40 Bartenders Share The Worst Things Customers Do

While every bar is different, bartenders generally have to deal with customers who they are making drunk. Simultaneously, again, depending on the venue, they will also have to do the highly skilled work of mixing cocktails which involves precise techniques, measurement, and knowledge. Add in customer demands, managing payments, and working on one’s feet for hours and it becomes clear that it’s no easy job. 

Setting aside the economics of tipping culture, the US Department of Labor believes that around 55% of a bartender's income is customer tips. In a perfect world, businesses would just pay their labor force and not outsource it to the kind or not-so-kind hearts of customers, but a dream of a perfect world doesn’t pay anyone’s bills. So consider typing your regular bartender. Plus, it can’t hurt to be on the good side of a person who is literally mixing your beverages.

While the advantage of a good bartender is that they can mix and match your drink to make something unique to suit your tastes, it’s probably best to stick to the menu. Imagine needing to improvise on a busy workday, with multiple patrons, some drunk. all clamoring to order something. Then you need to figure out how much to charge for this new item, and how to garnish it. Even worse, if the customer likes it, this opens the gate for more complicated, personalized recipes that one has to make. Might as well keep that door shut.

We wanted to know what bothered the experts the most, so we asked both Bad Birdy and Bob Peters what things patrons do that annoy them the most. "The number one thing that upsets me is when a guest will stick their fingers into the garnishes and start eating them and contaminate everything with their grimy hands. Not only is it nasty and results in us throwing everything away but, it slows the entire team down while we stop and replenish everything."

"Another frustration would be the person that comes to the bar and has no idea what they want so they ask "Make me something you think I would like." If you want to make a bartender's skin crawl, ask them this. In all seriousness though, we need something to go off of to help us create something for you. Give us a spirit option, a flavor profile, refreshing, bold, sour, or anything. Help your bartender help you," Bad Birdy told us.

Bill Peters shared his main pet peeves: "The number one thing that makes my job challenging at times is when guests are impatient as well as unprepared. For instance, if the bar is busy and folks are waiting a little longer than usual, sometimes folks become impatient and start to become rude. (Rudeness is never necessary.)Then to top it off, the guests have no idea what they want to order when the bartender approaches them to take the order. Not being prepared to order compounds how busy the bartenders are at that moment."

Having to work on one’s feet for hours is also not the most enjoyable situation. Yes, it has health benefits and in the long run, standing workers tend to be healthier than people who sit around all day. Be sure to mention that to anyone who has to work on their feet all day, I’m sure it will go over well. Another hazard is being around drunk people. While most places will take some precautions to keep unruly customers in line, being completely sober around inebriated people is desperately unfun. You have to put up with weird requests, slurred speech, and unpredictable behavior. 

The physical location of some bars can exacerbate these problems even more, for example, imagine bartending from a moving tram. This is not some sort of fever dream, it’s a real service in Helsinki, Finland. The SpåraKoff is a converted, retro tram that moves around the city and serves beer, a small selection of cocktails, and even wine. While this sounds like a great time for a passenger, it could be somewhat disconcerting to be zooming around the city while drunk. And let’s not forget the hardworking bartenders who have to stand at the back of a moving tram just to give you your drinks.

While it’s obviously a business, since as far as I know, no charity bars yet exist, the need to take the patron's payments is also a pressure on the bartender. Keeping track of a tab, tips, and explaining the costs and prices are something they need to do hour after hour. Add in the constant chatter, music, and drunken demands, it’s a miracle people don’t just go crazy. Let’s face it, inebriated people are not always the most understanding, particularly when they themselves no longer remember all the things they ordered and are becoming hostile to the idea of paying for the double they themselves demanded. 

Bad Birdy parted with this suggestion for most patrons: "Please don't ask your bartender to top off your drink, you are basically asking us to steal. Every drink is properly measured for a reason and what gives you the idea we want to lose our job for your extra 1/2 ounce, know what you want to order before we get to you. And Be kind and always tip your hospitality workers, you never know how much you can impact someone's day and life by your gesture." Bill added his own thoughts: "The best thing a patron can do on a busy night is simply to be ready with your order and your payment. It is that easy. A little kindness goes a long way. We should all be a little kinder to everyone we encounter every day. We never know what the guest or bar staff has gone through that day. Kindness doesn’t cost a thing."