11/8/09

you're not getting an apology from me

I have to get this off my chest asap or it's going to bug me all day.

I had the worst two customers last night. You know, the kind that think that because I'm serving them drinks they can talk to me however they want to. And when they get a few drinks in them they think they can berate me.

So we'll bypass to about twelve am when the bar is busy and I'm trying to serve drinks to as many people as possible without my head exploding in the process. I grab a guy his beers and his friend is like I want five piece of ass shots. Now, I did not ASK her if she wanted anything she just sorta yelled it at me while I was helping her friend. I was polite enough to acknowledge her by telling her I wasn't sure how to make that shot because nobody has ordered it from me before.

Now as I am giving his change and walking away I can hear her sort of yell out liquors to me. And I knew the bartender who was serving that side of the bar (he was getting credit cards so I was trying to help a few people on his side while he was gone) knew how to make the shot. So I just let him get to her.

Anyway I keep serving my side and about a half hour later I go to the credit card machine and my manager is sitting there. He says "you have to work on your customer service skills." And I thought he was joking because he is new to managing so he tries to joke around with people and pretend to be the tough guy. So I ask him what he is talking about and he says "some girl just pulled me aside for like ten minutes and was demanding an apology from you. I told her no way was I going to make one of my bartenders apologize for not making her shots. But this was your reprimand. So just go with it."

I can NOT believe that she made such a huge deal about it. Everyone knew too because at the end of the night one of the bartenders asked who was demanded an apology from.. and I meekly said "me." Everyone's consensus was she was a huge bitch and that she was out of line. Apparently when the other bartender tried to serve her she asked for the manager and he pointed him out. She then yelled about me to the manager for about five minutes demanding an apology... obviously the manager wasn't going to ask me to apologize.

I mean first of all, I choose who I serve.. that's my one right as bartender and I'm going to keep it. And also I never asked her what she wanted and if had to serve everyone who was yelling drinks orders at me.. well I wouldn't have enough arms. I could see the manager getting concerned if I threw someone's drinks on them, or refused to give someone change.. but seriously because I bypassed you and made someone else drinks, you are going to bitch. GET A LIFE.

I've thought long and hard about this and if I was asked to apologize I would have said this:

I'm sorry that I didn't know how to make your shot and that I was letting the bartender who did, make it for you. I'm also sorry that it is your time of the month and you are so overly emotional. I'm sorry too that you got so drunk that you thought this was a big deal. But mostly I'm sorry you're such a bitch.

I hope she comes asking for that apology.

My other asshole customer came at the end of the night. Well, I served him at about 12:40. Him and his friend asked for vodka tonics.. which I swear I made right because most of the drinks I make I just grab and pour without thinking twice.. like it's second nature.. but vodka tonics always mess me up a bit because I automatically want to grab the gin. Anyway, my point is I was aware of the drink making process. I brought them their drinks.. they drank them.. and now we're at the end of the night when the lights are on and people are leaving.

I'm helping some guy close his credit card tab and I get this guy come up and I say "do you need to close your credit card too?" I wish I wouldn't have acknowledged him at all.. looking back. He says "I just wanted to let you know that you made our drinks with 7up instead of tonic and you need to pay attention more when you do your job because it's not that hard to pour the right drinks." I'm thinking: Asshole. And apparently that thought is written on my face because before I can even respond he says "NO! Don't look at me like that, you messed up and I think that you need to learn how to make drinks right." So I say "Maybe next time you complain about a drink I make you should tell me before you drink half of it so I can correct the mistake."

What I wanted to say was: You're a prick. I hope that you're not such an asshole when you're sober because if you are then you are going to live a very lonely, angry life.

What I wanted to do was take that drink from him and tell him if he didn't like it he didn't have to drink it and then throw it away. But I was too tired to care. Then when I walk back my manager says "Didn't feel like trying tonight?" As he's closing my register totals (see told you he totally picks on people- and I didn't slack I did pretty well). Which set me off.. and I almost lost it before I thought about how unimportant these people are in the grand scheme of my life.

What a saturday night.. glad I have a mini vaca starting today

3 comments:

purplegirl said...

Customers giving you shit is one thing--everybody knows they're just assholes. But that crack from the manager? Blows me away. How do people with no sense of professionalism or people skills get to be managers?

Sorry you had a rough night, at least now you can enjoy your time off!

BB said...

Well thank you and I am enjoying my vacation!

And yes sadly our management team are just bartenders that have gotten moved up along the way. There has been one girl in the time I've worked there and the rest are male. They aren't people with experience .. so they don't really have the skills to be managers.. just right place right time kinda thing.

Anonymous said...

bartenders are losers