Message 5058 of 22774 in Behind the Bar

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> I really want to ask a co worker their opnion but 
> I am afraid they will tell others and make me look even worse

Don't let that sort of thing hold you back. Swap a few stories about what 
annoys you, and how you personally speed things up, and you may hear back some 
sort of description of what they do in that situation...

> Left to 
> right? doesnt work in a club because people just jump in at random 
> spots, 

So what? You want to get your turnover up, serve whoever is closest right now.
This attitude of mine is a bit arrogant, I know, but it's one tactic that I 
have to phase in as the night hots up.
Early on, we all try to cover each other's areas to prioritise customers 
correctly. Later in the night, I shift to a left-right-left pan of my area to 
try to cut down the internal crossover (our 'stations' are very incomplete, 
and there's enough running back & forth as it is).
Then, when things are really hot, I stand in one spot and do what I can for 
the person in front of me, even if they've only just popped in, if they have 
cash in hand and look like they know what they want, they are ready to be 
served. Usually I only have to shift into that gear for 9-10 rounds to take 
the pressure off and get back to the folk that may have been languishing in 
the dead zone at the border between stations.

Again, an arrogant move, but one that gets me through is moving on to the next 
the minute a customer breaks eye contact.
"Yep, what can I get you?"
"um, a beer and .... hey joe, you want something?"
"Next!"

I race around like a mad thing because I'm always dancing to the music - it 
keeps my rhythm up, and I feel that makes me faster, at least it means I don't 
get tired out the same.
[Dan the Melon Man] The Zen of bartending - Part 1

Try and see what it is that's actually taking the most time in the process of 
filling an order. Is it hearing what they want, actually making the drinks, 
taking payment, making change, waht?

For me, it's probably taking the order ("Oh, and another one") , and payment 
by POS and Cred cards. WTF is up with people signing a bloody cred card slip 
for one drink!? I want to put a $20 limit on it like the supermarkets do. 
We probably do 40% of our trade (in a high-volume place) through Debit cards, 
which are generally fast enough ... until someone messes up their number and 
immediately we have three tenders lined up wanting to process their orders (1 
terminal per 3 tenders should be enough)

> and how many do u try to serve at once?  do you make all the 
> drinks then serve them at once and collect cash at once?

Depends on scale/volume, the way your till system and processes are set up, 
and your personal comfort level. If it was all round numbers, I might be able 
to do a few more, but I find it slows me down to try and hold more than three 
orders worth of change in my hands. Just Messy. 90% of the time I just to one 
by one.

Calling order (probably mentioned elsewhere in bartenders guides) will help a 
bit also. 
- I start with the spirits (ice the glasses blind as I'm taking the order) 
- Pour the spirits - in order I heard them, right to left.
- Depending on what's happening beside me I'll do the beers, the soda mixers 
or the bottles (left, right or back, whichever direction is clear of other 
'tenders)
- I take payment last, because this is the way it's always been done, although 
I could probably move that up in the piece a bit. If they are paying by card 
(AND HAVE MADE THAT CLEAR!) I will put their order through to process 
before/during making the drinks, saving 15 seconds.

Anyway, our place, even on the worst nights, will get almost everyone served 
within 40 seconds of reaching the bar (I like to claim). The only ones that 
will be waiting longer are those that have overlooked rule #1 (Know what you 
want) or possibly the gallant chaps that have waved me down to tell me to 
serve the girl at the other end. 
- If you "give up" your place in my queue - you have not only let someone else 
in just in front of you, you have also removed yourself to the end of the 
line. Don't mess with my system. See you next time!

Yes I'm an asshole sometimes, but you should see the monkeys on the other side 
of the bar!

.dan.