Published January 26, 2015

How to know when to cut off your intoxicated customer

If you’re fairly new to serving and your establishment serves alcohol, one of the things you have to learn is how to tell when a customer has had too much to drink. You have the power to decide when enough is enough, and it’s important to exercise that power so no one ends up in an ambulance (because that’s bad for everyone).

There isn’t a magic number of drinks before the cut-off point because everyone metabolizes alcohol differently, so behavioral signs are your best clue. If your customer is able to communicate clearly and appears stable, go ahead and mix up that martini. If she is slurring her speech, walking abnormally, dropping or spilling things and generally clueless about what’s going on around her, it’s time she switched to water.

Drunk customers may speak more slowly, or they could become loud and potentially obnoxious. They may also become forgetful and repeat themselves without realizing it.

Another sign of intoxication is, of course, reduced inhibitions. That means that uptight businessman you’ve been serving all evening could start getting a little frisky. Be polite, but put him in his place and cut off his supply if it becomes a problem.

If someone gets belligerent, don’t be afraid to take appropriate action. Make sure you know what your restaurant or bar’s policies are concerning the drunk and disorderly.

Read the full article here: 9 Telltale Signs It’s Time to Cut Off Your Intoxicated Customer
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