Heaven forbid this will ever happen to us, but it DOES happen, and when it does, we HAVE to be prepared with what to do next!
I want to do something a little different here.
I want to hear YOUR response to this question, and then I will post the best answers so we can all learn from each other.
It’s a question I get all of the time from bartenders everywhere, and it’s a great one!
What do you do when you don’t get tipped by your customer?
Whether you are working at a bar or a restaurant and you serve a customer who does not tip you, or you work an entire night for a private party and you don’t get tipped (or tipped poorly)…
WHAT DO YOU DO??
As bartenders, we survive and depend on our tips, so it really hurts us financially when we don’ get that tip we worked so hard for.
Recently, one of my bartenders did an event for me. The client who hosted the party was from a different country (I will not identify due to incorrect stereotyping for bad-tippers!).
Anyway, at the end of the night, the client walked up to my bartender, said thank you, HUGGED HER and gave her a $5.00 tip.
FIVE DOLLARS?!
My bartenders are used to making $100-$300 in a tip at the end of the night (and sometimes way more!!)
Needless to say, my bartender was devastated and confused. She thought she did an outstanding job, and the host loved her!
But I gave her tons of helpful advice that I use for those rare times when my tip is below par or non-existent. Advice that she truly took to heart that she believed was very helpful.
But I ask you, in your bartending or serving position, WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU DON’T GET THE TIP YOU DESERVE?
Please reply in the comments section of this BLOG. I will then compile the best answers along with what I have done in the past and will create a great article that everyone will get a FREE copy of!
Check out this video on the bacteria found on our lemon wedges. Will it make you think twice next time you order your Vodka Soda, or does this lady just have too much time on her hands?
Hey guys, great article written by guest author Jeremy Sherk, author of Bartending Secrets Exposed. Enjoy!!
Essential Glassware You Must Know As A Bartender
As a bartender, it’s essential to serve drinks in the correct glassware. The whole essence and experience of a drink is in the quality and style of the glass it’s served in.
Would a nice cognac really be the same in a highball glass as opposed to a snifter?
Would a glass of wine really be the same in a rocks glass?
Would that sexy cocktail really be the same in a pint glass as opposed to a frosty, chilled cocktail glass?
Glassware isn’t just designed for the look and feel of a drink either. There’s often a beneficial purpose behind the design. For example, the slim, tapered neck of a champagne flute is designed to prevent the bubbles in the champagne from escaping. Also, the wider bowl of a red wine glass is designed to let the wine breathe.
Now I’m not going to list every shape and style of glassware in the universe. I’m going to focus on basic, ESSENTIAL glassware you’ll be expected to use and be familiar with as a bartender. I want to help you succeed, not intimidate you with dozens of different glasses out there.
Remember also that good-quality, sparkling clean glasses make a huge difference to the customer. Drinking is a ritual and all aspects of the ritual should be perfect, so glassware is something you should take very seriously.
Ready? Let’s go.
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Shot Glass
1 – 2 oz.
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You’ll have more of these break on any given night than any other glass. The kind of people pounding shots back will naturally slam them down on the bar, which often chips and even shatters them.
The most common are 1 oz. or 2 oz. shot glasses. Shot glasses are used for any shot or shooter. From a flaming shot of Bacardi 151 to a layered B-52 shooter.
Shooters with juice in them, like a Broken Down Golf Cart, should go into a 2 oz. shot glass so that the customer gets their 1 oz. of booze in the shot.
Used as a measuring tool as well, shot glasses are a must have in every bar.
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Rocks Glass (Old Fashioned)
4 – 9 oz.
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Known as a rocks glass because it’s used to serve many drinks with ice in them. The rocks glass is used for serving any built, single cocktail on-the-rocks.
When you’d use this glass:
- if a customer asks for their drink “short”
- for a “scotch on the rocks”
- for a “vodka martini on the rocks”
- for a Black Russian
- for a Gin & Tonic
You get the idea.
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Highball Glass
8 – 12 oz.
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A “highball” is any drink that mixes alcohol and a mixer. i.e. vodka cranberry, rum & coke, gin & tonic, whiskey seven, etc. Thus, the highball glass was developed to accommodate these types of drinks.
While “highballs” can just as easily be mixed into a rocks glass, it all depends on what the policy is where you work, as well as the volume of the glass. I will use highballs for ‘doubles’ and rocks glasses for ’singles’. I’d rather give the customer a little less mixer on the ’single’ which is why I use a rocks glass in that situation.
Highballs are by far your most versatile glass.
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Cocktail/Martini Glass
4 – 6 oz.
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This glass has true presence. You can take a simple cocktail, like a screwdriver, and shake it with ice, pour it into a frosty cocktail glass, add a nice garnish and voila! You’ve got a very sexy cocktail!
Any martini must go into this glass unless requested otherwise. Only shaken drinks will go into this glass as well, you’ll never build a cocktail into this glass, that would be very low-class.
Also, because of its ‘V’ shape, having ice in this glass is very awkward because it will keep hitting your teeth when trying to drink the concoction. Never add ice to a cocktail in this glass, unless a customer requests it, which does happen occasionally.
Despite the often large size of the brandy snifter, don’t pour more than a couple of ounces of brandy into one. The short stemmed bowl design is meant to be cupped to allow you to use your hand to warm the brandy.
Also, the size of the snifter will greatly influence the strength of the aroma, and unless you warm your brandy you will likely prefer to have a snifter smaller than 16 ounces.
For some, there’s nothing better than a frothy, big headed mug of beer to satisfy one’s craving. Not every bar has mugs but your bar should have some type of glass designated for beer.
There are so many types and styles out there. In Belgium for example, each beer has it’s own signature glass!
Generally beer glasses are very thick and sturdy compared to other glasses.
The author of this article, Jeremy Sherk, is an expert, world-class bartender who has helped thousands of bartenders land their dream job and explode their level of cash tips.
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I have always wanted to do this but had absolutely no idea of how to put it all together! James, your system is by far the greatest system for a complete business I have ever seen. I made $600 on my first gig and booked another one from it. Thank you James. You really have not only helped me, but also changed my life for the better!"
Thanks for everything. Your program is really amazing! I have been a bartender for 12 years, I love it. I have worked in some real cool bars in Atlantic City, now I live in FL and work in a cool bar. I am a bartender period. Anyhow enough about how awesome I am.
I am almost done building my own portable bar from barplan.com. Also Elance was great I had my logo design done by someone on elance. Thanks again James!!
Heaven forbid this will ever happen to us, but it DOES happen, and when it does, we HAVE to be prepared with what to do next!
Anyway, at the end of the night, the client walked up to my bartender, said thank you, HUGGED HER and gave her a $5.00 tip.
