Emma Witman
The author, Emma Witman, is a bartender in Asheville, North Carolina.
- $4 like me are under a lot of stress every night.
- Our job gets even harder when we have to process foolish or uninformed statements and requests from customers.
- Here are 11 things you should never say to your bartender if you want to stay on their good side.
- $4
Being a $4 is like navigating a nightly mental health minefield.
There's the obvious stress that comes with preparing drinks under time pressure for a never-ending stream of customers.
But every night, we also process an untold number of idiotic statements and requests that $4, even though we politely nod in response to the customers who make them.
I wish I could blame the bad banter on people overdrinking, but frankly, a lot of the weird things that come out of people's mouths are simply the result of having never worked in the service industry. If you could see things from the bartender's perspective, you might think twice about asking for "a strong pour" or for your bartender to "surprise" you, for example.
There's a lot you can say to be a better bar guest, but you can do a favor for bartenders everywhere by simply not saying certain things.
So with that said, consider taking a thoughtful pause before uttering any of these 11 phrases to your bartender.