Deck 5: Difficult Situations

Question 1

One of your customers appears to be getting intoxicated. Out of the following, which is the best thing to say to the customer to let him or her know you are stopping alcohol service?

A)"Sorry, but I think you've had enough to drink this evening and we will no longer be serving you."
B)"Apologies for the inconvenience, but you are showing signs of intoxication so we can't continue serving you."
C)"Sorry, but I'm not able to continue serving you alcohol at this time. Is there anything else I can get you instead?"
D)"Sorry, but I think it would be dangerous if we continued serving you alcohol. Would you like something else?"

Answer 1

"Sorry, but I'm not able to continue serving you alcohol at this time. Is there anything else I can get you instead?"

Question 2

A group of people comes in with a supposed designated driver, but each one of them ends up purchasing multiple drinks. You don't know/remember who the designated driver was supposed to be, but you do know that whoever it was has now had a few drinks. What do you do?

A)Stop alcohol service to all of them immediately.
B)Ask the group who the designated driver is and be sure to stop serving them.
C)Call a taxi for the group and make sure they all get in it.
D)Monitor the amount they've each had to drink and their intoxication levels, and stop serving them accordingly.

Answer 2

Monitor the amount they've each had to drink and their intoxication levels, and stop serving them accordingly.

Question 3

Two young-looking customers approach Jessie at the bar and ask for some beers. When she asks to see their IDs, one of them says he forgot it at home. The other customer's ID says he is 26 years old, and he insists his friend is the same age. What should Jessie do in this situation?

A)Allow them both to sit at the bar, but insist that the customer with the ID be the one buying their drinks.
B)Ask the non-ID customer a series of age-related questions to verify that he is old enough to consume alcohol.
C)Politely refuse to serve the non-ID customer any alcohol until he presents the proper identification.
D)Serve both of them, but severely limit the number of drinks the non-ID customer has.

Answer 3

Politely refuse to serve the non-ID customer any alcohol until he presents the proper identification.

Question 4

Mike is serving a group of people out celebrating their friend's birthday, and they insist that he do tequila shots with them. He knows they are all of legal age and have at least one designated driver, so what should he do?

A)Take a couple shots with them. People in the alcohol service industry drink from time to time with their customers, and it is not illegal.
B)Politely refuse. Drinking with patrons is not technically illegal in most areas, but each establishment has their own policies that employees must follow.
C)Adamantly refuse and cite U.S. liquor laws. It is illegal in the U.S. for bartenders and servers to consume any amount of alcohol with their customers.
D)Do just one shot. It's fine if the bartender takes steps to be responsible and doesn't drink that much.

Question 5

If a customer comes to your establishment and is already visibly intoxicated, what is the best course of action for you to take?

A)Alert your manager and have him or her escorted off the premises.
B)Find out which other establishment the customer came from and how much he or she had to drink there.
C)Do not serve the customer alcohol and offer him or her water and some food, if possible.
D)Report the customer to the police and/or local liquor authorities.

Question 6

When is it OK for you as a bartender/server to use physical force against a customer?

A)When the customer poses a threat to him or herself or others
B)Never; call the police if you feel the guest is endangering or harming others
C)When the customer refuses to leave
D)A and C

Question 7

A couple comes into the bar in a relatively good mood but after a few drinks begins to argue. What should you do?

A)Step in and ask them what the problem is.
B)Avoid it and let them work it out themselves if there is no apparent danger to you or the other customers.
C)Call the police and let them know about the couple.
D)Let your manager know and keep an eye on them.

Question 8

What should you do when you think you see a drug transaction going on inside the establishment or on its outside premises?

A)Have another employee (preferably a supervisor) come with you as backup and kick the offending guests out of the establishment immediately.
B)Discreetly tell the people involved that they have to leave right away.
C)Go over to get a closer look to make sure it is a drug transaction. Don't walk away until you see both money and drug paraphernalia actually exchanged.
D)Call the police and alert your manager.

