Author: TAM of Nevada

Over Half of Reno Bars Visited in Alcohol Compliance Check Busted for Serving Minors. Are You Checking for I.D.?

Published on by TAM of Nevada2 Comments

Sellers and servers of alcohol in Washoe and Clark counties are required to complete alcohol education and obtain an alcohol awareness card prior to the start of work. If an undercover officer came to your place of employment today to check the status of alcohol awareness card holders, would you be in compliance? If a younger patron came into your establishment and ordered a drink, would you ask to see their identification? This past Saturday Reno Police visited 32 establishments around Reno, Nevada and of those visited, 18 were busted for serving alcoholic beverages to minors in a decoy operation (Reno Gazette Journal). This serves as a reminder to TAM® Card holders to always ask to see I.D. for anyone who appears to be 35 years old or younger, and to follow company procedure and local laws for safe beverage service.

Establishments need to be diligent in requiring staff to check ID’s when making alcohol sales. Every establishment needs policies and procedures to prevent underage persons from obtaining alcohol, and to protect themselves from liability, and the public from harm. Decoy operations are not just used to catch those selling alcohol to minors, they can also be used to check the validity of your alcohol education card and whether it is expired.

Remember, selling alcohol to a minor is a very serious offense. TAM® of Nevada provides alcohol awareness training which covers all aspects of furnishing alcohol to a minor, and provides training on spotting fake IDs. Contact us today to sign up for online or classroom-based alcohol awareness training. Service professionals must be aware of the facts and dangers of teenage drinking and diligent about checking identification.

Additionally, if you are busted serving alcohol to a minor, one of the first things law enforcement and your employer may do is look at your alcohol education card. Not all training is created equal; completing your alcohol awareness course with TAM® of Nevada shows you’re serious about obtaining the best alcohol education possible.

Don’t put yourself at risk, always ask for identification, and get educated on effective ways to help stop teen drinking.

Resources

Did Police Play the Grinch with an Alcohol Sting During Saturday’s Santa Pub Crawl in Reno?

© 2011 National Hospitality Institute®, TAM® of Nevada

Join TAM of Nevada in Helping the Local Community with our Annual Holiday Food Drive

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TAM® of Nevada has been a trusted service provider for alcohol education in the greater Vegas community for over 25 years. We’re happy to continue to provide training to our Las Vegas Locals, and at this time of year we are giving back to the community by partnering up with Three Square to help make the holidays a little brighter for local families with our Annual Food Drive. According to Three Square, one in six households in Nevada struggles with hunger, so every little bit does help. If you’re coming to our Training Center to complete your TAM® Training in the month of December, please consider bringing along a donation of non-perishables or canned goods to donate to our Three Square drop-box.

Students and anyone else who wishes to donate can stop in at our training center at 3900 Paradise, Ste G, in Las Vegas and drop off non-perishables and canned goods during business hours up until December 31, 2011.

Items that are high in protein, such as canned meats, tuna, and peanut butter are of particular need as well as canned or powdered milk. Other items to consider donating include canned vegetables, canned fruits, personal hygiene products (i.e. toothpaste, soap, deodorant, diapers), and paper products (toilet paper, paper towels, etc.). No glass containers, perishable items or home-canned foods please!

We look forward to seeing students and community members in the month of December and sincerely wish a Happy Holiday Season to everyone!

Resources

© 2011 National Hospitality Institute®, TAM® of Nevada

Looking for a New Career? A Job in the Hospitality Industry May Be Right for You

Published on by TAM of Nevada1 Comment

Ever you wish you had a job you love? If you’re looking to make a career change, you may want to consider looking for your dream job in the hospitality industry. Hospitality professionals work in a variety of positions including bartenders, servers, managers, hosts, security professionals, clerks and more. A career change could result in a number of benefits including increased job satisfaction, increased earnings, a chance to try something new and expand your skill set, and more.

You may enjoy a career in the hospitality or nightlife industry if:

  1. You enjoy interacting with customers. A desk job isn’t for everyone, and if you like being around other people, a career in the service industry may be right for you. Many hospitality professionals love that their careers allow them day to day interaction providing quality customer service to their guests. If you enjoy a job where you are face to face with your patrons, you may enjoy a career in the hospitality industry where you’ll get to converse with your customers, meet new people and listen to others.
  2. You have a great personality. One can make a lasting impression on patrons and increase their earning potential by having a positive attitude, being helpful and providing excellent customer service. As a server or bartender, you’re often the first, and last, staff member a customer encounters. Your interactions will set the tone for the evening so you want to greet your customers warmly, and leave them reflecting on a positive experience once they head for the door.
  3. You love living in Las Vegas and want to share that with others. Nevada in general and Las Vegas in particular is a very popular destination spot, and you’re likely to interact with tourists on a regular basis. By promoting and practicing safe alcohol service, and sharing your insider knowledge about what is great within the city, you can help do your part to ensure that newcomers to Vegas can have a blast, but make it around town and back home without harming themselves or others. Hopefully, they’ll return home to tell their friends what a great time they had! By sharing what the great state of Nevada has to offer, you can not only impress your guests and help them to enjoy a memorable experience, but hopefully they’ll spread the word, and that benefits everyone in the long run.

Are you ready to explore the idea of a career in the hospitality industry? A TAM® Card is required for anyone selling or serving alcoholic beverages in Southern Nevada, so be prepared! Many restaurants and bars will ask to see your TAM® Card before you start, so give yourself a head start and a leg up on other applicants by completing your alcohol awareness training and obtaining your TAM® Card today.

© 2011 National Hospitality Institute®, TAM® of Nevada

Warning: Older Adults under Financial Strain May Be at Risk for Drinking More

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It is tough times for many Americans in today’s economy, and some people are feeling the financial strain heading in to the holiday season. And, a recent study from researchers at the State University of New York at Albany, as reported by ABC News, found that older adults, especially men and people with less education, are more likely to drink and smoke when experiencing financial difficulties. Are you prepared for the holiday blues?

As explained in the study results, older adults may be at-risk for becoming heavy drinkers due to a number of issues including stress over financial uncertainty. In fact, among study participants, men who experienced financial difficulties were about 30% more likely to begin heavily drinking when compared with men who did not have money problems.

Bartenders and service professionals may notice an uptick in the number of patrons visiting their establishments to relax and unwind around the holidays, and should remain vigilant about responsible service. If you work in or run an establishment that serves or sells alcoholic beverages, you should always take precautions to safeguard your patrons, company, yourself and your community. Let’s not forget, during the holidays, 2-3 times more people die in alcohol related crashes, and 40% of traffic fatalities involve a driver who is impaired by alcohol (NIAAA). All patrons, young and old, should be monitored for over-consumption. Make sure you are employing all of the safe service techniques that you learned during your TAM® training!

For more information on how to be prepared for selling and serving drinks during the holiday season, make sure to read our blog posts, “Big Holiday Parties Are Upon Us,” and “Beware of Binge Drinkers.” Remember, hospitality is all about creating a fun experience and maintaining a safe environment for your guests and patrons. We would love to hear from you! What recommendations do you have for keeping the holidays fun and safe for your guests this season?

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© 2011 National Hospitality Institute®, TAM® of Nevada