Working behind a bar comes with its fair share of frustrations, from internal drama to everything that comes with having a customer-facing job.
Most customers wouldn’t know what ticks off their bartender—until now. One Tampa bartender is spilling the beans on the things customers do that annoy her. And she isn’t holding back.
Some of these things are common sense. But others give a closer look at the realities of working at a bar and why patrons need to be considerate of the people serving their drinks.
Bartender Calls Out Customer Pet Peeves In Viral Video
Tampa-based dive bar bartender Cassandra Michelle (@cassandramichelle__) shared a list of things customers do that she wishes they’d stop. Her video has more than 31,000 views.
“These are things that bother me as a bartender that probably are not that deep. But they piss me the f— off,” she says in the TikTok.
Her first complaint? Customers who order two drinks by holding up two fingers in the form of the “rock on” hand signal vs. just using their pointer and middle finger the standard way. “Bartenders, I know you get it,” she adds.
Next on her list are customers who pay with Apple Pay but don’t unlock it beforehand, forcing her to return to them multiple times for Face ID or a passcode. “That one’s annoying,” she notes.
But nothing seems to irritate her more than customers who order drinks backwards, saying the mixer before the type of alcohol.
“Oh my God. This one gets me going every f—— time. Ordering a drink backwards,” she explains. “Cran vodka or like a soda water tequila. Like, what the f—. I’m not—I cannot comprehend it.”
She also takes issue with customers asking to charge their devices behind the bar.
“Obviously, the charging of anything kinda bothers me because you can go on Amazon and spend $15 on a portable charger,” she says. “I’m not your babysitter. Like, I’m your bartender.”
Her final—and perhaps most relatable—complaint involves customers who refuse to move when she needs to use the bathroom.
“Not getting out of my way when I need to go to bathroom. I need to get back behind the bar,” she says. “Like, Susie, move. Like, I need to pee.”
She adds that she’s often holding her pee in for far too long while working. On top of that, she’s on the clock and needs to be able to get in and out of the bathroom quickly, so she can back to serving drinks. If people don’t give her priority in line, and she has to wait like everyone else, it’s only going to worsen everyone’s bar experience.
Bar Etiquette Experts Weigh In
Cassandra’s frustrations aren’t unique to her experience. Bar owners and industry veterans have long emphasized the importance of proper bar etiquette to ensure smooth operations and respectful interactions.
Laura Thompson, operating partner of Old Timers in Bushwick, Brooklyn, stresses that customers should remember bartenders are working professionals.
“Bars are meant to be social and fun. Your bartender may ask about your day or get to know you,” Thompson writes in Edible Brooklyn. “Understand that they are working to provide for themselves, and the establishment needs money to pay bills.”
Thompson also acknowledges the challenges that come with the job, noting that bartending can sometimes feel like being in a fishbowl, with staff under constant scrutiny. She points out that the role can be particularly difficult for racial minorities, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and people of size, who often endure microaggressions while serving customers.
When it comes to getting a bartender’s attention—something Cassandra clearly deals with when customers block her path—etiquette experts are clear about what not to do.
Food Republic notes that snapping, whistling, calling out, or banging your glass on the bar are all considered rude. Instead, making eye contact with a smile is the proper way to signal you’re ready to order, allowing the bartender to acknowledge you while finishing their current task.
Food Republic also notes that bar counter space is limited and needed for drinks and bartender operations—making it inappropriate to clutter it with personal items like a phone being charged.
Thompson offers advice for customers who have complaints about service: contact management privately before posting negative online reviews.
She recounts receiving objectively terrible service at a restaurant she loved and choosing to email management instead of posting on review sites.
“They apologized and offered me a gift certificate,” she notes. “Most of the time, managers would like a chance to right their wrongs.”
@cassandramichelle__ Things that piss me off as a bartender that probably don’t make sense. 😂 am I wrong for this? #bartenderlifebelike
Commenters React
“It’s 2025 why are you asking your bartender for a charger,” a top comment read.
“The ordering a drink backwards sets me the fuuuuuck off and I always thought it was my adhd all of these are incredibly valid and make my eye twitch,” a person said.
“My favorite is when they have a big order and think I forgot a drink sorry I don’t have 8 hands,” another wrote.
“Group of people all ordering the same drink multiple times together and checking out all separate checks. Like they are all ordering whiteclaws each time. Just take turn paying the round,” a commenter wrote.
BroBible reached out to Cassandra for comment via email and TikTok direct message.