Bartending is a job that comes with great responsibility. As a bartender, you are responsible not just for serving drinks, but also for ensuring the safety of your customers. While bartenders can make a great impact on the customer experience, there are certain things that they should avoid doing in order to maintain a safe and enjoyable atmosphere for everyone.
In this article, we will discuss some of the things that bartenders should avoid doing. These include drinking on the job, over-serving customers, and engaging in inappropriate behavior. By avoiding these things, bartenders can build a reputation as responsible and professional service providers who prioritize the safety and satisfaction of their customers above all else.
Crossing Personal Boundaries with Patrons
As a bartender, it’s important to maintain a professional demeanor when interacting with patrons. One area where a line can be easily crossed is with personal boundaries. Bartenders should never engage in inappropriate physical contact with customers, such as touching or hugging them. This can make customers uncomfortable and may even lead to accusations of harassment or assault.
Another aspect of crossing personal boundaries relates to making personal comments or prying for personal information. It can be tempting to strike up a conversation with customers, but bartenders should avoid asking too many personal questions or delving too deeply into sensitive topics. This can make customers feel uncomfortable or even violated. Bartenders should always respect personal boundaries and keep their focus on providing excellent service without overstepping their boundaries.
Using Unauthorized Ingredients or Mixing Methods
Bartending is a complex job that requires attention to detail and strict adherence to the rules. One of the most important rules in bartending is only using authorized ingredients and mixing methods. Bartenders who use unauthorized ingredients or methods put themselves and their customers at risk of harm. Customers trust that the drinks they order are made with safe and authorized ingredients, and any deviation from this is a breach of the trust the customer has placed in the bartender. Bartenders who use unauthorized ingredients could potentially harm their customers and could face legal action if something goes wrong.
Mixing methods are also an important aspect of bartending. Bartenders must use the correct ratio of ingredients and ensure they are mixed properly. Using incorrect mixing methods could result in the wrong taste, or even a dangerous, overpowering cocktail. If a bartender mixes a drink incorrectly, the drink could be too strong, which could lead to a customer becoming sick or even endangering their life. Therefore, bartenders should be cautious and use only authorized methods to ensure the safety of their customers.
Drinking on the Job
Bartending can be a highly enjoyable profession, with fun and social opportunities aplenty. However, it is also important to remember that it is a job first and foremost – and with that comes certain responsibilities. One of the most critical of these is the importance of avoiding drinking on the job. While it may be tempting to indulge in free drinks or samples, doing so can have serious consequences for both your own safety and the safety of your customers.
Drinking while working can seriously impair your judgment, making it harder to keep track of orders, spot potential problems, or even communicate effectively with your patrons. It can also increase the likelihood of accidents, spills, or mistakes – and can lead to serious legal repercussions if you are caught breaking the law. Worse, drinking on the job can damage your reputation and undermine the trust of your customers – which can be a major blow to your long-term career prospects. To succeed in this industry, it’s critical to stay professional and prioritize your own safety and the safety of those around you.
Over Pouring or Ignoring Responsible Serving Practices
As a bartender, one of the worst things you can do is over pour or ignore responsible serving practices. Not only does this put your customers at risk, but it also puts your establishment in danger of facing legal consequences.
Over pouring, or giving customers more alcohol than they should have, can lead to over-intoxication and potentially dangerous situations. Not only is serving intoxicated customers against the law in most places, but it can also lead to accidents and incidents that can harm both the customers and your business’s reputation. Responsible serving practices such as monitoring how much alcohol a customer has had and cutting them off when necessary is not only the right thing to do, but it’s also the law. As a bartender, it’s important to remember that you have a responsibility to protect your customers and your establishment by following these practices at all times.
Providing Poor Customer Service
Providing poor customer service is one of the biggest mistakes that a bartender can make. Being a bartender means not only serving drinks but also providing a great experience to the customers. Poor customer service can leave a negative impact on the customers and can ruin the reputation of the bar and the bartender.
To provide good customer service, bartenders should always greet their customers with a smile and listen to their orders patiently. They should also be knowledgeable about the drinks they are serving and offer suggestions if needed. Additionally, bartenders should make the customers feel comfortable and appreciated by engaging in friendly conversations and thanking them for their patronage. By providing excellent customer service, bartenders can make their customers feel valued and keep them coming back for more.
Ignoring Basic Hygiene Practices
As a bartender, maintaining basic hygiene practices is a must. Neglecting personal cleanliness habits is a sure-shot way to lose patrons and damage the reputation of the establishment. Cleanliness can make a big difference in creating a comfortable and enjoyable environment for guests.
Ignoring basic hygiene practices like not washing hands, failure to use gloves while preparing food, hair not tied up, or unkempt nails can quickly spread germs and bacteria leading to cross-contamination, foodborne illnesses, and infections. All bartender tools should be sanitized after each use, and bar surfaces should be wiped clean regularly. Bar staff should wear clean uniforms every day and change them frequently if needed, to avoid sweat and body odor. To maintain a clean and healthy environment, it’s also essential to clean up any spills and garbage immediately. Being conscious of basic hygiene practices can go a long way in keeping patrons healthy and happy.
Reacting Poorly to Conflict or Difficult Customers
Bartender-customer interactions can be challenging at times, and it’s important for bartenders to remain calm and professional when dealing with difficult customers. Reacting poorly to conflict or difficult customers may result in losing customers and bad reviews, which can harm the reputation of the bar.
Bartenders should be trained to handle difficult situations with poise and to remain respectful towards customers, even when they are being unreasonable. They should listen to customers’ concerns and use effective communication strategies to resolve conflicts. Bartenders should always strive to maintain a positive and welcoming atmosphere in the bar, and even if they have to refuse service to a customer, it should be done in a tactful and professional manner. By doing so, bartenders can establish themselves as professionals and build long-lasting relationships with customers.
Final Thoughts
It is no secret that bartenders are an integral part of the hospitality industry, and while it may seem like a fun and glamorous job, it comes with its own set of responsibilities. Being a bartender is not just about serving drinks, but also ensuring the safety and well-being of customers. This includes being aware of what bartenders should not do, such as overserving, ignoring signs of intoxication, and behaving unprofessionally.
The list of what bartenders should not do goes beyond just these few examples. From not checking IDs to not maintaining cleanliness, the consequences of poor bartender behavior can be detrimental not only to the individuals involved, but to the business as a whole. It is important for bartenders to take their role seriously and embody the qualities of a responsible and professional bartender. By doing so, they can create a safe and enjoyable environment for both themselves and their customers.