• BAR STAFF HANDBOOK

    BAR STAFF HANDBOOK

    This handbook is specific for the department you work in – you should familiarise yourself with its contents, but also ensure you read the General Staff Handbook

  • YOU ARE ONLY ALLOWED TO TAKE CARD PAYMENTS WITH CHIP & PIN OR CONTACTLESS

    If the card machine asks for a signature you must inform the customer that we do not accept cards unless they are Chip & PIN or Contactless.


    What to do if you insert a card and it asks for a signature…


    If this happens – please Cancel the transaction, retain the merchant copy, write void on the receipt and give the voided

    receipt to the customer. Then ask for another payment method.


    You should also inform your Team Leader and record it in the bar paperwork.


    If you accept a signature card and there is an issue – you will have the money deducted from your wages as it will be a clear breach of company procedure.

     

  • INTRODUCTION

    This handbook is specifically designed to inform you of all procedures in relation to the bars at our venues. 

    It provides you with a step-by-step guide to doing your job well, and doing it how we expect you to do it.

    Remember if you ever need help, always ask – better get it right than get it wrong!

  • KEY THINGS TO REMEMBER

    BAR FOLDER

     

    Each bar has a bar folder which includes;
    Stock Check Paperwork
    Opening & Closing Check Lists - must be completed at the start and end of every shift
    Par Levels (the amount of stock which should be on that bar)
    Planograms (images of how fridges should be set up)
    Set-up pictures

    PRICING / PRICE LISTS


    All bars should have price lists – ensure this is right for your event
    The till is always right – never charge a different price – if you feel there is an issue please report it to the bar manager
    All items must be entered into the till

    DALLAS KEY


    You must always bring your Dallas Key to work as without this you will be unable to use the till system
    If you lose one you will be charged £10 for a replacement
    LOCK THE DOOR
    Remember you are dealing with company money and stock
    The doors to the bars must be LOCKED at all times


    DRINKS TICKETS / FREE DRINKS


    All drinks must be paid for or a drinks ticket must be presented 
    Failure to ensure that drinks are accounted for will result in disciplinary action


    TIPS


    Tips are yours to keep
    Your tips must be changed up management and logged on our system
    15% of tips must be given to the Venue Support team 
    You must not change up your own tips


    END OF SHIFT


    At the end of your shift you must clean your bar and sign it off in the bar paperwork
    You are not allowed to leave the bar at the end until a bar manager has checked it


    UNIFORM


    Bar Staff are required to wear a black top when on duty
    No jogging bottoms – trousers or jeans only
    If you want to wear a jumper you must wear a plain black jumper
    No hats should be worn behind the bar and all long hair should be tied back

  •  
    REMEMBER

    THE BARS ARE COVERED BY OVERT AND COVERT CCTV WHICH IS VIEWED AT ALL TIMES

     

     

  • At the start of your shift

    Clock In – if you don’t clock in, you won’t get paid!


    Declare all money and leave it in the safe with the security on the back gate/

    You are assigned to a certain bar on the rota system. You can only be moved to another bar by your bar manager or duty manager.


    REMEMBER Bars should be left the state you would expect them to be left for you.


    You must clock in to the till when you start work and clock out when you finish – this allows us to record accurate sales figures

    You must fill out the “Bar Opening Checks” and sign them off – they will be checked by bar management


    Make sure you always have a pen on shift and ideally you should have your own bar blade.

  • Going Behind the Bar

    Nobody is to go behind the bar unless;
    You are a member of bar staff who is on duty.


    You are a member of the venue support team working that shift.
    You have been told to do so by management.

    Starting and Finishing Service

    Ensure the bars are stocked correctly. Ensure you have the following;


    The most popular drinks – beer, vodka, JD, Vodka, Jägermeister, water
    Ice
    Lemons, limes and salt


    Do not start serving until you are told to do so by management


    Do not stop serving until you are told to do so by management


    Any equipment faults should be logged with Team Leaders and posted in the What’s App group

     

  • Your Till


     Your tills will be left floated for when you arrive.


