Annette, 83, on keeping calm behind the bar at the Windmill in Denton
The pub's longest-serving bar team member cut the ribbon on its refurbishment and shared how she handles awkward customers.
Annette Browne is 83 and still works shifts at the Windmill in Denton, the Manchester Evening News reports. She has worked there in two spells, first in the 1970s and again since the mid-1990s, and staff and regulars put her forward when general manager Mark Simms asked on Facebook for a local hero to cut the ribbon on the pub's six-figure refurbishment.
The relaunch brings refreshed interiors, an updated Vault with new pool and darts tables, and new dishes on the menu. Mark says the team makes Annette a brew every time she comes in, and that everyone who walks through the door knows who she is.
Her approach to difficult customers - Work out what's behind it before reacting - Don't blame anyone; people get upset - Stay calm, because a calm bar makes for calmer customers - Never shout back. Sort the problem out instead
Her advice to people starting out is simple: be yourself, do your job and remember that manners count.
On your shift: the next time a guest gets heated, try Annette's order of play. Work out what is actually wrong, keep your voice level and fix the thing you can fix. It's not soft, it's the quickest way to get the bar back to normal.
Source: Manchester Evening News (opens in a new tab)
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