What are the prevention strategies in dealing with intoxicated guest?

Dealing with an intoxicated patron is an unfortunate, but important, job for most bar owners. Given the sensitive nature of these situations, it never hurts to brush up on best practices for handling a difficult or over-served customer.

Preventing intoxication is the responsibility of every member of your front-of-house staff, from the bartenders to the hosts. Each team member should be held accountable to check ID’s, watch for signs of intoxication and prevent drunk driving.

In some states owners can face criminal charges for negligence, so it is imperative to always be vigilant for intoxicated patrons. The following are some standards and tips on how to protect yourself, your staff and your guests from an unfortunate situation.

Warning Signs

Everyone is unique. You cannot tell who will get drunk and who will not, just by looking at them. Medication, fat-to-muscle ratios, sun exposure and genetic makeup can affect how many drinks it takes for someone to become intoxicated. The most tried-and-true method consists of simply observing your patrons and staying attentive to their behaviors. Common warning signs of an intoxicated patron include:

• Loud and slurred speech
• Stumbling
• Spilling drinks
• Aggressive behavior
• Ordering drinks in rapid succession

Intervention

No one likes to cut off a patron. Simply slowing guests down can do the trick. If your staff chooses to take this route, they should always let management know first. Here are some clever ways to pump the brakes:

• Offer the customer some food.
• Quickly remove any empty glassware.
• Hand them a glass of water.
• Stall. You shouldn’t ignore the patron, but you shouldn’t rush to refill their drink.
• Shift attention to guests farther down the bar.

[RELATED] DEALING WITH DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS

Stopping Service

Deciding to completely cut someone off is the most crucial decision any bartender or staff member can make. Remember, once they walk out that door, you can be held responsible for anything else that happens. If you decide to stop service, keep these helpful tips in mind:

• Always alert management. Getting a neutral authority to step in can be an effective way to keep an unhappy patron from going overboard.
• Avoid making a scene or loudly cutting someone off in front of others.
• Quietly inform any person the intoxicated patron is with of your decision, and stand firm.
• Make sure the person has a ride home and that they are not driving themselves.

Training and Certification

There is a lot of liability involved with serving alcohol, so it’s best to obtain focused training through a state-sponsored program. In some cases, your insurance company may even give you a discount if your employees take the classes and/or get certified. The following are a few resources for training courses:

• T.I.P.S is the most popular program across the country and is the only one completely dedicated to alcohol training. T.I.P.S. stands for Training for Intervention Procedures and will teach your staff how to prevent, recognize, and report intoxicated patrons.
  *If the program doesn’t offer workshops in your area, you can sign up for online training with your state’s beverage license association.

• ServSafe Alcohol, though best known for their food-safety programs, also offers classes on alcohol. ServSafe is sponsored by the National Restaurant Association, and courses can be taken online or in the classroom.

Proper training, observation and intervention, will help keep your establishment a safe and fun place for all of your patrons.

[CASE STUDY] HOW KOZY’S PIZZA DOUBLED BEER SALES

SOP Number: Front Office SOP – 62

Department: Front office - General

Date Issued: 01-Jan-2011

Time to Train: 30 Minutes

Purpose of this SOP:

The front office team should be familiar and trained with the process of handling an intoxicated or drunk guest. The primary objective should be to avoid any injuries to the guest and inconvenience to other guests and also to follow the hotel defined standard while handling intoxicated guests.

Handling a normal guest in the hotel itself is a very important and difficult task, and handling a guest who is drunk and completely out of his senses is next to impossible and very difficult. The Front Office / Bell Desk / Concierge team should be ready to handle such a situation as good as possible mentioned this process.

Because handling drunken and intoxicated guests is very difficult, there is a certain attribute you have to possess:

• Do your best to deal with each situation without putting yourself at risk.

• Act politely.

• Always stay calm.

• Don’t argue with the intoxicated guest.

• Don’t embarrass the guest, especially in front of other people.

