1954 Practical Bar Management by Eddie Clarke

THE BARTENDERS

Try to select the man with the correct amount of experience— don't aim too high, too much is dangerous should the neighbour hood not demand such a standard. A man suitably selected will be happy and soon settle down in his new surroundings, and not want, after a few months, to wander off to pastures new. Too many changes of stalT in the bar often gives the impression to the patrons that there must be something wrong with the management of the establishment; they cannot be expected to understand the disgruntled bartender's statement, that"this place does not need someone with my experience". Therefore be careful when selec ting from that angle. For an example, the West End of London bartenders seldom stray from their golden mile of Mayfair— should they do so, they will not settle for long, or be happy anywhere until they are back around their old haunts. Nor will our colleagues from the big towns in our community ever feel happy working in London—in fact there seem to be very few instances on record where they have, except when in their initial training they have taken ajob in London to gain additional experience. Which is a good idea, because then they return to their native towns and live happily ever after, having had their fill of the"big city Taking the initial interview of an applicant on a more general basis, several of the undesirable qualities will become quite apparent (that, is, of course, if they exist) in the man's natural appearance, bearing,and mannerisms. It is well to remember the first impressions for they are so seldom wrong, and will act as a good guide to the reactions of the clientele when they see their new bartender at the commencement of his duties. Things to take into account are: Does he look an honest and straightforward type ? Does he show the amount of respect due when addressing you ? His answer to your questions should be polite, quietly spoken and forthright. Note his speech—will it be accepted in the type of business you expect ? It is quite a good idea to imagine that one is interviewing the bartender in a somewhat similar way as through the medium of a television set. The visual parts are practically the same,because it is the portion from the waist upwards which attracts the attention above the bar-counter. Carefully note then the hair— is it well groomed ? Has he shaved conscientiously ? Are the

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