When you begin bartending, it isn’t always easy and may feel overwhelming depending on the day or night. These four tips to help beginning bartenders do a great job will help you adjust faster to making and serving drinks.
Keep Your Hands Busy
Even when it feels like no one is coming to the bar and ordering a drink, there is always something to do. You can wipe down surfaces, cut fruit for drinks, and reorganize the cups.
You could also ask if customers need anything else as they sit at the bar and enjoy their drinks, which builds a good relationship with them and increases your chance of getting a tip.
Rely on Your Fellow Bartenders
It may feel like there are a million things to do when you start bartending, and it’s all on you to do them. But you have others around you that are willing to help and most likely have more experience that will make the work easier.
You are a part of a team that shares the task of serving customers. Rely on your fellow teammates to help you do a great job when you begin bartending because they’ve been in your shoes and know how to best help you.
Don’t Be Afraid To Use Technology to Your Advantage
Technology will come in handy when you need to quickly make customers’ orders. There may be times when you receive an uncommon order, and you need the recipe for how to mix it. You can look up the correct mixture on your phone instead of asking the other bartenders, who may themselves not know.
Additionally, take advantage of your bar’s POS System, as a POS system will help prevent bartender burnout by having software that makes closing out and opening a tab easy. Get familiar with the software so you can use it to streamline your service.
Try To Be Social but Keep Conversations Brief
When you start bartending, you’ll enhance your social skills and develop customer rapport. Taking a moment to socialize with people who frequent the bar will help you develop relationships and make better tips.
However, try to keep the conversation quick and light, as you will have more customers to attend to, and people won’t like waiting on service. Inquiring about the customer’s day and plans for the night will make a short conversation and a decent connection.
The duties of a bartender involve a lot of multitasking and memorization. These tips will help you get through your first weeks and ensure you do a great job, so you won’t have trouble tending the bar.
