A handy guide to answering the age-old question “Is the bartender flirting with me?” went viral on social media this week, and we’re here for it.
Titled “Why the Female Cashier Is Being Nice to You” and offering two possible answers (either “She is uncontrollably sexually attracted to you” or “Because that’s literally her fucking job you cretin”), the entire pie chart was filled in to mark the latter answer at 100%.
Exeter’s Beer Cellar shared the photo alongside a message asking men to please stop trying to kiss their female bartenders’ hands.
u201cThis is definitely our favourite sign in the bar. Also if dudes could stop trying to kiss our female bartender’s hands that would be great.u201d— Beer Cellar Exeter (@Beer Cellar Exeter)
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Also, “don’t try to kiss strangers’ hands” is just good advice in general. (For what it’s worth, calling people “cretins” should probably be avoided, too).
The sign is incredibly relatable for anyone who’s ever worked in the service industry — as demonstrated by the replies it got.
From the befuddled to the irritated to the thankful, the replies addressed the reality that people who work in food service face, especially women.
u201cThis is definitely our favourite sign in the bar. Also if dudes could stop trying to kiss our female bartender’s hands that would be great.u201d— Beer Cellar Exeter (@Beer Cellar Exeter)
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“[As a woman,] you’re obviously pressured to give A+ customer service, and loads of people would interpret common hospitality as romantic interest,” Charlotte Mullin, the sign’s designer, told Mashable. “I wanted to make it clear that female staff are nice to you because they have to be! And, of course, most of us are decent human beings and would be nice to you anyway, but in no way does this mean we’re dying for your dick.”
That pressure to give “A+ customer service” is partially because bartenders and wait staff rely on earning tips from customers. This kind of harassment is just one more reason to get rid of tipping altogether.
In an industry where workers rely on tips, employees often find themselves in situations where they don’t feel comfortable rebuffing someone’s advances for fear of lost pay, lower tips, and possibly even employer retribution. It’s a sticky situation and one of the major arguments in favor of moving away from that system.
@BeerCellarExe “what does not paying people a livable fucking wage and making them work for tips look like?” – for $800— Ara T. Howard (@Ara T. Howard)1495764814.0
Beer Cellar made sure people knew that yes, their employees get paid a living wage.
u201cAlso for those saying we should take harassment for increased tips a) we get paid a living wage and b) we have a v professional tip jaru201d— Beer Cellar Exeter (@Beer Cellar Exeter)
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Really, that should be a standard worldwide. But until that’s the case, remember to tip, and not touch, your bartenders.
Easy enough to remember, right?
This article originally appeared on 05.26.17