Serving drinks, whether in a fine-dine place, sports bar, or even a standard dining restaurant can seem glamorous and fun, but it’s more serious than you’d expect. Whenever alcohol is involved, there is always a chance of people or situations getting out of hand.
So, then, how do you solve this challenge? Well, that’s where alcohol awareness training programs come in.
An alcohol awareness training program is ideal for servers since it teaches them about responsible alcohol consumption and equips them with strategies for protecting guests, employers, and even themselves. Here’s what you should know about this training.
First Things First: What’s Alcohol Awareness Training?
An alcohol awareness training program is a course meant to educate restaurant staff about safe alcohol serving techniques, responsible consumption, and general alcohol laws. The main objective of such a course is to ensure that anyone handling or serving alcohol (bartenders, servers, managers, etc.) has the knowledge they need to sell and serve alcohol responsibly while paying attention to the set regulations.
A carefully created Alcohol Awareness Training course by a renowned provider is a great purchase because it’s not only created to include all the vital information but is also updated regularly to reflect the most recent changes. Not only that, but such a provider will tweak their course content to reflect state-specific requirements where necessary.
All in all, here’s what an alcohol awareness training program will educate your employees about:
- Guidelines and laws for handling minors and/or intoxicated persons
- State/city-specific laws that control the selling or serving of alcohol
- Laws that touch on the sale of alcohol to non-members of private clubs
- Steps to take to avoid selling alcohol to minors
- Ways in which alcohol impacts customers
- When and how to refuse to sell alcohol
- How to safeguard oneself, others, and even the business from liability and damage
Basic Ground Rules in Alcohol Awareness Training
Even though the course content in alcohol awareness training programs will vary from one situation and state to the next, there are some basic ground rules that just won’t change. Here are some:
- You should never serve alcohol to minor guests (anyone who’s not 21 years old yet).
- Avoid serving alcohol to a guest who is evidently intoxicated. Servers should also keep track of the number of drinks ordered by a guest to avoid cases of intoxication. Not only that, but alcohol awareness helps servers or anyone handling such guests to identify the telltale signs of intoxication.
- Be careful with young adults accompanied by older teens. There are lots of cases of young adults sneaking old teens in, purchasing alcohol, and then pouring it into soda or similar drinks. In such cases, bartenders or servers will have to involve their supervisor to refuse the sale.
- Always refuse the sale of alcohol whenever in doubt. Though this will make you go against the need to deliver a great customer experience, refusing a sale may be your best option depending on the situation.
Do You Need Alcohol Awareness Training?
Some restaurant or bar owners may feel like it’s not necessary to enrol their staff in alcohol awareness programs, which may not be a crime in itself (depending on the state). It’s the outcome of this decision, however, that can ruin your business or expose you to unwarranted repercussions such as:
- Huge fines
- Suspension or revoking of your liquor licence
- Suspension or cancellation of your food service licence
- Suspension or cancellation of your business licence
- Complete closure of your business
- Imprisonment
It’s such repercussions that push some states to mandate seller-server training requirements that may involve alcohol awareness training. But even if your state doesn’t require it, enrolling in such programs can save you lots of trouble down the road.
Alcohol Awareness Training Made Easy
Ensuring your staff have the crucial information they need to make the right decisions when serving customers is a great idea that can help to create a positive impact. Your commitment to keeping everyone safe will pay huge dividends in return and ensure that everyone visiting your establishment has a good experience.
This is the journey that RocketCert helps you take when you purchase awareness training programs for your staff. They not only create courses that help you satisfy legal requirements but also make employees understand the importance of alcohol awareness at work.
