NH Bartender Has a Message for Other Bartenders and Customers

Being a bartender can't be easy.

Is it good money? Ideally. Especially if customers (that preferably aren't driving) catch a good buzz, because more often than not, good buzz equals good generosity, which shows in the form of a good tip.

Is it a way to be social and even gain new friends? Absolutely. But "absolutely" is also the answer on whether or not you have to deal with annoying, rude, clueless, and selfish people.

And that's where these tips from a very experienced bartender come into play, which both serve as a heads up to customers and a reminder to bartenders.

Jordan Rousse has been bartending for years in the different towns that make up the Seacoast of New Hampshire, mainly areas like Dover and Portsmouth. And with her years of experience, she's also seen a lot of highlights and lowlights in her bartending career.

Some of those lowlights include customers that may don't exactly know when they've reached their limit, and when it's brought to their attention by a bartender like Jordan that they have, the news isn't always received well.

And that's the jumping point for Jordan's advice to fellow bartenders that can also serve as a knowledge drop to future customers of hers or any bartender anywhere, really.

You have the right to cut people off when they have had to much to drink. You have the right to ask people to quiet down when they are disrupting other customers. You have the right to tell them when they have had enough to drink and politely drop their checks.

She went on to suggest that establishments should back the discretion of the bartenders said establishments hire in situations where cut offs seem appropriate, while also encouraging bartenders to stick to their decision to cut customers off when needed.

Do not let entitled customers tell you how to do your job. If your establishment doesn’t support or respect that you are keeping people safe and doing what’s best for their business that’s on them.

And, quite honestly, it's a pretty solid point for establishments to stand by the decisions made by its employees when ending a customer's alcohol consumption, because, at the end of the day, the liquor license of the business hangs in the balance, as referenced by other bartender stories sparked by Jordan's advice.

'When I bartended, one of my colleagues overserved a regular. They went and crashed into another car, and she was suspended upon investigation and the business had to retrain and recertify us all in abv and cut off protocols.'

 

'The best is when they say [they're] not driving...if I over serve you, there is a potential for you to go home, fall asleep and choke on your own vomit. If that happens, I could be held liable just bc I over served you. It's crazy. People don't think about that stuff.'

Jordan's out look says it best, though, and it's something that other bartenders, all customers, and even establishments should keep in mind:

I’m 100% responsible for the people drinking and I won’t be sorry for doing my job. I will not be responsible for them hurting themselves or someone else.