Bar Attendants
Prepare, mix and serve alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks to patrons in bars in licensed establishments.
A Friday night behind the bar
You are a bar attendant at a busy pub, serving drinks, checking identification and keeping an eye on your patrons. It is 8pm on a Friday and the bar is filling. Two staff are off sick, the manager has told you to be quick, and your first customer of the night looks very young.
Choose what you would do. Then see what happens. There are often good reasons for each choice.
Four beers, thanks. Mate, I've been coming here for ages. I left my ID at home, but everyone knows I'm twenty-one. Come on, don't make me look like an idiot in front of my mates.
Serve him, since he seems confident and his friends are waiting
An inspector is in the bar that night, and the venue gets in trouble, including you. Checking ID is not an insult, it is the law, and it applies to everyone.
Politely say no ID, no alcohol, and offer him a soft drink or a snack
He rolls his eyes but takes a lemonade, and his friends laugh it off. You held the line without making a scene. A friendly no usually works.
Ask his friends to vouch for him, and serve him if they all agree
They all agree, but their word is not ID. Under the rules, only proper identification counts, and you could be in serious trouble.
We're seven deep and the kitchen just rang to say they're backed up too. I need you to speed up. Skip the glass checks, we can do them in the morning. Don't worry, I'll cover you.
Skip the glass checks and speed up, because the manager told you to
A customer finds a chip in the glass and complains. The manager covers for you, but it was your call to make. Checking glasses protects people's mouths and your name.
Keep checking glasses quickly, and tell her which part you can speed up instead
You find a cracked glass in the third row and swap it out. Niamh suggests pre-pouring the most common drinks, and the queue starts to move. Safety and speed can go together.
Ignore her and work at your own pace, since the checks matter more than the queue
Customers start to complain and Niamh is cross. You were right about the checks, but ignoring your manager made things worse for everyone.
That guy keeps buying me drinks even though I said no. I've moved twice. I don't want to cause a fuss, but he's making me really uncomfortable. Can you do something, please?
Tell her to ignore him, as he'll lose interest soon enough
He follows her to the door. Dismissing a worry like hers leaves her to cope alone. When a customer feels unsafe, you act.
Take her seriously, check with her what she wants, and bring in the duty manager or security
She feels believed, and the manager speaks to the man. It works, though you could also have offered her a quiet exit and a ride home.
Listen, thank her for telling you, and ask the duty manager to deal with the man
The manager asks the man to leave, and a staff member walks her to a taxi. She tells you it was the first time a venue had backed her. Believing people is part of the job.
How it went
The last customer leaves, the chairs go up and the floor is mopped. Bar work is quick and social, with a firm side that matters a great deal. Could you stay friendly while saying no to people who really want a yes?
This is a simplified, fictional situation to help you explore. It is not professional instruction or a test of your ability.
Case study: The regular who did not want to stop
A fictional case set in a busy corner pub with a bar, a bistro and a beer garden, in a fictional suburb.
The situation
Bar attendant Dion had known Mr Callahan for two years. He came into the Rose & Anchor every Friday, always friendly, always generous with tips. One Friday he arrived already unsteady, slurring his words and telling the same story twice. The pub was packed. His friends were laughing, he was ordering another round, and the bar manager was upstairs on a call.
What they did
Dion kept his voice warm and low. He said he could not serve Mr Callahan another drink tonight, and that it was nothing personal. He offered water, a coffee or a meal, and suggested he get a lift home. One of the friends tried to argue, and Dion repeated the same message calmly. He then found the duty manager, told her what had happened and waited while she checked on the table.
How it turned out
Mr Callahan was annoyed that night. He came back the following week and apologised. Dion wrote the incident in the log, as the venue requires, and stayed polite. He says refusing a regular is the hardest part, but the right one.
What would you do?
- Why do you think Dion told the duty manager as well as the customer?
- How could you say no to a friendly regular without ruining the relationship?
- What might be at stake if a bar attendant ignores the signs?