Karaoke Forums

How do you guys feel about bar employees singing karaoke while they work?

This gets under my skin at times. They sometimes think they should get special priviledges because they work there, but I just see it as taking up paying customers singing time. Now I don't mind maybe once in the night, but more than that I get irked. I call up a bartender and it takes them time to get free and come from behind the bar. Aaaarg ! If I'm slow no big deal, but if the bar is packed and I'm under pressure to get as many singers in as possible it just doesn't seem right.

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[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

My view of this issue is:

House staff can only sing if and ONLY if the rotation is short. This is mostly early in the night. This will also help encourage the paying customers to sign up. Other than that; a big NO, not even the owner!

But then I am one who do not like a kj to sing in ever rotation.

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I can neither confirm nor deny ever having or knowing anything about nothing.... mrscott

I think if it is a novelty thing, great. I know that at some of the places I work, the patrons LOVE the bartenders and servers and really enjoy it when they get up and sing. It never seems to interfere with the rotation, though usually they will sing at the end of the night when the crowd thins out a little.  On the other hand, no one has ever complained...either verbally or visibly (I watch the crowd carefully during these times, especially those people whom I believe might be irked by it) when the staff sing. Doesn't happen often, though, so maybe that's why nobody minds.

K

At my particular venue, the crowd (mostly young tourists) LOVE to see our attractive servers sing, dance, and perform to karaoke. It's like a "coyote ugly" atmosphere here and our servers wear short shorts and tank tops...so it's a nice sight to behold!

I guess it depends on the entertainment factor and how many regular paying customers you may have "patiently waiting" to sing next! We've never had a verbal complaint and the girls usually get tipped more for their performances.

Every once in awhile the girls are paid $20 each to do a song by a patron- but they wait in the rotation like eveyone else. Like before mentioned, it's a novelty thing.

Of course when it's REALLY busy then we're all too busy taking care of the customers!

I think it can be ok, but prefer it when the bartender can use a wireles mike and stay behind the bar.  it needs to be entertaining and either well done or funny.  Ive spoken to a local club about my cohost taking over there sat nights. (I work sat nights at my reg job) so last week a couple of our good friends went to check it out. it was horible, but they said worst of all was the bar tender who couldnt carry a tune in a bucket who "sang" God bless the USA. My buddy who is a vet said he HAD to leave and was furious that anyone allows a hack to sing a song that means so much to our country. it's a song that I rarely let anyone sing at my show unless ive heard them sing already.there are a few songs where anything less that great just is not alowed

hopefully we can get the show it doesnt sound like being better would be an issue

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the voices arent real, but they have some good ideas

Our bar used to allow the employees to sing - it was great as the customers would actually tip them better because they got a special request in.  However it got to a point where a couple of employees wanted to sing more than work & would not pay attention to their customers so the bar made a rule that no employee may sing while on shift.

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

I'm lucky in that I've only got two employees that want to sing. One is the bartender and she's quite good but will only sing when its really slow so its not a hassle for her to leave the bar.

The other one everyone loves cause its basically a comedy act. The guy can't sing. I often refer to it as "so and so comming for a special spoken word performance" cause thats all it is. But the bar eats it up and loves it. He'll get one.. maybe two songs a night if he decides to sing. And he knows he goes in only when I've got time. And of course only when the managers will let him.

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KJ for Elite Entertainment at Charlie Horse Saloon in Ocala Florida.

Ditto !!!

I have two bartenders that sing when they work.  They both understand that when the rotation gets large, they and myself are taken out of the rotation until it becomes reasonable again.

I usually get the bartender up once a night. This really helps him with tips as the customers love to see him sing. He's actually quite good and he always gets a good round of applause.

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FlipSide Karaoke
Scott

I said as much as they want when its convienent for them b/c first of all she is a damn good singer & second of all Shes an alli. She loves karaoke as much as we do soo for example when this  whole ascap thing came about she helped us try to talk sense into the mgr & helped us pretty much keep our job by letting him know that if he let us go that she would be gone too. I dont think kjs should play favorites though we put her in rotation just like every one else including myself.  Its good to have people that work in the venue that enjoy us kjs being there & it helps their night go better too.

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Kelley
Star Sounds Karaoke & Mobile Recording Studio


[shadow=black][scroll]You have to respect your audience. Without them, you're essentially standing alone, singing to yourself....KD Lang[/scroll][/shadow]

I'd get the bartender/owner up once a night... the regulars loved it!

When I worked another gig, they used to "feature" the cook, and man was he good! He'd do a couple songs a night, and per the wishes of that venue, it would usually be a song or two more than everyone else. I didn't like it, but that was the ropes... then I got an interesting idea... any food order that came in while he was singing was a dollar off... the bar owners loved the suggestion, and the food orders began to SERIOUSLY fly outta there. Josh the cook loved it, but also used to politely complain that he didn't WANT to take the singing break as he knew he'd get slammed after that! !

Wow man... sheer genius that was. Bet the bar owner loved that.

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KJ for Elite Entertainment at Charlie Horse Saloon in Ocala Florida.

That is a great idea ! 2 thumbs up on that one.

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[shadow=pink][glow=deepskyblue]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

Thanks!!

did the same thing with the bartender too! $.50 off beer and well drinks and $1.00 off the big name drinks... the owner would fly behind the bar while the bartender sang, and the money ROLLED in!! They were sure sorry to see me go! ! I had a million ideas! Mostly cause I always wanted to run my own bar! Had ran them for other folks, and always made them serious money!

You need to share some more of those ideas here. That one was brilliant.

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[shadow=pink][glow=deepskyblue]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

have to agree with karen k

my regulars LOVE it when the staff sings.  as most of you know my venue is VERY close knit and it's almost like having your big brother who never cracks a smile tell a joke!  the staff hardly ever sings, but when they do, look out!  they've all got great voices and they really have fun.  i could see where in another venue the staff may want special privledges but in my place it's all family fun

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All work and no play make Homer something something

I agree with most.  Getting the staff up once in awhile is a good thing, as long as they are not in rotation and taking up valuble time for paying customers.  Most people love it.

Johnny

Agree -  Keep it sporadic - out of a rotation if one is going.

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Sounds Great! Entertainment
Bartlett, Illinois

Letting the sing once a night or if it's real slow seems to be the best way to go Ive been to shows where they let the wait staff & bartenders pretty much sing anytime they wanted. Very annoying to the customers I think.