Gen Z hospitality staff are addicted to their mobile phones, reluctant to work weekends and lack banter, their older peers have claimed, while mature staff are deemed as being more reliable with better customer service skills.
The criticisms of younger bar staff come as a new report revealed that the over 50s make up a third of the hospitality workforce with more than 165,000 employees over the age of 50 working in hotels, bars, cafes and restaurants.
Mature staff are up in arms about the behaviour of their junior counterparts claiming many ‘don’t have the same work ethic or willingness to go the extra mile as the older generation’.
Fed-up punters have even hit out at the rookie workers for being unable to pour a pint, know what a top up is or understand the basics behind pub queue etiquette.
The onslaught of criticisms has led infuriated industry chiefs to reveal their top dos and don’t for any new comers in the industry, calling for staffers to do the basics by muting their phones, arrive punctually and most importantly: smile.
KENT: Darren Wilson, 53, who is the pub landlord of The Old Neptune in Whitstable, said ‘older people seem to be responsible’ while youngsters spend ‘so much time on their phones’
KENT: Pippa Axford, 63, runs her pub The Two Brewers in Whitstable along with her Gen Z granddaughter Kacey Spinner, 24. Pippa claimed that problems with younger staff is the fault of managers training
Elsewhere pub bosses are looking for ways to crackdown on the antisocial behaviour of their juvenile employees – which some argue is symptomatic of growing up in an age surrounded by technology, leading to fewer face-to-face interactions.
Darren Wilson, pub landlord at the Old Neptune on Whitstable seafront, said he is thinking about getting a shoebox for his staff to stick their phones in on shift – only having their devices back while on break or when they leave work.
He said: ‘Older people seem to be more responsible. The youngsters tend to live at home with their parents so they’ll be fed and watered whether they go to work or not.
‘They haven’t got the fire in their belly – especially when they haven’t got bills to pay.
‘You’ll be expecting someone to turn up for work and all of a sudden you’ve got a text saying they aren’t coming in today. They come up with all kinds of excuses.’
But others have come to the defence of first-time workers, arguing that the poor attitude of youngsters comes down to a lack of basic training – which is more of their bosses liability.
Pippa Axford, 63, landlady at The Two Brewers in Whitstable, added: ‘My staff are all quite young and I’ve never had a problem with them. Being sociable and able to listen to people is part of the job, regardless of age.
‘I would say that if youngsters are rude or don’t interact with customers, then that’s the employer’s fault for not training them properly.’
The majority of older workers who spoke with , however, have blasted younger workers for their attitude.
Sue Pryor, 66, who works as a bartender at The Handsome Sam micropub in Whitstable, Kent, said the younger staff at her pub are unreliable, not turning up if they have been out drinking the night before.
She said: ‘A lot of the younger staff are reluctant to work evenings and weekends. They think weekends are for going out.
KENT: Sue Pryor, 66, who works as a bartender at The Handsome Sam micropub in Whitstable, said youngsters are reluctant to work weekends as they think its a time ‘for going out’
KENT: Harry Clark, bar supervisor at The Smack Inn in Whitstable, said he sees a lot of older people taking on bar work purely to socialise
LONDON: Robert Ternava, 37, who has worked at the Old Shades pub near Trafalgar Square for two years believes age is not as important a factor as experience
‘And others don’t turn up if they’ve had a late night the day before. Older staff tend to be more reliable and more sensible with their drinking.’
Her colleague Charles Maxted, 63, who works part-time as a bartender, said he often notices younger staff on their phones.
He added: ‘Some younger people seem to be addicted to their mobile phones, whereas older staff are more interested in customer service and people skills.
‘But then that’s the way of life nowadays. Customer service was drummed into us when we were younger. It became second nature.’
Darren, who has run his pub for 19 years, added: ‘They spend so much time on their phones because their whole lives are on there.
‘I’m thinking about getting a shoe box, sticking it on the bar and making them put their phones in it while they’re on shift.
‘They can have them back when they go for a break or leave.’
Bartender Stacey, 54, who has worked at the Old Neptune for 18 years, said: ‘Older staff have bills to pay so they turn up to work, whereas the younger staff you might not see them.
