Getting overpaid - owner wants it back

[Runnerman]

This is a new one on me. We did a nice gig a few weeks ago. First time at the place. It was a warm spell that night here in NC. Club had the front doors open and a good crowd cycled in and out from the street, good vibes and a fun evening. After load out the bar manager paid our BL and gave him $100 more than was agreed on with the club owner. Said he loved our playing and thanked us. BL thought...that's pretty cool, and since we had pulled a good crowd he didn't think anything of it and took the cash.

A couple days later the owner called and said my guy over paid you $100. What do you want to do about it? The BL just told her we thought you appreciated our playing and the crowd we brought in so we accepted it. She made him feel like we did something wrong and we owe her something. Do we? Should we offer to discount another gig?

 

[Runnerman]

I forgot to say that there was a contract. We just assumed the extra was a tip for a good performance if that makes sense.

 

[StereoPlayer]

That happened to usbrecently. We gave it back right away at the bar. No judgement for you. It’s just we we did at that time.

 

[sean_on_bass]

Begrudgingly, i would give them back the extra. But nothing more.

 

[gln1955]

Do you want $100 split how ever many ways, or do you want to keep playing there?

 

[tshapiro]

The best move would have been to clarify in the spot, “Is the extra hundy a tip or did someone slip up on the amount?” Showing any attitude towards it at this point tells the bar mgr you need the 100 more than you need to maintain your integrity. BL hoped it was a tip. He hoped wrong. In other words, best to project that you are not in the biz of making money by getting overpaid, and that you are just as happy to have received the agreed fee. If the BL thinks the standard fee should be more, he should raise that with the bar at another time.

 

[Topkat13]

No one knows the deal better than you. What’s it gonna be?

 

[dbsfgyd1]

This is a new one on me. We did a nice gig a few weeks ago. First time at the place. It was a warm spell that night here in NC. Club had the front doors open and a good crowd cycled in and out from the street, good vibes and a fun evening. After load out the bar manager paid our BL and gave him $100 more than was agreed on with the club owner. Said he loved our playing and thanked us. BL thought...that's pretty cool, and since we had pulled a good crowd he didn't think anything of it and took the cash.

A couple days later the owner called and said my guy over paid you $100. What do you want to do about it? The BL just told her we thought you appreciated our playing and the crowd we brought in so we accepted it. She made him feel like we did something wrong and we owe her something. Do we? Should we offer to discount another gig?

For $100 I would not want to jeopardize your ability to get rebooked at this gig. Secondly you don’t want the MGR losing his job or getting in trouble. If it were me I’d get the $100 back to the owner asap.

 

[Nek07]

In my opinion, the money was freely offered, so you are in your right to keep it, it could have been a tip like you said.

BUT there is other stuff you should think of, like what are this woman's connection, will it prevent you from playing other gigs? Will she still keep a grudge even if you give the money back (she made you feel like you stole her after all), and if so, she will probably still talk you down to other places...
Plus there is the employe who could loose the job over this...

So it is a tricky one, but as I say, do you know for sure that this is not money from a tip bowl or money some customers gave to the bartender for you?

Personally, I would consideer that place burned, because if she made you feel guilty over money freely offered to you (instead of "my employe made a mistake"), she will probably talk you down anyway, so I would keep the money as a tip.

 

[DaveParker39]

okay, firstly, taking a tip at a gig for $100 is not "something wrong" and there's no reason anyone in the band should have "known better"...

it kinda depends on how bad you want this gig, and also your rep. you could offer a $100 credit toward your next booking. you certainly could just say "it was a tip and that's it" but that probably won't do you any favors, even though you might be justified.

offering the $100 credit toward your next performance would be my first suggestion, see if that works. bars spill $100 in drinks a night

 

[fretno]

I get a slight feeling you might not be booked again if she is in charge, either way though I think I would reluctantly give it back in an attempt to make it stable for the future gigs I also think they should have noted it but let you have it as you suggested for filling the room.

