Better Bartending 

WELCOMING – First impressions are the key. Try to make the welcome appropriate, warm and personal. A well-expressed welcome will put the customer at ease and is the initial foundation to how you will generate a rappour.

 

PERSONALITY –This is the single most crucial element that will continue to distinguish our team. You have been chosen because you offer character. Customers love personality and will continue to embrace a service with warmth and charm. Promote your positive personality on the bar at all times and leave any personal problems at home. Your personality is infectious and will compliment the ambience around you. It is you most powerful tool and it is what will make you a success within the individual restaurant company.

 

UNDERSTANDING – The ability to assess your guest will allow you to provide them with a highly personalised service. Use your initiative to promote positive service. For example, when a group arrives at the bar, pre-empt their next moves by offering seating if available, and coordinate drinks service with floor staff. This understanding will give your guests a feeling of genuine importance and is crucial to form long- term relationships with you guest and gain tips. Try to always remember guest’s names to make them feel extra special.

 

KNOWLEDGE- It is vital that you have a good knowledge and understanding of your job. This can be anything from how to create drinks to brand and product knowledge as well as Menu knowledge specific to the company. If you have good knowledge and understanding of what you are doing then your guests will feel confident and relaxed during their visit.

 

TIME MANAGEMENT- Time management is key with multi-serving. You can develop your multiservice skills by taking large orders and preparing all of your drinks at once. This will help you to learn to take two or more orders from guests at once and prepare the drinks as one order.

In order to develop this skill you need to get into the habit of firstly preparing your glassware. Making drink in the most efficient order in terms of preparation, time scale and making similar or the same drinks in one go.

 

For example -

A guest orders; 1 Guinness
1 Cosmopolitan

1 Gin and Tonic
1 Gin and Orange

 

• Get all glassware and chill martini glass

• Start pint of Guinness and leave to stand

• Prepare ingredients in Boston glass for the cosmopolitan

• Pour gin into glasses

• Ice up glasses and Boston glass

• Shake and pour cosmopolitan

• Add tonic and orange to the gin

• Top up the Guinness

• Serve all drinks together

 

SHOWMANSHIP- a bartender at work is on stage. How you present yourself, the way you speak, and even how you move are all attributes of showmanship. Your style behind the bar can create an impressive spectacle. Guests will be entertained by your conduct, how to produce your drinks and how much pride you take in your work.

 

CUSTOMER AWARENESS- This is being conscious of the physical moves of your customers at all times, enabling you to offer extra ordinary service, it is a bartender’s sixth sense. Being aware of your customers helps you manage your time and increases the fluency and quality of service.

 

FOLLOW UP- after sales service demonstrates the time, effort and care that you have taken in producing a guest’s drink. Simply enquiring to whether or not the drink has been well received will often exceed expectations. This helps to cement customer satisfaction and will further enhance your professionalism and relationship with the guest.

 

FAREWELL – A well-expressed farewell will serve to compliment and complete your guest’s experience. It will also highlight that their custom has been appreciated. Always leave a lasting impression and remember, “A happy customer = a happy tip jar!”