According to the “psychology of consumption,” the more someone spends on a good or service, the more likely they are going to want to utilize it and presumably enjoy it. So if someone drops a grip of money on an expensive cocktail, and they don’t like it, it’s likely that they are going to ask to get it re-made.
Sometimes a server standing behind a busy bar inundated with people hoping to catch their attention doesn’t have the time to remake a beverage.
So what are they to do? According to TikTok user Micayla (@micaylagraace), she tricks customers into thinking they’ve been served a new drink, and other bartenders who viewed her post shared their own methods of pulling the wool over demanding customers’ eyes.
@micaylaagraace Pro tip: if you actually wanna make a customer cry just let them catch you doing this #serverlife #bartender #bartending ♬ Its the meanest thing you could do – lmkrk
“When you don’t get the drink specs quite right and don’t have time to remake it,” Micayla wrote via text overlay.
In the video, which was viewed over 47,000 times, Micayla takes the soda gun to the drink and taps the “soda” button for a little carbonated boost to the beverage. “Pro tip: if you actually wanna make a customer cry just let them catch you doing this,” Micayla captioned the video.
The Daily Dot reached out to Micayla via TikTok comment.
According to Eat This, Not That, there are several common lies that bartenders admitted to telling customers, like substituting top-shelf liquor for the cheap stuff in cocktails.
In a HuffPost article that delves into the etiquette of requesting a drink be re-made, one bartender went on record with a much different response to remaking a drink, stating they would be more than happy to.
“Sometimes there’s an instance where you’re busy and maybe you missed an ingredient. It’s happened to me. Maybe I forgot the agave or simple syrup, and it was too tart. When the drink was sent back, I gladly remade something. We’re in the hospitality industry, so we want to make sure you’re doing well,” they told HuffPost.
The outlet spoke with other bartenders who said they would never be offended if a customer politely told them they didn’t like the beverage they ordered.
However, there were some drink servers who responded to Micayla’s post by sharing other ways they lie to customers about remaking their drinks: “I just be putting more ice in,” TikToker @jukiuh wrote.
“‘Whoops omg not enough mix. So sorry!! *adds ice*” another said.
Another bartender wrote that their fool-proof hack for making sure a customer is satisfied with their “re-made” drink is simply adding more booze. “I just add a little more alcohol to it bc like Who would be made it’s a stronger drink? it doesn’t taste BAD i didn’t fuck up it’s just STRONG,” they wrote.
