Are You Serving Poolside? Prevent Dehydration from Alcohol Use on Hot Summer Days

Summer drinksThe sunny days of summer are in full swing in Las Vegas! If you’re working poolside, you know that frosty mugs of beer and tropical cocktails are top sellers. Enjoying an alcoholic beverage on a hot day can be a refreshing treat, but it can also accelerate dehydration and can lead to heat-related illness.

Are you serving thirsty patrons responsibly? Extended exposure to the heat and sun can cause dehydration. In fact, many experts will tell you to avoid drinks containing alcohol while in the sun or heat. When a person is dehydrated, they actually have a lower volume of blood. With less blood in the system, it will take less alcohol to reach a higher blood alcohol content level.

So, add alcohol to the mix and party goers can quickly become even more dehydrated while drinking their poolside cocktails. How can pool party servers ensure that their guests have fun in the sun? Remember, the key word is fun. Heading to the hospital with heat exhaustion is not fun. Here are some tips to keep guests safe, happy, and having a great time.

  • With each drink order, also offer to bring your guests a glass of ice water. Drinking water is one of the easiest ways to help stay hydrated. By helping your guests to stay hydrated, you’ll work to offset the dehydrating effects of the alcohol, sweltering heat, and the sun.
  • With drink orders, remember to encourage your guests to order food. Food helps keep alcohol in the stomach for a longer period of time which means that it will be absorbed into the bloodstream at a much slower rate. Try offering your bar patrons an appetizer or entrée to go with their drinks. A simple, “Would you like to try some of our famous sliders to go with your cocktail?” is always a good tactic.
  • Don’t forget to keep an eye on guests and monitor their behavior. By keeping track of how much your guests are drinking, you can better judge when they’ve had enough. When in doubt, do not serve. You’ll learn all of the tips and tricks of save beverage service in your alcohol awareness course from TAM® of Nevada.
  • Keep an eye on your guests, and use good judgment. Suggest some shade and promote an alcohol-free beverage. You can say, “You know it’s really hot out here today. I don’t want you to miss out on the party. Let me find you a shady spot.

By following these steps, you up the fun factor and you keep yourself, your guests, and your establishment safe. What other advice would you give to TAM® Card holders working at Vegas pool parties?

Laying the Foundation for Success – Tips for a Successful Restaurant Career

service-excellenceDo you love your job? Not everyone can say that they do! A career change could result in a number of benefits including increased job satisfaction, increased earnings, and a chance to try something new and expand your skill set. If you enjoy interacting with people, working in a fast-paced environment, and you love variety, you may want to consider looking for your dream job in the hospitality or restaurant industry. Hospitality professionals work in a variety of positions including bartenders, servers, managers, hosts, security professionals, clerks, business owners and more.

National Restaurant Association chairman Jack Crawford recently spoke to new graduates of the Culinary Institute of America, offering them advice as they begin their careers in the restaurant industry. Mr. Crawford’s speech was summarized in an article titled, “7 Tips for a Successful Restaurant Career,” and we here at TAM® of Nevada wholeheartedly agree with his suggestions! You can read the full article here, and check out a few more suggestions for TAM® Card holders that we’d add to the list:

  1. Passion for what you do can make you more successful and fulfilled in your career choices. “A passion for excellence is what makes a person tick. It helps you to work through the noisiness and find your success,” says Account Manager and Certified TAM® Instructor Sherry Cummings.
  2. Continually honing, improving, and expanding your skill set is important in any career. If you’re new to the industry, why not get a leg up on the competition with additional skills and techniques to set you apart from others? Likewise, if you are a restaurant veteran, consider adding to your skill set to stay competitive. Additionally, adding to your skill set isn’t just about remaining competitive. Learning and improving can be a generally enjoyable experience, and it can reignite your passion for your career.
  3. Obtain your TAM® Card. All hospitality professionals in Southern Nevada are required to obtain their alcohol education card prior to working at a location where they’ll be selling and serving alcoholic beverages. The Techniques of Alcohol Management® will give you the skills and knowledge you need to serve responsibly and begin your hospitality career in a position to succeed!

Our most important advice of all of all? Remember to have fun and enjoy your new career! What is the best advice you would give to someone looking to start a career in the hospitality industry?

Note: If you need to obtain your TAM® Card, now is the time! Due to the upcoming fight weekend, we will be open until 7:00 PM Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, April 29, 30 & May 1st (this week only) to accommodate any last minute TAM® Card proctored exams. See you soon!

Resources

7 Tips for a Successful Restaurant Career – National Restaurant Association

Announcing Our Quarterly Customer Survey Winner

Survey WInnerIf you’ve recently completed a TAM® class, did you remember to fill out the customer survey? As a token of thanks for our students’ participation, we enter survey respondents into a quarterly drawing for a $50 Amazon.com gift card prize. Congratulations to Valeria D., winner of our most recent quarterly gift card giveaway for filling out the TAM® of Nevada Customer Survey! Additionally, thanks to all of our customers for choosing TAM® and for letting us know about your experience.

If you’ve recently completed your TAM® course and haven’t yet completed the customer satisfaction survey, we invite you to access the survey and submit your response before our next drawing. Or, visit us on Facebook and tell us about your experience! Let us know your favorite part of the training, what you’ve learned, or ask us any questions you might have.

Our customer satisfaction survey is available to both online and classroom students. Thank you again to all of our customers for your patronage and for your helpful responses. Remember to visit us on Facebook and keep the conversation going.

© 2015 National Hospitality Institute®, TAM® of Nevada

Alcohol and Energy Drinks – A Dangerous Cocktail

We have all heard the sayings about popular “alcopops.” They are like a binge in a can, are marketed to teens, and worse. In fact, the Food and Drug Administration declared alcoholic energy drinks to be a public health concern and concluded that caffeine added to malt alcoholic beverages was an unsafe food additive (U.S. Food and Drug Administration). However, that doesn’t stop bartenders and consumers alike from mixing up their own alcohol and energy drink cocktails for a quick pick-me-up. Unfortunately, research has found that users who mix alcohol and energy drinks are three times more likely to binge drink than users who do not mix alcohol and energy drinks (CDC). For even more information on the dangers of mixing alcohol and energy drinks, check out the following video from Discovery News.

This should serve as a reminder for all hospitality professionals to serve responsibly, monitor your patrons carefully, and be extra vigilant if you are serving beverages mixed with energy drinks or highly caffeinated beverages (ex. Vodka and Red Bull).

Sources