"Can you use your card to pay for your lime cordial? No. Preferably not." To the bartender, however, the revelation of card payments has been a double-edged sword. For larger orders and particularly expensive ones, card payments are a quick and convenient solution to payments avoiding the time lost counting and double-checking multiple notes and coins on both the customer and the bartenders behalf. With smaller orders, however, card transactions can really screw us over sometimes. The process of payments can cause unnecessary delays and result in backlogs; orders get pushed back, queues build-up, causing obvious frustration amongst colleagues and customers. Moreover, it is difficult for customers to comprehend the percentiles the bar loses out on owing to card transactions and handling-fees, squeezing profit margins when faced with stringent revenue targets (set by the all-powerful and great Head Office). To circumvent this, it is preferable to deal primarily in cash. Yet, this is an unreasonable demand in a world where customer-service is king and convenience its queen; so a minimum-value card transaction (advisably £5), or a card surcharge of 25p 50p will insulate against the difficulties posed by card transactions. "P.S. If you are reading this, Head Office, I still love you and recognise that your autocratic style of control and management is only because I am obviously a nitwit, unable to monitor my own performance levels and achieve targets. And I definitely agree with the ambitious goals set by your highly-educated business graduates in a different country, who intimately understand the bartending-environment; despite the fact that 50% of my hard work and revenue is accredited to the bistro/restaurant as a result of your sound policies.""Thank you and I love you. Martin xox"
