How to organise a Responsible Party?

To serve alcohol, one must be aware of laws and regulations. Restrictions on age limit, purchase and consumption of alcohol, sale hours…… Handling irresponsible drinkers is not an easy task. Several courses exist. Best solution is to use professional bartenders who know how to deal with irresponsible drinking which is sometimes mandatory.

To avoid underage drinkers, it is crucial to check the ID at the entrance AND at the bar.

Recognizing a fake ID:

• Poor quality
• Picture doesn’t look alike
• Card holder is nervous; upset or simply looks too young
• Ask for another piece of identification or his address. If it’s fake he will not know how to respond or take a longer response time

Clearly, drunk customers shouldn't be served any more alcohol as it is well recognized that they are more likely to cause problems, both to themselves and to others. But how can a bartender know when someone has had too much? Remember that the only secret to sobering up is time. So try to propose nonalcoholic drinks or food as an alternative to help the customer sober up and make the time pass.
There is a progressive range of signs that can be observed when people drink too much. Bartenders must be aware of those signs and know when to stop serving customers.Behavioral indications of someone who had too much to drink.

• Lowered Inhibitions: more talkative, loud behavior, mood swings or changes in behavior.
• Impaired Judgment: Behaving inappropriately, using foul language, telling inappropriate jokes, annoying others, becoming over friendly or increasing the rate of drinking.
• Slowed Reactions: Unfocused eyes, talking/ moving very slowly, forgetting things, losing their train of thought and slurred speech, lighting more than one cigarette.
• Loss of Coordination: Swaying and stumbling, dropping/spilling things.

Bartenders need to know how to act in conflict situations, handle customer complaints, refuse to serve a customer when he’s intoxicated. He should also be able to recognize signs of trouble and intervene to avoid situation from worsening and call a colleague or security guard when things get out of hand.

The environment can have a big influence on customers behaviour. Know your environment and foresee any possible negative situations. Remember, you can control the environment through such things as service standards, decoration, lighting, music, security. Use these aspects in maintain control.

It is equally important to manage your closing time (cf neighbors). Premises should also have a plan for handling certain types of situations.