Bartenders Always Cheat Clients

Never order cocktails: they will pour very little Martini, and a lot of used juice that other visitors left in their glasses

If a customs officer works for a couple of years in an airport, he will be able to guess, how much cash this or that passenger has, and in which currency. It is enough for an experienced bartender to look at a client to see, if it is possible to cheat them. "I do not know how to explain it, but I always see who I can cheat and who I can not, - bartender Lena says. - It is very hard to sit on a bag of gold and not to steal anything. This is just stupid. The more pompous a client is, the more expensive suit he is wearing, the more interest I have to cheat him. Such "masters of the universe" must be cheated in a very sophisticated way."

Every respectable bartender or waiter/waitress has 401 ways to cheat their clients. Lena revealed most common ruses that cafes, restaurants and bars use in Russian towns and cities: "Never order cocktails! They will pour very little Martini, and a lot of used juice that other visitors left in their glasses. And of course, they will charge you as if you are buying the real Martini with juice. In fact, the best way to order soft, strong and non-alcohol beverages in a bar is to order them in bottles. It is a bit more expensive, but it is cheaper for your health. Furthermore, you should know every dish and drink that you order. If I see that a client is an amateur, when ordering Hennessy, I will bring the client Armenian cognac, knowing that he or she will enjoy it greatly. I have never had a client who would see my tricks. We use cheap juices, fruit instead of expensive ones. The price difference becomes a bartender's profit, and this works for everything. In the cafe where I work - we never pour various brands of juices or wines in one bottle. We never mix them up. Our boss knows everything about our tricks, that is why he does not charge our clients for servicing, because we can make money ourselves. My official salary is 3,000 rubles ($100), and I can make about 7,000 with the help of sly tricks. Sometimes I can earn my monthly wages overnight."

There are other ways for bartenders and waiters (waitresses) to earn their living. They can approximate clients' bills, buy alcohol drinks and then sell them at restaurant prices. "Lena, you said that there was a certain category of clients that you did not want to cheat? Which category is it? For example, if you have two groups of young men in your cafe. One group behave as if they are "masters of universe" - they are not impudent, but they know what they do and what they want. The other group of guys is trying to flirt with you: "Pretty lady, hey pretty lady, would you be so kind to…" and so on. Whom would you cheat?" After a long pause Lena answered: "I would cheat both. I would definitely cheat cool guys, because they will not suffer anyway. And then I would cheat nice guys, but just a little. If I have nice guys coming all night, will I have to work without money?"

Marianna Shamina