What to do?

Whatsisname

Bit of ranting to get off my chest here so I'll get on with it..

Firstly, I got a job in September in a bar/nightclub as floor staff/barback. Although I have bar experience, it wasn't enough to secure a bartender position but I was offered the floor staff and told I would progress up to barman. Now, 3 months on, and the busiest time of the year for bars, I'm still not there and things just seem messier. Basically, I've been on the bar 1 night since, with the hand of one of the senior bar staff who I told my desire to be on the bar too. Now since then, we've had the christmas day with the city college, 2500 people attended and we were horribly understaffed, in every area of the place. I jumped behind the bar at the request of the bar supervisor, I had no problems with any customers and served everyone as best and quick as I could. Then my manager came behind the bar and started getting onto me as to why I was serving when there was literally hundreds of people around the bar. Bear in mind, I worked that day for 16 hours with only a half an hour break, to put things into perspective on how busy it was.

Anyway, since that day, he's been getting onto me alot more, for really really stupid things. Like saying "make sure you're collecting the glasses" as I have 8 in my hands? I was the only floor staff in on Saturday night, the other girl called in sick so I had to make sure the bars were stocked, ice was stocked, glasses/bottles collected, broken glass cleaned, floors dry, bathrooms cleaned, glass free, changing kegs, etc all on my own. Which I had no problem doing, I like being kept busy. But he was constantly nagging me all night. He gives out to me for going behind the bar to put glasses away, then gave out to me for NOT going behind the bar to put glasses away. Gave out that there were glasses on the bar as I was collecting 8 at a time. Then told me to "use my head" more. I really don't know what he wants from me anymore. Maybe I'm stressed out and small things are getting to me and all of this is an overreaction, I don't know.

Also, he continuously "forgets" my wages, I have to chase him for them, but nobody else has to. And after promising me a bar job in the near future, 6/7 people have come in, worked on the bar and stayed or left since. Even asked publicly for someone to work on the bar one night, when I replied, he said he needed me for the floor but my chance would come. I've read alot about it being harder to find good floor staff than a good bartender, so I think its more down to that than anything.

Anyway, enough of giving out. Anyone have any opinions on what to do or what I'm doing wrong, or just bar advice in general.

Kristopherus

Any chance you can get a job in another bar? If I were in your situation, I'd be looking and getting out of that place asap. When you're leaving and have your P45 and a reference in your back pocket, you can tell that manager what you really think of him.

Whatsisname

Kristopherus wrote: »

Any chance you can get a job in another bar? If I were in your situation, I'd be looking and getting out of that place asap. When you're leaving and have your P45 and a reference in your back pocket, you can tell that manager what you really think of him.

I'm really not sure, I've about 6 months experience atm working in a bar, between behind it and floor so I'm not the most experienced, then again, a friend got a job in a bar near with about 3 weeks experience. Its a tough one though, I really love everyone I work with, bar him. I actually enjoy going into work, not often people can say that. Everyone else has lost patience with him too. From the security to floor staff, so it isn't just me frustrated by him.

braddun

I only put good looking people behind the bar

Whatsisname

braddun wrote: »

I only put good looking people behind the bar

Hence why I'm stumped as to why a dashing young feller like me isn't

B00MSTICK

Could it be that you're doing a good job working on the floor - he might see you as being better utilised there?
Where are you based?

When you're leaving and have your P45 and a reference in your back pocket, you can tell that manager what you really think of him.

Wouldn't advise this, word can get around/people know people. What if a potential employer know the manager in question and calls up for a more personal reference?

Whatsisname

B00MSTICK wrote: »

Could it be that you're doing a good job working on the floor - he might see you as being better utilised there?
Where are you based?

Wouldn't advise this, word can get around/people know people. What if a potential employer know the manager in question and calls up for a more personal reference?

Thats what i'm thinking might be the case, I've read a lot about going from barback to bartender and how people say a lot of the time, the promised promotion never comes and its easier to get a good bartender than a good barback/floor staff. I do enjoy it and I'm grateful he gave me the opportunity after being unemployed for 10 months, but I would like to move onto the bar. And with it being dead in January and February, now would be the right time to have me on it, I feel.