Message 5087 of 22774 in Behind the Bar

Share on Facebook |  Save to del.icio.us

Every year when college begins, I get the unique opportunity to train scads or 
rookie drinkers.  Sometimes the lessons arehard learned, sometimes they can 
learn by being observant.  I have a routine that works well for me, and can be 
bastardized any way you like, but as far as speed goes with two tenders 
working off of one well, this works beautifully for me.

When I take an order, I immediately tell them what it will be costing the 
coustomer.  This saves me time waiting for them to dig it out of their pockets 
and fumble around with it, or having to ask buddies to help them cover it.  I 
see way too many bartenders waiting to get paid, wasting time.  I shout that 
price at them, with authority, as it is usualy to loud to speak in a normal 
voice anyway.  Ususaly the person standing beside them pokes them or somehow 
assists them if they are a bit slow on the payment.  Slow people slow down 
others service!!

As I'm making up drink orders, I am looking around.  I have found that many 
tenders, when they get into the "weeds" lower their heads and do not make eye 
contact with their coustomers and also cannot see what is happening on the 
floor.  As I'm looking around, I'm making eye contact with my next three to 
five coustomers, a wink and a smile, a nod, whatever, assuring them that they 
will be getting served on my next lap.

As I am taking orders, the person that has been waiting for one or two minutes 
and starts their order with "Ummmmmm," gets told to have their order ready the 
next time I come back to them, because I don't have the time and the fellow 
next to him know exactly what he wants. (This is called training your 
coustomers.)  I say it with a smile so it isn't taken as mean or whatever, and 
generaly these people learn that their ordering technique dorectly affects how 
quickly they get their drinks.

It's a bit harsh, I agree, but I can't stand there and tell some clownshoe 
every kind of beer we have when he has been standing right in front of the 
product display for two minutes (I simply point and go to another coustomer), 
nor will I wait for someone to make up their minds on what they want to drink 
or make payment on my time.