• Deal with the situation in a calm, friendly way.

• Speak to the person directly, and firmly explain that what they are doing is unacceptable.

• Listen and empathize with your guest.

• Acknowledge your guest's anger or frustration, but also remind them that you are responsible for their safety and don’t want to see them get hurt. 

• Invite the problem guest to an area away from other guests, where you can talk.

• Talk softly and lead him away from the public area.

• Point out that if they were sober they would agree that what they are doing is a bad idea.

• If the drunk guest is behaving rudely then the last option should be to call the security officer but try and handle the situation very calmly.

• The duty manager or the immediate supervisor should take the drunken guest away from the reception/front desk area.

• Make the guest realize that this is not the right way to talk and then acting very calmly and talking very politely with him the supervisor can escort him to his room

• The manager can also indulge the guest in some other thoughts and just keep the guest calm and as soon as possible send him back to his room.

• If the guest has come to a restaurant or bar and if you decide to ask this person to leave, remember that you are still responsible for their safety (call a cab, get someone to drive them home, or if the situation gets out of control – call the security officer or police).

Front Desk Staff: “good evening sir, how may I assist you?”

Guest: “I want to use the swimming pool now.”

Front Desk Staff: “MR. David, unfortunately, swimming is only from 06 AM to 07 PM”

Guest: “No, I am just ordering you to give access to the swimming pool now.”

Front Desk Staff: “I am very sorry to say sir after midnight the pool will be under routine maintenance hence we won't be able to give access to the swimming pool. My sincere apologies to you Sir.”

Guest: “how dare you talk to me like that just call your manager I will talk to him. You don’t know who I am. I will make sure you open the swimming pool for me, just do as I say." 

Training Summary questions:

Q1. What is the purpose of this SOP?

Q2. Who is to handle the guest in case you are unable to handle the situation?

Q3. Is it OK to argue with the drunk guest?

Q4. What are the attributes which you need to possess while handling the drunk guest?

Q5. What needs to be done if the guest asks for the manager?

Page 2

SOP Number: Front Office SOP – 46

Department: Concierge - Etiquettes and Manners

Date Issued: 22-Jul-2018

Time to Train: 20 Minutes

1. The reception or the front desk team should provide special assistance and care while check-in or check-out is done for guest with a special need or disabled guests.

2. The specially designed disabled room should be blocked for such guests, and a note or trace to be put on the reservation to do not de-block the room for other guests.

3. The front desk staff should provide assistance in filling out the registration form and passport, visa details etc.

4. In some hotels, an in-room check-in and check-out facilities are provided for such guests.

5. Ask for the method of wake-up, pick-up of luggage, if help is required when the guest needs to leave the room.

6. While check-in the receptionist calls the General Manager or Resident manager and hand over the keys to the GM or RM, they will guide the guest to the room.

7. Depending on the guest, the General manager will show all the facilities in the room, including the bathroom.

8. The General manager will emphasize to the guest that he/she can call the reception anytime by using the phone (dial 0) or by pulling the cord or pressing the switch in the bathroom.

9. During the stay of a disabled guest, all departments will do their utmost to make the stay as comfortable as possible.

10. A pro-active attitude is required while handling guests with disabilities.

11. In case there is a disabled guest staying in the room, this will be mentioned in all departments shift briefings and also informed to the hotel security department.

12. In case of an alarm raised from the disabled guest room then the adequate reaction of the staff present should be ensured.

13. An In-room check-out option is provided for disabled guests, but the billing process is done like any other check-out.

14. In case any assistance is required, the receptionist will provide this.

15. The front desk team should make sure that such guests are treated with the same respect as any other guest.

Q1. What is the purpose of this SOP?

Q2. What are the expected services provided by the front desk team for disabled guests?

Q3. Whom should be informed which check-in/out of disabled guests?

Q4. How can the disabled guest contact the front desk in case of an emergency?

Q5. Should the front desk provide in-room check-in and check-out facilities for disabled guests?

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