Somehow, after only 2 months of being in this business, I got myself into some pretty high end restaurant and hotel shops. I'll be doing a bar/restaurant shop in a few days, and this is my dilemma. I do not drink, never have, so I've spent absolutely zero time in a bar and don't really know what's usual behavior there. The requirement is simply ordering a drink (it specifically says it doesn't have to be alcohol), pay for it and then go be seated in the dining area.

A guest is required and my husband (who doesn't drink either) will be coming with me, and we'll be driving an hour to get there (they pay travel exp.!), and he's supposed to go into the restroom while I go into the bar and get my drink. My question is, what is normal behavior here? Do I go have a seat at the bar itself? The scheduler suggested I ask about alcohol, then change my mind and order a soft drink. So what would I ask? If I end up saying, "Oh, I think I'll just go with a ginger ale," will he give me the drink and I pay right then, or what???

I realize this is probably SO DUMB for everyone else, but I am a total fish out of water here and need to understand it to be able to act as normal as possible. I'd chicken out of the whole thing but the reason I got offered is that they have a deadline and apparently no shoppers to do these high end places in this resort town. And, this has been my goal - high end restaurants and hotels.

Your sage advice would be most appreciated.

I would go to the bar and be seated. The scenario you and the scheduler have developed is fine. Since you won't be ordering alcohol,the bartender is unlikely to ask you if you want a tab started. He will either present you with the bill, which you will pay there, or he may ask if you would like the bill transferred to the dining room.

Something I've done when required to order alcohol but don't want it, is take the drink with me to the restroom and pour most of it down the drain. Bar observations can then be reported.

Another option is to order a Virgin Mary, which is a Bloody Mary without the alcohol--i.e. it is a spicy tomato juice cocktail. You can also ask for some other combination, such as orange juice and tonic or cranberry juice and tonic. You can even sheepishly grin that you love a mudslide (or virtually any other drink) but can't have alcohol with your meds, can the bartender make one without alcohol? If he can't then just get your soda. When hubby returns, if he is to order a drink as well, he can taste yours and decide to have one of those too. I've found a great way to be in the bar is to arrive a half hour before our dinner reservation and if they are ready to seat us immediately, tell them that my son has decided to join us, we are early, so we will just wait in the bar. When the bar time is over (and frequently you need to spend a specified amount of time in the bar) I play with my cell phone and ask "Where are you? We're waiting!" I give it a minute for the supposed recipient of the call to tell me why he is not coming, then tell my companion that "Steve is tied up with another meeting so he isn't gonna get here." We then trundle on over to the host stand and are seated as a party of two.

This is a tough one. I would go to a bar before and get a feel for it, it can be intimidating. You do need to order a dring, but you do not need to drink it, order a tall vodka and tonic with lemon very light...take a sip, later go the the restroom and dump it, no one cares. My instructions has always been to order an alcholic drink. There are alot of things to watch for, read instructions carefully. You'll be fine, I would again, order a light drink and not drink it.

Can you ascertain the reason(s) for the bar visit?

If it's just integrity, and/or to assess service, ordering a non-alcoholic drink should be fine.

If it's to test knowledge, I'd ask what type of white (or red) wines they have. You can even ask them about a particular country (Italian reds, etc.). Or, they can ask about a specialty drink.

The only thing I'd make sure of is that the objective is NOT upselling. A lot of bar visits want you to order a generic drink (ie; "vodka on the rocks" to see if the bartender just goes ahead and serves you the house liquor, or suggests a higher end brand.

If they are telling her she can get a soda, the chances are they are looking at promptness of service, friendliness and watching how cash is handled.

Yes, I imagined so, but wanted to mention it because in my experience, I've had schedulers get something wrong by not thinking it through completely. (This happened to me just recently.) However, the questions and/or instructions should help to confirm.

Yes, I've read through the questionnaire and it is a service issue. I think I'll plan to order a Virgin Mary or pina colada sans alcohol because they have made it very clear (in red lettering at the top of that section) that alcohol does not need to be consumed and even a sip would be going against my personal standards.

Is including a tip for the drinks customary? If I'm paying in cash, do I just hand over the total or leave a tip on the bar?

Thanks for the suggestions so far. You're putting my mind at ease!

