The value of alcohol server training.
When it comes to serving alcohol, club owners should be aware of two trends that can affect their bottom line. First, there has been a significant increase in the number of legal actions being taken against establishments for serving alcohol to intoxicated customers. Many of these cases are being settled out of court for millions of dollars. Second, there is a growing prohibitionist movement that is making it more and more difficult to sell and consume alcohol. If you’re like most bar owners, alcohol service accounts for a large portion of your revenue. You need to be aware and be concerned!
What can we do? It is imperative that you keep your customers safe while protecting your employees, establishment, and franchise from lawsuits. By becoming certified in a responsible alcohol server training course, you are making a reasonable effort to prevent underage consumption, drunk driving, and intoxication. In addition, you will improve customer service, receive discounts on liquor liability insurance, and you demonstrate to the community that you and your establishment have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to selling alcohol to underage and/or intoxicated customers.
Whether it is ignition interlocks in every vehicle, increased taxes on alcohol, and/or decreasing the legal BAC limit to operate a motor vehicle, it is getting to the point where customers are scared and confused when it comes to consuming alcohol in public. This apprehension will eventually eat into your bottom line. To combat this movement, we must arm ourselves with education and training.
A reputable training program, such as the TIPS Program, will train and certify your staff on how to recognize signs of intoxication, effectively intervene to prevent problem situations, and handle refusal situations with greater confidence. This will, in turn, protect your assets and quell the prohibitionist movement.
Trevor Estelle, Vice President at TIPS, will be hosting a session entitled "The Value of Alcohol Server Training" during this year’s Nightclub & Bar Conference and Trade Show that you won’t want to miss. The session will cover everything from effective measures bars and nightclubs can take to prevent underage sales, intoxication and drunk driving to developing a sound alcohol service policy to jurisdictional laws and regulations that govern the sale, service, and consumption of alcohol.
Establishment and governments across the country are requiring TIPS training. To learn how you can get TIPS certified, please visit www.gettips.com and be sure to attend this year’s session.