Handling Difficult Situations and Documenting Incidents
This domain tests de-escalation and recordkeeping. The exam rewards calm, specific action and objective notes, not emotional labels or after-the-fact guesswork.
De-escalation steps
Stay calm and lower your voice. Give the patron space and avoid cornering them. Listen without arguing, acknowledge the frustration, then restate the limit: "I can't serve you another drink tonight." Offer choices: water, food, a seat away from the bar, or a ride. Bring in the manager early. Call 911 for medical emergencies and police for threats, violence, or a patron trying to drive. Use physical intervention only when there is an imminent danger to someone.
Documentation
Record the date, time, location, names or descriptions, exact words, observed behavior, what you refused, what alternatives you offered, who witnessed it, and how the patron left. Write facts, not conclusions: "slurred speech, swayed, spilled drink" rather than "drunk." Note ID details only as your policy allows. Preserve video if available and report to the manager. If the incident involves a minor, a fight, or an injury, follow the employer's reporting procedure and the license's incident-reporting requirements.
Worked example
At 11:42 p.m., a patron at bar seat 2 orders a fifth rum and Coke. The server notes slurred speech and sees him sway and spill. The server says, "I can't serve you another drink; I can call you a ride." He refuses, pays, and leaves at 11:50 with a friend. The note records times, exact words, observations, and the friend's departure. Reasoning: the note is objective and specific, which supports the refusal and shows the ride offer.
Traps that cost marks
Writing opinions such as "belligerent drunk." Omitting times and witnesses. Failing to record the refusal and the alternatives offered. Waiting until the end of shift to write notes. Escalating an argument in front of other patrons.