Category: Alcohol Education Cards

Meet Our Instructors: Mike Barden

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mikebardenWelcome back for the next in our “Meet Our Instructors” series of blog posts. Before we profile another one of our instructors, we’d like to give a warm welcome to the newest TAM® of Nevada employee, Manuel. Manuel will be working at our front desk, so make sure to say “hello” when you come in for your alcohol awareness class or proctored exam. This week, let’s meet another one of our instructors, a true beverage industry expert, Mr. Mike Barden.

Before becoming a certified TAM® Instructor, Mike worked at Nevada Beverage Co. for nearly 28 years, holding many roles, including merchandiser, salesman, supervisor of P.O.S department and sales supervisor. For 12 years, Mike was head of training at Nevada Beverage Co., with the responsibility of training everyone in the sales and merchandising department for their positions and making sure existing employees stayed current with company training.

Now, Mike brings his real-world experience to students at the TAM of Nevada office.

What’s the most important piece of advice you’d give to a TAM Card holder?

Mike: Remember to ID everyone under the age of 30 and watch for fake ID’s.

What originally attracted you to work in the hospitality industry?

Mike: Interesting people, and the knowledge they have of gaming and hotels.

What’s your favorite thing about living and working in Las Vegas?

Mike: I love the climate, and get to play golf more often. I also love the variety of people here in Vegas; it’s truly a 24-hour town.

If you’d like to attend a TAM® Class taught by Mike, register for a class on our website. Mike’s teaching schedule varies by week, but you can normally find him teaching students on Mondays and Wednesdays. Or, visit us for one of our regularly scheduled classes with any of our talented instructors.

© 2013 National Hospitality Institute®, TAM® of Nevada

Announcing Our Quarterly Customer Satisfaction Survey Winner

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Have you recently completed a TAM® class with us? Let us know about it! We are always happy to hear from our customers about their experiences with our alcohol awareness training program. If you’ve completed your alcohol awareness training with us in the past, you know that at the conclusion of the course we invite students to complete a short survey about their experience with TAM® of Nevada. And, as a token of thanks for their participation, we enter survey respondents into a drawing for a $100 Amazon.com gift card prize.

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of our students for their survey comments and feedback. We’d also like to take this opportunity to congratulate Mari S., the most recent winner of our quarterly drawing. If you’ve recently completed your TAM® course and haven’t yet completed the customer satisfaction survey, we invite you to visit us on Facebook to access the survey and submit your responses. While you are there, write on our Wall! Let us know your favorite part of the training, what you 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 helpful responses. Remember to visit us on Facebook and keep the conversation going.

© 2013 National Hospitality Institute®, TAM® of Nevada

Meet Our Instructors: Ed Prinz

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ed_prinzWelcome back for the next in our “Meet Our Instructors” series of blog posts introducing our amazing set of teachers. This week, meet Mr. Ed Prinz. Ed is a veteran Certified TAM® Instructor and has been teaching TAM® in the Las Vegas community for over 20 years.

Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Ed moved to Las Vegas in 1977 and purchased the first of three bars/lounges, which he owned and operated. Ed worked in the title insurance industry for thirty years as the marketing vice president for Stewart Title Co. and First American Title.

When he’s not teaching at the TAM® office, Ed’s hobbies include golfing, hunting, fishing, photography, and reading spy and adventure novels. His favorite authors are Daniel Silva, Vince Flynn, Tom Clancy, and Clive Cussler.

What’s the most important piece of advice you’d give to a TAM® Card holder?

Ed: Use your common sense!

What’s your favorite thing about living and working in Las Vegas?

Ed: The people are really great!

If you’d like to attend a TAM® Class taught by Ed, you can register on our website. Ed’s teaching schedule varies by week, but you can call or e-mail us for his availability. Or, visit us for one of our regularly scheduled classes with any of our talented instructors.

Alcoholic Beverage Service at Special Events – Are You Following the Law?

Published on by TAM of Nevada2 Comments

iStock_000010753481XSmallContrary to popular belief, Alcohol Awareness Cards ARE required for anyone selling or serving alcoholic beverages for any length of time, including special one-time events and the TAM® Card is the one you should have. We often receive calls asking if TAM Cards are needed for individuals who will be working to sell or serve alcoholic beverages for festivals, special weekend events, and similar situations. Even if you will only be working in this type of position for a short period of time, an Alcohol Awareness Card is still mandatory.

Taking it a step further, new and veteran TAM® Card holders alike should know that ID Checking, even at special events, is a huge responsibility. Room service, banquets, conventions, race tracks, quinceañeras, weddings, festivals, company picnics and celebrations, concession stands, and the list goes on! ID Checking at special events is absolutely imperative – are you following the letter of the law?

A recent news story out of Reno concerns ID checking at a local “wine walk” festival. An alarming 84% of businesses failed alcohol compliance checks during the event (KOLO). A common practice at many festivals and special events, such as this one, is to check for participant ID during event registration. The participant may receive a special arm band, badge, stamp, beverage glass, or other item that identifies them as a registered participant of legal drinking age. However, an event wristband does not relieve servers from verifying a customer is of age.

In the case of the recent Reno wine walk, purchase of a wristband and special wine glass was used to identify participants and allow them to sample wine from a variety of area restaurants. In cases such as this, it would be very easy for one individual of legal drinking age to purchase a wristband, but then give the wristband to an underage drinker. This scenario illustrates why it is important to ALWAYS check identification and should serve as a reminder that just because a participant may have a special event pass, that does not relieve the server from checking for photo ID.

The same holds true for special events such as weddings and other banquet events. Even if a wedding reception is “adults only”, a bartender should follow procedure to card anyone who appears to be 30 years of age or younger. It is better to be safe than sorry, and helps to keep underage guests safe.

For more information on TAM® Card Requirements, refer to our blog post, “Need a TAM® Card for the Busy Summer Season? A Rundown on Requirements.” Remember, remain vigilant, and always practice the Techniques of Alcohol Management in order to provide responsible beverage service. What other advice would you give regarding alcoholic beverage service during special events?

Resources

84% of Businesses Fail Underage Alcohol Compliance Check During Wine Walk – Kolo 8 News Now

© 2013 National Hospitality Institute®, TAM® of Nevada