Question 1

One of your customers appears to be getting intoxicated. Out of the following, which is the best thing to say to the customer to let him or her know you are stopping alcohol service?

Accepted Answer

When stopping alcohol service to someone, the best thing to say is something like, "Sorry, but I'm not able to continue serving you alcohol at this time. Is there anything else I can get you instead?"
This lets the customer know that you are sorry and do not take pleasure in discontinuing his or her alcohol service but are just being responsible and doing your job. Furthermore, not kicking him or her out gives him or her the option of ordering something non-alcoholic. Always be polite and courteous when ceasing service to someone, and try to embarrass him or her as little as possible.

Question 2

A group of people comes in with a supposed designated driver, but each one of them ends up purchasing multiple drinks. You don't know/remember who the designated driver was supposed to be, but you do know that whoever it was has now had a few drinks. What do you do?

Accepted Answer

When it comes to a group that is drinking, you should monitor the amount they're drinking and their intoxication levels and stop serving them when appropriate.
For future reference, if a group does come in with a designated driver, make a note of who he or she is. While you cannot necessarily refuse him or her alcohol if he or she asks for it, you can politely remind him or her that he or she is supposed to be the designated driver. Ultimately, you should be monitoring the intoxication levels of the entire group anyway and should not be letting them get to a point where they pose a danger to themselves or others.

Question 3

Two young-looking customers approach Jessie at the bar and ask for some beers. When she asks to see their IDs, one of them says he forgot it at home. The other customer's ID says he is 26 years old, and he insists his friend is the same age. What should Jessie do in this situation?

Accepted Answer

In a situation in which a customer cannot present the proper ID when asked, he or she should be refused alcohol (even if his or her friends offer to buy it).
There are severe potential legal repercussions for serving alcohol to minors, including citations, lawsuits, and even loss of liquor licenses. Servers and bartenders should therefore always stay on the safe side and refuse alcohol service to anyone who cannot present the proper identification.

Question 4

Mike is serving a group of people out celebrating their friend's birthday, and they insist that he do tequila shots with them. He knows they are all of legal age and have at least one designated driver, so what should he do?

Accepted Answer

Mike should politely refuse because while it's not generally illegal to drink on the job in many states, it is commonly frowned upon and goes against the policies of many establishments.
Though it may be seen as controversial, Mike could be fired if he drinks on the job. In places where it is not illegal (which is most states and municipalities), the decision is entirely up to the management. Even so, in some states it is illegal for bartenders and servers to drink while at work.

Question 5

If a customer comes to your establishment and is already visibly intoxicated, what is the best course of action for you to take?

Accepted Answer

Do not serve an already intoxicated customer, and take measures to help improve his or her condition, such as offering him or her water and food.
If you work at a place with a bouncer, it is very possible that he or she will not let an already intoxicated person enter the premises. If an intoxicated person does manage to enter, however, it is up to you to take measures to prevent him or her from leaving the premises in that same condition. While only time will cause a person to sober up, food and water can help slow the rate of intoxication and make the person feel more alert.

Question 6

When is it OK for you as a bartender/server to use physical force against a customer?

Accepted Answer

You should never use physical force against a customer.
If you do feel that the customer is putting him or herself or others in harm's way, it is a good idea to call the police. Sometimes even just telling the customer that you're going to call the cops is motivation enough for him or her to stop what he or she is doing.

Question 7

A couple comes into the bar in a relatively good mood but after a few drinks begins to argue. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

If people are arguing at your establishment, the best thing to do is to keep an eye on it and let your manager know.
This way your manager can also keep an eye on them and step in if things seem to be getting too bad. Don't step in and put yourself in harm's way if some guests are arguing. If an actual fight breaks out, call the police.

Question 8

What should you do when you think you see a drug transaction going on inside the establishment or on its outside premises?

Accepted Answer

If you think you see a drug transaction going on, contact the police immediately and go alert your manager of the situation.
While it can be tempting to go address the people yourself, you don't want to put yourself or others in harm's way. Still, since the establishment can be held accountable for criminal activity that takes place on its property, the last thing you want to do is not contact the police (whether or not you kicked the people out, it'll look like you're trying to cover something up).

Question 9

One of your customers appears to be intoxicated, so you decide to stop serving him alcohol. Unfortunately, your manager tells you that you have to continue serving him because he is a close friend of the restaurant owner. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

If your manager tells you to continue serving an intoxicated customer, tell him or her that you are really not comfortable continuing to serve this customer and ask if he or she can serve the customer instead.
If any alcohol-related incidents happen later on because of the intoxicated customer, the person who can be held at least partially liable is the person who served the customer, even if the person's manager told him or her to do it. Be as polite and respectful as possible with your manager, and if your manager insists that the customer continue to be served, ask that he or she be the one to serve the customer instead.

Question 10

After which of the following scenarios should you fill out an incident report?

Accepted Answer

You should fill out an incident report after you have to kick out two guests for trying to sell illegal substances to customers.
Always fill out an incident report after an incident that involves violent or illegal activity. You should also be aware of your establishment's policies when it comes to filling out incident reports and follow them accordingly.

Question 11

What's the first thing you should do if a fight breaks out in the establishment?

