I've been to few events over the years where the bartenders and/or servers were less than thrilled to be there. They hum and haw and look at you with resentment for asking them for a cola or drink of water instead of a "real drink". Most batenders at establishments are guilty of this, not only event bartenders.
I know. I was that guy once or twice I hate to admit.
I was younger and cockier and didn't understand the basic principles of proper customer service. Back then I was too busy making $400 a night to care about "service" (although I was still pretty good at it!).
Amateurs straight out of bartending school don't have this problem. They are not fast or organized enough to make that kind of money, and too green to understand anything except how to make a Shama-lama-ding-dong Cocktail (that no one will ever know to order because it was created by some hot shot bartender in Memphis 55 years ago!).
They also have other problems such as not making eye contact, shaky hands, stupid grins, not knowing how to pour a beer without foaming the hell out of it, and never wiping the bar (the elbows of your favorite shirt will attest to that)
Of course, these "amateurs" will pretty much do anything to please the customer, and that is not always a good thing either.
It is like a dog that waits for you to throw a ball and drools all over your lap in the process. Not cool. It comes down to experience and knowing how to read your customers individually. You just can't treat everyone the same.
Rude Joe Rockhead drinking scotch at a wedding will not get the same treatment as sweet ol'Grandma Johnson at a wedding. Even if she is drinking scotch!
No, you must learn how to take control, if need be, and diffuse a situation tactfully. And it takes years to know the difference between too much and too little bravado.
Who do you fault for the lack of know how?
It definitely is not the fault of the kid who gave $500-$900 to attend some lame school.
It is the fault of the guy who thought that teaching a couple of drinks to him/her was good enough to pass as a bartender though.
They don't teach you how to be a bartender in Bartending School. They are too busy "teaching" you unnecessary and outdated drinks and forgot what it is really like behind a bar.
In the long run the rest of us suffer while we wait in line with soaked sleaves.
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