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The Best and the Worst Things About Being a Bartender

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Wilfrid Laurier chapter.

 

I have been doing this for quite a while and it is a fairly entertaining and a half decent way to pay for school and life. But, there many reasons why working in a bar is both the worst and the best.

 

The extremely late hours.

When you are up till 3 or 4am working and have 8:30am class the next day… well, it is the worst.

 

But, I have an excuse to not go out on Friday and Saturday nights, so I don’t spend my entire weekend hung-over. 

Plus I save so much money not going out to bars.

 

When customers don’t know what they want but they flag me down anyways. 

I have tons of customers to deal with, do you think I have time to chit-chat with you while you decide whether you’re going to order a vodka-cran or a whiskey-sour? And that is literally the fake smile I am giving you.

 

Because people do things like order “a beer”… not a specific type of beer, just “a beer”.

Is this your first time?

 

Then they try to pay with a card at a CASH BAR. Who comes to a bar without cash?

Shake. My. Head.

 

Or when customers ask you what your favourite drink is?

I do not drink here… I am working.

 

But I love the people I work with.

We spend the entire night making fun of drunk people and they make the night super fun.

 

Getting to watch the hook-up culture and terrible dancing is like a documentary of college and it is awesome. 

Nothing funnier than seeing a guy strike out with four different girls in a row.

 

And even though I am not actually going out, I get to dance, sing, and feel as if I am a part of the party, even though I am behind the bar.

 

Oddly enough, I love flirting with people at the bar.  It is fun and I have a girlfriend at home, but it still feeds my ego.

Thanks, but truly, I am doing it so you will tip me more.

And well… the money.

If it were not for my hefty school bills I probably wouldn’t be doing this. So please, tip your servers and bartenders.

 

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Danielle Bazely

Wilfrid Laurier

Fourth year Commuications major focusing in Business and Management, with an Economics minor at Wilfrid Laurier University.  Red wine lover and foodie (or excessive eater).  Type A personality with a perfectionist complex and a grammar addiction.  Can either be found in her red Jeep or at the on campus Starbucks.   
Jenna Steadman

Wilfrid Laurier

4th year Psychology major at Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo ON.