Without a doubt, the most important thing you can do if you want to make money in the bar or nightclub scene is to have the best staff in the business. Having a great atmosphere and delicious cocktails is obviously very important. However, the number one reason that customers come back is because the staff does a great job catering to their needs. Additionally, you want to make as much money as possible. The staff needs to know how to properly portion their ingredients and avoid over-pouring. This is at the very root of the importance of staff training.
Furthermore, they need to create up-sales when they interact with the customers one-on-one. Lastly, they need to know how to refuse service and maintain control of the establishment. This may sound like a difficult balance to create in your workplace, but with proper staff training if can be done quite easily.
Bartender Training
When training your bartenders, it is important that the person doing the training knows exactly what they’re doing. If you have a lead bartender, usually that is the person you’ll put in charge of training the new bartenders. Also, you should only hire bartenders that already have some experience so you aren’t working from a blank slate. Make sure that they understand your entire collection of signature recipes before you let them run the bar unsupervised.
Also, enforce pouring regulations so you don’t lose quality standards. You should have pour tests on a regular basis, and also do random audits to ensure that there isn’t free liquor going out to the patrons. If you understand the importance of staff training, this will become a priority.
Server Training
When training your servers, it is important to remember the various functions that they need to provide as part of their job description. First off, they are the face of your company, so they need to be happy, polite, and accommodating. Secondly, they need to promote the highest margin beverages based on what the customer orders. If a customer is drinking vodka-based drinks, she can recommend one of your signature cocktails. In the end, it will make their experience better and also increase your profit margins!
Lastly, a good server will be the eyes and ears of your establishment. Perhaps someone has had too much to drink or there is a fight looming. In this scenario, they should tip off the security staff to prevent a scene. This is crucial for VIP services form the moment the bottle sparklers have finished. With proper training, your servers will be able to accomplish all of these tasks during the course of a regular shift.
Manager Training
Your team is only as good as the manager who leads them. So, it is very important that you have a properly trained manager on staff at all times. The role of the manager is mainly only to lead the staff through example. However, it is also to snuff out any problems that arise and take care of the day-to-day functions and activities that are required to keep your doors open. After all, you don’t want to end up double-booking your VIP tables!
Essentially, your managers will need to take care of everything that you would be doing if you were in the building while you are not. So, there is a huge amount of trust that goes along with the job. You should make sure that your managers have previous experience in the bar or nightclub industry before they are hired. Otherwise, it’s better to promote from within your own ranks. This will ensure that they are properly trained in every department and ready to take responsibility for your business; regardless of what transpires. If this hasn’t illustrated the importance of staff training, nothing will. Good luck!
