9 Situations That Every Bartender Should be Prepared For | Bartending Advice

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Did you know that California accounted for over 10% of the nationwide total of drunk driving fatalities in a recent year, equaling 1,069?

While the leading age group of deaths from drunk driving was 21 to 24-year-olds, over 3,000 of those arrested for driving under the influence were under the age of 18.

It’s accurate that the source of alcohol could come from anywhere, but one place it shouldn’t be coming from is your bar or your bartenders. This is exactly why RBS training exists: to ensure bartenders are formally educated on the consequences involved with serving alcohol to those under the legal drinking age.

RBS training is mandatory, and it’s not difficult to pass, but it’s not something that can be skipped even if you know how to check for fake IDs.

RBS certification signifies that you are a responsible server. There’s a lot more to know when it comes to RBS training, but the best way to understand its need is to picture a few situations you’ll want to be prepared for.

1. A Patron Not Having an ID With Them

It can seem simple to go off of how someone looks to determine if you should serve them alcohol. Keep good bartending advice in mind and realize that this is never an appropriate approach.

Many people look young just as many people look “old enough.” However, the only actual way to tell someone’s age is by verifying using their ID.

If a patron doesn’t have an ID with them, you can always use other forms of identification. The main thing is being able to confirm their photo with their date of birth. You should also never get in the practice of turning away someone for looking too youthful.

Professional bartenders go off ID verification and they know how to spot real or fake IDs so they never have to base decisions on anything other than that.

With this, all you need to know is to look for a few key things. Check for the date of birth, the photograph, and the expiration date. While expiration dates don’t change anyone’s age, the general rule is that the ID can’t be expired.

Make Sure to Match the ID to the Person

Ensure the photograph matches the person you’re seeing based on the face. Keep in mind that people can lose or gain weight from the time they took their ID picture, so it’s not abnormal for some people to look slightly different based on those types of changes. In this case, look at other identifiers on the license such as eye color and height.

Hair color isn’t the best verifier because of how often many people change their hair color. After using those key items to verify the person’s identity, you can always double-check. You can do this by feeling the card to better tell if something is fake based on the sturdiness or flimsiness.

You can also ask simple questions about the information on the ID in case you think it’s a fake ID. California alcohol laws permit you to seize fake IDs and turn them over to authorities if you think they may be fake.

However, the only time this is appropriate is if there are clear signs the ID might not be valid or theirs at all. This decision should not be based on looks but more so the state of the ID along with any other suspicions you may have. Most bars have very specific procedures and policies to follow if you want to go this route, so be sure to know them and follow them closely if needed.

2. Fights Breaking Out in the Bar

Fights can break out anywhere but especially in places where alcohol is served. Adults or not, not all adults know how to handle alcohol. One of many bartender requirements is to pay attention to patrons and to have 360-degree situation awareness.

You might be wondering what the appropriate thing would be for you to do if you’re dealing with unruly customers. The answer might not be what you’d assume, but it’s not your job to break up any fights in the bar. This is something that will fall on bar security or law enforcement.

In the case this happens, you should always stay behind the bar. Essentially, you are in charge of creating and serving drinks. You should also pay attention to patrons so that you can prevent situations like this from happening.

With things like this, managers often wonder, “Does a bouncer need to be RBS certified?” The answer is yes. Under California law, all bouncers of any club or bar and their employers have to be RBS certified.

However, if a fight does occur, realize that you are not responsible for the actions of others. The only thing that you can control is what’s behind the bar and what passes the bar to get to your customers.

3. Underage Individuals Trying to Slip Under the Radar

The best bartending advice that you can use is to check IDs for everyone, even when you’re sure they are of age or well past it. This is good practice to keep the reputation of your bar in good standing and to protect you from risking liability for serving alcohol to anyone underage.

This happens more than you might think, but those under 18, as we’ve mentioned, make up the highest rate of intoxication in traffic stops for the concern of driving under the influence. A lot of the time, you may be able to tell if someone is underage if the ID is obviously fake, or if they don’t have one at all and are persistent about being served alcohol.

