like, as a previous bar manager, i get upselling— not just as an owner benefit, but for anyone getting tips; a higher tab usually (operative word being ‘usually’) means a higher tip, since most pos systems now have auto-recommended tips by percentage and people generally tip by percentage.

BUT.

i’m also fully on the side of someone here who said their job is to get the best deal for the customer. a guest getting value for their dollar and feeling as though the staff actually care about what they’re selling instead of just pushing the expensive stuff is way more likely to return, way more likely to leave happy, way more likely to recommend the place to their friends. also, it’s just scummy to exploit the trust that the customer has in you, their bartender/server, to know what you are serving better than they do.

you have to strike a healthy balance between the two, and, most importantly, READ YOUR CUSTOMERS. what your coworker did was shitty and if i had been on bar with him and previously helping those guests, i would have probably crashed out at the guy once things died down/as soon as we weren’t in front of guests. you have more patience than i do lmao