    Bar floats are £200


    Check the float to ensure it is the correct amount – any issues should be reported immediately


    Make sure you stick to one till – do not change tills


    You should only use the PDQ allocated to your till


    All PDQ receipts must be kept inside the till drawer as show in the diagram


    Ensure you have a working device for detecting counterfeit money (this could be a counterfeit detection pen or a UV light)

  • Drinks Vouchers

    One drink voucher must be presented per drink (Red Bull is always a separate drink voucher)


    Example – a Jack Daniels and Coke is one voucher.
    Example – a double JD and coke is two vouchers.
    Example – a Vodka Red Bull is two vouchers, one for the vodka and one for the Red Bull.


    No voucher, no drink, no exceptions – check the date is valid


    When taking a drinks ticket;
    You must tear it so that it cannot be used again
    Staple it to the receipt and place it in a cup on your till


    All drinks tickets need be counted individually at the end of the shift when the till is cashed up – but random checks may be done throughout the night


    All working staff are entitled to free staff water (available at the break area) and post mix


    You do not have to write down post-mix
    If a member of staff is off duty, they are not entitled to free drinks unless they have vouchers

    Bar Procedures

    Anyone caught stealing or given out free drinks will be fired on the spot and the police may be called.


    You bar must be kept clean and tidy at all times.


    Your bar must be fully stocked at all times. Labels must face the front of the fridge.  Do not over-stock the fridges.
    It looks messy if they are.                        It stops the fridges from working properly.

    Your Team Leader has a radio – when they leave the bar the radio should be left for you


    There is always something to do – so even in the quietest moments you should always check whether there is anything else to do.

    Check displays, restock & ‘Face Up’ if needed, if all tidy then prepare for when the venues will be busy again.


    If you get a note tip, write it in the bar paperwork and tell your Team Leader and show the camera – this is for your protection.


    What Glasses to Use?


    Half Pint Glass – Single/Double Spirit & Mixer, Soft Drink, Wine, Jagerbomb


    Pint Glass – any RTD (e.g. Smirnoff Ice/WKD), Soft Drink, Vodka Red Bull, Double Spirit & Mixer if the customer asks


    Shot Glasses – any shot – please note they should be filled just below the rim

  • Perfect Serve

    1. Spirit and Mixer
      • Fill glass with ice
      • Pour spirit (optic or use measurer – never free pour)
      • Add fruit garnish
      1- Lemon – Vodka
      2 - Lime - Gin 
      • Vodka Red Bull
      1 - Serve spirit in glass with ice and full can of Red Bull
      • Beer / Cider
      1 - Serve cans unopened
      2 - If it is a glass bottle, you must pour into a pint glass
      • Shot
      1 - Tequila
      2 - Serve with lime/lemon and salt (ask the customer)
      • Jagerbomb
      1 - Put a shot glass with Jägermeister in a half pint glass
      2 - Fill glass with Red Bull to rim of shot glass 

  • RED BULL CAN
    The Perfect Serve

    • Get a glass and fill with ice
    • Add lime garnish
    • Take chosen can from Red Bull cooler
    • Place can next to the glass with the label front-facing
    • This procedure should be used for all varieties of Red Bull

  • VODKA RED BULL
    The Perfect Serve

    • Get a glass and fill with ice
    • Add lime garnish
    • Take chosen can from Red Bull cooler
    • Measure and Pour the required quantity of Vodka
    • Place can next to the glass with the label front-facing
    • This drink should be served with a full can of Red Bull

     

  • The End of your Shift


    Fill in the closing section of opening/closing check list
    Remove all rubbish from your bar
    All spirits must be married and counted
    Clean all work surfaces – this includes under the bars, the bar back, drip trays, tills etc (if this is done throughout your shift, it is less hard work at the end of your shift)
    Clean post mix nozzles
    On outside bars you must re-attach the nozzles and wrap them in cling film
    Lock all fridges
    Return your Radio, if you have one.


