A question...

[pt2020]

Hi All,

I am not a military person, I work in the hospitality industry, however I am very interested in the opinions of military personnel with regards an issue that has cropped up regularly over the years during hospitality industry training sessions.

The following is a transcript from a bartender training session I recently attended:

"We live in changing times… The perfect bartender? Someone with skills or hospitality? – Bartending is like the army, this is combat! Most bartenders are like soldiers, you train them. You tell them what to do, but not why… Some are officers, the talented ones are generals. In the old days there wasn’t much choice in liquor and hasty clients. Nowadays, young bartenders are dealing with lots of different liquors and clients who are in a hurry. These new bartenders should actually be trained like Special Forces, skilled in every aspect of bartending."

I have encountered this kind of analogy many times - likening hospitality staff to 'combat' soldiers - and it has always seemed to me to be a rather glib, easy analogy and rather disrespectful to what soldiers actually encounter during combat.

I would be very interested to hear the thoughts of personnel with experience of the armed forces and combat, and what their view is of this kind of analogy being made. Believe me I have heard this kind of thing many many times and never quite felt comfortable with it.

I welcome your thoughts, and many thanks for your time.

Best,

Nick

[MSI64]

Its an easy analogy to use, as it make the people you are training feel special. And it also lets you put your ideas in simple terms soldiers/officers/generals.
I personally dont mind it. when its about training its fine. the thing that does bug me is the use of soldya when it comes to chavs who have died.

However bar tending is a far cry from soldiering. whilst not everybody in the forces will be in the thick of battle, the stress and strain of army life cannot be compared to any other job. Every soldier knows how to think on their feet, we can keep going when it gets tough (even though there is lots of whinging). And when it comes to make the impossible work there is no one better than a squaddie.
Every career soldier knows he cant just walk away from it, he/she is in it for the long haul

[Hyperlithe]

I worked in the Hospitality Industry before I joined up, (I used to be the Night Manager at a hotel in Manchester city centre)
Certainly wouldn't say there is any comparison!
I'm not offended by the use of the analogy, as it's obvious the people using it have no idea what it's actually like to serve in the military...

[Tab]

I don't know.....I have seen some dam good battles in pubs at time.

[Hyperlithe]

True Tab, but from what I've seen, the bar staff usually stand about looking gormless, leaving it to the rest of us to either try and break it up or call the police...

[Pilgrim Norway]

Is this someone we know ? Good place to ask I suppose .....