Category: Alcohol Sales

Boost Your Bar Sales and Increase Your Guest Count with Social Media Presence and Deals

Published on by TAM of Nevada5 Comments

Today’s consumers are increasingly web and social media savvy; people turn to the web first for information on new hot spots to try. Consumers value what their friends have to say and frequently turn to social media for recommendations on what’s new and exciting. To be absent in these markets is really missing the boat. Social media marketing is easy to use, free, and invaluable for restaurants and bars. In this tough economy with increasing competition, leveraging social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook to reach new guests, communicate with your patrons, and encourage feedback is the way to go.

If you haven’t already, try using social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Four Square to reach your guests using a variety of techniques. You simply can’t get a better review than a follower “liking” your post for all their friends to see or re-tweeting your special to all of their followers.

  1. Encourage patrons to connect with you to view special deals and promotions – websites like Facebook and Four Square allow you to offer special deals to guests who ‘check-in’ when they visit your restaurant or bar. Not only will you increase the likelihood of getting new bodies in the door by offering a special deal, you benefit from the social aspect of those customer’s social media contacts seeing their friends ‘check-in’ at your establishment, and hopefully, raving about what a great time they had. Word of mouth goes high-tech!
  2. Show off all you have to offer and what you’re proud of at your establishment with a YouTube video. Join countless other bars and restaurants that are taking advantage of social media to promote their happenings and special features with videos. Why not create a video of one of your bartenders giving a tutorial on how to create one of your signature drinks? It allows you to showcase your restaurant, your staff, and also show off some of what makes your establishment unique. Want to promote an upcoming special event? Show video viewers what they can expect, and get it up on the web for customers to see.
  3. Interact socially with Facebook, Twitter and more. Social media allows you to have a conversation with your customers. Thank your patrons for tweeting about how much they loved their visit, answer questions and offer recommendations for the night’s specials or available reservation times on Facebook, even get in touch and ‘make it right’ if someone shares about a less than stellar experience at your establishment. Keeping the conversation fresh, fun and exciting shows your customers that you care and want to offer them an excellent customer service experience.
  4. Encourage feedback and connections by letting your customers know that they can find you in social media channels. You have to start somewhere, and making sure it is easy for your patrons to find you is the first step. Make sure to provide links to any of your social media channels on your website and print marketing, and you can even provide web addresses or a reminder to “Find Us on Facebook” on your menus or business cards.

Customers keep track of recommendations and places they like, and when the weekend rolls around and there is a decision to be made about where to go, it could be your business, simply because you tweeted about a special or a friend ‘liked’ your page! You can also find TAM® of Nevada on Facebook and Twitter. Join us socially and stay up-to-date on industry news and events, facts and figures about alcohol awareness and education, TAM® course and schedule information, how-to videos, cocktail recipes, industry job listings, and more.

Be cautious when using social media. There are no specific regulations regarding social media but remember that social media is advertising and available to everyone, including law enforcement. Do not put anything on social media that you cannot put in a print ad. Do not post activities that occur in your establishment on social medial that can be a violation of the statute or the rules.

© 2012 National Hospitality Institute®, TAM® of Nevada

Is Your Staff in Need of Alcohol Awareness Training? TAM® Offers On-Site Classes for Nevada Businesses

Published on by TAM of Nevada2 Comments

Over 200,000 hospitality and service workers are employed in Clark County, most of whom are required, by state law, to receive alcohol awareness training and carry an Alcohol Education Card. How many of them work for you?

Employers have a duty to ensure that all of their employees are properly trained in responsible alcohol beverage service prior to their start of work. Want to take the hassle out of staying on top of those training requirements? TAM of Nevada offers special onsite alcohol awareness classes for groups and companies, and we’ll make sure your staff is trained the right way. You want to reduce their risk of liability and make sure their staff is trained on how to properly serve and sell alcoholic beverages while providing excellent customer service. Want to know if our training solutions might be right for your company?

