PSYCHOLOGY OF BARTENDER'S COMMUNICATION WITH VISITORS
PSYCHOLOGY OF BARTENDER'S COMMUNICATION WITH VISITORS
Akhmetova Assel Kuttybayevna
special subject teacher, Uralsk Technological College "Service",
Kazakhstan, Uralsk
Khazhmuldina Nazgul Sansyzbayevna
master of industrial training, Uralsk Technological College "Service",
Kazakhstan, Uralsk
Zhaxybayeva Arailym Talapovna
special subject teacher, Uralsk Technological College "Service",
Kazakhstan, Uralsk
Kurmangalieva Raushan Maratovna
master of industrial training, Uralsk Technological College "Service",
Kazakhstan, Uralsk
ABSTRACT
This article describes bar service methods and the service techniques needed to attract customers to the establishment.
The article describes the characteristics of different types of bartenders and their working methods.
Keywords: bartender, customer, conversation, service, psychology.
A bar is a catering establishment equipped with a bar and selling alcoholic and/or non-alcoholic drinks, hot and cold drinks, cocktails, cold and hot snacks and meals in a limited range, and purchased goods, depending on the specialisation [1].
The service method of a bar is the way in which the services and goods offered by the bar are sold to the visitor.
The service methods in a particular bar depend on the needs of its customers and are based on the study of their preferences and demand. Properly chosen service methods steadily increase the profitability of the bar, so you should always be attentive to customer requests and be flexible in your choice of service methods. Several service options are commonly used in bars, let's take a look at some of them. There are establishments using a contact bar, behind which there should be competently trained staff and capable of taking orders directly, communicating with guests and calculating them. The cashier may be located at the bar and carry out the calculation or have his or her own cashier area.
A form of bar service is an organisational technique that includes a combination of customer service methods for a catering establishment.
Special and unusual service methods. These service methods help to attract more customers to your bar, and the combination of different service methods and varying them depending on the situation is one of the most important factors in the stable income of the enterprise. Any interactive bar experience which boosts sales and creates a positive experience for your guests will do for you, for example, when a barman occasionally comes out with a mobile drink preparation table and mixes drinks in front of impressed customers.
Specialists usually serve guests both behind the bar and in the hall, but you may also encounter the "bar sommelier" technique. If necessary, the barman advises visitors on the range of products on offer, suggests the right drinks and provides information about cocktails, i.e. deals with selecting a position based on the customer's tastes. Once the drinks have been prepared, the bartender serves them to the customer and asks for their impressions and opinions. It is a highly unusual and creative service method.
Self-service method. This takes place at a bar counter where pre-prepared drinks and snacks are served. The client comes to the bar, selects the drinks of his or her choice with the help of a barman, pays for the drinks and is seated at a table. A variation of this method is the do-it-yourself technology, where customers can create their own drink or dessert from a selection of ingredients.
There is also a buffet system: a person picks up what he or she wants from the bar, including snacks and drinks, and then goes to the checkout line.
Contact service at the bar
This method is effective for any establishment with a contact bar. In order to speed up service for customers behind the bar, several bartenders can work with them simultaneously, each of them performing their own functions. Most importantly here, with this method of service the bartender personally communicates with the customer and can therefore actively advise them on the range of drinks on offer, which always substantially increases the overall sales rate.
Such an establishment should have a carefully trained and qualified barman who is able to advise customers not only on the range on offer, but also on the various features, details and nuances, such as how drinks differ and which one is better. In this way, the bartender is able to recommend the right drink to the guest based on their preferences.
A barman can serve guests behind the bar or act as a waiter in a small business, which is a European service format. The lack of waiters is common in hotel service or in Europe. In small pubs, the person behind the bar communicates with guests, works in the hall and takes food orders.
The bartender may also take orders from waiters and create the right drinks. In the case of service, the bar is not in a visible position, the waiters take the orders, which means that the bartender has no contact with the customers, but simply does his/her job. This technology can be found in karaoke or in restaurants with several halls.
There is also a method which is most frequently used in small bars. It combines self-service technology (usually during the day) with customer service behind the bar, when the barman himself performs the duties of a waiter - he meets the client, offers him a suitable table, takes the order from the client himself, returning behind the bar, prepares drinks and snacks, and then brings them to the client in the hall [2].