It’s not uncommon for those of age to forget their wallet or leave their ID at home. However, those are the people who would go back to get it, be fine with not drinking if asked for an ID, or would often have another form of identification.

4. Patrons Appearing to Be ‘Too Intoxicated’

Yes, the bartender is responsible for monitoring people drinking in the establishment, and there is such a thing as ‘too intoxicated’. This basically means that you should be mindful of who you’re serving drinks to and how many. 

Believe it or not, bartenders have a list of rules that they follow to ensure both a good customer experience and overall safety. One of the most popular pieces of bartending advice is the 50% rule. If you haven’t heard of it, the 50% rule is basically the proper time when you’ll want to serve or at least prep the customer’s next drink: after half of the first one is gone.

This is more of a customer satisfaction trick. However, this is also a way to help you count someone’s drinks.

Keep a Few Things in Mind

Keep in mind that you aren’t actually counting anyone’s drinks. You want to keep a mental note of how many others may have had in case they become clearly intoxicated.

This is when you might cut them off, have them wait a certain period, or take their keys to prevent them from harming themselves or others. What you’ll be looking out for are bloodshot eyes, slurred speech, and questionable behavior. If someone has lost mobility, this is a clear sign of drunkenness and these drunk customers should probably be cut off and have their keys taken.

While bartending can seem like babysitting adults, this is one of those bar situations that should be paid close attention to. Over-intoxication will often lead to one of three reactions.

The person may become very aggressive to you or other patrons. They may simply fall asleep at the bar or in a way become very sloppy. They may assume they are okay, act normal, and try to leave the bar.

Use good bartending advice and look out for these situations to prevent them as best you can based on the bar’s policies.

5. The Need for Addressing Aggressive Behavior

As a bartender, you might have noticed how behaviors change when someone is under the influence. Alcohol affects how people make decisions, their attention span, and how they respond to different situations. Alcohol often promotes aggressiveness and this is something you should be prepared for.

RBS training is going to prepare you to handle situations that you might have expected and those you might not have. You will learn to only serve alcohol ‘on-premises’ and to serve to those of legal age. With these two things, you will cut down on the unforeseen issues happening in your bar.

However, it’s not always easy to prevent these bar situations from occurring even with proper RBS training. Because of this, you need to know how to handle yourself to limit the chance of violence or injury. This is to protect yourself, employees, and patrons in your area who aren’t involved.

As a server or bartender it is a good practice to be mindful of your role and the role of others in the bar. If you stick to your area as much as possible, especially in the case of aggressive situations, you can limit preventable dangers.

6. Avoiding Over-Serving

It can be tough dealing with unruly customers, and this is what RBS certification prepares you to handle. Over-serving your patrons is something that often leads to drunk customers becoming problematic but if you can keep an eye on how much you’re serving, this won’t be an issue.

This plays a lot into paying attention to the cues that patrons give off. Pay attention to the behavior of unruly customers during these bar situations, their volume, and whether they are becoming argumentative.

A lot of the time, when someone starts to do these things, you can intervene before their behavior becomes worse. This often involves cutting them off and simply serving them water.

7. Busy Nights and Being Understaffed

There are a lot of times when you might be the only bartender on-site during your shift. This will depend on the size of the location where you work, but oftentimes you could be the sole person behind the bar.

This means that you need to have high levels of organization, attention to detail, and knowledge of how to handle pressure.

RBS certification prepares you for handling hectic nights as the only bartender. You will learn how to keep your space clean and organized, how to keep up with the things that will make a difference in how you serve, and how you can keep up with the cleanliness behind the bar.

These are tactics to keep yourself up to par with customer service. However, keeping behind the bar clean and organized actually has more to do with preventing health code violations. This is something that RBS certification focuses on.

When you have a clean workplace, you’re also limiting the chance for injury or mistakes to happen. What you’ll want to do here is clean as you go and not let messes pile up. Not only is this a good risk mitigation tactic, but it’s also a good way to limit the amount of cleaning at the end of a shift.

