Whether you’re considering bartending as your next career or are currently in the process of writing your resume but you’re not sure what type of experience bartending falls under this post is for you.
We’re going to explore the many ways in which bartending involves customer service, from greeting customers at the bar to handling customer complaints and everything in between.
Customer service experience comes in many forms and “is bartending considered customer service” is a question that we’re often asked.
Yes, bartending is considered customer service. As a bartender, you’re responsible for interacting and serving customers and are doing this on a daily basis as part of the job. It’s a customer-facing role that requires excellent customer service skills to be successful.
Is Bartending Considered Customer Service?
The role of a bartender is considered customer service because the very nature of the job involves interacting and serving customers.
Working behind the bar means that you are the first point of contact for customers to interact with, whether that’s to order drinks, ask for directions, or anything else.
Bartending incorporates LOTS of customer service on a daily basis and requires the person to have a high degree of social skills to communicate effectively with customers from all walks of life.
Why Is Bartending Considered Customer Service?
There are no two ways about it, bartending is very much a customer service-based role that requires staff to be able to communicate with customers.
A bartender that is unable to communicate well with customers will struggle in the role and they certainly won’t make much in tips if they haven’t got strong customer service skills.
Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why bartending is considered customer service.
Interacting with customers
As a bartender, you’re responsible for interacting with customers every single day. Your job is to handle customer queries, serve drinks, and provide a positive experience for those in the establishment.
It’s a customer-facing role that at the very core is customer service. Who wants to be served by a bartender that has bad customer service? Not me.
The best bartenders in the world have a passion for service and go above and beyond to ensure their customers have a wonderful experience, and they do this by providing amazing customer service.
Providing excellent customer service
A large part of being a successful bartender is making sure that you are providing great customer service to the customers in the establishment.
This involves pointing out options on the cocktail menu, making recommendations, or going the extra mile to make sure the customer is satisfied.
Handling complaints
Bartenders may also be responsible for handling customer complaints or concerns. This may involve quick thinking and the ability to problem solve on the spot to help deal with the customer’s issue.
Perhaps they’ve dropped their drink on the walk to their table and are requesting another one, or they may be flagging that there is no roll left in the toilets.
Whatever the reason, as a bartender you’re often responsible for handling complaints from customers which requires you to have a strong degree of customer service skills.
Creating an amazing atmosphere
The most amazing bars in the world do their very best to create an atmosphere that is magnetic to ensure that their customers want to return time and time again.
Bartenders are partly responsible for creating this atmosphere, whether this is through ensuring the bar is clean and tidy or being friendly and attentive to customers.
The atmosphere makes the bar, and customers will keep returning if they get a good vibe which is great for business.
A good bartender can be the difference between a customer becoming a regular. To do this, the bartender needs to have good customer service and conversational skills to keep the punters coming back.
>>Read more: Is bartending dangerous?
Is Customer Service Important In Bartending?
Customer service is a VERY important aspect of a bartender’s role. Without it, the bartender will struggle to connect with customers and may find it difficult to be successful in their role.
Providing customers with a high level of service is the bartender’s responsibility as this helps keep customers coming through the door.
A bartender with good customer service can quickly give the bar a strong reputation and increase the repeat customer rate, helping the business grow.
This is why good bartenders are in demand all over the world. Someone that can hold good conversations with customers whilst providing a high level of service is always going to be sought after in bartending.
It’s not often you’ll find a bartender that is excellent at both the mechanical aspect of bartending such as making cocktails etc and being able to engage customers with conversation and charm.
Those that can, often reach the highest level in bartending and are never short of work.
They earn a reputation for themselves and can demand high salaries and make a fortune in tips.
Bartender Customer Service Skills
Working as a bartender is a fantastic way to enhance your skills and grow as a person. I’ve seen bartenders totally transform within a matter of months from shy, timid individuals to confident, outgoing people.
The skills you learn and develop whilst bartending stay with you and transfer into many different areas of life, which ultimately helps you become a better version of yourself.
Below are some of the customer service skills that are required and developed whilst working in the bartending industry:
- Communication skills
- Interpersonal skills
- Problem-solving
- Teamwork
- Time management
- Attention to detail
- Working under pressure
- Managing stress
Final Thoughts
Now that you have a clear answer to “is bartending considered customer service” and know the many ways customer service is incorporated into a bartender’s role, you can be confident in stating bartending as customer service experience on your resume.
Bartending is and always will be customer service. Handling complaints, making recommendations, and dealing with customer queries are all part of the bartender’s responsibility.
Whether you’re just starting out in your career or are looking to get into the bartending industry, you can be sure that bartending will enhance your customer service skills.
Bartending is excellent customer service experience, so be sure to put that on your resume to make it glow and help secure your next job!
Thanks for taking the time to read this post and I hope you have learned something new today about the bartending industry.