Recognizing and Preventing Sales to Intoxicated Persons
Domain 3 - Recognizing and Preventing Sales to Intoxicated Persons
This domain tests whether you can recognize intoxication before it becomes a crisis and stop service in time. The exam focuses on behavioral signs, service pacing, the prohibition on serving an intoxicated person, and the server's duty to prevent harm. Intoxication is not limited to someone who is falling down; impairment can be present while the customer is still standing, talking, and insisting they are fine.
Signs to watch
- Slurred or slowed speech, repetition, and confusion.
- Bloodshot or glassy eyes, loss of focus, and delayed responses.
- Unsteady walking, leaning, spilling drinks, or difficulty with money and phones.
- Rapid drinking, ordering multiple drinks at once, or switching to stronger drinks.
- Loud, aggressive, overly emotional, or unusually quiet behavior.
- Empty glasses around the customer and reports from other staff.
Prevention
Servers should pace service, offer food and water, avoid doubles and large pours, and observe the customer over time. A customer who is visibly impaired must not be served more alcohol, even if they are not disorderly. If the customer plans to drive, do not serve them alcohol; arrange a ride, call a taxi or rideshare, or involve the manager. Document the refusal and the actions taken.
Worked example
A customer at a Waikiki bar drinks three shots in 30 minutes, becomes loud, repeats the same story, and knocks over a glass. The server should recognize these combined signs as impairment and refuse the next drink. Offering water and food is helpful, but it does not make further alcohol service legal. The server should notify the manager, keep the customer from being served by another server, and help arrange safe transportation.
Traps that cost marks
- Waiting until the customer is falling down before stopping service.
- Serving coffee, food, or water and then resuming alcohol service to the same impaired customer.
- Assuming a customer is fine because they are polite or a regular.
- Letting another server or a friend supply the drink after the refusal.
- Failing to record the refusal and the customer's condition.