Top New Year’s Eve Tips For Bars, Nightclubs & Bartenders

How Staffing, Champagne, Customer Service & Smiles Can Make Boost A Bar’s Long-Term Profit

It’s New Year’s Eve, we want to go to a bar, have some drinks, have fun and meet and mingle with other people in the bar.

We understand it’s NYE, that things take a bit more patience than usual, that the bar and staff can be overwhelmed and other factors that go into this being the biggest party night of the year in the world.

But we’re customers and we want to have a night to remember for all the good reasons. That’s why PubClub.com has come up with ways bars can help make it a great night for everyone. Your bar and staff included, too.

Bars & Nightclubs NYE Party Tips

1.) Remember These Are Potential Year-Round Or Repeat Customers

Make your bar patrons happy. Don’t raise the prices of drinks, make people wait to service and make sure we know that you care about us. A lot of times, a person will make an impression of a bar based on how it handles busy times, and even local patrons won’t go back to a place if they are treated poorly on such occasions.

Instruct the staff, including the bouncers, to be friendly and to smile.

So remember – NYE is a time you’ll make a lot of money but keep the big picture in mind, and that is if you’re not on your “A” game, then you may be losing a lot of business in the future.

2.) Cut Down On The Cover Charge

Bars charge $25-150 to get into on NYE, even local community bars. In many cases it’s a ripoff. Don’t do this, please. If you want to charge, make it a minimum to cover extra staff, party favors, maybe a DJ or band, but to try and use a cover charge as a huge profit area leaves a bad taste in our mouth.

3.) Staff Enough Bartenders & Waitresses

This is not the night to be cheap. Hire enough staff so we can get our drinks and, if you’re serving it, food.

4.) Have Plenty Of Party Favors

Make sure everyone who wants one has hat, noise maker, etc.

5.) Have Good Champagne For Your NYE Toast – And Keep Pouring

You don’t have go to Dom here but don’t make it Cooks, either. Show a little class and have decent to good champagne to share with us at midnight. And for good measure, pour another round after midnight.

Bartenders, Waitresses & Waiters NYE Party Tips

1.) Provide Service With A Smile

Go into the night with the proper attitude and keep smiling, even though you may be rushed and tugged in different directions.

2.) Tell Waiting Customers You’ll Be Right With Them

Tempers can flair on both sides of the bar when people are waiting a while to get drinks. A bartender can help diffuse a lot of this by  giving us a little nod, saying “I’ll be right with you,” or some other acknowledge that you see us and you will be helping us as soon as you can get to it.

For waitresses and waiters, do the same when you fly by a table on your way to serving other customers or heading to the bar or kitchen.

3.) Don’t Ignore Your Customers

Maybe that guy didn’t tip the last time (perhaps he was more focused on getting drinks to his friends or perhaps he’s just a jerk), but don’t ignore him (or her) because it backs up the bar area wherever he/she is standing and those of us who will tip and want drinks can’t get a drink.  And making us wait will cost you a tip or the size of a tip.

If you’re a waiter or waitress, the same applies when you’re serving a table. It will wind up costing you in the end. And keep this in mind: if the group is paying per round with different people, one person may be cheap or a jerk and not tip but that doesn’t mean the others are the same way.

4.) Don’t Be Rude Or Confrontational

Even if something bothers you or a customer is being impossible, let it roll off the shoulder. Call over the the manager deal and let him or her deal with it. Negativity in a bar affects all customers.

5.) Enjoy NYE, Too

Yes, you’re working but you’re making money (and chances are, lots of it) while your customers are spending money. On New Year’s Day you’re like in the bar with them as a customer yourself – flush with cash – so enjoy it!