1. Due to the effects of alcohol upon a person’s judgment and activities, reasonable care should be taken when serving alcohol.
2. “Dram Shop” Laws involve civil complaints alleging that a business “illegally” served alcohol to an individual who then (as a direct result of having been “illegally” served alcohol) caused the plaintiff (victim) to experience suffering or loss.
3. Have you ever been asked to guess someone’s age? How many times were you able to guess the exact age of that person? How close were you to the actual age? One year … on e month, week…etc. Unfortunately, even missing someone’s age by a day may be the difference between “legally” and “illegally” serving alcohol. Do not rely solely on the visual appearance of an individual when determining their age. The best way to be sure that the person you are serving is of legal drinking age is to check their ID.
4. Do not serve alcohol to someone who appears intoxicated. In many cases it is not only illegal to serve alcohol to an individual who is intoxicated, it can increase the probability of that person being injured or injuring a third party in an accident. Learn how to recognize the signs of intoxication. Refuse service to anyone who appears intoxicated. Notify the other servers and the Manager on Duty (MOD) that you have refused service and why.
5. Know your surroundings and customers. Learn to identify problem drinkers early. By
identifying problem drinkers early, you can take the appropriate actions to help reduce the potential of them becoming intoxicated. Appropriate actions may include increasing the time between drinks and offering suggestions about possible food options. Again, notify the other servers and the MOD of what actions you have taken and why.
6. Keep control of alcohol distribution by serving only one drink at a time to each customer.
If you serve more than one, the additional drink may be given to a minor or to someone who is intoxicated.
7. Take reasonable care in deterring someone who is intoxicated from driving. However, refrain from physically restraining a customer. Instead, offer alternatives for the intoxicated person. These may include offering to call a taxi, friend or relative. Attempt to offer the per son a meal or nonalcoholic beverages. When approved by hotel management, offer the person a free ride home in a taxi. If a person insists on driving, obtain a complete
description of the person’s vehicle (make, model, color, license number, etc.), and notify the MOD who can call the police.
8. Document all incidents and actions. In order to protect yourself and the hotel, you should
always complete a shift activity report whenever you:
Have been asked to serve alcohol to someone who is not of legal drinking age.
Suspend the service of alcohol.
Take action to deter someone from becoming a problem drinker.
Attempt to deter someone from driving after drinking.
In addition, document work shifts when no unusual activity occurs. It’s simple. If no activity occurred on your shift, simply state “no activity” on your report. You never know when something that you consider to be a minor incident can turn into a major lawsuit. Play it safe – document!
9. Secure alcoholic beverages when service has ended or the bar is closed. To help protect
against the unlawful dispensing of alcohol, all of the beer taps should be either equipped with tap locks or disconnected from the kegs. The cabinet containing the keg should be secured as well. Liquor should be contained and secured in cabinets, by shutters, or by other similar arrangements.
10. Following these simple rules will help ensure you serve alcohol responsibly and will help protect our guests and the public from drinking related accidents.
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