grow indoors or outdoors in our climate? They had no knowledge, and no available information about the strain or its parents. And yet, the kids who were "helping" me with my purchase were just sure I'd love the stuff, because, you know man, it's DOPE!

Enthusiasm for your product and its use is just not a substitute for true knowledge about it. I've met lots of friendly budtenders in Colorado who were bursting with enthusiasm, but lacked useful knowledge. If they want tips, they need to provide their customers with both.

I'm glad you've found budtenders who exhibit both, but you're apparently shopping at different dispensaries than I am.

 

[Lost in a SOG]

I mean if I were a weed tourist and not a grower with 20 years toking and growing behind me I might tip a budtender because their opinion would be super useful as I wouldn't have a clue what I was looking at. They're still just glorified drug dealers though imo. However they really should get herbalists working in these dispensaries.. honest to god if people only knew about some such simple little things, small herbal life additions, like comfrey root cream for inflammation in joints and musculoskeletal issues instead of just nailing that extra kush spliff their lives would be infinitely better overall. And there are so many more profound cures to be found in plant medicine, as you might imagine, but the pharmaceutical companies as largely subsidiaries of the petrochemical industry own your phony gubmint don't they... shit loads of people arguably abusing weed just to get through their day need to go see a real herbalist.

 

[Switcher56]

If I had ever met a "budtender" who was as good as the ones you describe, I would feel comelled to tip them. Sadly, I'v never met a budtender who seemed to be familiar with their inventory, let alone a source of useful information about a particular strain.

My experience with budtenders is that they are young kids who don't know much about their product beyond: "sativas give you a head high and indicas give you a body high/couch-lock." In fact, I find that the budtenders I've dealt with have never actually smoked the strains they are trying to sell. They are just repeating the descriptions I could read for myself in the dispensary's short description.

I don't mean to be negative. But maybe it IS a generational thing. There was a time in this country when we expected the staff at any retail store to know their inventory and offer useful advice. Sadly, in this age, businesses seem to be completely focused on keeping wages at rock-bottom, so they won't pay employees with experience, so the people who would have the knowledge about the product to actually help me understand their products will simply never get a job as a budtender: the dispensaries wouldn't be willing to pay them commensurate with their knowledge. Now we go into pretty much any retail establishment and find that, outside maybe the owner or manager, the staff don't have a clue about the inventory or its typical uses, or the variety of names someone might use to describe it. Go into a Home Depot and ask where to find the visqueen, and the staff will look at you like they've never heard of it. Thirty years ago, anybody working in a hardware store or lumber yard would have known exactly what you were asking for, and these days they are clueless.

Sadly, with one exception, I find that the budtenders I've dealt with have simply not provided any useful service beyond ringing up my purchases and bagging them. They are kids, who haven't been in the business long enough to be familiar with their own inventory, and they don't seem to be compelled to study it so they could provide better service.

As an example, I recently did a round of Denver dispensaries trying to find seed and clones. I recall one dispensary where they had some seeds and some clones, but they were varieties I'd never heard of. There wasn't a single person in the dispensary who could tell me anything about the strains they had available, beyond their name. Indica or sativa dominant? Nobody knows. Names of the parent varieties, so I can do their job for them and learn something about varieties from google? Nope. Is it suitable to grow indoors or outdoors in our climate? They had no knowledge, and no available information about the strain or its parents. And yet, the kids who were "helping" me with my purchase were just sure I'd love the stuff, because, you know man, it's DOPE!

Enthusiasm for your product and its use is just not a substitute for true knowledge about it. I've met lots of friendly budtenders in Colorado who were bursting with enthusiasm, but lacked useful knowledge. If they want tips, they need to provide their customers with both.

I'm glad you've found budtenders who exhibit both, but you're apparently shopping at different dispensaries than I am.

+10

 

[Switcher56]

It's called greed! The days of old are long gone.

 

[Noonin NorCal]

There is also a lot of younger female "tenders" that are just there to look pretty and help their boss sell their product

 

[Switcher56]

There is also a lot of younger female "tenders" that are just there to look pretty and help their boss sell their product

True!

