Recipe for Success: Choosing the Best Alcohol Awareness Course for Your Employees

TAM Card classAs a restaurateur or business owner, you choose the highest quality ingredients for your successful recipes; why not apply that same logic to all aspects of your business? TAM® training is driven by the same inspired purpose. Servers and sellers of alcoholic beverages in Southern Nevada must complete an alcohol awareness course. Available courses from local providers differ greatly in quality and quantity. As an owner who is passionate about your business, it’s a safe choice to mandate that your employees complete TAM® brand training. Choosing TAM® of Nevada for your employees’ mandatory alcohol awareness course requirements ensures that they are educated by instructors that have the same passion and standards for safe beverage service that you have for hospitality service and food.

Ensuring that your staff is properly trained on alcohol laws and safe beverage service will also reduce risk and liability for your business. Employees issued citations for serving alcohol to minors can also face up to a $1000 fine. When an individual employee fails a compliance check, the business license department is notified which may mean problems when renewing licenses. Owners or managers of a business that fails compliance checks can also be issued a citation and could face the revocation of their business license. Additionally, establishments which violate statute provisions pertaining to alcohol awareness training are subject to administrative fines ranging from $500 to $5000. It’s not worth the risk. Choosing the most comprehensive alcohol education protects you and your employees, your customers, and your business.

Often imitated, never duplicated, TAM® of Nevada has been the sole provider of official TAM® Cards to the Las Vegas community for over 25 years. There are several providers of credible and effective alcohol awareness training and drink cards, but TAM® of Nevada is the only authorized provider of the official TAM® card. Also, more employers recommend TAM® of Nevada for their employees’ alcohol education than any other provider, and for good reason. Remember, management has a responsibility to demonstrate their desire to be in compliance as opposed to just getting by – and the same goes for their team members.

We can evaluate your staff’s current status to make sure everyone is in compliance and holds a valid alcohol education card. TAM® is also able to offer alcohol awareness training for businesses scheduled on-site at work locations after large hiring sprees or several times throughout the year to meet each individual business’ unique requirements. With this option, you can count on a solution that works for your current employees, and ensures any new hires receive the same great training.

TAM® of Nevada has been providing training for corporate clients since its inception. Please contact us today to learn more or to arrange training for your staff.

How To Get a TAM Card Online

The process is simple! Check out our new infographic, which shows exactly how easy it is to obtain your TAM Card from TAM of Nevada! Questions or comments? Let us know in the comments section below.

TAM Card Infographic

New High-Tech Fake IDs Are a Legitimate Concern for Beverage Professionals

teens at a clubTeenagers can be sneaky, especially when they want to make their way into the hottest 21+ Las Vegas clubs. Businesses and service professionals should always remain focused when carding individuals who appear to be under 35 years of age. Recently, more sophisticated and convincing fake IDs have begun appearing on the market. This new breed of fake identification, complete with watermarks and barcodes, is popping up in more and more states, and it can be almost impossible to tell them apart from the real thing. At a cost of less than $200, enterprising teenagers and young adults are able to purchase very realistic fake driver’s licenses on the internet, often from suppliers in China, and they are finding it easier than ever to enter bars and clubs or purchase liquor.

According to a news story from the News4 I-Team, a test was performed using a scanning device popular with bar bouncers and taverns, and many seized licenses held by police were tested. Approximately 100 of those tested successfully deceived the machine, reading and displaying on the scanner as if authentic. To learn more about these new fake ID’s, check out News4’s article on the subject.

Are you aware of these new high-tech fake IDs, and are you making sure you are doing all you can to check the legitimacy of the identification presented to you? Make sure you are up-to-date on your TAM® training to additional learn tips and tricks for checking ID, and remain vigilant about traditional ways to spot bogus identification. Checking for valid identification is a major component of TAM® training.

Still want to make sure you’re doing everything you can to help prevent underage drinking? Check out our blog posts, “Are Minors Using Fake IDs and Sneaking Past You?” and “ID Scanners – Another Weapon to Combat Underage Drinking

TAM Students: What are your experiences regarding the use of ID scanners? What would have been helpful to know when you first started checking IDs?

Resources

© 2014 National Hospitality Institute®, TAM® of Nevada

Upselling to Increase Profits and Net Better Tips

Upselling_BarWorkers in the hospitality industry often depend on tip money for the majority of their income. Looking for ways to increase your earnings? When coupled with great customer service, a higher tab almost always equates to a higher tip, and what service professional doesn’t want to increase bar sales, and in turn, their own tips? There are several ways to net bigger tips, wow your guests, and impress your manager by netting bigger sales. Nightclub & Bar recently released an article titled, “5 Tips in Training Your Staff to Upsell,” and we here at TAM® of Nevada wholeheartedly agree with their 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. When done correctly, upselling is one of the most effective ways to increase your earnings potential. For example, if a mixed drink comes in a standard size or large size, it would be acceptable to ask your guest if they’d like to order the larger size. Just remember to keep an eye on any patrons so they aren’t over served. A larger drink will contain more alcohol than a standard serving size. Similarly, try and promote your top shelf liquors. If a patron asks for a mixed drink, ask them if they’d like to select the premium option. A simple suggestion such as, “Would you like your drink with Grey Goose?” is an easy way to upsell your offerings without being pushy.
  2. Suggest premium beverages or signature drinks over well drinks to increase sales. A patron can get a well drink anywhere, suggesting one of your establishment’s popular signature cocktails can instantly boost the bar tab, and your customer gets to try something new and exciting.
  3. Drink sales aren’t the only item to focus on; you can also upsell food items on you menu. Try offering your bar patrons an appetizer or entrée to go with their drinks. A simple, “Would you like to try some buffalo wings to go with your beer?” is always a good tactic.

Providing excellent customer service in addition to responsible beverage service is one of the most important duties of a bartender or server. What other tips about suggestive selling and upselling would you add to the list?

Resources

© 2013 National Hospitality Institute®, TAM® of Nevada