Message 6825 of 22774 in Behind the Bar

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It sounds to me like the problem is less you falling behind, and more that 
your bar is understocked on glassware. You said the bartenders consistently 
tell you you are doing great, which means running short on glasses is 
something they normally expect. If it only happened for the three weeks you've 
worked there, Im sure they'd be a lot more upset. 

I work at a four story club...five bars with a total of six bartenders, and 
two barbacks, no waitstaff. I barbacked for a while before I bartended, so i 
can kind of understand some of this from both sides..As for the tip-out, I 
think it all depends on how your payscale works, and what region your bar is 
in. For example, I work in a smaller city, but in one of it's only big clubs. 
The bar pays our barbacks a flat rate..30 a shift for the head barback, and 20 
for the other barback. The bartenders can technically tip out whatever they 
want, but the basic guideline is 4% of their sales.If you have only worked 
there 3 weeks, and the bartenders know you've never been in the industry, 
there is always a chance they are tipping you less just to see if they can, 
since you wouldnt have anyway of knowing better. See if you can find out from 
the other barback if the percent you get is normal. Every bartender tips out 
differently, the key is to figuring out the different expectations of each 
one. 

I'm not real sure about them asking you how to make drinks. Once in a while, 
the newer bartenders will send the barback to me to get a recipe during the 
night, but that's about it. They might be trying help you learn drinks, or get 
you used to them....The only other thing I can think of, is that they are not 
very experienced, or good at what they are doing....

From the things you mentioned, I think the main problem is probably poor 
management at your bar. I only say that because for the longest time at our 
bar, the management was about useless, and it affected about every aspect of 
the business. We would regularly run out of not only things like straws, or 
glassware, but it wasnt even unusual for us to run out of some beer or liquor 
every weekend. And the hiring process he instituted was was nicknamed, "The 
naked interview"...nothing like having half the staff busting ass, and the 
other half being beautifully useless...