8. Random Emergencies Within the Bar

An RBS certification is going to give you confidence in being prepared for certain emergencies and knowing how to manage or react to them. Keep in mind that bars are high-risk areas for physical injury and medical emergencies.

This means that you should know where safety equipment is in your bar so that you can react accordingly until the proper resources have been dispatched. This could involve knowing where fire extinguishers and first aid kits are as well as whether any of your staff are certified or trained as an EMT or in CPR.

9. Complaints From Patrons

Complaints are present in every industry, and as a bartender, you are likely to experience them. They can derive from how you keep your workspace, how a drink tastes, or how you made the drink. Or a patron might simply be intoxicated and act in a manner where they are directing this toward you.

RBS training is going to teach you how to use certain techniques to prepare drinks. You will learn how to interact with your patrons and how to keep drunk customers within their limits. All of this can help you to avoid unwanted complaints regardless of why they’re being made.

Making the RBS Training Process Simple

RBS training is necessary, and it’s also a simple requirement to fulfill. The process is as easy as registering with the California Beverage Control, purchasing and taking the course, and then taking the state exam. However, after the course, you’ll be prepared and confident enough to exceed your own expectations during the test.

This training helps to protect you, your customers, and your bar, so start learning more by exploring state resources.

How to Train Your Bartending Staff for Success

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It may surprise you to learn that 63% of American adults consider themselves alcohol drinkers. If you work in the service industry, you have to prepare yourself and your employees so they know how to properly serve alcoholic beverages. This includes carding patrons and ensuring no one is over-served.

One of the best ways of doing this is with RBS training. This crucial certificate program teaches you how to train a bartender. 

This helpful guide walks you through the best way to onboard new bartenders and how you can create the ideal training program. 

Hire Quality Bartenders

Before you begin training your bartending staff, you can use hiring platforms or staffing agencies to locate top-tier candidates. Create a list of questions so you can compare all prospective bartenders according to the same list of principles. 

Once you select a group of individuals, have them come in for a trial shift. This can be for a day or a week so you can see how they function on the job and whether they’ll be a good fit for your establishment. If you determine that your candidates make good employees, have them advance to a bartender certification program. 

Provide a Bartender Training Manual

Now that you have your select group of bartenders, provide them with an in-depth training manual. This helps your staff understand bartender requirements.

It also provides plenty of resources and prospective scenarios for them to navigate. This training manual should also outline policies, procedures, and a code of conduct. 

You may even want to explain the rules of handling cash and general customer service when on the job. 

Discuss Technical Skills

If you’ve promoted someone from a different part of your restaurant, being friendly and a hard worker might not be enough for them to thrive as a bartender. They need the technical skills to navigate the job of a bartender. 

Ensure your new hire is adept at pouring with accuracy, making cocktails, and understanding the different tools necessary for the job. Bartender training programs help to expedite this process. Consider having them shadow a seasoned bartender so they can learn what everything is behind the bar. 

Have a Leader Conduct Training

As you prepare your bartending training program for an RBS certification, it’s best to let a leader conduct the course. This might be a manager or other team member who’s responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations.

This person will work closely with staff and serve as the point person for all questions after bartenders are onboarded. It’s best to let them conduct the training so everyone will be on the same page with expectations. 

Explain Terminology

If you onboard a bartender with minimal experience, you need to explain all bartending terminology. This helps your new hire understand common words and phrases used by the rest of your team.

Understanding terminology can help to alleviate misunderstandings and work to expedite customer service for guests. 

Discuss Overserving 

There is a liability for serving alcohol, and rightfully so. You’re responsible for ensuring someone doesn’t drink and drive. A crucial part of being a bartender is being diligent not to overserve a guest.

One of the best ways to ensure the safety of your guests is by avoiding overserving them. Overserving means proving your guests with alcohol even after they’re intoxicated.

There are ways you can prevent overserving. This includes understanding the signs of intoxication. 

