When I worked as a barmaid, sometimes after a shift one of the customers would offer to buy me a drink. Not because they were after anything, but just that that's what you do with a young woman who you appreciate. I'd say yes, and ask for a lemonade. They'd often get a little offended that I was only asking for a lemonade, because it implied that I didn't think they could or would pay for something more expensive, and they didn't want to be seen as cheap.
I got around this in a few ways, guessing at the personality type I was dealing with, and taking into account how I was feeling and what I wanted to cope with.
One was to start with the lemonade, and then just say "No, really, it's been a long shift and I have to drive home shortly and I don't want the drink to make me any more tired but the lemonade will wake me right up".
One was to suggest that I have one of what they'd been having, if it was something that had interested me from a professional point of view (what does that combination taste like? kind of thing).
One was to just start by asking for a lemon-lime-and-bitters, because that sounds and looks exotic and interesting, and it's a good girl drink. It's important to look like a girl when a man has offered to buy you a drink.
And one, very simple one, was to make the drink myself before I finished my shift, leave it behind the counter while I went and changed, and then grab it when I came back to sit down. That way they didn't necessarily know what I'd ordered for myself, or have any input into it.
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Date: 2006-09-18 02:04 pm (UTC)I got around this in a few ways, guessing at the personality type I was dealing with, and taking into account how I was feeling and what I wanted to cope with.
One was to start with the lemonade, and then just say "No, really, it's been a long shift and I have to drive home shortly and I don't want the drink to make me any more tired but the lemonade will wake me right up".
One was to suggest that I have one of what they'd been having, if it was something that had interested me from a professional point of view (what does that combination taste like? kind of thing).
One was to just start by asking for a lemon-lime-and-bitters, because that sounds and looks exotic and interesting, and it's a good girl drink. It's important to look like a girl when a man has offered to buy you a drink.
And one, very simple one, was to make the drink myself before I finished my shift, leave it behind the counter while I went and changed, and then grab it when I came back to sit down. That way they didn't necessarily know what I'd ordered for myself, or have any input into it.