Category: Alcohol Education Cards

A Reminder about Responsible Beverage Service

Published on by TAM of Nevada1 Comment

The City of Reno Has Suspended Alcohol Licenses for Several Businesses for Selling Alcohol to Minors.

In an effort to stop the sale of alcohol to minors in the Reno area, the City of Reno and the Reno Police Department have worked together to suspend liquor licenses for sixteen area businesses after conducting compliance checks and decoy operations (KTNV). The Reno Police Department’s Street Enforcement Team routinely conducts decoy operations and checks for alcohol awareness cards, and these suspensions are an extension of the work they are doing to protect local teens, and the rest of the community. These events should serve as a reminder to hospitality professionals and service workers that it is imperative to always check identification when serving or selling alcoholic beverages. Discussion with some of our TAM® Students about this news has resulted in some great reminders that we’d like to pass on to others regarding ID checking.

  • Become TAM® certified and make sure that your alcohol awareness training is up to date. TAM® will train you on how to correctly check identification and how to spot fake, borrowed, or altered ID. Also remember that TAM® Cards expire after four years, contact TAM® of Nevada if you need to renew your training. Officials may ask to see your alcohol awareness card during an alcohol compliance check.
  • Check ID closely – When checking the birth date of a customer, don’t rely only on the birth year to confirm someone is of legal drinking age. Also check the birth day and month on a license to guarantee you are serving legally! Minors may try to pull a fast one on busy or distracted service workers by purchasing alcohol just short of their 21st birthdays. For more tips on ID checking, visit our blog post, “Are Minors Using Fake IDs and Sneaking Past You?”
  • A hole punched into a driver license renders it invalid for identification purposes. As explained by a representative at the DMV Office, the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles may hole-punch driver licenses and identification cards in order to make them easily identifiable as invalidated. This can occur when someone renews their license, transfers an out-of-state license, or a variety of other scenarios. The DMV will mail the new license to the individual within 10 working days, so this is just a temporary situation for license holders. When an identification card is invalidated at the time of license renewal, the DMV will issue a temporary paper document with information matching the punched-out driver license. Please note, the interim document for a driver license or an ID card only serves as a confirmation that the application is pending; it is not a form of identification (Nevada DMV). Check with your employer for company policy on acceptable ID policy. Each business must decide if the interim document, along with an invalidated driver license or ID card, will be accepted for cashing checks, buying liquor, and other transactions (Nevada DMV). In cases such as this, establishments may wish to err on the side of caution and request another form of valid identification such as a passport or military ID.

What are some tricks that you’ve seen used by fake ID holders? How else do you think service workers can help curb teen drinking?

Resources

© 2012 National Hospitality Institute®, TAM® of Nevada

 

Making Safe Choices – April is Alcohol Awareness Month

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We here at TAM® of Nevada like to promote alcohol awareness and responsible drinking year round. However, we’re happy to help spread the message that April is Alcohol Awareness Month. This is an opportunity to raise awareness of alcohol abuse and encourage people to make healthy, safe life choices, as well as to highlight the role that servers and sellers have in protecting their communities. Good judgment and knowledge of the Techniques of Alcohol Management (TAM)® are crucial qualities in a service professional; and Alcohol Awareness Month is an opportunity for you to showcase your training!

This month, we encourage you to take this time to educate yourself, your bar patrons, and your loved ones about the dangers of alcohol abuse. In Nevada alone, of the 257 traffic fatalities in 2010, 69 of them, or 27%, involved alcohol-impaired driving (NHTSA). This is an unacceptable number, but you can help make a difference, and possibly save lives, by practicing responsible beverage service. Bartenders, waiters and anyone else who serves alcoholic beverages have a legal and moral responsibility to serve alcohol responsibly, keep a close eye on their patrons, and promote an alternative means of getting home if anyone appears intoxicated. For tips on what you can do to reduce the chance your patrons will be involved in impaired-driving accidents, read our blog post, “DUI-Related Traffic Deaths Up This Year in Southern Nevada – Are You Doing All You Can to Help Prevent Drunk Driving?”

Remember that the goal of Alcohol Awareness Month is to not only increase public awareness, and work to reduce impaired driving, but to also aim at reducing the stigma that too often prevents individuals and families from seeking help if they have a drinking problem. One should never be afraid to ask for the help they need. One can ask for help from a friend, family member or doctor if necessary.

