Last month, I decided to invest in my future career. I signed up for bartending class. Five weeks and much hesitation later, I received my bartending certification (still awaiting TAM certification). This required a test on Techniques of Alcohol Management, a written test on how to make tdrinks, different brands of liquor, etc, and a speed test. I passed all with flying colors, of course!
Three weeks after completing the course, I still haven't really started looking for a bartending job - because I already have one (sort of). Well, I work with other bartenders and have been falling far behind in accumulation of tips. Which, as everyone knows, is the reason to bartend. If one doesn't do the work for the flexible hours, the contact with people, or the opportunity to flirt, etc.
Which brings me to the point of this post. I sagely asked one of the more experienced (read 10 years +) bartenders for some advice on increasing the amount of tips I make in an evening.
Boiled down, the short answer is: Flirt.
Well. That's easy for some, I suppose. I, however, was not born with a gift for flirtation. Don't get me wrong, I can, and do, and I enjoy it ... it just doesn't always naturally occur to me to do so. Especially if I'm trying to remember how to make a drink, or putting an order on the computer at the same time. My "concentration" face does not include a smile. So you can bet I'll be practicing tonight at my second shift as a real bartender with a full bar. I have a couple new tips up my sleeve, and we'll see how they work out.
Three weeks after completing the course, I still haven't really started looking for a bartending job - because I already have one (sort of). Well, I work with other bartenders and have been falling far behind in accumulation of tips. Which, as everyone knows, is the reason to bartend. If one doesn't do the work for the flexible hours, the contact with people, or the opportunity to flirt, etc.
Which brings me to the point of this post. I sagely asked one of the more experienced (read 10 years +) bartenders for some advice on increasing the amount of tips I make in an evening.
Boiled down, the short answer is: Flirt.
Well. That's easy for some, I suppose. I, however, was not born with a gift for flirtation. Don't get me wrong, I can, and do, and I enjoy it ... it just doesn't always naturally occur to me to do so. Especially if I'm trying to remember how to make a drink, or putting an order on the computer at the same time. My "concentration" face does not include a smile. So you can bet I'll be practicing tonight at my second shift as a real bartender with a full bar. I have a couple new tips up my sleeve, and we'll see how they work out.
So, how did it work out? Are you making more money my dear?
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