Service with a smile...

So what’s the next big trend going to be in the UK cocktail scene? A couple of years back it was ice, then bitters stole the show and recently we’ve had the double act of ‘speakeasy’ and molecular pushing their way to the front again, or at least using dry ice to add a bit of theatre in a basement bar if not full blown geeky molecular mixology and true speakeasies. So, what’s next folks? Well I for one hope the next big trend will be customer service…

Now before I start getting hate mail from the UK bartending fraternity, I know that there are lots of good bartenders who are dedicated to what they do, care about their profession and take pride in every shift they work. But hear me out (before you start putting together a letter bomb addressed to b&t HQ(; in my opinion our industry is too introverted and wrapped up with looking at itself and too often forgets what it’s all about… serving drinks to customers in a way that makes them a little happier than they were before they walked into your bar.

I think that the UK has an amazing cocktail culture that is constantly changing and developing and I realise that you don’t stay at the cutting edge by simply doing things the way they have always been done, but by innovating and pushing boundaries. I guess I just get fed up when I hear people talking about the amazing drinking experience in this new bar, or the innovative drinks at that new bar and, when I visit all I find is surly service and a cocktail spouting fog made by someone smug who thinks that they are very special and that I’m privileged just to be allowed into their bar to see them perform. OK I’ll stop ranting and get to the point. All the innovative drinks in the world don’t make up for poor service.

IT’S SIMPLE

Good service is not a complicated concept, but it does take a special sort of person behind the bar for it all to come together. You see being a bartender isn’t just about making a great drink, almost anyone can learn how to follow a recipe and get good liquid in a glass, that’s just one aspect of the job. The thing that sets a good bartender apart from an average one is a desire to make the customer happy. I’m not talking about being subservient and catering to a customers’ every whim, I’m talking about having a good time, putting smiles on faces and having a room full of people who are having a great experience.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to create amazing cocktails utilising exotic flavours and unusual combinations of ingredients, but if you don’t make the customer happy at the same time you’re missing the whole point.

There are some simple things that I look for in a drinking experience that set it apart from just having a drink. Let’s face it I’m paying a premium to have a cocktail in a good bar so it should be the whole experience I pay for not just the drink!

So what are these little things? Being greeted as I walk into the bar, the occasional smile or maybe even a bit of conversation with the bartender makes all the difference. There’s nothing worse than walking into a bar and being ignored. I feel that every customer should be treated as though they’ve been invited into your house for the first time; after all, the bartender is playing host to his or her customers. It sounds so basic, but it amazes me how often I see people walk into a bar in the UK only to be ignored until they can finally attract the attention of a bartender and ask for a menu.

I know it can often go the other way too, where a friendly bartender says hello only to be ignored by the customer; if I had a pound for every time I’ve heard a bartender ask a customer how they are only to have the customer look up and say “a beer and a glass of white wine”, I’d be a wealthy man. It doesn’t matter if the gesture of greeting is ignored though, because those customers who do hear it will feel welcomed into your bar and before they have their first drink, are already feeling good about their choice to visit your bar. As far as I’m concerned it’s the bartender’s duty to try to break down those barriers and start interacting with their customers.

A great bartender is a host, entertainer, professional and a showman all rolled into one. I guess our issue in the UK is that as a nation we are a little reserved and that leads to a couple of problems. Firstly it means that we don’t like to make a fuss, which leads to low expectations from a customer’s point of view; we want things done right, but won’t complain when they aren’t. This means that a bad bartender can usually get away with mediocre service without anyone ever mentioning it too him. I guess that’s the difference between the UK and the US, where people expect good friendly service and will damned well let you know if they feel they’re not getting it. This reservedness also shows in young bartenders who are afraid that by greeting customers they might be being too forward; don’t be afraid to say hi to your customers!

AND NOT SO SIMPLE TOO

Of course there’s more to it than simply saying hello to the customer. Once you have them sat at your bar, feeling warm and fuzzy from the greeting they have just received, you have to meet (or exceed) their expectations. After all, you’ve just welcomed them into your house! If you’re busy don’t be afraid to let them know that you just need to bang out a few drinks, and will be with them as soon as you can. Setting an expectation means they won’t be sat there slowly getting wound up that they haven’t ordered yet. A glass of water can go a long way too, as it puts a drink in their hands while they look through the menu. I’ve never been upset to wait for a drink if I’ve already been told it may take a while.