    Tips
    A manager/bar manager/operations

    manager must change your tips
    Your tips will be recorded along with the start and end time of your shift
    15% of your tips go to the bar support
    Report any problems or issues to your team leader and manager

     

  • SERVING CUSTOMERS


    Smile
    Say "Hello" to the customer
    Apologise if there has been a long wait or long queue
    Ask the customer what they wish to order

    Remember to always;


    Ask if they want a “Double” on all spirits – this costs £3 more on any spirit
    You can also ask if the customer wishes to upgrade to a Premium Spirit for £1
    Ask what type of Red Bull the customer would like if they order Red Bull
    If a customer buys a bomb, you can ask if they would like 3 for £15


    Prepare the customers drinks


    Glass bottles must be decanted into plastic caraffes
    Do not open cans or plastic bottles for customers
    Make sure you add drinks to the till as you go along


    Once the drinks are prepared, tell the customer the cost of the 

    FOR CASH SALES

    Check notes under UV scanner
    Press “Pay”
    Press “Cash”
    Enter the amount the customer gives you
    Get the change for the customer
    Give customer the change and receipt on a tip tray


    FOR CARD SALES

    Enter amount into PDQ
    Ask customer to confirm amount and enter PIN
    Take back the PDQ and wait for the transaction to go through – when it does…
    Press “Pay”
    Press “Credit Card”
    Place the Merchant Copy of the receipt in your till neatly
    We do not accept AMEX or cards which request a signature


    Smile and move onto the next customer

  • GOT A PROBLEM?

    In all cases, the first person to deal with any issues should be the Team Leader’s.

    If a Team Leader can’t deal with it, they go to the bar manager and then up to the Duty Manager.

     

  • TROUBLE SHOOTING!

     

    What do I do if I am given a fake note?


    Ask a Team Leader to check the note
    Do not let the customer know you know it is fake, as we may need to take them to the office for a search and do not want them leaving the bar
    Call security to deal with the situation


    What do I do if I get given a note in my tips?


    Show the note immediately to the camera on your bar
    Tell your Team Leader that you received a note tip
    Write the tip in your bar paperwork (include the amount and the time)
    You must do all of the above or you’ll be subject to the disciplinary procedure


    Can I serve a triple shot to a customer?


    Other than cocktails, we only serve spirits in measures of 25ml and 50ml
    Bar staff are not permitted to pour triple shot measures into a customer’s drink


    My till isn't working properly, what should I do?
    Let your Team Leader know about the issue immediately. 

    What you should do:

    Do not ignore the issue.
    Do not use other tills.
    Do not leave without notifying a Team Leader or bar manager


    Customer has a complaint with the service or/and the product.


    Call your Bar Team Leader, and wait for them to arrive before serving other customers

    Do not;

    argue with the customer
    stand around the customer
    offer anything for free – management will need to authorise this if it is appropriate


    When a customer walks off without paying


    Notify your Team Leader immediately – they will call security.

    Do not serve any more customers until you have briefed security on the descriptions of the person(s) involved
    If security can’t find them – they may ask you to walk around with them to identify the person who stole the drinks
    This is a CODE GREEN – AS SOON AS POSSIBLE – make sure when radioing security you let them know the incident details briefly e.g. someone has stolen drinks


    Avoid this problem by;

    Always paying attention
    If a customer orders a large round, keep the drinks out of the customers reach until they have paid


    Customer wants to buy a bottle.


    Remember – we can hold bottles behind the bars if the customer prefers
    Check the bottle is for sale – only certain products are available as bottle serve.

    Ice Bucket full of ice, place bottle in bucket
    Do not place pourers on the bottles
    For Champagne – offer champagne flutes and pop the cork at the bar
    For Spirits – the customer is allowed 6 cans or 3 Red Bull with the bottle
    You must always decant into a plastic caraffe


    I need to go toilet.


    Get permission from your Team Leader
    Go to the back gate and ask for the toilet key – you are only allowed to use the staff toilet
    The staff toilet is the accessible toilet located in the Mirror Arch
    Return to the office with the key and go back to the bar


    When should we fill up the fridges?
    Fridges should be stocked at the end of every shift part from if that is the last time that that room is being used that week

  • Should be Empty: