Bartending 101: Leave your problems at home

November 9, 9:57 AMDallas Bartender ExaminerRobert Stahl

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 A good bartender leaves his problems at home

Another great inside tip for any bartender, or for anyone in any profession for that matter, is to leave your problems at home. No one wants to deal with a grumpy or sour bartender. A good bartender should always come to work with a positive attitude.

I know keeping a positive attitude while bartending can be tough. Bartending is one of those jobs where people are going to bring you their problems day after day. It’s just part of it.   True, not everyone does this; but the lion's share of people do. After listening to your fair share of woeful stories, you may be tempted to share some of your own. Don’t do it. Your customers are allowed to complain about their lives to you. You, on the other hand, are not.

Whether you like it or not, good bartending is like a performance. When you walk into that bar, all eyes are upon you. In essence, you’re on stage. You control the mood and the energy in the bar. You should be a beacon of light to those around you. Do this, and people will be drawn to you because of it. You’ll draw a bigger crowd than that sourpuss bartender down the street, and you’ll certainly make more money than him.

I find it pretty easy to clear my head before I get to work. I’ll just listen to some good music while in traffic and that usually does the trick. However, on some days it’s a little more challenging. On these days I’ll use the following visualization exercise to get myself together. First, I imagine all of my problems as little voices just chattering away. Then I visualize a series of boxes dropping out of the sky and closing over the voices, muffling each one of them. Do this one after another until the chattering is gone and your mind is clear. Heck, take a few extra minutes in the car to get yourself together, but walk into work with a smile on your face.

Come up with your own ritual to get you in a good mood before you go to work. If you leave your problems at home, you’ll find your relationships at work improve and you’ll draw bigger crowds. You’ll make more money, and you’ll be a better bartender.

For more info: Robert works most weekday afternoons at Alexandre's, 4026 Cedar Springs Road.  214.559.0721

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