Increase Your Bartending Tips – Clean Bar Surface
Wiping your bar? This might seem like a small thing to us bartenders as there is so much more on our minds as we pound through the neverending line of customers throughout the night. But as a customer in a nightclub have you ever put your arm on the bar while ordering a drink and as a result gotten your sleeve soaked in a residue of sticky, colorful alcohol that has been spilled on the bar troughout the night? Or worse has your shirt stuck to the surface? If you have experienced it, you know it is not very pleasant. It is one of the easiest ways for a bartender to piss off their customers without doing or saying anything. Many bartenders wipe their bar only a handful of times throughout the night. And of those who do, many bartenders use the same sticky disgusting rag for the whole evening - this only compounds the problem. Once a customer has soaked their sleeve or purse on your bar, it is going to be much more difficult to get a decent tip. Here are a few pointers to help keep your bar clean:
1. Keep a stack of clean folded rags in an easily accessible place
2. Keep the one you’re using in the same spot so that you always know where it is
3. After serving one customer, begin wiping down the surface. Make eye contact with the approaching person so that they can see you’re wiping the bar for them.
4. Keep the bartop “stick free” and dry. As soon as your rag is wet, toss it (If possible, have a porter continually pick up the pile of used rags) and bring you clean ones
5. Make sure you do it for every customer!
You will notice 2 things start to happen. People will first be impressed as you make eye contact and wipe the bar for them as if to say “I’m doing this just for you.” Then when they lean on your bar and don’t stick or get their arm wet, they will take notice and tip you much more. This is a highly effective tactic that often gets overlooked by bartenders who are only concerned about their sales totals.
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Absolutely! Sticky bars are a huge pet peeve. I’m an obsessive counter-wiper. Bartenders should always be cleaning things, especially while chatting up guests, it’s part of the role. Think of Isaac on “Love Boat.”
Another thing guest appreciate… always a fresh cocktail napkin with each new beverage. Throw it down with a little flair.
Yes this is HUGE for me–it’s so nasty when the bar is sticky. Last week i went to my favorite bar and not only was the bar sticky but there were two half chewed cherry stems in front of me..i called over my-usually attentive-bartender and gave him the business. Let me tell you—he didn’t get a fat tip that night. I think us ladies are particularly sensitive to this issue. Sometimes I want to hit these guys over the head! It’s not rocket science that ladies like to be fussed over and how easy is it to wipe off the bar before you serve me??? VERY EASY!