I usually leave a 20% tip for the bartender. Most of the bartenders I have encountered during shops are very good and very attentive. Is paying cash a requirement of the shop? Because by paying cash, you do not get a receipt that allows you to include the tip. That's why, unless I am instructed to pay cash, I use credit so I can have a total, including tip, to submit to the MSP. Most of the MSPs will reimburse the tip; the only one I can think of that does not is Tell Us About Us.

You need to leave a tip (cash). The Bartender will put your receipt in a glass, leave your tip in the glass as well. I'm only telling you my experiences, and sometimes the scheduler has not read the instructions. Re-read the instructions, if it says no alcohol, your good. Personally, the fact that you don't drink or have never been in a bar would be an odd choice of jobs, but the restaurant is worth the rest. Enjoy and you'll learn alot from this experience.

Generally on my bar shops the bill has been put in a folio or just folded lengthwise and set on the bartender's edge of the bar face down. I too prefer pay by credit card and usually do a 15% tip because that is what my instructions require and will pay for. If they ask if I want to roll the bill onto the dinner bill I just laugh and say, "I'd love to, but our agreement is that I pay the bar and he pays the dinner, so I guess I need to pay you." That also keeps the bookkeeping straight since many shops pay up to X for the bar and up to Y for dinner and I don't want dinner beverages to be excluded by bar beverages and a subsequent question about whether we actually visited the bar or not. If I am paying cash for the bar the 15% tip to the bartender is left in the folio or on the bar after my change has been returned. One company specifies the appropriate tip is $1 per drink, period, end of story. Makes it a whole lot easier.

Yes, definitely leave a tip, and unless instructed otherwise, it doesn't matter how it's left.

All shops I've done requiring tips to be left in cash have been reimbursed. (Most cite an overall reimbursement, up to a certain amount, which would include the tip, unless you go over.) I just write down "+ tip $x.xx" on the receipt and re-total. I've never had problem getting cash reimbursed, but when in doubt, check!

Flash Wrote:
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> tip is $1 per drink, period, end of story.

Wow, they specify $1.00? Here, no less than $2.00 is pretty standard!

My tip for drink or food is always 15%, always, that has been reimbursed. I do many Bar Intrigity and regular drinks before dinner, never would leave a dollar tip, most bar jobs try and upsell the liquor and I ask them how much for the say, Grey Goose as opposed to house vodka. That's a good question as to if they know, and to test their knowledge, some do, many don't. They should find out for you if they don't know. I have never done a bar job that doesn't ask you to pay with cash, part of counting back change, putting in register and locking it after transaction. Maybe different states have different requirements.

Hey Spygirl, I am with you. Never been in a bar before, wouldn't have a clue as to how to act, and have avoided these shops so far. Don't drink alcohol at all. If I knew it could be non-alcoholic as you say, and they were paying enough, I would try it I think. Good luck,

Carol

The shop specified paying in cash, and if a receipt is not given, don't ask for one. Apparently I'm on my honor to report what we paid if I'm not given a receipt. As for it being an odd job for someone who doesn't drink, the fact that they'll reimburse for more than $160 for dinner and drinks makes it worth the awkwardness! (And in the questionnaire for this MSP, that question was asked and answered honestly by me, so if there was a problem with my not consuming alcohol, they should not have offered me the shop.) I LOVE a good meal and have really looked forward to doing something nicer than a burger place or the post office! :-) This should be fun!

PS - I can't use the "our agreement is that I pay the bar and he pays the dinner, so I guess I need to pay you" line because it's my husband and I cannot get my ring off anymore. LOL! Any other suggestions as to why we'd pay for the drinks separately?

Usually when you drink in the bar before dinner, the bartender closes out your tab and you pay before you leave to go to the dining room. A lot of times they don't even know whether or not you are going into the dining room. Let them start a tab and when you are ready to go, say "We're ready to leave, could you close us out now?" Usually, they will total and take your money. A couple of times I have had the bartender say "Want me to send the tab to the dining room and you can pay all together?" I just say, casually, but firmly, "No, let me take care of it now." They never argue. The bartender will care more about whether you are going to tip him than where you pay and when. And the bartenders, for the most part, have seen it all .... they won't bat an eye at the non-alcoholic drinks. I will order a beer when I need to, but I really prefer my iced tea...and many bartenders have served me iced tea.

