I have often pondered that [tag]bar work[/tag] is the most underpaid profession in the world, even beating hairdressing. (I am writing this from a European point of view-[tag]Bartending in the US[/tag] can be very lucrative although a large part of the money earned is usually from tips).

 

Bar staff in Europe are required to spend long period of time on their feet, often legging it up and down cellar steps to change beer kegs, stack crates and all types of other heavy work.

But aside from the physical exertion, the mental load imposed on a [tag]bar worker[/tag] during any given shift is tremendous. Not only is one required to serve drinks, you must be telepathic or able to lip read slurred words whenever another tipple is required.

A bar worker must also be a psychiatrist, a marriage guidance councillor, a doctor, a loan officer, a matchmaker, and sometimes, God forbid, a babysitter, and on a really good night a flaming unpaid taxi driver.

Inspite of bar work often being a very thankless career choice, there are 5 golden rules, that if you want to succeed in the [tag]bar trade[/tag] you should never disobey.

 

 The Five Golden Rules

 

1. Many people will enter a bar because apart from the obvious attraction of imbibing some alcohol, they want some company and to listen to some gossip.

A bar person should join in with the banter but must never ever gossip about the amount a customer drinks, not to the customer or in their absence.

This is a terrible breach of confidence and akin to a doctor telling a patient the gory details of her next door neighbour’s haemorrhoids.

 

2. Although a bar person has to listen to the whole bar’s problems, it is absolute sacrilege to mention your own.

You must shut your front door on them firmly, and appear at work with a smile on your face.

 

3. Never use your fingers as ice tongs. You have likely been handling money all night which is quite filthy.

 

This female bartender should learn to disguise her feelings

 

4. Never give away [tag]free drinks[/tag].

Not to your friends, family and certainly not to your kids even if they are over 18.

Giving away free drinks makes you appear untrustworthy and dishonest even to the recipent. Real friends will not expect you to risk your job (even if it is thankless- for the price of a beer or two).

It is also a practise that can compromise you- do it once and they are likely to expect it permanently, and request it loudly while your boss is in earshot.

 

5. Never refuse a customer’s offer of a drink. If someone has offered you one, it is because they want to buy you one.

A refusal can hurt their feelings.

That is not to say you have to drink alcohol, but take something, or, as is sometimes practised in the UK, add the price of a drink to the bill, and put it in your tip glass. (Do not ask for the most expensive drink on the premises- even if the buyer is loaded, this is bad manners and you are unllikely to be invited again).

More golden rules to come tomorrow- the next lot are for customers!

This entry was posted on Sunday, June 17th, 2007 at 11:27 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.