Some people should not be bartenders

Ever go to a bar for a bit, observe a bartender, interact with him or her, and walk out wondering why they're a bartender? I've run into this scenario on three occasions. One bartender was just extremely rude and after receiving several complaints, she got fired for that very reason. Another bartender just wasn't very social - he lacked the bartender personality, and even though he tried, the job just didn't seem to suit him well. Unsurprisingly, last I heard, he was doing something completely different with his life.

That brings me to the third bartender - the one I know the best of all three, largely due to the fact I attend this pub about once every 2-3 weeks. While I'll admit that for the most part, the guy does work hard, he simply comes across as the anti-bartender bartender. 

Almost any "expert" in the field of bartending will say the five most important qualities for a great bartender to possess are: Multitasking, communication, organization, flexibility, and attitude.

This person seems to have trouble multitasking, which leads right into communication, of which there is minimal. He doesn't regularly interact with his customers when he's not busy doing something else, let alone when he is. The communication often times isn't warm and welcoming. I've rarely seen the guy smile or laugh. After he's done pouring drinks, he'll often times sit by himself and read the local newspaper until a customer asks for another beverage. The times when he does talk, it's usually late, after he's had a few beers, and revolves around politics. Organization seems to be his strong suit among these five qualities. Flexibility definitely isn't a strength. It's typically either his way or the highway, with a rare exception here and there. Lastly, as I earlier mentioned, his attitude is anything but positive. He comes across as a hybrid of a character from the film Grumpy Old Men and Bill O'Reilly (who could also be referred to as a grumpy old man).

My brother is a bartender, and a long time ago, he told me, "The four things bartenders are never supposed to talk to their customers about are: Politics, religion, sex, and money." 

Like I said, in the off-chance this bartender does talk, it's usually about politics. I've also heard him discuss religion and money. This has led to a number of arguments, fights, customers not coming back for a while (if ever again), and unnecessary drama.

When I walked in last night to watch the second half of the first Monday Night Football game, it was just him behind the bar, and oddly enough, the customers on hand were a direct reflection of him - quiet, unhappy, and angry. It was quite a depressing setting. There wasn't much chatter between the people there. If someone new were to walk in, he or she would probably think they'd just walked into a bar called I Just Broke Up With My Girlfriend , Grumpy Old Men, or Life Sucks. It's safe to say I wasn't there long, but even in the short span of time I was, the guy rose his voice at me over a misunderstanding, came across as condescending, before finally saying, "Sorry for being a d**k. My bad," just before I left. 

The last two reasons I ever go to a bar are to be talked down to by a seemingly anti-social bartender and drama. Whether one is completely sober or drunk, those are major buzz kills. One typically goes to a bar to relax, calm their nerves, and get away from the drama of everyday life - not to be surrounded by more of it. 

Some people have the personalities to be bartenders. They're: Social, charming, funny, flirtatious to an extent, personable, flexible, and make people want to tell their friends about the place and come back. Some people just don't have that and would probably be best served looking for a far different kind of job. People can get ignored and talked down to at work or at home. Why would they ever want to attend a bar with a bartender that treats them in a similar manner?