If you need a job that brings in some quick cash on a weekly basis, bartending is a great choice. But there are some downsides to being a bartender that can make loving every second of your job nearly impossible. After all, it is not every job that the majority of people you have to deal with are consuming copious amounts of alcohol and, therefore, making clear, concise communication rather difficult.
While not all nights are bad, there are a number of things that most bartenders, or anyone who has worked in the hospitality industry for that matter, can relate to. If you don't bartend, it will probably be useful for you to keep these things in mind, so you know how to NOT behave if you want to get on the staff's good side next time you are out on the weekend.
Below are some of the worst things about bartending. Which do you hate the most?
http://www.ranker.com/list/worst-things-about-bartending/casey-cavanagh, jobs, careers, other, thought provoking,
Working Weekends
If you want to get the good shifts that will make you the most money, you have to be willing to kiss your social life goodbye.
Friends Expecting Free Drinks
Of course it's okay to slip them a beer here and there. But for them to expect you to do it on a regular basis is pretty unfair. Your boss wasn't born yesterday. And, even if he or she was oblivious to your generous ways, you're there to make money!
Dealing with Incoherent People
No matter what your profession is, you are bound to deal with an unhappy customer from time to time. It is just a part of life. But these unhappy customers are a lot harder to deal with when they are eight drinks deep.
Closing at Insanely Late/Early Hours
Closing the bar wouldn't be so bad if you got to leave right when you closed. But that is rarely the case. Once everyone is out of the bar, you need to deal with cleaning everything and making sure everything is perfectly in place for the bartender who is opening the next day.
People Ordering Complicated Drinks
It can be fun to learn how to make new concoctions. But NOT when it is a Saturday night and the bar is at its busiest.
Trying to Get Shift Covered
You may not ask or need a lot of time off. But the times you do, like New Years Eve, it is brutal trying to get someone to cover your shift for you.
Splitting Tips
Why should you have to split the night's tips 50/50 with the other bartender when you are the one who did the majority of the work?
People Thinking You Are Skipping Them
Experienced bartenders typically know what they are doing; they have the system down pat. If you think they are skipping you on purpose, you are probably wrong. That, or you did something to make them mad.
Having to Clean the Bar
The only thing worse than having to clean an establishment that isn't yours is having to clean an establishment that 100 drunk people just destroyed. If bartending teaches you anything, it is that drunk people can be absolute animals.
People Forgetting to Close Out Their Tabs
Most bars have a policy that if you forget your debit card behind, they have the right to automatically close it for you and apply a 20% tip to the bartender. But while forgetting your debit card is more inconvenient for the customer, the bartender is the one who has to stop what they are doing during their shift the next day when you come in, hungover, asking if you left your card there.