Accepted Answer

The first thing you should do if a fight breaks out is move other customers away from the situation.
While you should certainly get your manager and call the police, the very first thing you need to do is make sure that the rest of the customers in the establishment are out of harm's way. Do not try to break up the fight yourself, because not only should you not use physical force against any guest, but you should also avoid putting yourself in danger.

Question 12

A guest shows up to the establishment demanding to order a drink, but he or she is already clearly intoxicated and has nobody to drive him or her home. What should you do in this situation?

Accepted Answer

When an already intoxicated customer shows up trying to order, make efforts to sober him or her up before leaving and help him or her find transportation home.
Whatever you do, do not serve the customer any alcohol. If he or she becomes disruptive and/or violent as a result, that's when you can call the police.

Question 13

A customer orders another beer, but when you go to put it on his tab you notice that he's already had six beers. Still, he doesn't appear to be showing any signs of intoxication. Should you do anything?

Accepted Answer

Even if the customer isn't showing signs of intoxication, you should still avoid over-serving by giving the customer some water and suggesting he or she close out his or her tab.
Even if a customer isn't showing any signs of intoxication, that doesn't mean he or she isn't getting drunk. Some people just happen to have high alcohol tolerance levels, but this just means that they don't visibly show signs of intoxication as readily as other people. They can still be impaired, which is why you need to closely monitor the amount people are drinking as well.

Question 14

You are serving an elderly couple on their anniversary, and they like you so much that they offer to buy you a drink or two to celebrate with them. What is the best way to respond?

Accepted Answer

When customers offer to buy you a drink, say something along the lines of "Thanks. That's very nice of you, but I'm unable to do that. Can I get you anything else at this time?"
This way you are being courteous while also offering to serve your customers in another way. Perhaps most importantly, you are avoiding drinking on the job. Different establishments have different policies when it comes to drinking at work, so be sure to learn yours and follow it.

Question 15

A customer asks you to hold a bag behind the bar for her. After she leaves, you open it out of curiosity and see what looks like illegal drug paraphernalia. What do you do?

Accepted Answer

If at any time you find drug paraphernalia in the establishment, you should alert the manager and contact law enforcement.
Even if an establishment's employees are not personally involved in illegal actions, they can still be held responsible for illegal activity that occurs on the premises. This is especially true if they are aware of it and just let it happen rather than reporting it.

Question 16

A customer appears to be intoxicated, but his wife says he is fine. They're about to drive home and the car keys are in his hand. What should you do in this situation?

Accepted Answer

If someone is trying to drive home while intoxicated, you should offer to call him or her a cab and/or find him or her another way of getting home.
Insisting that the other person in a couple drive instead may not be possible if he or she has also had a few drinks, not to mention the fact that he or she may not actually be able to drive. Always be polite in these situations and never use force with customers. If trying to persuade them to use an alternate form of transportation doesn't work, you can also call the police to alert them that a drunk driver may be out on the road.

Question 17

You refuse to continue serving a customer, but he threatens you with violence. He seems serious. What is the right thing to do in this situation?

Accepted Answer

If a customer is threatening you, remain as polite as possible and get the manager and/or a bouncer for assistance.
Whatever you do, don't do anything (such as using physical force or raising your voice) that might cause the customer to become angrier or that might put you in danger. If you cannot step away to get assistance, motion for a coworker to do so or try to signal the manager yourself. Do not get closer to the customer or do anything else that would make it easier for him or her to lash out at you.

Question 18

You ask to see a customer's ID, but he tells you he accidentally left it at home. His friend - who did show you a legal ID - comes over and insists they are the same age. He seems to be telling the truth, so what should you do now?

Accepted Answer

If a customer cannot present an ID when you ask for it, you should apologize for the inconvenience and explain that you cannot serve him or her.
Even if you strongly suspect a customer is telling the truth about being of age, you can still be held legally responsible if you serve him or her and it turns out he or she is lying. The legal repercussions are too shattering to make taking such chances worth your time.

Question 19

You are tending bar at an event where you know there are minors present. A few of them even tried to order drinks, but you politely turned them away. Now some people are ordering multiple drinks at a time. How do you make sure they aren't giving drinks to the minors?

Accepted Answer

If you suspect some of your patrons may be bringing drinks over to minors, some of the things you can do are offer to bring their drinks over to their table, ask who the drinks are for, and limit them to ordering just one drink at a time.
You should also monitor the speed at which individuals are coming up to order drinks. If they seem to be coming up repeatedly within a short period of time, chances are they are not just downing their drinks that fast (and even if they were, you should still slow them down to delay intoxication).

Question 20

You are serving a bachelorette party, and everyone keeps buying the bride drinks. She seems to be getting pretty drunk and tired, but nobody in her group seems to notice. Should you step in?

Accepted Answer

Even if other people are buying drinks for a person who appears drunk and tired, you should stop serving that person and offer him or her some water instead.
Regardless of the specific situation, anyone who appears drunk and tired should no longer be served alcohol. While bachelor and bachelorette parties are infamous for involving a lot of alcohol, that fact won't cover you in legal situations. In this scenario, for example, it would be extremely irresponsible of you to continue serving the bride. To smooth things over, be as polite as possible and offer the group some water.

Quiz 5: Difficult Situations