The guidelines should clarify matters not only relating to payment method and tipping, but also if drinking the alcoholic beverage is required. Ordering could be all that's needed.

We did our bar and restaurant shop the other night and found it to be a very interesting experience. The bartender acted annoyed when we did not order alcohol. He was very jovial and chatty with other customers but acted quite aloof and disinterested with us. No offers for drink refills and then actually switched our popcorn bowl with another customer's when he refilled it - yuck! I'm now wondering if we'll find that to be universal if we continue to do shops of this nature. He certainly could have increased his tips by asking if we wanted refills or another drink because we would have done so (but of course not the price of the alcoholic versions). I thoroughly enjoyed my very spicy Virgin Mary, though! Hubby ordered the cranberry juice with tonic water and the guy acted like he'd never heard of that, then didn't put a straw in it and it wasn't stirred up and all of the tonic water was at the top. It tasted horrible until I gave him one of my straws so he could stir it and get something other than straight tonic water. I'm sure glad we had a much more pleasant experience in the restaurant itself!

The bottom line is, "A bar is a bar, is a bar". Folks go there to have a drink, there's no way of getting good service unless you drink. While Flash said her jobs give bill in folio, that is a charge only, not cash. Did you pay with cash? Glad you enjoyed the food part.

I get bills in folios or bill folded lengthwise face down on the bar in front of me usually long before cash or a credit card are shown or mentioned. It is just how the bill is presented, not something they change to once I'm paying with a credit card. They either present a folio or not. And frankly we have noted no particular difference between alcohol or non-alcohol orders in bartender behavior. If it is crowded we are less likely to be offered non-alcohol refills. If it is alcohol we will always be offered a second round even if the place is packed.

Irene_L.A. Wrote:
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> Flash said her jobs give bill in folio, that is a
> charge only, not cash. Did you pay with cash?
> Glad you enjoyed the food part.


We were given our bill in a folio and we paid cash.

99% of bar bills here come in a glass as soon as you get drink unless your running a tab. I did a very high end restaurant/bar and got bill in glass. I do BJ's Brewery many times a month and do their bar intrigity and bill always comes in glass, so, I only know what I experience.

Probably a local difference. I have never seen a bill in a glass here. Heck, that would just make more stuff to be washed.

Thanks for reporting back, SpyGirl. Sounds as if shopping the bar was a necessary element.

I've never gotten a bar bill in a glass. I can't recall why that's germane to the thread.

One of the reasons the bartender could have been snotty was that he foresaw a smaller tip, with no alcohol purchased. Alcohol is hugely marked up at establishments. It's a major profit center. Tips are typically based on the total bill, which would be much less without the booze.

Sometimes we drink and sometimes we don't. I have non-drinking friends and one favorite hangout is the bar at a fine dining restaurant. The atmosphere in the bar is fun and friendly and the munchies aren't bad either

Edited to finish a thought.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/02/2010 01:59AM by Mert.

Yeh, that's how BJ's here does it ..... tab goes in front of you in a glass.

Mert Wrote:
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> Thanks for reporting back, SpyGirl. Sounds as if
> shopping the bar

I'm still waiting to see what you were saying there . . .


> One of the reasons the bartender could have been
> snotty was that he foresaw a smaller tip, with no
> alcohol purchased.

Yep, we figured that was likely the case, and I made the mistake of putting my assumption in my report. I'm sure I'll get marked down for that. But, the truth is, if they don't want non-drinkers in there, then make it clear. If it's for everybody, drinking or not, then be nice! I emailed my scheduler and told her we would not be consuming any alcohol, and she wanted us to go ahead. Personally, I think it says a lot about an establishment and the character of the server if they can't even be nice just because their tip will be lower from one party. I've dined at many nice restaurants where the server probably relies heavily on good tips due to the alcohol ordered during the meal, and I can't think of a single time I felt like we were treated poorly just because our tab would be less and garner less of a tip for the server.


> and the munchies aren't bad either

LOL! They served olive oil & rosemary popcorn and it was so good that I came home and made a batch myself a couple of days later. In fact, I've got a hankering for some right this minute and may just whip out a batch tonight . . . .

Well the, share the receipt, sounds great!!