By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Editor & Publisher
Bartenders are great. They keep their customers well lubricated, they are quick to engage in conversation and can even be a psychiatrist in which people are on a barstool rather than a couch.
But, as is the case with any occupation, not all of them are friendly, engaging and good at what they do for a living. Let’s face it, some bartenders are lousy. And this post is directed at them. Here are the most annoying things bad bartenders do that drive customers crazy. All these things can and do affect a bartender’s tip.
• Bartenders Who Try To Upsell Customers
When I go into a bar for a drink, I don’t like it when the bartender tries to upsell me. This usually involves trying to convince you to use a more expensive liquor or to buy a premium-priced beer or even a food item that is more expensive than the one I wanted to order. It can also involve this tactic: “would you like (such and such) to go with that” drink? NO! I want what I ordered how I ordered it and nothing more. Now I don’t mind and even appreciate when a bartender suggests something that is more expensive (ex: “you can get a better tequila for that margarita for a dollar more”) without trying to force it on me.
• Bartenders Who Hand Customers A Regular Menu When It’s Happy Hour
This is a particular pet peeve of mine. When I know it’s Happy Hour or there there are drink specials (I know the bar, have seen posts on social media or been told about it from other people) and when I ask for menu, I expect to see the menu of specials. But the bartender instead hands me the regular menu. This is because they want the customer to have bigger tab and a bigger tab means a bigger tip.
When this happens I literally have to hold back my frustration (you never, ever want to anger a bartender) so I politely ask if they have any specials that day. The bartender will then do one of three things:
• Hand you the specials or Happy Hour menu without saying anything other than an “oh, yeah.”
• Hand you the specials or Happy Hour menu after pretending to fumble around and look for it like a while. I half expect them to blow dust off of it as if it’s been sitting there unused for weeks.
• Deny there are any specials until you point out to them that the bar does indeed have specials. Caught, they might say “that’s only until 6 (or whatever time)” and then you have to point out to them that it is not yet 6 (or whatever time). At any case, you are the one that has to initiate what is rightfully yours and at this point you can see the bartender saying to him or herself “great, no tip from this person.” If the bartender is being stubborn then I get up and leave.
• Bartenders Who Pull Drinks Before They You Are Finished With It
You turn around to talk to someone or leave your drink alone for a moment and when you reach to grab it, well, it’s gone. The over-efficient bartender has yanked it. When you ask about it, he or she says “oh, I thought you were finished with it.” Then you must get another one theoretically earning him or her a bigger tip on a larger tab. Except for most customers it cost the bartender a tip because it pisses people off and they don’t want to fall into this bad bartenders’ trap.
• Ignoring Customers While Pretending To Be Busy When They Are Not Busy
How many times have you been into a slow bar where you are one of the few customers yet can’t get the bartender’s attention? I have lots of times. Instead of coming up to you to take your order they do bar maintenance things: wash glasses, cut fruit for drink garnishes, clean glasses with a towel, that kind of thing. Bartenders have an amazing ability to look busy when they are not actually busy. They must teach this at bartending school.
• Not Acknowledging Customers When They Are Slammed Busy
Good bartenders will nod or otherwise acknowledge customers when they are busy to let you know they see you. At that point, you can relax a bit knowing they will get to you when they can do it. Bad bartenders don’t look your way, give any sign that the see and will get to you, and this leads to customer frustration. It also leads some people to do the very things bartenders hate: yell or wave at them or slap their hands on the bar.
Conclusion
There are other things that drive me and other barflies crazy, such as lethargic service and attitude and just a couple days before posting this article I encountered a rare one but something that does happen. I was charged $10 for a beer that on the menu stated the price was $7.95. When I inquired about it the bartender simply said “you must be looking at an old menu.”
At this point, holding back my volcanic reaction, I very calmly said “I looked at the menu on the table.” I then dug in my heels. “If you put a price on the menu, you have to honor it.” Eventually, I won this little $2 battle but the fact I had to do it shows not only bad bartending but bad management. And bad management can lead to bad bartending.
Kevin Wilkerson is the editor and publisher of PubClub.com, which requires him to spend a lot of time around bartenders. He has been to bars all over the world and knows good service from bad service. This story was written by a human with no assistance from AI or ChatGTP.
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