Let me start this piece by engaging your life experiences on some of the things you’ve witnessed regarding a booming bar business that is suddenly crippled by the activities of cunning bartenders.
For the sake of making an extra profit at work, many bartenders fail to remember that operating with an honest approach towards customers would even attract financial tips from persons who have enjoyed the services.
Today, my observations across various relaxation spots have revealed that most, I repeat, most bartenders indulge in some dubious acts when carrying out transactions with customers.
Bartenders Crippling Bar Business
On this part, I would attempt to portray some of the ways bartenders can destabilise a bar business through actual experiences. A key observation shows that most of them are ignorant of the consequences of their action and their resultant effect on the enterprise.
I recently was at an open bar where they also sell other consumables aside from alcoholic drinks. Of course, the place packed with fun-seekers simply wining and dining during the weekend. Suddenly, something embarrassing occurred when a bar attendant attempted to double the price of a delicacy ordered by a regular patron.
This bartender was new and had no idea that the buyer had been visiting the spot for years. While the special delicacy order originally is sold at N1000, the bartender decided to raise the price to N1,500, with the mindset that the customer was clueless.
The next thing that occurred was a dramatic outburst from the customer, who repeatedly yelled at the top of his voice, calling on the management to get rid of the staff before he resorts to physical abuse.
It took the intervention of the bar owner and other onlookers to restore calm from the raging buyer. Later that day, the bartender was suspended in order to reflect on his actions, particularly that which concerns the embarrassment brought upon the owner and his business.
The implication of that singular act may involve other buyers at the bar refraining from ever returning to spend their hard-earned money, time, and resources, which translates to revenue loss on the part of the management.
Another irritating trick some of these ungrateful bartenders play is the complaints of never having change after receiving money from the customer.
While this reason might seem genuine, there are instances where a barkeeper will choose to frustrate consumers, all for the sake of deploying a psychological trick to appeal to the philanthropic side of the buyer to dash out the remaining change.
The reality obtainable from this kind of scenario is most customers would never want to return to a place where getting their change is always a problem.
Again, the establishment loses clients and patronage, which is further interpreted on their record as a heavy loss of income.
Bartenders should be mindful of the nature in which they deal with various customers who might be impatient, demanding, short-tempered, relentless, flirty, among other temperaments.
A major turnoff for most people who go surfing different locations for fun and excitement is where there’s an incident of a stolen or misplaced item.
In the past, I have encountered a situation where a bartender was accused of finding and keeping a lost item, with no intention of reporting it to the hotel management.
The item, which is a wallet, was later discovered without most of its contents, as a fellow staff witnessed the accused removing the valuables and throwing the wallet into the bush.
A few hours later, the owner and his friends, who earlier spent time at the bar, returned to lay complaints about their missing wallet.
Everybody present denied knowing the wallet’s whereabouts, including the bartender that stole the items and ditched the wallet.
Lucky for the owner, the bar attendant that saw the entire illicit act by his colleague pointed the management to the spot where the suspect dumped the wallet. The manager immediately took drastic measures by firing his staff for the crime and apologising to the customers for his conduct.
There’s no gainsaying the action of the hotel’s staff would tarnish the image of the place and negatively influence the decisions of other customers, which would also affect the business and revenue generated.
On that note, the recommendable step to employ in tackling incidences of irregularities from bartenders is for the establishment’s management to endeavour to groom their staff before sending them out to attend to customers and clients.