 

[Muleskinner]

>> Thirty years ago, anybody working in a hardware store or lumber yard would have known exactly what you were asking for, and these days they are clueless.

I still shop at hardware stores like that, some are still around

 

[SolarPlex]

All the people who are on here are most likely extremely knowledgeable and probably honestly make up 1% of total business for any dispensary. I work as a budtender and basically have to tell people what Indicas and Sativas are at least 20 times a day. The other common things are asking repeatedly how to fly or travel with it, how to smoke it in public which are both not kosher in Colorado. I have been asked how one should consume cannabis before. Budtenders deal with a bunch of shit.

Living in Colorado is expensive, I guarantee you that over 70% of budtenders in Colorado get paid under 15/hr, which is really rough to live on out here, tips help a bunch.

I always tip budtenders, even when I have had warehouse positions for companies and visited the store. I know I never used to tip my dealer, but it's a service industry now and if you don't have the extra $2 to throw in that tip jar maybe you should reconsider the fact that you are even buying weed.

 

[JustSumTomatoes]

The tip debate aside, are bud tenders considered to be service industry or retail?

 

[OldSSSCGuy]

It was said with a smile and being facetious - which somehow didn't make it through the keyboard. I think I smoked it instead.

So you started a thread asking Do people tip ? then you attack people that say they don't ? Call them "stingy damn dweebs" ? This is the attitude that sucks.. People now demand tips and if people do not tip they are called "stingy damn dweebs" "stiffs" "ripoffs".

This is a problem business model designed to make the customer pay the wage of the worker and it makes the worker a aggressive jerk.

Now days everyone wants a tip.. buy a cup of coffee "where my money damn dweeb ??" buy a small package "where my money damn dweeb ??"

Do I "tip" retail workers ? NO. Do I "tip" homeless beggars sometimes.

 

[rolandomota]

Fuck that an extra 20%

 

[OldSSSCGuy]

I’m a very generous tipper but when it comes to budtenders no way!
I don’t know where you have shopped but 99% of the budtenders I have dealt with only try to push the product that they are overstocked on. I go into shops where I know the owner and have grown most of the strains they have and the budtenders still try to sell me up.
So they can take there chill “nothing I. The world bothers me” vibe along with the cool piercings, tattoos big titsand get a real job. I don’t care how cute you think you are.
These people get a pay check so in no way can you compare them to waitresses bartenders etc.
I was in a shop one time and the first 5 things I wanted to look at was either her favorite, her girlfriends favorite, her boy friends favorite or her cousins favorite. I about facepalmed myself.

Yeah, I think maybe you are right on that one to a point. Your "5 things" example sounds a lot like a tender I dealt with at Good Chem. When I asked her "what sort of house strains do you have?" she blinked, paused and said "I don't grow at my house". Then wandered off into a silly rap about how their owner "went to Amsterdam and met THE guy". Like Amsterdam only had ONE grower and I should be impressed that their guy was granted an audience with HIM. Sigh... Or a tender at Light Shade who could not answer even one question without looking it up on computer; who could only recommend what his Dad liked. And that was one place that had 2 customers - but we counted 11-12 employees and that was only those out front. Finding even ONE dispensary with a tender over the age of 30 did not happen although I know they have to be there somewhere. I think there are SO many lame dispensaries pumped with yuppie money that its got to be hard to find tenders who can walk, talk and chew gum at the same time.

On the other side I dealt with tenders at STONE and Starbuds who knew WTF the were doing who gave me faith. They had the passion and it was very tangible. Or some guys at CHC might have been some of the happiest, most friendly canna-folks I came across anywhere. Their selection sucked rocks - but I'd still head there in a heartbeat just for the smiles & good zen; and their smoke gave me extreme Chinese eyes.

Just so many negative, hateful reactions to the original post it threw me. Thought I'd get 2-3 simple replies but guess I unintentionally touched a nerve somewhere.

And please give me a break on my earlier 'dweeb' reference. Was meant in jest but to some flopped on the floor like a dead haddock. Please ignore the dead fishes squishing under your feet.