Signs of Intoxication

Intoxication can have physical and emotional signs. Train your bartending staff to look for the following signs of intoxication in guests:

  • Slurred speech
  • Difficulty walking or talking
  • Inappropriate behavior
  • Overtly animated 
  • Slumped over at the bar or table
  • Glassy eyes
  • Walking slowly or stumbling/swaying
  • Sweating
  • Shallow breathing
  • Angry and/or argumentative
  • Messy clothing

Once you understand the signs of intoxication, you can work to cut off guests who’ve had enough to drink.

How to Prevent Overserving 

Teach your bartending staff to avoid overserving already intoxicated guests. For starters, serve them water with a drink to help slow the pace of their drinking.

Offer complementary non-alcoholic beverages to deter customers from ordering more alcohol. Be careful not to escalate any aggressive situations and defer to managers when customers get out of hand. 

Understand Products

Your bartending staff has to understand the different categories of drinks along with popular cocktails. If they understand different products they can make their own unique creations as well.

Once they understand basic cocktail recipes they’ll be able to make more challenging or lesser-known cocktails with ease. 

A highly trained bartender should also recognize the different types of beer and wine styles to provide customers with the best experience possible. 

Explain In-House Technology

Incorporating technology is an important part of running a bar. This includes the POS system your bar uses to keep track of sales and accept different payments. 

Technology plays an important role in running any bar so you’ll need to go through the different systems you use with your new hires. 

You should start with your POS system, but you may also use specialized inventory or table management software, so train your staff on this as well.

Covering these systems will ensure smooth operations, accurate sales data, and better customer experience. 

Sales Training

Although your bartenders aren’t salespeople, a properly trained employee can help with your overall sales. The best way for your bartender to help sales is by knowing the following:

  • The history and background of drinks
  • What foods pair well with drinks
  • An ability to understand the customer

When you properly train your bartenders, they should be knowledgeable about the items you serve and understand how to be charismatic with customers. 

Inventory and Managing

Are your bartenders overseeing the inventory of your merchandise and, if so, are they managing it? In this instance, you need to properly train them in this department. 

Teach your employees how to count stock, record any spillage, and how to use software to manage this information. You may also need to train your staff how to purchase items, which means they’ll be responsible for contacting suppliers. Your bartenders will also need to know what minimum quantity to order, what items are best sellers, and so forth. 

Focus on Health and Safety

It may come as a surprise that a common garnish is covered in germs. Lemons can contain E. coli and traces of fecal matter.

You need to train your bartending staff on the best practices for health and safety. This keeps them and everyone else safe. 

Lemons aren’t the only area of concern. Your staff needs to understand common health mistakes.

This includes using a glass to scoop ice, inadvertently transferring germs. They should also avoid touching the rim of a glass and ensure only clean towels are used on glasses. 

Your new hires may benefit from a seasoned professional such as a mentor. This person can show them the ropes and teach them how to properly serve drinks while still adhering to health and safety measures. 

Carrying Drinks

The best bartender training program teaches staff the appropriate way to carry drinks. When your staff knows how to transport numerous beverages at once, it can lead to a reduction in workplace accidents. Since 5% of slip and fall accidents lead to broken bones, it’s important your staff understands how to properly carry a drink tray. 

You can even make it into a little competition, adding some fun to your training program. Always incentivize your staff to help make something monotonous more enjoyable. 

Teach the Bar Layout

When your staff knows where items are located, they can tend to patrons quicker, providing them with better customer service. Your bartender training program should include a tutorial on the layout of the bar and where everything is located. 

Your staff needs to know which glasses go with which drinks, so require them to use the two appropriately during training. They also need to learn what beer you stock in your restaurant and which beers go with what glasses. Your staff needs to use the appropriate glasses every time to ensure training sticks.

Don’t Forget About Customer Interaction

As a server or bartender, it is a good practice to appropriately interact with guests. 

Since your bartenders spend a good deal of time interacting with customers, they need to understand how to carry a conversation, appropriately greet someone, and offer excellent customer service. In many ways, they’re the face of your restaurant. 

Teach bartenders never to ignore guests. If they’re busy, they simply need to say, “I’ll be right with you.” Customers often need the reassurance that they’re not being ignored and that their order will be taken shortly.