Question 9

One of your customers appears to be intoxicated, so you decide to stop serving him alcohol. Unfortunately, your manager tells you that you have to continue serving him because he is a close friend of the restaurant owner. What should you do?

A)Continue serving the customer despite your misgivings.
B)Only serve the customer watered-down drinks from now on.
C)Tell your manager that you are really not comfortable continuing to serve this customer and ask if he or she can serve the customer instead.
D)Refuse to serve the customer and ignore any future requests to do so.

Question 10

After which of the following scenarios should you fill out an incident report?

A)You run out of a certain kind of alcohol that a customer is trying to order.
B)You have to kick out two guests for trying to sell illegal substances to customers.
C)A minor is denied entry to the establishment.
D)You serve alcohol to a pregnant woman.

Question 11

What's the first thing you should do if a fight breaks out in the establishment?

A)Call the police.
B)Move other customers away from the fight.
C)Try to break up the fight before it gets worse.
D)Go get your manager.

Question 12

A guest shows up to the establishment demanding to order a drink, but he or she is already clearly intoxicated and has nobody to drive him or her home. What should you do in this situation?

A)Make the guest leave before too many people notice.
B)Let the guest stay and have one drink, but only on the condition that he or she takes a taxi home.
C)Give the guest some water and try to get him or her to sober up a bit. If it is necessary later, try to find transportation home for him or her.
D)Call the police right away to come pick him or her up.

Question 13

A customer orders another beer, but when you go to put it on his tab you notice that he's already had six beers. Still, he doesn't appear to be showing any signs of intoxication. Should you do anything?

A)Yes. You should tell him he's had enough to drink already.
B)Yes. You should give him a glass of water and politely ask if he would like to close out his tab.
C)No. He appears to be fine to keep drinking.
D)Yes. You should go get your manager.

Question 14

You are serving an elderly couple on their anniversary, and they like you so much that they offer to buy you a drink or two to celebrate with them. What is the best way to respond?

A)"Sure, I'd love to!"
B)"Thanks. That's very nice of you, but I'm unable to do that. Can I get you anything else at this time?"
C)"I appreciate the offer, but I'm going to have to decline at this time."
D)"Thanks. I'd love to, but first I would like to know what you have in mind."

Question 15

A customer asks you to hold a bag behind the bar for her. After she leaves, you open it out of curiosity and see what looks like illegal drug paraphernalia. What do you do?

A)Ask the customer about it when she returns.
B)Tell nobody and discreetly call the police.
C)Close it and ignore it. Opening it was a violation of the customer's trust in the first place.
D)Get the manager and contact law enforcement.

Question 16

A customer appears to be intoxicated, but his wife says he is fine. They're about to drive home and the car keys are in his hand. What should you do in this situation?

A)Insist that the wife drive instead.
B)Force the keys out of his hand and refuse to let him drive.
C)Offer to call the couple a cab and/or try to find them alternate transportation.
D)Make them stay in the establishment for several hours to sober up.

Question 17

You refuse to continue serving a customer, but he threatens you with violence. He seems serious. What is the right thing to do in this situation?

A)Stand your ground and threaten him right back.
B)Remain polite but get the manager and/or a bouncer for assistance.
C)Attempt to physically restrain the customer.
D)Agree to serve him one more drink on the condition that he leaves immediately after.

Question 18

You ask to see a customer's ID, but he tells you he accidentally left it at home. His friend - who did show you a legal ID - comes over and insists they are the same age. He seems to be telling the truth, so what should you do now?

A)Apologize for the inconvenience, but explain to him or her that you are unable to serve the customer without an ID.
B)Allow the customer with a legal ID to buy a drink for his friend, but do not serve the non-ID friend yourself.
C)Go ask the manager for permission to serve the non-ID customer.
D)Ask the non-ID customer a series of age-related questions in order to verify that he or she is telling the truth.

