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After a rather interesting evening at work, I decided to write a blog about things I have noticed about it. I work at a pub on the outskirts of Newark (I'm not sure if I'm actually allowed to say their name) part time to earn a bit more money, and I have worked there for roughly a year, and in that year I have noticed certain trends......
1) Regulars think they automatically skip to the front of any queue
At the pub I work there are, roughly speaking, about 40 people who come in on a regular basis, some are a few times a week, others virtually every day, however, a LOT of them seem to think that just because they are regulars that they will get served before everyone else.
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| Some regulars think that the queue doesn't apply to them, especially at busy times |
One particular example comes when one regular, who comes in a few times a week, saw a long queue at the bar and went at stood at a side bit. He then loudly shouted "I'll have three Carlings please, Kate." My subsequent response was "Yes, I will get those for you once I have served all of those who were here before you." He was not pleased but those who had been waiting were.
It happens a lot, especially those that actually just stand at the bar during the whole time that they are there.
2) People will ignore the recognised "food till" when they see a queue and try and get served for it at another.
At the pub I work at there are five tills, with tills four and five being generally designated as the tills to order food at, however, when people see a queue they tend to go to any of the other tills to order their food. Now, all tills have the same capabilities and most customers know this, and when there isn't a queue at the food till I will gladly serve the customers at whatever till I happen to be at, however, if there is a queue I will tell them that they need to go and order their food at tills 4 and 5.
Occasionally people will moan and my simple response is that there were people who were patiently in the queue for food and that they had waited, so why shouldn't the customer in question?
3) People think that standing directly in front of you whilst you're pouring a drink means that they are automatically put at the front of the queue.
I'm not sure whether this is simply because they are standing in a random place that happens to be where I am stood, or whether it is them trying a psychological thing and seeing if I will think that they are next because they are my line of sight.....it doesn't work with me.
I have a good memory and will almost certainly remember the order in which people arrived at a bar, so simply standing right in front of me to try and get ahead of the rest of the queue will not work, and this is what lead me to write this blog.
Tonight I had a customer wanting to make a complaint about me for "ignoring him". I simply said something along the lines of "Unfortunately sir, when you came to the bar you were actually fifth in line for being served, and I am serving people in the order that they arrived. When you came to the bar you stood right next to where I was pouring a drink, however, standing directly in front of me doesn't automatically make you next." He subsequently walked out.
4) You will ask "who's next?" and the person who is next won't say, but will then complain when you don't serve them first.
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| So, you don't say anything when I ask who is next and then complain that I didn't serve you first? |
One such incident came when several months ago when whoever I was on bar with had decided to disappear whilst I was cleaning glasses. Whilst this was happening a large queue built up and I walked around the corner to it. I simply asked "who was next" and they all looked at each other before one woman said it was her. After I had served her one of the other customers said "she had only just arrived at the bar, I had been waiting for ages," to which my simply response was "well why didn't you say anything when I asked who was next?" She stood there looking dumbfounded.
5) People just don't listen
The amount of times I have to repeat myself to people who simply aren't listening is ridiculous. or even just the times when the customer has simply ignored what I have said.
For example, if I am taking a food order and they come up with something complicated that requires a message to the kitchen, you have to type it manually, so I will basically say something along the lines of "ok, if you bare with me a moment whilst I type that in,".......and then they just start talking again. Did you not just listen to what I said? I know I can type of 81 words a minute but give me a bloody chance. I have quite clearly just told you that I need to type it in, that isn't a cue for you to simply continue with the rest of your order.
"Do you want ice with that?"....."What do you mean?".......to which I really want to reply "question too hard?" in a really sarcastic voice.
6) People think you're a magician
| What some customers think you are. |
7) People think you have personally drank and eaten everything that your bar offers
The amount of time I get asked by someone "what's the ....... like?" and I have to say "I don't know, I've never tried it," is ridiculous. I don't know why people think you have personally tried everything.
One couple recently asked me if I thought the lamb steaks were tasty and my simple response was, and I quote, "I hate lamb so I would have to say no,".....they still ordered it anyway.
8) People think that because you work behind a bar, you drink yourself
Now, I appreciate that this is an easy thing to think of someone as the majority of people in the country do drink alcohol, but I am not one of them, nor will I ever be, and yet people act as though you'd just shot someone.
So there you go, that's 8 things I have noticed working behind a bar, there are probably far more but I can't think of anymore at the moment. Don't get me wrong, this wasn't a rant about the pub I work at, or indeed most of the customers, but I was just in the mood to share some thoughts.
So until next time, peace out.
Kate
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