Your bartending staff should also have several drink recommendations ready to go as soon as a guest approaches the bar. This might be the house special or the bartender’s favorite.

It may also be the restaurant’s best-selling drink. Just be sure that your bartender explains that the drink is also one of their favorites so it doesn’t look like they’re trying to hollowly sell a product.  

Join Groups

When your bartending staff joins local and national groups, they’ll have the opportunity to connect with other bartenders. This helps them grow in their craft. 

An excellent group to join is the United States Bartenders’ Guild. Your staff can look for local groups to network with, attend events, and make new friends in the service industry. 

Offer Financial Literacy Training

You may want to consider offering your bartenders opportunities to do more than tend bar and entertain guests. Consider a financial literary training course for open book management.

You’d share with qualified individuals your restaurant’s books. This allows them to understand how their role at your bar impacts business. 

You’ll simultaneously teach your employees the importance of their role while teaching them transferrable skills they can use in the long term. This might mean a new position elsewhere at your restaurant. 

Implement Quizzes

This doesn’t mean pop quizzes. Give your staff a bit of notice and tell them you’ll be testing their knowledge of the bar. This way, you can gauge who’s retaining information and who’s not. Consider a monthly assessment to see how well your new staff is performing.

You can also ask questions on the spot, but don’t make the questions impossible to answer. These quizzes ensure your bartenders understand California alcohol laws. 

Food and Drink Pairing

It’s important for bartenders to know what drinks pair well with what dishes. This helps your guests have the best experience possible, especially if your bar is also a restaurant. 

You can offer a class that covers the history of beverages and include a section on ways to pair drinks with food. If you have a seasoned bartender or a sommelier, you can ask them to run weekly or monthly training courses. They can discuss what new items are on the menu and what cocktails, beer, and wine pair best with them.

These classes reinforce to your bartending staff which wines go best with what dishes. Your bartenders will also have more confidence when talking to customers, as their knowledge of drinks will constantly expand. 

How to Train a Bartender

Now that you know how to train a bartender, you can work to retain the best bartending staff possible. Remember to teach your servers about the importance of carding and being mindful not to overserve.

You may also be wondering, “Does a bouncer need to be RBS certified?” A comprehensive training program answers all these questions and more. 

An RBS certification ensures all bartending staff is thoroughly up to date with the latest rules and regulations. RBS Training can help you and your bartending staff serve alcohol appropriately so everyone is in compliance with state laws. Click here to get started. 

What Is RBS Training and How Can You Apply It to Your Daily Work?

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Each year, countless incidents related to alcohol consumption plague businesses and individuals alike. Could we possibly minimize such risks, and create a safer, more enjoyable environment for both consumers and servers?

A potent solution to this problem lies within Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) training. But what is RBS training? In essence, it equips individuals and establishments with vital knowledge and strategies to prevent alcohol related harm, acting as the lynchpin in a robust responsible service policy.

This article will not only answer the question “What is RBS training?” but will also delve into how it applies to everyday work, particularly for those serving alcohol in California.

What is RBS Training?

Responsible Beverage Service, or RBS training, holds a pivotal role in the alcohol service industry. This training is a dedicated program, designed to educate those who serve or sell alcoholic beverages. The primary recipients of this training are:

  • Bartenders
  • Servers
  • Others involved in alcohol-related businesses

Let’s delve deeper into what this training entails and why it’s a good practice for servers and bartenders.

The Core of RBS Training

RBS training primarily imparts knowledge and strategies to prevent the occurrence of alcohol-related issues that could harm businesses and individuals. The topics covered in this training are wide-ranging.

One of the key skills taught is how to accurately verify identification to prevent underage drinking. As you may know, selling alcohol to minors can lead to serious legal consequences. Having the skills to correctly check IDs helps to avoid such mishaps.

Beyond Age Verification

Age verification is just the tip of the iceberg. RBS training also delves into recognizing signs of intoxication.