‘Older staff are definitely more reliable and they’re not on their phones so much.’
Meanwhile Joyce Brady, 68, has worked shifts in pubs as a barmaid in the Southport, Merseyside, area for decades and while she argues it is mainly down to the training given by employers, technology has not helped with customer service.
The grandmother said: ‘It all comes down to training, and that’s nowhere near as good as it used to be. These days, young people are thrown in at the deep end and expected to get on with it.
‘In some respects, it’s not their fault. But it’s also a general decline in their social skills.
‘The youngsters don’t have the same kind of banter with the customers as the older ones do. I think that’s because they spend so much time online. They don’t always know how to interact with the punters.
‘It’s about attitude. You need to have the right attitude in hospitality.
‘If you send someone a rude text, you can forget about it. If you’re rude to someone in a pub, you could get punched in the face. Young staff are easily distracted, and on their phones every five minutes. Sometimes you overhear them loudly chatting to each other about inappropriate topics.’
She added: ‘The younger hospitality workers don’t seem to have the same worth ethic, or willingness to go the extra mile as the older generation.
‘We were brought up and taught to believe the customer is always right, but it’s not like that any more.
‘It’s the older staff members who have to step in and calm down situations, and pick up the slack when they are not pulling their weight.’
KENT: Cadi Hagell, 51, has been a manager at the Ship Centurion in Whitstable for 27 years and says it mainly comes down to ‘attitude’
LONDON: Pieter Janse van Vuren, 43, who works in Caffè Concerto, just off Trafalgar Square, said he thought older workers like him had more experience, and therefore made them better workers.
KENT: Pippa Axford, 63, landlady at The Two Brewers in Whitstable runs the pub with her Gen Z granddaughter, Kacey Spinner, 24
But Charles said he thinks poorer customer service skills in his younger colleagues is partly due to a lack of confidence.
He added: ‘I think, in some cases, older people find it easier to engage in conversation. You grow in confidence as you get older.’
Charles said he has noticed an increase in over 50s taking on hospitality work to boost their income during the cost-of-living crisis.
He said: ‘Quite a few of my friends have retired from other roles and gone into hospitality, and a few others do it alongside their full time job to supplement their income.
‘I’ve even noticed that in university cities like Canterbury, a lot of the staff are over 50, and in some cases 60 plus.
‘I think it will become more and more common for older people to take on bar work as they find their pensions aren’t sufficient and they start to look for additional jobs.
‘There’s a lot of part-time hospitality roles available so people can fit it in around their other responsibilities.’
Even youngsters such as Hannah Penn who works in the White Lion pub in Covernt Garden have said they consider older staff superior, due to their attentiveness.
The 25-year-old, who has worked at the pub for two years, said: ‘Most of our staff are younger, but our boss in her fifties and has the most experience of us all.
‘I think she is far more attentive to customers than some of the younger staff. But that comes with experience, and she has been managing for decades.
‘I think for young people in hospitality, and for those working in a pub as their first job when they are 18, they still have a lot of maturing and learning to do, so they tend to progress slower.
‘Sometimes they can be a little bit reluctant to carry heavy items, for example. I think it’s been difficult for younger people in hospitality, though, because of the pandemic.
‘Sometimes they may find it a bit more difficult to interact with customers and use common sense. But that’s what we are here for, to train them up.’
Carlito Shander-Arnes, a bartender at Sports Bar & Grill next to Marylebone Station, though a youngster himself, agrees that older workers may be more suited to hospitality jobs.
The 21-year-old, who has worked in hospitality since 2019, said: ‘I think older staff are more attentive, maybe more loyal…
‘You are less likely to not turn up for a shift, and I think maybe they prioritise work.
‘I don’t think mis-pouring drinks has anything – or very little – to do with age.
‘If it’s packed, we’re a lot less likely to care about how perfect a pint is.
‘I think management think they can get away with a lot more with younger staff than older staff as well.
‘It’s easier to manipulate them than older staff who have been in work for a while.’
Angelly Gorry, a 20-year-old working at Walkers of Whitehall just off Trafalgar Square, agreed that older workers were probably more likely to be polite.
The fashion student at Middlesex University, said: ‘I feel like you have more patience when you’re older.