Question 19

You are tending bar at an event where you know there are minors present. A few of them even tried to order drinks, but you politely turned them away. Now some people are ordering multiple drinks at a time. How do you make sure they aren't giving drinks to the minors?

A)Offer to bring their drinks over to their table.
B)Politely ask who the drinks are for.
C)Limit the number of drinks they can order at a time.
D)All of the above.

Question 20

You are serving a bachelorette party, and everyone keeps buying the bride drinks. She seems to be getting pretty drunk and tired, but nobody in her group seems to notice. Should you step in?

A)No. It's not really your business and you could upset your customers.
B)Yes. You should stop serving the bride and offer everyone some water.
C)It all depends on whether or not the bride is bothered by the number of drinks.
D)No. However, you should start serving the bride weaker drinks.

Question 21

A customer suddenly starts vomiting right there in the middle of the bar. What is the best way to handle the situation?

A)Put the trash in front of him or her and move the other customers back.
B)Get a coworker to help you move the customer to a private area where he or she won't bother the other guests.
C)Alert your manager and call the police.
D)Move the customer to the bathroom and get him or her medical attention, if needed.

Question 22

One of your coworkers has been drinking with the customers and appears to be getting intoxicated. Should you intervene, and if so, how?

A)Yes. You should discreetly alert the manager.
B)No. "Tattling" on a coworker will only cause tension.
C)Yes. You should point out to your coworker that he or she needs to stop.
D)Any of the above.

Question 23

You go to greet a table and find that they have brought in their own wine for dinner. Should you refuse to open it for them?

A)Only if they have not ordered any other drinks from the establishment.
B)Yes. Bringing in outside alcohol is illegal.
C)No. If the establishment has a liquor license then it is OK.
D)Maybe yes, maybe no - always adhere to the establishment's policies concerning outside alcohol.

Question 24

Your municipality mandates that bars stop serving alcohol at 12 a.m. One night a group of people out celebrating their friend's birthday ends up staying until midnight and requests that you stay open just a little later. Several of them still have unfinished drinks, and a few of them are asking for another round. What is the best thing to do in this situation?

A)Agree to stay open just one hour longer.
B)Ask the manager permission to stay open a little later and to serve just one more round.
C)Tell them that you are unable to continue serving them and that the bar is closed.
D)Do a last call and then close the bar right after everyone gets their last orders.

Question 25

A group of people you are serving is being very loud and disruptive. You have already received some complaints from other customers. What do you do?

A)Ask them to keep it down and alert them that you have had some complaints.
B)Monitor the amount they are drinking.
C)Identify the leader of the group and make it clear the group will have to leave if they continue to be loud and disruptive.
D)All of the above

Question 26

Joel is making efforts to sober up a guest who has arrived at the bar in an intoxicated state when suddenly the guest tells him the name of the other bar where he had been drinking. Joel knows that his own establishment could potentially get in trouble if the guest leaves while still intoxicated, so what should he do?

A)Call the local liquor authorities and report the other bar.
B)Write down the name of the other bar and continue to try to sober up the guest.
C)Contact the other bar and tell the manager to practice safer alcohol service.
D)Send the guest back to the other bar.

Question 27

You are told to fill out an incident report after a fight breaks out among customers, but you have never done one before. What information should you include?

A)How the situation was dealt with
B)What happened and who was involved
C)Time and date
D)All of the above

Question 28

You should get a coworker to act as your "backup" when you decide to cut off alcohol service to a guest (for whatever reason).

Question 29

When is it OK for you to take a customer's car keys away?

A)When you are finding alternate transportation for him or her
B)Only when someone in their party asks you to do so
C)When the customer is clearly too intoxicated to drive safely
D)Never, because you shouldn't take a customer's personal items

Question 30

After you do stop service to a customer, what is the next most important thing for you to do?