This aspect of training allows servers to identify if a patron has had too much to drink. This can prevent instances of drunk driving and other alcohol-induced problems. Knowing when to say no is an essential part of responsible alcohol service.

Handling Challenging Situations

A critical part of RBS training revolves around dealing with tough situations. A classic example is a disruptive patron.

The program provides methods to handle such scenarios. It teaches servers how to defuse situations professionally and safely. This ensures the safety of:

  • Other customers
  • Staff members
  • The disruptive patron themselves

A Part of Daily Work

As someone who serves alcohol, it’s a good practice to undergo RBS training. This program readies you to not only deal with regular service. It also covers situations that could spiral out of control without the right response.

By equipping yourself with this knowledge, you can ensure a safe and secure environment for everyone involved.

The Value of RBS Certification

Earning an RBS certification elevates your professional status. It shows your dedication to not only serving alcohol but doing so in a way that prioritizes the safety and well-being of your patrons.

Customers and employers alike recognize this certification as a sign of commitment to responsible service. It’s a badge of honor that sets you apart in the highly competitive field of beverage service.

Legal Protection

One of the core benefits of RBS certification lies in its potential to shield businesses and employees from legal troubles. With certification, you understand the legalities surrounding alcohol service.

This includes the do’s and don’ts, which drastically reduces the risk of committing legal blunders. This knowledge translates into fewer alcohol violations, protecting you and your establishment from hefty fines and tarnished reputation.

Mitigating Alcohol-Related Issues

RBS certification empowers you with the knowledge and skills to recognize and defuse potentially harmful situations related to alcohol consumption. It arms you with tactics to manage intoxicated patrons and ways to prevent underage drinking.

By knowing how to respond to these situations, you can help maintain a safe, enjoyable atmosphere in your establishment. This reduces the chances of:

  • Altercations
  • Accidents
  • Other alcohol-related incidents

Lowering Liability for Serving Alcohol

When mishaps occur, establishments often bear the brunt of the blame. From over-serving an already intoxicated patron to unknowingly serving underage drinkers, the implications can be severe. Both legally and financially.

Being RBS certified helps lower the liability for serving alcohol. With your knowledge of responsible beverage service, you can prevent such incidents from happening in the first place.

Advancing in Your Career

An RBS certification can also prove instrumental in advancing your career. Are you aiming to become a bartender or take on a higher role within the industry?

This certification demonstrates your commitment to your profession and your readiness to take on more responsibility. It shows you’re not just experienced in serving alcohol. You also understand how to do so responsibly and safely.

Applying RBS Training to Daily Work

RBS training isn’t just about learning new skills. It’s about applying these skills in your day-to-day work to create a safer environment for your customers and yourself. After all, as a server or bartender it is a good practice to focus not just on providing service but doing so responsibly.

By recognizing signs of intoxication and knowing how to refuse service tactfully, you can prevent alcohol-related incidents and ensure a more enjoyable experience for all patrons.

Building Customer Trust

Trust plays a crucial role in any customer-facing job, and it’s no different for those who serve alcohol. RBS training allows you to build that trust with your patrons. When customers see that you are serving responsibly, they feel more confident about their safety.

This trust can lead to:

  • Repeat customers
  • Positive reviews
  • A good reputation for your establishment

Improving Interactions with Customers

Interacting with customers is an integral part of the work of servers and bartenders. RBS training enhances these interactions by providing you with the skills to handle difficult situations effectively.

It could be managing a customer who’s had too much to drink. Or dealing with a minor trying to purchase alcohol. The training helps you handle these scenarios professionally and maintain the peace and safety of your establishment.

Enhancing Decision-Making Skills

Every day in your role as a bartender or server, you make decisions that could impact your customers’ safety and your establishment’s reputation. RBS training sharpens your decision-making skills. It ensures you make the right choices when it matters most.

This could be:

  • Deciding when to ask for identification
  • When to refuse service
  • How to handle a potentially disruptive situation

Reducing Workplace Stress

Knowing how to handle difficult situations can reduce workplace stress. If you’re prepared for any scenario, you can handle it with confidence instead of anxiety.