There is no doubt that every self-respecting barman should be able to prepare drinks for customers according to the recipe correctly. However, it is just as important, if not more so, to be able to communicate with customers. After all, they visit the bar not so much because they need to "freshen up", just in normal life they lack human interaction.
Conventionally, we can distinguish two types of bartenders that restaurateurs most often encounter during interviews and internships: the "silent master" and the "chatterbox". The first type is a professional, flawlessly mixing the most complex cocktails and knowing why certain ingredients are used. But often he lacks communication skills - and the guest only has to watch his silent manipulations with the shaker. "The Chatterbox is the barman who can talk about as much or as little as he likes, but his cocktails come out with a different flavour every time. Of course, any experienced bartender has a certain proportion of skills from each type, but which one he develops more is another question.
Psychologists and professionals advise to use several basic points when communicating. First - a bartender should always be neatly and elegantly dressed, combed to the face, have well groomed hands (first of all it concerns nails). The second is a smile and movement when talking at the bar. Professionals advise not to be afraid to smile benevolently for once a guest, partner, waiter. A smile must be friendly, not ingratiating. This is conducive. All movements should be confident, clear and quick, but not cramped and fidgety. This will dispose your interlocutors, inspire calm and encourage them to continue contact.
Finally, some tips about the process of communication. When you are at the counter, do not hold a conversation with your back turned, but also do not do it deliberately approaching the visitor. The distance should be medium, and during the conversation you can, and sometimes must, do something - grind glasses, prepare juices, clean the counter, etc. The tone of voice should be medium.
In communication, as a field of psychology, there are two concepts that define its types - active and passive listening. Active listening is "helping" listening. It is effective when your interlocutor needs to have an active dialogue. They are interested in what you have to say about an issue or a topic that is of concern to them. As a general rule, it is not advisable for the bartender to ask the customer direct questions. However, you should steer the conversation with supporting phrases (e.g. "The boss looked at me like an animal today!"). Bartender: "Yes, I understand, it's not easy." Customer: "What have I done?! All I did was take out a loan with the wrong bank!" Bartender: "He must have thought you were violating corporate ethics," etc. The barman, without asking anything but ostensibly interested in the visitor's problems, pushes the conversation to continue and therefore, more often than not, to the next drink). You must not forget to hold a pause after each line of the conversation, thus giving yourself the opportunity to think about the answer and the visitor to add something to the conversation. In this way, you can attract regular visitors who make up the institution's "golden fund".
Another form is passive listening. In this case, the visitor, in principle, does not need a dialogue, but simply needs to speak out. The bartender has an opportunity to be distracted at times but it is desirable not to lose the thread of the conversation. Otherwise, the guest becomes withdrawn and fails to discharge emotionally [3-5].
Undoubtedly, the science of communication is important and vital for a barman, because it is one of those elements of the profession that brings profit. The main quality of bartenders, like waiters, hostesses and managers, is social engagement. It is impossible to enjoy and develop in this profession without liking socialising, because a barman has to socialise with people most of the time.
References:
- GOST 30389-2013. Uslugi obshchestvennogo pitaniya. Predpriyatiya obshchestvennogo pitaniya. - [Elektronnyj resurs]. – Rezhim dostupa: https://docs.cntd.ru/document/1200107325
- Obsluzhivanie klientov v bare – kak eto delat' pravil'no, sovremenno i effektivno. - [Elektronnyj resurs]. – Rezhim dostupa: https://barprofi.ru/obsluzhivanie-klientov-v-bare-kak-eto-delat-pravilno-sovremenno-i-effektivno/
- Pravila obshcheniya barmena s klientami. - [Elektronnyj resurs]. – Rezhim dostupa: http://barmenam.com/view/4259/6
- Kak obshchat'sya s gostyami. instrukciya dlya barmenov. - [Elektronnyj resurs]. – Rezhim dostupa: https://ligabar.ru/blog/stati/kak-obschatsja-s-gostjami-instrukcija-dl/
- Lyubeckaya T. R. Barnoe delo. - M.: «Dashkov i K°», 2019. - 180 s.