Tag: bartending

Qualities of a Top-Notch Service Professional – How to Project A Positive Image and Attitude

Published on by TAM of Nevada2 Comments

As a server or bartender, you’re often the first, and last, staff member a customer encounters. Your interactions will set the tone for the evening so you want to greet your customers warmly, and leave them reflecting on a positive experience once they head for the door. You only get one chance to make a first impression, so make sure it’s a great one. Professionalism and competence are very important, but so is projecting a positive image and attitude. There are a few simple steps you can take to boost your image and set the tone for a positive evening.

  1. Reflect a neat and clean appearance. Your company may have a dress code, or you may be required to wear a uniform, so always follow company procedure. Additionally, a hospitality professional should remember to keep fingernails clean and trimmed if they are handling food and beverages, and keep long hair pulled back or styled. By projecting an air of professionalism, it makes both you, and your company, look great.
  2. Maintain an engaged and positive attitude when waiting on guests. By remaining focused and attentive, your guest will pick up on your can-do attitude. Take it a step further by providing suggestions and answering any questions from the guest. They will appreciate your tips and suggestions on what’s best if they’re deciding between a few options.
  3. Remember to check in on your guests. Dropping off a drink or meal and disappearing only to return once they’ve finished is bad form. Check back to make sure your guests are happy, and when you ask, “How’s everything?” listen to the answer. If something isn’t right, do what you can to fix it. If you notice a guest with a half-full drink, ask if they would like another. Just remember to serve responsibly, never over-serve a guest.
  4. Be mindful of your body language. Service with a smile goes a long way towards putting your guests at ease. For additional easy body language do’s and don’ts for hospitality workers, read our blog post, “Set the Tone and Increase Your Earnings with Positive Body Language.”

Making small changes to your routine to make sure you’re treating each guest like they are appreciated and welcome is the first step toward becoming a first-rate hospitality professional. Additionally, providing stellar customer service is likely to net you greater tips and also impress your manager or supervisor. What other tips would you give someone looking to excel the in hospitality industry?

© 2012 National Hospitality Institute®, TAM® of Nevada

Zagat Mixology Survey Reveals Industry Trends and What’s Popular in Cocktail Culture

Published on by TAM of Nevada2 Comments

Bartenders and establishment owners sometimes wish they had a window into the minds of their patrons. What do customers really want? How can we best serve our bar patrons while increasing profits? Well now you may just be able to find the answers.

Zagat, a leading guide for restaurants, service professionals and diners alike, has just released their first Mixology Survey Results after polling 1,000 imbibers about everything from their favorite spirits to pricing, wait times, and consumption habits. What better way to get a look at just what potential customers are buzzing about!

Survey results revealed several interesting points including:

  • 54% of survey respondents indicated that $15 is the most they will pay for a drink. Another 20% listed anything over $20 per cocktail as too expensive.
  • Good news for bartenders, the majority of customers are generous with their tipping habits. The average tip amount on bar tabs works out to be about 18.9%.
  • Regarding favorite spirits, answers are different among men and women. 46% of males said that whiskey is their favorite spirit compared to 22% of females. When it comes to vodka though, 36% of women say that’s their beverage of choice, compared with 17% of males.
  • The battle for the most popular cocktail was neck and neck. The martini and the Manhattan tied for first place with 12% each. In a close third place was the old fashioned, with 11% of the vote, and the gin and tonic and margarita were number four and number five, respectively.

Industry professionals can use the survey results to generate ideas on how cater to their patrons. And remember, responsible beverage service is a necessary component to an excellent dining experience. TAM of Nevada’s knowledgeable instructors can teach your employees how to serve responsibly, and offer real-world insight into providing all-around excellent customer service. To review the full survey results, visit the Zagat blog. What do you think of survey results, do they mirror trends that you see in your own establishment?

Sources

Mixology Survey Results Are Live! – Zagat

© 2012 National Hospitality Institute®, TAM® of Nevada

Brush Up On Your Bartending Skills – Inspiration from Las Vegas’ Best Flair Bartenders

Published on by TAM of Nevada1 Comment

Flair bartenderThere are a lot of things that go into a great bartender: a winning personality, an attention to detail, and a dedication to the legal and moral responsibilities that come with serving alcoholic beverages. Think you might be right for the job? Why not get a leg up on the competition with additional skills and techniques to set you apart from the competition?