RBS training provides this preparation. It equips you with the skills and knowledge to face challenges head-on. This leads to a less stressful, more enjoyable work environment.

Becoming a Better Bartender or Server

RBS training doesn’t just make you a bartender or server. It helps you become a better bartender or server. The knowledge and skills you gain from the training can improve all aspects of your work and enhance your overall performance and success in your role.

California Alcohol Laws and RBS Training: A Critical Connection

California alcohol laws play a pivotal role in guiding the operation of establishments that serve or sell alcoholic beverages. These laws outline the rights and responsibilities of servers, bartenders, and other professionals in the field. They cover a broad spectrum, including:

  • Legal drinking age
  • Hours of alcohol sale
  • Penalties for violations such as serving to minors or visibly intoxicated patrons

Understanding these laws is crucial for anyone serving alcohol in the state.

Alcoholic Beverage Control and Its Role

In California, the Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) is the authority that regulates the sale and service of alcoholic beverages. The ABC enforces California’s alcohol laws and provides licenses to businesses that sell or serve alcohol.

As a server or bartender, it’s a good practice to familiarize yourself with ABC’s regulations. Doing so can help avoid potential legal issues that could jeopardize your career or your establishment’s reputation.

RBS Training: Bridging the Gap

Here’s where RBS training comes into play. The training is specifically designed to help professionals like you understand and comply with California’s alcohol laws.

  • It delves into the details of these laws
  • It explains their implications
  • It shows how to adhere to them in your daily work

An RBS course can be a stepping stone toward fully understanding and navigating the legal landscape of alcohol service in California.

RBS Training and Legal Requirements

In recent years, California has put more emphasis on RBS training. In fact, the state now requires all alcohol servers and their managers to complete an RBS training course approved by the ABC. This means if you want to become a bartender or server in California, RBS training isn’t just recommended; it’s mandatory.

How RBS Training Helps

Comprehensive RBS training goes beyond teaching the law. It provides practical strategies to ensure compliance with these laws in real-world situations. For instance, it offers:

  • Techniques for checking IDs effectively to prevent underage service
  • Tips for recognizing signs of intoxication to avoid over-serving
  • Guidance on handling difficult situations that could lead to alcohol related harm

Who Needs to be RBS Certified?

In the landscape of California’s alcohol industry, servers and bartenders hold significant roles. They are the frontline workers that directly interact with patrons. They have a direct impact on their experiences.

As a server or bartender, it’s a good practice to ensure that all patrons have a safe and enjoyable time. This includes:

  • Monitoring consumption levels
  • Serving responsibly
  • Maintaining a friendly and respectful environment

RBS Certification for Bartenders and Servers

If you’re looking to become a bartender or server in California, an important step in the process is obtaining your RBS certification. This certification shows that you’ve taken the time and effort to learn about the state’s alcohol laws and best practices for responsible serving.

An RBS course is not just one of the legal bartender requirements. It’s also a beneficial educational resource that can enhance your skills and make you a more capable, reliable professional.

Other Roles That Require RBS Certification

While it’s common knowledge that bartenders and servers need RBS certification, they aren’t the only ones. The law extends this requirement to anyone involved in the sale or service of alcoholic beverages in an establishment. This includes managers and other staff who may interact with patrons and alcohol.

Even roles that might not immediately spring to mind may need to be RBS certified. Does a bouncer need to be RBS certified? Oftentimes, yes.

That’s because these staff members play a critical role in enforcing the alcoholic beverage control within the establishment. Having RBS certification enables them to do their job more effectively.

A bouncer, for example, needs to know when a patron has had too much to drink and needs to be asked to leave. RBS training provides the knowledge to make that call accurately and confidently.

Protecting Against Alcohol Related Harm

The ultimate goal of requiring RBS certification is to reduce alcohol related harm. This means not just physical harm due to overconsumption or underage drinking. But also the potential legal and financial harm that could come from non-compliance with California alcohol laws.

When you ensure that everyone involved in the serving process is educated about responsible serving practices, establishments can protect themselves and their patrons.

