When I Felt Like the Worst Bartender Ever
Anonymous Flirty Whisperer #859 · General
So here's my confession and it feels like it happened in a dream. I was working at this new hip bar downtown, just started two weeks ago after leaving another place because they were too busy and there wasn't much fun to be had. At my new spot, it's quiet with a laid-back crowd who are mostly regulars and know how to have a good time without drama. Anyway, last Friday night was one of those crazy nights where everyone decided to come at once. A birthday party showed up around 9 pm, and I was swamped - not just with drinks but also dealing with people spilling beer on the floor or getting into some friendly arguments about the game playing on TV in the corner. I had this one customer, let's call him Tom because that's his name, who's always been a little too eager to chat. On most nights, he'd just get what he wanted and leave without much hassle. But this night was different - Tom came up with all sorts of weird requests, like asking for an extremely rare cocktail from the menu that wasn't even available at our bar (I think it's a mix-up with another place). He also spent ages deciding on which drink to order, then changed his mind and started again. Normally, I'd be okay with this, but with everyone else waiting and needing service, it was driving me nuts. What made things worse was that Tom kept bringing up all these random topics unrelated to drinks or the bar - stuff like why my tattoos were inked in certain places, what my favorite color was. The more he talked, the less I wanted him around, which is terrible of me because I shouldn't think negatively about a customer. After he'd been there for over an hour and had maybe three drinks total (not to mention that his order changes every five minutes), I snapped and practically shouted at him to either get what he wanted or leave. He got really quiet, paid without another word, and walked out as if something in me had broken too. Now it's Saturday morning and my mind is still reeling from last night. Was I totally out of line? Is being rude to customers okay sometimes when you're stressed out? Or was there a better way to handle Tom that would have kept everyone happy, including myself? What do you all think? Am I the asshole here for losing my cool with Tom? Let me know your thoughts.