  1. Do you have dozens or hundreds of employees who are working day, afternoon and evening shifts? With employees working a variety of different schedules, you can ensure that everyone receives convenient training on-site at your location at convenient times. Beginning in 2011, TAM® began offering on-site alcohol education courses at Walmart® locations throughout the Las Vegas area. Walmart® contacted TAM® about the best way to ensure all of their employees were able to obtain their mandatory TAM® Cards. TAM® of Nevada worked with Walmart® to implement training for employees with different work schedules and who lived in several different areas all around Las Vegas. Now all Walmart® employees benefit from training scheduled on-site at their work location several times throughout the year.
  2. If you have staff outside of Las Vegas, TAM® of Nevada can save students a trip to our Training Center. We offer a variety of options that has your staff taught with one uniform training program to meet all state requirements. Whether you prefer employees receive training at your Clark County business, or private group sessions at our official training center, we can tailor a program to meet your needs. TAM’s capable instructors are available to hold regular classes and proctor exams at your facility, at your convenience. We can also arrange to issue TAM® cards on location depending on the number of students and scheduling requirements. For example, we recently launched alcohol awareness classes for Smith’s® employees in Mesquite, NV, and are preparing to provide required training for over 100 students on-site.
  3. With enforcement efforts on the rise, why risk having trouble with something like alcohol awareness training? Local police agencies in Nevada have been increasing their decoy operations and busting establishments and their employees for selling alcohol to minors. Additionally, if someone is busted serving alcohol to a minor, one of the first things law enforcement may do is check their alcohol awareness card to verify that it is valid. Remember, not all alcohol awareness training is created equal. We can evaluate your staff’s current status to make sure everyone is in compliance and holds a valid alcohol education card. In a recent article from KTNV detailing a February decoy operation in Henderson, seven clerks at various locations were busted for selling to a minor. The article notes that not only were employees issued citations which can result in up to 6 months in jail and a $1000 fine, owners or managers of a business that fails a second or third time can also be issued a citation and could face the revocation of their business license. Check out our recent blog post, “Over Half of Reno Bars Visited in Alcohol Compliance Check Busted for Serving Minors. Are You Checking for I.D.?” for additional details on a recent decoy operation.

TAM® of Nevada has been tailoring training to meet corporate client needs since its inception. Please contact us today to learn more or to arrange training for your facility.

Resources

7 Henderson Businesses Cited for Selling Alcohol to Minors – KTNV

© 2012 National Hospitality Institute®, TAM® of Nevada

Las Vegas Police Issue DUI Citations after Super Bowl Celebrations – A Reminder about Safe Beverage Service

Published on by TAM of NevadaLeave a comment

Holidays, special sporting events, and other events which draw crowds looking to gather in a fun and celebratory environment can up the odds that some partiers may choose to drive while intoxicated. Las Vegas Police issued a warning to those planning to celebrate around town on Super Bowl Sunday; if you drink and drive, you will get caught.

After setting up a sobriety checkpoint and reminding people not to drink and drive, there were unfortunately still several incidents around town. On Sunday night there was a six-car crash reported on Rainbow Boulevard which resulted in one fatality, thought to be caused by a drunk driver (8 News Now). In another incident across town, a teenager was hit by a suspected drunk driver while waiting at a bus stop in the early AM hours on Monday (Action News 13). Police took 13 suspected drunken drivers off the road on Sunday evening, but even one drunk driver is too many.

While those consuming alcoholic beverages should be responsible about their alcohol intake, bartenders, and anyone else who serves alcoholic beverages also has a legal and moral responsibility to serve responsibly, and promote an alternative means of getting home if anyone appears intoxicated. For a list of steps service professionals can take to serve responsibly and promote safe beverage service, refer to our blog post, “DUI-Related Traffic Deaths Up This Year in Southern Nevada – Are You Doing All You Can to Help Prevent Drunk Driving?”

Resources

© 2012 National Hospitality Institute®, TAM® of Nevada

Summer Jobs – Opportunities Abound to Work Poolside in Las Vegas!

Published on by TAM of NevadaLeave a comment

Ever dream of working in a position where you can enjoy the summer sunshine, listen to music from excellent DJs, and net great tips at one of the area’s most popular venues? It’s that time of year again, and the hottest spots around town are hiring for a variety of summer positions at their pools and bars. Whether you’re looking for work as a cocktail server, bartender, host, or a variety of other hospitality-based positions, these brisk winter months are the best time to prepare for auditions and interviews. Las Vegas Weekly released an informative article, “Tips for Landing a Job on a Las Vegas Pool Deck,” with great advice for landing a summer job poolside, as well as a detailed list of who’s hiring, and what you’ll need to do to apply.

Las Vegas Weekly offers great advice on how to prepare, but remember, you’ll also need to obtain your TAM® Card prior to serving drinks, poolside or otherwise. Visit our website to register for one of our online or on-site alcohol awareness classes today. For even more advice on responsible poolside beverage service, check out our blog post, “Are You Serving Poolside? Five Ideas for Popular Vegas Pool Parties!”

What advice would you give others about serving poolside?

Resources

© 2012 National Hospitality Institute®, TAM® of Nevada