‘Younger people have more prospects, so you do jobs like this as a part time thing.
‘Also, maybe you care less about the job, so if you are older you will care more about your job. Older people are more respectful to customers, as well.’
Amongst the complaints about youngster’s attitude, pub goers have taken to social media to blast the number of poorly poured pints they have encountered at pubs and bars – with some Facebook groups even being set up to document the frothy beverages.
One wrote: ‘Boy you see some pints poured badly by untrained staff and disinterested publicans. In this day and age you think it would be rare.’
Another added: ‘Each week the bar staff are untrained and incompetent when pulling pints.’
KENT: The Ship Centurion in Whistable, where most of the staff are under the age of 50
LONDON: The Old Shades pub near Trafalgar Square, where staff argue problems with customer service are down to experience rather than age
However not everyone agrees that mature workers are better then their younger counterparts, claiming it all comes down to having the right attitude.
Pippa granddaughter and co-licensee at the Two Brewers Kacey Spinner, 24, added: ‘I’ve known most of our customers all my life because I was brought up here. In fact, my first word was beer, so I’ve always been a pub girl. Being sociable is in the job description – no matter what your age.’
Pieter Janse van Vuren, a 43-year-old working in Caffè Concerto, just off Trafalgar Square in London said he thought older workers like him had more experience, and therefore made them better workers.
Pieter, who has worked in hospitality in both his native South Africa and the UK for 23 years, said: ‘I think I have more patience because I’m older.
‘But the younger people are starting to adapt, now. They need to adapt from the office mentality, but they are very nice people. But, sometimes, I feel we work more than they do because we have more experience than them. They are getting there, though.’
A short walk away in Covent Garden, workers at the Bow Street Tavern disagreed and instead argued it was the older workers who couldn’t keep up with their youthful peers.
Jack, who didn’t wish to give his surname, said: ‘I don’t think I would agree that older people make better workers in hospitality.
‘I find some older gentlemen entitled and rude… but you get the same with younger people as well sometimes.’
‘It just depends on whether or not they enjoy the job and are eager to learn,’ colleague Sophie, who has worked in the industry for around five years, added.
‘If you are willing to learn, I don’t think anyone age is better than any other. I have met very rude older people… It just depends what venue you are in, I guess. Maybe older staff in a golf club would be great.’
‘I have worked in the industry for, like, four years now,’ Jack rejoined. ‘I have met enthusiastic younger people looking to gain experience. Maybe, if you are older, it’s like you have been in it for a while and it’s the same old thing.
‘That makes you more impatient, maybe. They would struggle at a busy pub in London. I don’t want to presume what people’s physical capabilities are, but if you are young, you can respond in a better way to business and stress.’
Cadi Hagell, 51, has been a manager at the Ship Centurion in Whitstable for 27 years.
She said: ‘Most of our staff are under 50 – I’m the oldest here at 51. Some of the younger staff haven’t got the experience older staff do, but it’s all about attitude.
‘If you’ve got the right attitude, you’ll be good at the job whatever age you are. You’ve got to be sociable and friendly, but I don’t think that’s age dependent.’
But Cadi said she thinks younger Brits have been put off hospitality work after seeing how hard the industry was hit during the Covid pandemic.
She added: ‘When I was younger hospitality work was always seen as more stable – there was always going to be a pub open even if there was a war on.
‘But Covid put an end to that theory. It was one of the industries that suffered the most. I think a lot of younger people were put off it for that reason.’
Harry Clark, bar supervisor at The Smack Inn in Whitstable, said he sees a lot of older people taking on bar work purely to socialise.
The 31-year-old said: ‘A lot of older people want to do part time bar work because they enjoying socialising. ‘I worked with one older lady who worked a few evenings simply to fill her free time.’
Robert Ternava has worked at the Old Shades pub near Trafalgar Square for two years and believes age is not as important a factor as experience.
‘I have worked in hospitality for 20 years and it’s not any easy job,’ the 37-year-old said. ‘You get looked down on and abused. But if you aren’t educated in anything else then you have no other choice.
‘I think with new, younger members of staff, it is reasonable to expect that they might find things a bit difficult because they have never done this job before. I don’t think age is really the issue, more the lack of experience.’