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by Answer Rabbit on April 20th, 2006

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Do bartenders get any training in how to handle drunk people?

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Answers. 7 helpful answers below.

  • by shsmith on April 20th, 2006

    shsmith

    It depends on the place you work, but usually any "training" is just a couple of pointers from your manager. Bars that know they routinely have roudy people usually have security on staff. You are usually required to take a short course when becoming a bartender, and it is up to you to decide when someone is too drunk to be served because your license depends on it! I would say it is more of a thing you learn by watching how others handle situations.

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  • by Grandma Roses - my avatar is my real dog on April 21st, 2006

    Grandma Roses - my avatar is my real dog

    In Ontario, all bar staff, and even casual servers such as at weddings, have to have Smart Serve certification. It deals with many aspects of the trade including how to deal with difficult/intoxicated customers.

    Here is a sample newsletter from the organization:

    http://smartserve.org/newsletters/Newsletter_March_2002.pdf

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  • by BusinessConsultant on September 24th, 2009

    BusinessConsultant

    Most bars and clubs have security on hand to take the worries of intoxicated people off the bartender. But sometimes bartenders DO have to take things into there own hands and handle the situation.

    A lot of times, professionaly trained bartenders learn different techniques on how to handle intoxicated people at there bartending schools.

    I have been bartending for a few years now. I trained at the Maryland Bartending Academy (http://www.marylandbartending.com) and learned many ways to deal with patrons who have had a little too much to drink. The different techniques that I was taught were interesting.

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  • by gramywheels on May 6th, 2006

    gramywheels

    Yes, in many states if a bartender does not cut a person off when they are drunk can be held responsible if the drinker goes out and harms someone driving. , etc. Bartenders are trained and many states require they hold a license in order to work. My state of Missouri requires 30 hours of training and passing a final exam to receive a license. One unfortunate thing is just like most servers, they work hard for a very little hourly wage (sometimes less than $2.00 per hour) and must hope that people are generous. The bartender is also in charge of the bar area and must cut you off, don't take it personally they just might be saving you or someone else's life. Bartenders are professionals and I don't know about you but I certainly would find it hard to remember over 200 drinks, be mixing a bar full of drinks at one time, remember who is drinking what at who has had too much and who's giving the wait staff a hard time and deal with it. .Remember the next time you go out for an evening, show the bartender when they have done a good job - tip both the bartender and the server.

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  • by Anonymous on May 5th, 2006

    Anonymous

    In the UK, its not a specific legal requirement to provide formal training relating to this, but many bars will have a procedure for dealing with such situations which the staff will be made aware of- if a company fails to provide this they could be prosecuted under Health, Safety and Welfare laws which require an employer to provide a resonable level of protection to their employers from safety risks, including violence and psychological stressors- which could arise from this situation.

    Because risks from this kind of thing vary from bar to bar (i.e. a bar in a dodgy backstreet may pose different risks to a bar in a 5* hotel) employers are required to carry out risk assesments which identify any specific risks in that particular bar and instigate measures to deal with them- in some cases this might include extensive and specific training (e.g. what to do if a drunk patron produces a weapon) in others it might just include general advice, or providing extra security measures such as CCTV surveilance, or trained security guards on the door.

    Even where training isn't given as such, as a bartender you will normally be made aware of basic legal factors relating to the matter (such as your right to remove, using reasonable force, anyone from the premises without providing a reason) and a line of command (e.g. who to call in) should things get out of hand.

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  • by MyKinKStar on May 5th, 2006

    MyKinKStar

    Every state or county regulation is different, according to their own local Alcohol and Beverage Code. Many places have training programs in place, with required certification prior to being hired to work with or around alcohol. For example, in Las Vegas, anyone who sells, serves, handles or controls the issue of alcohol, or makes a major decision regarding alcohol must have a valid TAM (Techniques of Alcohol Management) card. This includes any hotel/casino security officers.
    The card is obtained after taking a four hour course, at a cost of $20 or free if you're unemployed. A TAM card is good for five years, then must be renewed, with a 2 hour refresher.

    TAM/Nevada will train servers/sellers of alcohol to monitor the drinker, as inhibitiion and judgment become potentially impaired. Some info: http://lasvegas.about.com/od/jobs/ht/TAMCard.htm
    http://tamcards.com/ and http://tamcards.com/drinkwheel.htm

    In addition: Personally speaking, I was "raised" in a beer joint, owned and operated by my parents, in a little Virginia town - near Skyline Drive, about 80 miles west of DC. We had a license to sell beer on and off sale, meaning on premises or packaged to go, issued by the VA Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control or ABC. The ABC Board was hard to please, but back then there wasn't any training or certification required to sell alcohol. When it's your business and it's all you've got, in a small town, you can't risk selling beer to anyone even slightly drunk. We had as many local customers, as unknowns traveling through, so we learned to recognize different people's behavior and how best to "cut them off" without offending. With no such thing as the immediate help via "911" in those days, we couldn't afford to p*ss someone off, making them "outta whack" in a drunken rage. I learned from the best, my Mother, how to notice when someone has reached their height of alcohol pleasure - at least from beer! From that point on, everything is all down hill . . . and it's very dangerous to keep adding fuel to the fire!

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  • by jmacbops on May 4th, 2006

    jmacbops

    In Texas, the TABC seller's course has a few suggestions for how to cut people off. Most places give new bartenders additional training. Handling drunks is an art and some bartenders are better than others.

    If you do it nicely and don't embarrass them, most drunks will accept that they've had too much. I usually say something like, "Sorry, but I can't sell you any more alcohol. How about a cup of coffee or soft drink on the house?" That works for most people.

    For drunks that won't give up without a fight, most clubs and bars have bouncers (official or unofficial) or owners that have dealt with ornery drunks before. Fights are bad for business so an escalating scale of "persuasion" is used if a customer gets rowdy. You don’t want to be on the receiving end of the highest level.

    Here's one thing I quickly learned working behind a bar: most people that have had too much believe they can act sober. You can't. I've seen a few alcoholics that are proficient at appearing sober but an experienced bartender that pays any attention at all can tell. It is more obvious than you'd think if you never worked behind a bar. If you’ve had too much, don’t kid yourself – the bartender can tell.

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