This month, reflect on your own habits and those of your patrons. Do you recognize the signs of alcohol abuse and binge drinking in yourself or others? If you are drinking too much, you can improve your health by cutting back or quitting. Keep track of how much you drink, avoid places where overdrinking occurs, and find new ways to deal with stress. If you are concerned about someone else’s drinking, offer to help. In fact, many drinkers are not aware that they are misusing or abusing alcohol. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, drinking more than 4 drinks on any day or more than 14 drinks per week for men, or more than 3 drinks on any day or more than 7 drinks per week for women is considered “at-risk” or “heavy” drinking (NIAAA).

How will you promote safe choices and alcohol awareness this month?

Resources

© 2012 National Hospitality Institute®, TAM® of Nevada

Join us at the City of North Las Vegas Vendor Exposition

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Did you know that for every $100 spent at locally owned businesses, $45 stays in the local economy and helps create jobs? That is great encouragement to buy locally! TAM® of Nevada has been a part of the Las Vegas community for over 25 years, and is proud to continue offering an important service and superior product to local residents and businesses. In an effort to further connect with the community, we’ll be exhibiting at the City of North Las Vegas Vendor Exposition on Wednesday, April 18, 2012. You’ll find this event at the North Las Vegas Civic Plaza in front of City Hall, located at 2250 Las Vegas Boulevard North. Please stop by and visit us and other area service providers between 10:30am-1:30pm. The event also will have food, drawings and music and promises to be a great opportunity to meet your neighborhood business community.

To learn more about the services we offer visit our website or stop by and say “hello” on April 18th. Remember, we also offer special onsite alcohol awareness classes for groups and companies, and we’ll make sure your staff is trained the right way. Also be sure to stay up to date about this and other activities and events TAM® of Nevada will be attending by connecting with us on Facebook.

Resources

© 2012 National Hospitality Institute®, TAM® of Nevada

Back to Basics– Five Strategies for Becoming a Better Bartender

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Bartending BasicsThere are a lot of things that go into a great bartender: a winning personality, an attention to detail, and a dedication to public safety, and the legal and moral issues of serving alcoholic beverages. Looking to improve on your own marketable bartending skills? Read on for some tips on putting your best foot forward.

  1. Get TAM® certified. Nothing is more important to your success as a hospitality professional than responsible service to ensure the safety of your patrons and to reduce the liability and risk for yourself and your business. Carry your TAM® card to show you received the best possible training, and sign up for one of our online or onsite classes today.
  2. Brush up on the latest cocktail and mocktail trends as well as any ‘back of the basics’ techniques you need practice with. A great bartender will draw in more customers, making more money for the bar, and themselves. You’ll need solid working knowledge of bartending skills, plus lots of practice, so it’s important to learn how to mix drinks correctly, and build up your bartending know-how of tips and techniques. Check out blog post “What’s On Your Summer Reading List? Best Books for Bartenders” for some reading suggestions that might help you to increase your knowledge and skill level.
  3. Keep your bar well stocked, your work area clean and neat, and have glassware, liquor and bar tools in the most functional place possible. By having a clean, efficient and streamlined work area, not only will it set the stage for your guests, it will make it easier for you to do your job well and turn out orders efficiently and effectively. At the start of your work day, make sure everything is in its place, and when you have down time between mixing drinks, make sure to keep things neat and tidy.
  4. Excellent customer service comes easier if you keep a cool head under pressure. Providing the best customer experience possible will be much easier if you are able to keep calm on those busy Saturday nights behind the bar. Don’t over-commit yourself, if you feel yourself getting stressed, take a few deep breaths. Examine what tasks you need to complete, prioritize them, and eliminate any tasks that aren’t necessary. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it. Your supervisor and coworkers are a part of your team and want to see you succeed, and your guests leave happy.
  5. Recognize your weaknesses and strive to improve. Nobody is perfect; maybe you’ve gotten constructive criticism from your manager in your last review, or maybe you’ve examined your own work performance and know areas you need to improve on. Whether it’s improving on multitasking, working under pressure, basic techniques, or something else, it can be done. Just remember that approaching your work with a glass half empty approach is never a good idea. Sometimes it can be difficult to see the good in a difficult situation, but do your best to think positively and work to make necessary changes.

You should now be well on your way to making positive improvements in your work performance. What other advice would you give to someone looking to improve on their bartending skills and techniques?

© 2012 National Hospitality Institute®, TAM® of Nevada