As you may know, I’ve been a Bartender for some 20 years now…
I have dedicated my life to it. A few weeks ago, I read somewhere that the industry average is just 30 months…2 and a half years!! Wow. But do you know what, I get it. I do. There’s a massive combination of factors contribute to people jacking it in after such a short period of time. The biggest one, being the unsociable hours and that can put a huge strain on family life.
The other excuse I hear quite often, is money. Well yeah, being an employee will never make you a millionaire. But the same can be said for a whole host of other careers. So I won’t take that one.
My theory is that it actually takes a rare breed to make it behind the stick. Whenever I have to fill in a form to say which sector I personally fall in, I always put Skilled. (There is never a perfect fit for Catering). This gets greeted with all kinds of laughs and derogatory comments. Even this weekend, on 2 separate occasions I was on the receiving end of “So what do you do through the week?” As in, a Bartender is just a part time weekend gig! This used to rile me up, but now I just laugh at them. The way I look at it, I can retrain to do what you’re doing…but to do what I’m doing, yeah 97% of you just couldn’t cut it.
So below are my 7 Big Tips for being an Awesome Bartender and making a career out of it…and getting paid pretty well for it!
1 – Personality
This is vital to being successful. If you don’t smile. If you huff and puff at 10:55pm when a group of 7 come in. If you don’t engage with the customer. If you just suck the life out of the customer when all they want to see is a smile and a friendly face. Then you might as well jack it in now.
Enjoy what you do. Take pride in what you do. Put guests needs before your own. You can’t learn this. Either you have a personality, or you don’t. This is the biggest crucial factor in a Bartending Career.
2 – Looking the Part
No one wants a scruffy Bartender. Good grooming is essential. Doesn’t matter what your look is, but you need to have ‘a look’. Mine now has developed into my Brand. I’m known for my collection of colourful shirts. Not quite Hawaiian, but loud none the less.
Other essentials are washing your hair, having a shave unless your look is the beard…there is a difference between unshaven and rugged though. Washing your hands and cut your nails! And a decent aftershave. No one wants to be served by a sweaty, smelly mess with dirty finger nails.
3 – A Great Memory
This is something you can learn. It can develop over time, however speaking to a lot of the old timers, its something we’ve always been good at, right from the early days. The pros, can serve 2 different rounds at the same time. We can spot the regular guest and make their drink while serving someone else so they feel special. But also, more importantly know the prices so you don’t spend 5 minutes at the till. Think about want your customers want; swift, friendly service!
4 – Good Knowledge
A customer comes up to the Bar and asks; “What’s that? What does that taste like? What would you mix that with?” You can go from hero to zero in seconds if you fluff your lines here. Know your products. Have suggestions for new drinks. And know what you stock! The amount of Bartenders I meet, that haven’t got the foggiest what they actually stock. Also keep up to date with trade websites and reading magazines, always be keen to learn.
5 – Speed
It takes 5 minutes to pour a Gin and Tonic, a Pint and “sorry, what was the last drink?!” Seriously…A Bartenders sole remit is to make the guest feel happy and comfortable and give them a drink as quick as you can! Develop methods and routines. If a customer is trying to find that elusive £20 note to pay for their drink, instead of being all huffy, turn to the next person and get their order. Instead of waiting for another a Bartender to finish with the Peroni Tap, go off and make the Vodka & Tonic. Speed is king.
6 – Good Mental Arithmetic
So, its a busy shift what if the boss says you must ring everything through the till. You’ve got 3 bartenders fighting over one till! What are you gonna do?! Simple, do your maths. Know your prices add it up in your head. As long as the money goes in the till, who cares if it goes in then, or 5 minutes later. Again your first priority is the customer, not making sure that Long Island Iced Tea gets logged at 9:37pm.
7 – Being Unique
If you truly want a career in Bartending, you need to bring something else to the party. You need to find your identity and what makes you tick. Mines always been about the party and about the fun. Now I’ve added to that with my shirts. You obviously need the skills otherwise you’re going nowhere, but having that uniqueness, it just sets you apart.
Steve the Barman owns and runs Thirst First Ltd, a Mobile Cocktail Bar company that provides the WOW effect for your events. If you have an event coming up, Business or Pleasure, give us a shout and we’ll do our damnedest to help out. Check out; thirstfirst.co.uk
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