Bars and Restaurants Using Spotters to Increase Profits

p>A bar spotter, or "nightclub secret shopper," isbar visits. This has led many of them to try to
a person sent into a bar by the owner orearn tips in creative ways, like giving customers
manager to conduct a secret quality controlan extra long pour. The drink rings up the same
review of bar staff. Spotters carefully observefor the owner, however, and that costs the bar
bartenders and other employees, watching formoney. And if bartenders simply push out well
telltale signs of theft and misconduct. Mostdrinks whenever someone orders a rum and
spotters were once bartenders themselves, andcoke instead of asking the customer what kind of
understand the industry and how it works. Manyrum they would like, that's costing bars money
companies across the U.S. have sprung up intoo.
recent years to meet the rising demand ofFor bar owners, revenue is down as well. Many
restaurants and bars for spotters.have found that the solution, counterintuitive as it
The worst thing a bartender can do is give awaymay be, is to spend money on a bar spotter to
drinks for free by never ringing up the sale oridentify places where thin profits are leaking out.
just pocketing the cash. Only about 10% ofHiring a bar spotter isn't cheap, often running into
bartenders are caught stealing, however. Most barthe hundreds of dollars per visit, but the invaluable
owners get a lot more value out of the otherinformation you can gain from having an
things a bar spotter watches for during their visit,anonymous person observe your bar staff has
like generous pours on drinks, failing to up sellproven to be more than worth the cost.
customers on top shelf brands, and long waitFinding a bar spotting company is relatively easy.
times.Just type "bar spotter" into a Google search and
In general, bartenders are making a lot less thanyou'll find several companies that offer services
they used to from tips as patrons dial back onacross the country.