I’ve come to realise recently that people are fairly easy to please, generally speaking. Most are easily guided when it comes to drinks, so asking a few questions about their personal preferences and then confidently telling them what to expect from the drink will have them nodding and smiling in appreciation nine times out of ten. Asking if a customer has a preference as to the gin in their Aviation; if they have a sweet tooth or prefer sour drinks, are simple things will make them feel like the cocktail is being made to suit their personal taste. When you try the drink to check its balance, a smile and a knowing look will make them feel that the drink is just right. As I said before, in the UK we’re pretty reserved, so if you let the customer know that you’re happy with the drink you’ve just made, they’ll probably go along with that!

As for the drink itself… well it’s my drink in my glass so please for the love of god don’t put your fingers all over it. You’d be amazed at how often a drink is placed in front of me by a bartender who has taken great care to make it and garnish it beautifully, but then hands it over with their fingers all over the top of the glass! The first job I had waiting tables I was told that the customer owns the top third of the glass and I couldn’t touch it; this has always stuck with me. A little thought about how you present the drink to your customer shows that you care about it. You’ve done the difficult bit and made me feel welcome, guided me towards the perfect drink and made it just the way I want it, so don’t spoil it my leaving your fingerprints at the top of my glass!

It’s not an easy thing to play host to a room full of different personalities in varying states of inebriation. In fact it’s an art form, and it’s the bartender who has the chance to be a practitioner of this mysterious art, at the highest level. You’re not going to please every customer every time, but the important thing is that you try to. Take ownership of the bar when you’re behind it, this is your place and people are coming to you for a good time, so be the best of hosts. Being a bartender is a calling; hell it’s not likely to make you rich (unless you are very lucky) and the hours aren’t great, but if you enjoy that sensation of making people happy, then the rewards are there for you and they’re there for your customers too.

I guess what I’m saying in all of this is that if you act the part of a good host when you’re tending bar then I’ll forgive a few small mistakes. I’d rather sit at a bar drinking beer served by a friendly bartender than have the greatest flavour sensation in a cocktail served by someone who makes it clear they’d rather be doing anything other than serve me a drink. A smile, a small amount of attention to detail and caring what about your customer’s experience is all it takes to start down the road of becoming a great bartender. Of course it helps if you can balance a drink too!

* I’d like to thank Sean Ware from Callooh Callay for agreeing to act as the grumpy bartender for the sake of the photographs in this blog… Sean’s one of the good guys, honest!

Comments

by myles | February 11, 2011 - 12:03am

de-ja vou……..i was thinking

de-ja vou……..i was thinking of penning this rant……after we had spokn about it the other week!

by Daniel Priseman | February 11, 2011 - 12:08pm

could have been you...

Hey Myles, I almost asked you if you wanted to guest blog about it but needed to get a new update posted quickly!

by Sarah Mitchell | February 10, 2011 - 4:52pm

Nice one Dan. This isn’t

Nice one Dan. This isn’t saving lives (most of the time). Let the good times roll! Nice pic Sean!

by Tim F | February 9, 2011 - 1:40pm

Amen

Absolutely - I’d rather have an unfussy Manhattan from a friendly newbie bartender than some pretentious concoction from an arrogant idiot. If there’s one thing that’s guaranteed to make me never return to a bar - no matter how good the drinks - it’s being served by someone who looks at me like they just found me on the bottom of their shoe.

It’s not just a London thing, but the prevalence of snooty bartenders with a chip on their shoulder does seem greater down here. I just despise the attitude that customers should be somehow grateful for being served a drink from someone who looks like they may open a vein at any moment. NO - we are paying their wages and keeping their establishments open. It’s not our privilege to have them make our drinks, we are paying handsomely for a good drink and it’s their job to make them for us. Anyone who can’t accept that should get out of the industry.

One more thing - happiness and passion for the product are the most powerful tools at a bartender’s disposal - there’s nothing like infectious, happy-go-lucky enthusiasm to improve ambience at a bar, and at the end of the day that’s got to be good for business.

by Anonymous | February 9, 2011 - 11:56am

Couldn’t agree more Dan, very

Couldn’t agree more Dan, very well written. When I’m doing my training courses I spend the entire first day simply on this subject…. before they’re even allowed near the bar, a spec sheet or a boston shaker I expect them to be able to show a level of customer awareness and courtesy that goes beyond ‘have a nice day’. Happy to see an article that reflects this as there is a lack of this about sadly. My better half went to a bar in Liverpool last week for the first time and asked for a Tequila based espresso martini and was abruptly told “How many times do we have to tell you? We don’t do predictable drinks like that here”.
Predictably, she left and will probably never return.
Cheers and… have a nice day

by Drew | March 25, 2011 - 9:21pm

That last quote made me

That last quote made me so angry

bringing drinks to life