 

[Micha84]

Yeah, tricky one. But in the end, mistakes, misunderstandings happen and it is "only" a hundred bucks. This is more about communication than anything else, and I don't think the bar handled that situation well to begin with. If I was the owner and would have not been fine with the $100 extra, I'd have talked to my employee instead of the band. But that is something you have no influence over.

I think you should return the money, although you may well be in your right to keep it. $100 isn't worth closing any doors over.

 

[themickster]

This is a new one on me. We did a nice gig a few weeks ago. First time at the place. It was a warm spell that night here in NC. Club had the front doors open and a good crowd cycled in and out from the street, good vibes and a fun evening. After load out the bar manager paid our BL and gave him $100 more than was agreed on with the club owner. Said he loved our playing and thanked us. BL thought...that's pretty cool, and since we had pulled a good crowd he didn't think anything of it and took the cash.

A couple days later the owner called and said my guy over paid you $100. What do you want to do about it? The BL just told her we thought you appreciated our playing and the crowd we brought in so we accepted it. She made him feel like we did something wrong and we owe her something. Do we? Should we offer to discount another gig?

What would you have done, if you'd been underpaid? Maybe the owner should get the 100 back from his worker that overpaid the contract.

 

[LiptonJigglers]

So the Bar Manager paid you? With money from the till or out of her own pocket?
If it's out of the till, then it was never hers to give it away and the money gets rightfully returned to the Owner.

If it's out of her own pocket, then it's none of the Owners business.

Forgive me if this has already been mentioned

 

[pepj]

Give it back. Its a 'misunderstanding' so its a battle not worth winning for $100 especially so if you want a return gig or gigs.

We took the full fee when the bar lost money through very poor attendance and we haven't been back so the lesson is we probably lost gigs over it.

 

[Micha84]

If it's out of the till, then it was never hers to give it away and the money gets rightfully returned to the Owner.

The question I find interesting: who would have to refund it? The band or the manager?
Like I said, as a band, I'd just return it (grudgingly, maybe) if I got the call from the owner, but looking at it morally I'm not so sure.

 

[MattZilla]

On one hand I’d not want to lose future gigs.

On the other, the owner is sweating a lil ol hundy? In 2024? What’s that, like five drinks? How much longer is that place even going to be open? And they didn’t task the person who made the mistake with clearing it up? I’m honestly feeling a bit Morty Seinfeld about it and would want to do absolutely anything but give it back- top of the list is give it to the local children’s hospital in the bar’s name.

If the gigs are paying effectively $30/hr including transit, then it’s a gig to worry about losing. If it’s fully hobby level and you’ve got 30 other bars to play… I don’t know. Depends on the bar owner. Do you like/respect them in general?

Thinking about being in hobby bands and occasionally getting tips, it’d be good practice to donate the tips to a charity by default anyways since everyone has day jobs. Most hobbies recoup nothing and are total losses.

 

[Nek07]

On one hand I’d not want to lose future gigs.

On the other, the owner is sweating a lil ol hundy? In 2024? What’s that, like five drinks? How much longer is that place even going to be open? And they didn’t task the person who made the mistake with clearing it up? I’m honestly feeling a bit Morty Seinfeld about it and would want to do absolutely anything but give it back- top of the list is give it to the local children’s hospital in the bar’s name.

If the gigs are paying effectively $30/hr including transit, then it’s a gig to worry about losing. If it’s fully hobby level and you’ve got 30 other bars to play… I don’t know. Depends on the bar owner. Do you like/respect them in general?

Thinking about being in hobby bands and occasionally getting tips, it’d be good practice to donate the tips to a charity by default anyways since everyone has day jobs. Most hobbies recoup nothing and are total losses.

Another way to look at it is a deposit for future gig. You seem to have done well with the public there, it might be a good thing to get there again to solidify yourself around that area AND everybody win AND you Seinfield it

 

[TexasThunder]

Give it back in exchange for another booked gig there.

 

[Phaidrus]

As a club owner I‘d be embarrassed to ask 100 bucks back.