If you can flip bottles, juggle cocktail shakers, and serve up excellent drinks with a smile, you may be a great candidate for becoming a flair bartender. Additionally, flair bartenders can do pretty well for themselves, especially if they can entertain while serving. Flair bartenders will draw in more customers, making more money for the bar, and themselves.

Flair bartenders are known for using bar tools and liquor bottles as props to entertain while they are mixing drinks. It can be quite a sight to see someone juggling liquor bottles, mixing drinks behind their backs, carefully setting fire to mixed drinks, and more. Las Vegas is home to some of the best flair bartenders in the country, and boasts several bars and clubs that showcase their talents. If you’re considering a career as a flair bartender, Las Vegas is the place to be. Make sure to check out Las Vegas Weekly’s article, “From glass-juggling to bottle-throwing, the best flair bars in Las Vegas,” for a feature on some of the city’s most impressive and popular flair bars.

So you’re ready to become a flair bartender? TAM® of Nevada has some tips on how you can get started:

Obtain your TAM® Card. All hospitality professionals in Washoe and Clark Counties are required to obtain their alcohol education card prior to working at a location where they’ll be selling or serving alcoholic beverages. The Techniques of Alcohol Management® course will satisfy state training requirements and will give you the skills and knowledge you need to serve responsibly.

Get educated on bartending techniques. Flair bartending requires a solid working knowledge of bartending skills, plus lots of practice, practice, practice! Before you start juggling liquor bottles, it’s important to learn how to mix drinks, and build up your bartending know-how of tips and techniques. It won’t matter how well you can entertain if you don’t know how to make a martini.

Practice makes perfect. Every day at work you’ll have the chance to handle bottles and shakers, so practice spinning shakers in your hand and doing simple tricks when you have some downtime. Starting with the basics and working your way up to more difficult tricks, you’ll begin to feel comfortable with your props and impress your guests at the same time. You can also watch plenty of flair training videos online for tips and tricks to learning basic flair bartending moves. A great resource is TAM of Nevada’s YouTube channel; we’re always adding our favorite flair bartending videos and tutorials.

Our most important advice of all of all: Remember to have fun! What is the best advice you would give to someone looking to start a career as a flair bartender?

Resources

© 2012 National Hospitality Institute®, TAM® of Nevada

Slow Night at Work? Make the Most of Your Downtime

Published on by TAM of Nevada1 Comment

Even in the busy summer months, every service professional knows that once in a while there’s bound to be a slow night at every establishment. What have you done to pass the time in the past when you’ve worked a shift without a rush of patrons to keep staff busy? The next time you find yourself at a loss for how to make the best use of your downtime at work, take a look around and see where your efforts could be best put to use.

A night with few customers makes for an opportunity to catch up on cleaning and organizing the back bar and dining areas. You can pass the time dusting down bottles on display, wiping up counters, and generally tidying up common areas. Look to see if the “Lost and Found” can be cleaned out of any sunglasses, umbrellas and knick knacks that haven’t been claimed for an extended period of time. Your manager and coworkers will appreciate the effort, and a sleek and streamlined bar will be all the more appealing to patrons.

Are you a bartender? Consider experimenting with new a new cocktail recipe if you have guests who are looking to try something new. When you don’t have to rush to take care of and keep an eye on a multitude of customers, you may have extra time to get creative. You’ll get to practice your mixology skills, impress your customers, and maybe find the next signature cocktail for your establishment’s menu. Mixology is becoming increasingly popular, and lots of patrons want to feel like bartending aficionados. Offer guidance, but let customers get involved in their drink selection. While you’re at it, why not suggest an appetizer or entrée that would pair perfectly with your creation? This is a great way to help increase sales and make sure your guests are also eating and not over consuming alcoholic beverages.

Downtime at work is the perfect time to review your Participant Manual from TAM® Class to brush up on the Techniques of Alcohol Management®. TAM® Students receive a participant manual following the completion of their training. This document has a wealth of information on the alcohol awareness topics covered in your TAM® Class. There is a reason TAM® training must be repeated every four years, this information is critical to hospitality professionals and anyone who serves or sells alcoholic beverages.

What tips do you have for other hospitality professionals to maximize their time on a slow night?

© 2012 National Hospitality Institute®, TAM® of Nevada