Ultimately, cutting someone off is at the bartender's discretion. In general, though, protocol says that if you spot someone who's over their limit, you should stop serving that person alcohol, hand over a glass of water, close the tab and call a cab. It's not always that cut-and-dry when someone's so wet, though.
How to Cut Someone Off While Bartending - Bartender 101
35 related questions found
How do you politely cut someone off?
Don't feel like you owe them a huge explanation.
Any explaining you do is more for you than for them. Again, tell them how you feel, which is a subject not open for debate. Or, if you prefer, keep it simple: Tell them calmly and kindly that you don't want them in your life anymore, and leave it at that.
Otherwise, a customer can be refused service. Take care to ensure that a customer is not suffering from a medical condition which might appear to have the same characteristics as someone who is drunk. But remember, a drunken person must always be refused service.”
The best advice: simply do not over serve. If someone comes in drunk, have your staff watch them, and cut them off to maintain a safe environment for the other patrons. More than anything, you don't want any legal liability if there are any issues. You can always ask them to leave and get them off your property safely…
What to do if an intoxicated customer refuses to leave?
If the person refuses to leave then you should contact police for assistance in removing the person from the premises. If considered necessary, management may consider imposing a short term ban.
What do you say when cutting someone off bartender?
Use the Law: “I'm sorry, but I'm legally unable to serve you (pointing to alcohol certification laws if possible). If I do, I could get fined or lose my job.” This is a solid argument you can lean on that most customers will understand. Deflect the blame: Intoxicated patrons will often blame you for cutting them off.
What does it mean when a bartender cuts you off? It means that you have had too much to drink and you are visibly intoxicated. They are not allowed to continue to serve you under these circumstances. If they are really good bartenders, they will make sure to not let you leave this bar and get behind the wheel of a car.
By using the safe word it will indicate the person needs help with their situation and a trained member of staff will then take them to a safe location and look to support and assist them. This could mean reuniting them with a friend, seeing them to a taxi, or by calling venue security and/or the police.
The stress of dealing with rude customers is one of the main reasons that contribute to employee turnover. ... Additional Tips When Dealing With Difficult Customers
They got the drink slingers' opinions on everything from customers' orders to bar manners, and while some results aren't surprising, others might have you rethinking your cocktail of choice. Lest you think you were just being paranoid, 81 percent of bartenders will change their opinion of you based on your drink order.
Who are 3 types of customer to whom alcohol service must be refused?
3.3 Identify customers to whom sale or service must be refused according to state and territory legislation, including minors, those purchasing on behalf of minors, intoxicated persons, and persons affected by the consumption of illicit and other drugs.
What are the 3 things you don't talk about in a bar?
It's a commonly known pearl of wisdom and, generally speaking, a widely accepted practice that there are three things you never talk about in bars: politics, religion and race.
Any time a customer's actions create an unsafe or hostile environment, you're within your rights as a business owner to refuse to serve them. However, that doesn't mean you won't face a lawsuit down the line.
Why is it important that a bartender should learn how to slow down someone's drinking?
Instead of relying on a drunk patron to change what they're doing, slow down the flow of drinks yourself. Servers or bartenders may have to avoid that customer for longer periods of time to slow down the service of drinks. This will give the intoxicated customer more time for the alcohol to pass through their system.