A)Make sure he or she gets home safely.
B)Notify the police.
C)Tell whoever the customer is with that his or her alcohol service has been cut off.
D)Fill out an incident report.

Question 31

Some of your customers are starting to play a game in one corner of the room. What are some precautions you can take to make sure it doesn't get too wild?

A)Cut off alcohol service to them for as long as the game is being played.
B)Check in with them occasionally and pay attention to the amounts they are drinking.
C)Limit them to only playing for 10 minutes at a time.
D)All of the above.

Question 32

A young man and woman come up to the bar and start chatting with Mike about the different beers that are on tap. They look like they're in their early to mid-20s, and since they seem to know a lot about beer, Mike decides not to card them when they order a few drinks. What should he have done instead?

A)Asked them questions about other kinds of alcohol to ensure they were fully experienced and therefore of legal age.
B)Asked to see the ID of whichever person looked younger.
C)Asked to see their IDs once they ordered alcohol.
D)Made sure it was OK with the manager to not card them.

Question 33

You are working in a crowded bar when a customer comes up to you, points to his or her friend and says, "No matter what he asks for, don't serve him alcohol, OK?" You've never been in this situation before, so what do you do?

A)Tell him or her you'll be the judge of who gets served and who doesn't.
B)Wait to see what kind of state the friend is in.
C)Ignore the friend when he or she comes up to the bar.
D)Politely ask why you should not serve the friend and whether the friend knows he or she shouldn't be drinking.

Question 34

A customer is ordering tequila shots for all his or her friends, but not everybody in their group seems to be on board with it, so you only pour a few. The customer then gets upset when you don't give him or her all of the shots he or she ordered. What should you have done instead?

A)Poured all of the shots and left the decision to drink up to each person in the group.
B)Asked the group as a whole who would be drinking the shots and then let the main customer know that not everyone wanted them
C)Poured all of the shots and left the extras in front of the main customer
D)Poured the shots, but made some of them just plain water instead of tequila

Question 35

What are some potential problems that can come up if a group of customers gathers in an out-of-the-way area of the establishment with little supervision?

A)Their intoxication levels can't be easily monitored.
B)If they engage in illegal activity, you and the other employees might not be able to catch it.
C)Little supervision from staff members may actually encourage disruptive, unruly behavior.
D)All of the above.

Question 36

You are getting a customer another drink when suddenly you realize that you have lost count of how many he or she has already had. What is the best thing to do in this situation?

A)Stop serving him or her. Better safe than sorry!
B)Estimate the amount to the best of your abilities and discreetly monitor the customer for signs of intoxication.
C)Ask the customer directly how many he or she has had.
D)Delay serving the customer another round until you can remember the number.

Question 37

Some of your customers want to take their unfinished drinks home with them. What should you do?

A)Let them take their drinks home only if you have plastic (disposable) cups available.
B)Agree to let everyone take his or her drink home except the designated driver.
C)Only agree to let them take their drinks out if they are using private transportation home.
D)Do not let them take their drinks home.

Question 38

Two men come up to the bar and order two beers apiece, laughing and saying they are going to "double-fist" their drinks. What should you do here?

A)Get the manager and ask his or her opinion.
B)Agree to only serve them the weakest beer you have on tap.
C)Politely tell them that they can have their second ones when they have finished with the first.
D)Refuse to serve them.

Question 39

A customer comes up to you with a half-full drink in his or her hand and asks you with a wink to "top it off" for him or her. Do you do as he or she asks?

A)No!
B)Only if he or she is polite and not showing signs of intoxication
C)Yes!
D)It depends on how the manager feels about it

Question 40

You are serving a group of people who came in with a designated driver, but at the end of the evening you find out that the driver had to leave an hour earlier for a family emergency. The rest of the group is still there, and they have all had multiple drinks. What should you do?

A)Call the police and tell them what's going on.
B)Try to contact the designated driver to ask if he or she can come back.
C)Arrange alternate transportation home for the group.
D)All of the above.