Give it to me baby

[grasshopperfirestarter]

So I live in southern Cali and on the weekends I bar tend on the Santa Monica Pier. I've learn since working in this business that not only is it just not honest it's illegal to serve a guy Jack Daniels when he ordered Makers Mark. Serve the customer what they're paying for.

Well recently I got a second job, Beer tending at one of the hippest go to spots on Venice Beach. Its an Ale House with good beer and all organic and local food. Most of their beers are from Los Angeles with a couple from Oregon and Colorado.

But at this bar I get really upset. They dont update their beer menu that is on a chalk bored regularly so during my training there I noticed that if a customer orders a Scrimshaw Pilsner and it happens to be out they will poor any old pilsner that is on tap. And maybe for the general public that is fine. Man wanted a pilsner and got a pilsner. But for me, a homebrewer and some what of a beer connoisseur who is always out for a new brew, I would appreciate if I got what I ordered. I mean I wouldn't my untappd review of a beer to be jeopardized.

What are your opinions on this?

Cheers!

 

[Zuljin]

That's dirty. It could damage the brand. Someone orders a beer, and like you said, writes a review, and says it tasted like salt water from an old iron pipe. Yeah, that's because that Scrimshaw Pilsner was really a can of Big Flats from Walgreens.

 

[masskrug]

Are you pulling the taps or serving the beer? Either way you should be honest with your patrons. They may respect that, or leave the property. Either way, you have your dignity.

 

[grasshopperfirestarter]

I pull taps and serve the beer but I haven't adopted this practice. But sometimes I do have to explain to my customers that even though that tap say Ballast Point Pale it's actually Ballast Point Amber.

 

[mattd2]

I pull taps and serve the beer but I haven't adopted this practice. But sometimes I do have to explain to my customers that even though that tap say Ballast Point Pale it's actually Ballast Point Amber.

I don't understand, how do you know what's on tap if the menu isn't updated (I realise that you are probably made aware of any change, but what if you have a crap memory)? And how hard is it to update a chalk board menu, isn't that the reason for using chalk! And wouldn't it be easier to update the board than tell every server of the change.. or maybe even do both

 

[Frige]

So if I ordered a goose island IPA I might get a PBR? Dang that would suck, kinda like ordering a ribeye and they slap a big mac patty on your plate. Not cool I would be pissed.

 

[mattd2]

So if I ordered a goose island IPA I might get a PBR? Dang that would suck, kinda like ordering a ribeye and they slap a big mac patty on your plate. Not cool I would be pissed.

Hopefully more people reply to this thread in digust and you can take it to your new boss(es) and show them that the current norm might be potentially harming their business and get them to update their board more frequently and train the others to be honest

 

[Doongie]

My hope is this is not the work of the business owner, but a worker who does/can not keep up with a rotating menu. Maybe it is only one or two servers, maybe it is some clod who actually got a mgr position, either way it's just plain unethical. The real impact on any customer is quite low, but when they realize they are not respected they will not return and the combined impact on the business could be quite high.

I visit many establishments and regularly hear updates to the menu. That is what I expect, a varied but current menu. Some may think a pils is a pils, a stout is a stout, they are ignorant. I asked for THAT pils, or THAT stout, and THAT is what I expect. As a bartender or server, if you can't meet that simple expectation you are in the wrong job. Tell me up front if you are unable to meet my request.

In my experience, problems like that usually work themselves out given time. The target audience figures out they are not respected, and decide to patronize places that do the job better. Of course, in that location, high volume might be able to make up for it.

I would voice your concerns to the mgmt, and if nothing changes, I would not continue to work there.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

Serve the customer what they're paying for.

Nuff said.
Regards, GF.

 

[browillard]

Why not take the initiative to update the board yourself?

 

[Homercidal]

It's friggin chalk board! Just change it!

 

[grasshopperfirestarter]

I agree with everyone. The owners do drop in each day, but just for a minute then they are off to the beach. This place seems to be taken over and run by the bar tenders who are also kind of managers. Its one specific bar tender's duty to update the board for some reason. I had started to put X's next to brews that were out. The establishment is 50/50 locals and tourist from around the world. All the brews are $8-$10 a pint. When something was out I would tell the server who rang the ticket in and they would say just pour something similar like they didnt want to deal with explaining to their table that it's out.

From my experience there I was just wondering how many other places might be doing this? There's another craft beer bar in the area and I noticed they changed the names of brews sometimes on their bored.

Ps. That second job I got was during July and I no longer work there.

 

[Homercidal]

All of the brewpubs I've visited are very prompt about marking their taps as not available. That seems pretty easy to deal with. My biggest peeve is when the servers at the tables have like ZERO knowledge of what's on tap.

 

[jgarretson]

I've been to the Library Ale House in Santa Monica and I can assure they would not stand for that type of bait and switch.

As some have suggested, instead of complaining about it, make it an opportunity to essentially own the chalkboard and beer menu. It sounds like your coworkers are too busy to care so is grab the chance to make an impression.

And $8-10 for a pint? And it might not even be the right pint??? Ouch.

 

[mattd2]

...Some may think a pils is a pils, a stout is a stout, they are ignorant. I asked for THAT pils, or THAT stout, and THAT is what I expect. As a bartender or server, if you can't meet that simple expectation you are in the wrong job. Tell me up front if you are unable to meet my request...

...When something was out I would tell the server who rang the ticket in and they would say just pour something similar like they didnt want to deal with explaining to their table that it's out...

I can see the servers point of view getting back to the bar and finding out that they now have to walk all the way back to a table because something is out to have the customer just say "oh, well... what other IPA/Pils/Stouts do you have?
But really if they want to switch they should at least be up front - return with beer, "Hey we didn't have XYZ IPA but here is ABC's it is similar but (insert difference here), hope you don't mind and that you like the beer (big smile)"

If it was one beer out of 4-6 different beers I would think that they did a good job, if you switched all 6 beers I would be a bit annoyed that nothing on the menu was available