Author: TAM of Nevada

Bartenders and Hospitality Workers: 5 New Year’s Resolutions You Can Actually Keep

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Upselling_BarLas Vegas kicked off the New Year in high style with parties at all of the hottest spots around town. Now, it’s time to get back to work! 2018 can be the year to resolve to make changes in your career, education and business. Still thinking about what your resolution will be? We have some ideas to get you started. Here are our suggestions for meaningful New Year’s resolutions that you can actually stick to:

  1. Renew your TAM Card and get trained the right way, with the best curriculum available. Whether you’re renewing your expiring card, or getting your very first TAM® Card, get your mandatory alcohol education at one of our online or on-site classes.
  2. Expand your draw with new bartending skills. Try learning some simple flair bartending techniques to add another job skill to your tool belt, and impress your guests with your new talent.
  3. Resolve to begin the search to find your dream job. Start out by watching for local job fairs, or take your resume to establishments you would be interested in working at. Read out blog post “Job Searching in Las Vegas? Ace Your Next Hospitality Industry Job Interview” for tips on making the most of your job search and nailing the interview. And remember to check out the local job posting board at our office when you come in to pick up your TAM Card. We work with lots of local employers to share their hospitality job openings with our TAM students.
  4. Take your customer service skills to the next level. Wow both your patrons and your boss with a fresh new outlook, positive attitude, and dedication to providing excellent service. As a bonus, projecting a positive attitude will help YOU to relax and enjoy your job! Read “Qualities of a Top-Notch Service Professional” for more tips.
  5. Brainstorm new ideas, deals, or events for your establishment to kick start sales and draw in new patrons. There are many reasons why establishments can see a sales dip, but hard work and creative thinking can pay off big for your business. Start by making a list of holidays that could merit a celebration, new menu items to promote with special deals, and make sure you have an active and effective presence on social media channels to connect with your customers. Check Out “Are Your Happy Hour Deals Falling Flat? New Ideas to Boost Your Bar Sales”  or “Promotions and Marketing: Hosting a Bar Trivia Night” for more ideas to help you get started.

Wishing a Happy New Year to all from TAM® of Nevada. What is your New Year’s Resolution?

Always Check ID! Five Reno Businesses Fail Alcohol Compliance Check At Santa Pub Crawl Event

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pub crawlImagine this: you are working a busy special event at your bar, serving beverages to customers. A young man walks up to the bar and orders a pint of beer. You size him up. He seems sober, confident, and greets you with a smile. But, he does look like he might be a little young. You wonder if the bouncer at the door checked his I.D. Think fast – what do you do? Ask to see I.D. to confirm his age, or make the sale and send him back to his table with a pint? If you chose option number two, you would have failed the test.

This past Saturday marked Reno’s 17th annual Santa Pub Crawl event. While a festive and fun occasion for thousands of participants. Local law enforcement were working to help keep things safe. Five area businesses were cited for serving alcohol to minors. The Reno area’s Regional Street Enforcement Team, comprised of area police departments, conducts regular alcohol compliance and TAM Card checks. On Saturday, the Team sent four 18-20 year-old volunteers out to attempt alcohol purchases at 51 area businesses. This time around, five of those businesses made sales to the minors. These volunteers were given instructions to show their actual state-issued I.D. if they were asked for it, clearly identifying them as underage, according to authorities.

The penalties can be severe. In Nevada, serving alcohol to a minor and allowing a minor into a bar are misdemeanors, with a pre-designated fine of $500. Now, think about your training. Would you pass an alcohol compliance check? Here are some tips for keeping things safe and legal:

  • Get your mandatory TAM® Card and alcohol awareness training. TAM® will train you on how to correctly check identification and how to spot fake, borrowed, or altered ID. Police officers may ask to see your alcohol awareness card during an alcohol compliance check, so it is important to be prepared.
  • Check ID very carefully, and look for any inconsistencies. Watch for anyone who seems either nervous, or over confident. When checking the birth date of a customer, don’t rely only on the birth year alone to confirm someone is of legal drinking age. Minors may try to pull a fast one on busy or distracted workers by purchasing alcohol just a few months or weeks shy of their 21st birthdays. As evidenced by this recent operation, doing the math correctly is very important.
  • Be vigilant about third party sales. If you see a third party (like an adult, who was approached by a minor in the parking lot) attempt to purchase alcohol for a person under 21, you have a responsibility to take steps to curtail the activity.  Retailers have the right to refuse any sale when a reasonable person in their position would conclude that the adult is purchasing on behalf of an underage person.  Not only do TAM Card holders have a legal and ethical responsibility not to make sales to intoxicated persons and minors; they must also be vigilant in preventing sales to other people who are clearly purchasing alcohol for minors.

Every establishment needs policies to prevent alcohol sales to minors, and to protect themselves from liability, and the public from harm. Tell us in the Comments below – how else do you think service workers can help curb teen drinking?

Sources

17th Annual Santa Crawl Hits Downtown Reno – KTNV

Happy Thanksgiving – Holiday Office Hours

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Wishing a Happy Thanksgiving to all of our customers and friends! Please see below for our holiday office hours. The online TAM course is still available 24/7 at www.tamnevda.com!

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Congratulations to TAM® of Nevada’s Quarterly Customer Survey Winner!

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survey winnerCongratulations to Alondra E. of Las Vegas, winner of our most recent quarterly gift card giveaway!

Have you recently finished an Alcohol Awareness course or a Nevada Marijuana Compliance course with TAM of Nevada? If so, we’d like to hear from you! After finishing one of our courses, students are invited to participate in a short online survey. As a token of thanks for participation, we enter survey respondents into a quarterly drawing for an Amazon.com gift card prize.

If you’ve recently completed a course with TAM and haven’t yet completed the customer satisfaction survey, we invite you to access the survey and submit your response before our next drawing. Let us know your favorite part of the training, what you’ve learned, your experiences with staff, or ask us any questions you might have.

Our customer satisfaction surveys are available to both online and classroom students. Thank you again to all of our customers for choosing TAM® of Nevada for your alcohol awareness cards and marijuana compliance training. Remember to visit us on TAM of Nevada on Facebook and keep the conversation going!