This is an article about misconceptions and other misguided allegations about bartenders. Or most of us. As well as certain things done that are offensive or can help you. I say this because I've been doing it my entire adult life and really the only career I know.
To start not all bartenders drink. Some for different than others and yes there are that do but most will not at work. We appreciate the gesture of offering to buy a drink but most of the time we just want the $ instead. Asking for a free drink or assuming you get one is very offensive. Just cause it's free for you doesn't mean it is for us. 90% of the time we pay for it. If we are offering to buy it it's because we genuinely enjoy your company. Which believe me enjoying someone drinking at the bar you work at happens far less than you would think. If we ask you to have a glass of water it is out of the kindness out of our hearts. It's our way of being polite and saying you've had a little to much. You need to slow down. But when we do so we aren't really asking either. Were really basically saying you've had to much you need to drink some water or leave. I'm not serving you another drink right now. Also we can't control when your song gets played on the jukebox. We have no control over that. It plays each song in the order it was played unless someone is on the app just paying extra money to play before others. Don't insist your a good tipper and not tip first round. You just look like an idiot and piss us off. Don't threaten our tips. That is one way to get bad service. We don't get paid much and here in Texas often less than half of minimum wage. We live off those top so not topping and threatening them just go to another establishment. With that being said giving a nice tip in the beginning will ensure you get great service. Asking for a water on your own is probably one of the best things you can do. It shows your responsible. And yes we do get into trouble with the police if you do. Alot of us take alot of pride in our work. So if you can give us a liquor preference or an idea of what you drink. We enjoy being asked for ourselves to choose. But if you don't do that we don't know what you drink and if we are busy we just don't have time. So it can be an annoying question as well. Due to the fact that it's our job to be at a bar. Most of us don't particularly like spending our free time in them.
Well that will conclude may tips and pointers on bartending for now. Look for part 2 soon.
