10 Signs That You Shouldn’t Serve or Sell

If you’ve finished your BASSET Certification with BASSET On The Fly, you’re already armed with the knowledge you need to make sure you’re in compliance with the law. But as servers ourselves, we know that a quick and easy refresher is always nice.

 

Serving or Selling Alcohol May Be a Bad Idea If the Customer Is:

1. Talking loudly, being very boisterous.
2. Behaving more overtly than is socially accepted, such as, acting overly friendly to other customers, overly animated, or using overtly sexual speech or gestures.
3. Flushed in the face.
4. Less able to control emotion. Behavior such as uncontrollable laughing or overly sadness when the situation doesn’t warrant it.
5. Less able to control motor functions and exhibiting slurred speech, is swaying or staggering, is missing their mouth with glass or utensils.
6. Careless with money, often with bravado and boasting.
7. Argumentative or belligerent; obnoxious or mean.
8. Bloodshot, glassy, or watery eyes.
9. Drowsy or has droopy eyelids or is falling asleep.
10. Rambling in speech or talking unusually fast or slow.

These are common signs that someone is at least tipsy or buzzed, and perhaps full-on drunk. The person’s inhibitions are affected, and they are behaving out of character. Since you won’t know the “normal” appearance or character of your customers, you’ll have to compare to prior appearance and behavior during their visit, paying extra attention to sudden changes. You can also just compare to what is socially normal.

Hopefully, for you and your other patrons, you’ll be able to detect more subtle signs and curb drinking before it reaches the point of causing problematic behavior.

 

Remember

• You don’t have to have extrasensory perception abilities. You do have to recognize signs that a reasonable certified seller-server would recognize.
• Look for signs even before initially serving alcohol. You never know what the customer consumed before arriving.
• A person may show a sign for reasons other than intoxication.
• A combination of several signs is a major red flag, as is a sudden change in behavior.
• If you’re not sure, you may want to consult with your supervisor, if possible.
• You, the server, are the one who will bear the consequences of over-serving.
• When in doubt, it’s always better to kindly cut them off.

BASSET On The Fly is a leading provider of online BASSET seller-server training and certification licensed by the Illinois Liquor Control Commission (ILCC). Contact us to learn more!

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