Working in the hospitality industry requires an immense amount of patience. The hours are long and unpredictable, service often goes awry, and dealing with clientele can be difficult, to say the least. And while most professionals are trained to keep their irritation buried deep, if there’s one thing that’s sure to test any bartender or server’s patience, it’s customers asking what could be considered stupid questions.
If you’re wondering what those questions are, you’ll find them in Reddit’s popular r/bartender sub in a recent thread. It’s chock-full of bartenders bemoaning all types of inquiries ranging from “are you open?” to the ever-infuriating “what’s your real job?” With so many responses, we wanted to spotlight some of the most egregious.
Check out nine of the most frustrating customer queries according to Reddit bartenders below.
“Can you make me this drink I had at another bar?”
It’s fine to ask for a universally well-known cocktail — or even a lesser-known modern classic — but don’t order an original build from a different establishment’s menu. It should go without saying that your bartender is certainly not going to know a spec created at a bar they don’t nor have ever worked at.
User WestbrookDrive commented:
“The drink some other bar made them.
It was blue.”
“What’ve you got?”
If the bar you find yourself in is full-service, its bartenders will be able to make just about any classic build alongside those included on the menu, if they have one. That’s why “what do you have?” is one of the most bemoaned questions in the entire thread.
User Kintrest commented:
“‘What do you have?’
I got a whole damn bar, dude. WtF do you want?”
“Can you make it extra-strong, but not a double?”
We can appreciate the desire for a stiff cocktail, but requesting one without the willingness to shell out the money for it is tacky. If you’re asking for an ultra-boozy Vodka Soda, you should be ready to pay for two shots, and you shouldn’t be angry when the bill comes and you’ve been charged adequately.
User fox_in_flux commented:
“Can you make it extra strong? No, not a double”
“What’s your real job?”
Bartending is challenging, and contrary to what some condescending customers may think, it is a real career where people make real money so they can live their real lives. Inquiring if someone’s job is just a side gig for extra cash isn’t just rude — it’s insulting, too.
User No-Income4623 commented:
“What’s your real job?”
User classicgrinder commented:
“Are you like in school or something? What do you want to do when you grow up?
“Are any of your beers uncarbonated?”
News flash: beer has carbonation, and any beer without bubbles is not a beer worth drinking. If you request a non-fizzy beer like this user recounts one customer doing, not only will your bartender not know what to do, but you’ll probably be disappointed with what you receive.
User valkeriimu commented:
“’Do you have any beer that’s not fizzy or gas-y?’ this one literally made my brain hard reset. she did not want wine or a cocktail. I offered a nitro beer and she was okay with it but not pleased.”
“Are you open?”
This one usually happens right around opening or closing, so in some cases, it may be valid. But if you make it all the way to the bar and sit down without a staff member stopping you, the answer to that question is probably yes.
User pronicegirl commented:
“Are you open? As they walk in the unlocked door, into a bar with 9 tvs on, jukebox playing, other customers sitting in barstools or playing pool/darts/games”
“Can you surprise me?”
Bartenders are busy, and a sure-fire way to tick one off is by asking them to come up with a cocktail on the spot. Most don’t have the time — or desire — to come up with something complex, so you’ll likely end up with a simple shot or an easy spirit-and-soda concoction.
User beth912 commented:
“When I ask what I can get for them and they say surprise me. Mfer I have other customers to wait on so here’s your shot of vodka. Surprise!”
“Why is it so slow?”
Commenting on a bar’s lack of patrons is an impolite reminder that the person behind the stick might be walking out with less money than they expected. Instead, just sit down, order a drink, and tip well.
User Expensive-Big-5851 commented:
“On nights when it’s slow, they’ll literally walk in and throw their hands up and be like ‘woah why is it so dead in here?’ Like girl idk! Wish it wasn’t! What do you even say to that”
User Chrome_stormtrooper commented:
“Comes in right at open on a weekday: ‘Is it normally this slow?’ Ya dude you just missed the 4pm Tuesday crowd”
User goochmerkin commented:
“Are you ever busy?”
A: Yes”
“Why does this brand cost more than that brand?”
If you’ve ever purchased alcohol in your life, you know different products have different prices. So if you request a drink made with a certain type of spirit and find that it’s more expensive than what’s in the bar’s well, don’t be shocked. The answer is simple. It costs more to buy.
User Not_Campo2 commented:
“‘Why is Tito’s so much more expensive than the well vodka?’ ‘Well you know the name of one so that’s a good start.’ ‘But they taste the same!’ ‘Good for you! So you want a shot of the well?’ ‘No I want the Tito’s’”
