American Bartending School Such a scam Tampa, Florida

Please DO NOT waste your money attending this bartending school!  I am a former employee of the "school" and I am here to reveal the beihind the scenes secrets of Pat and her phony school.  First of all, their placement department does not place you in any job.  The person in charge of placement looks up the want ads (just like you can) and tells numerous applicants about these openings (which most of the time are not hiring or are not looking to hire graduates of the school with no experience). You are given the impression that these bars and restaurants are expecting you and when you get there, they have no idea of what you're talking about.  Nepotism is also a huge part of the school.  Pat finds it easier to hire relatives rather than people who are actually qualified and helpful to the students.  Also, Pat insists on taking money from potential students who dont even speak English. 

These poor students are given false hopes that they will be able to pass in the one or two week course which is an absolute LIE!  I even had a student once that spoke English but could not read or write it.  How does the school expect people to learn if they cannot understand the language.  I feel very sorry for these people.  Also, I felt guilty wasting these students time because I knew that they would never be able to get a bartending job because a certification from American Bartending School is useless.  I have been a bartender for years and have shared many a laugh with bar owners and managers who find it hilarious when someone with no experience proudly applies for a bartending job with nothing but a certificate.  I worked with one of Pats daughters who did nothing but distract the hispanic students and flirt shamelessly with them.  Everybody made fun of her (including the Spanish only students) and because of her interfering with my teaching these students took weeks and sometimes months to graduate (if they did not leave out of sheer frustration).  Also, the scoring of the test that you are given at the end of your learning is adjusted according to how much the teacher likes you or feels sorry for you.  I saw this first hand from Pat's daughters.

Dont get me wrong, if you speak, read and write English there are neat things that you do learn like how to warm brandy and layer pousse cafe cocktails but these are also things learned from experience.