Enhancing Your Career with RBS Certification

In addition to being a legal requirement, RBS certification is also a valuable asset for your career. It shows potential employers that you take your responsibilities seriously. Plus, you’re well-prepared to handle the demands of serving alcohol.

Whether you’re a bartender, server, manager, or even a bouncer, obtaining your RBS certification is a crucial step toward success in the industry.

Take the Next Step Toward RBS Training

In a world increasingly concerned with public health and safety, possessing an RBS certification isn’t just a responsibility. It’s an opportunity to differentiate yourself and your service. Armed with the knowledge of responsible beverage service and acquainted with California’s alcohol laws, you stand prepared to effectively prevent alcohol related harm.

Remember, next time you’re googling, “What is RBS training,” it’s not just about serving alcohol. It’s about serving responsibly and safely. For comprehensive online RBS training, check out RBStraining.com, your partner in responsible service.

How to Prevent Underage Drinking as a Bar Owner

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You may not have been aware of this, but underage drinking is a serious problem in the United States. Alcohol is the most commonly used substance by teenagers in America.

Underage drinkers also present a serious dilemma for those who own or work in bars. If you’ve ever found yourself wondering how to stop underage drinking, this article is for you.

We’ll explain why you as a bar employee should prevent underage drinking and how. In addition, we’ll introduce you to responsible beverage service training – or RBS training- and how receiving RBS training online can assist you in your efforts to be a better bar employee.

If you’re ready to improve the way your bar is run, then all you need to do is keep reading. 

Why Prevent Underage Drinking?

Growing up, you probably heard all the reasons why you shouldn’t drink alcohol as a minor. It can cause minors to be more easily addicted, makes it easier for them to get into legal trouble, and rewires the way a minor’s brain works.

You know all of that, and you care about minors, but there’s also a very good reason why you personally should aim to prevent underage drinking at your bar.

If a bar is caught serving alcohol to minors, your business can face serious legal consequences. These legal consequences can include actions such as fines and suspension or loss of your bar’s liquor license. 

In addition, the restaurant business owner or the bartender caught serving alcohol to minors can also face legal action. This could be anything from heavy fines to legal charges.

It’s important to protect minors from the results of underage drinking. We all agree on that.

However, it’s also important to protect yourself and your business. Not many people realize just how serious the results could be if you don’t do your part to prevent underage drinking. You don’t want to put your livelihood at risk that way.

How to Prevent Underage Drinking

Preventing underage drinking at your bar seems like an enormous undertaking. This isn’t the case- preventing underage drinking can be as easy as implementing a few simple policies. 

We’ve outlined a few ideas to help give you a decent starting point.

Thorough ID Inspection

Bars have plenty of busy nights, which can make checking IDs difficult to do. However, taking a moment to closely inspect the ID can protect you from a lot of potential trouble.

One thing you could easily do is station someone at the door specifically to check IDs. This way, the work is getting done without slowing your restaurant business down, ensuring the service you provide is both great and legal.

Double Check Your Math

Even when you make sure to check IDs, you can run into problems. One specific problem that you could run into is misidentifying someone as the legal age to drink when they are not.

This happens because you might only glance at the birthdate and calculate it wrong. Preventing this error is easy- double-check the birthdate. Make sure that your math is done correctly.

Double-checking your math is a small way to prevent any disasters for your bar business.

Be Transparent With Employees

Lastly, be blunt with your employees. Make sure they know the specifics of the liability for serving alcohol to people they shouldn’t. 

Once someone is very aware of the trouble it could cost, they’re likely to be much more careful when it comes to serving alcohol.

It’s important that you explain this to all new employees. Assume that they don’t know what they could be held responsible for, because they often don’t know.

Making sure that people are familiar with California alcohol laws may sound tedious, but will surely be a bar business saver.

Lastly, make sure that all of your employees complete the state-mandated responsible beverage service training.

What Is Responsible Beverage Service Training?

Responsible beverage service training, or RBS training, is a method of training all employees to understand California alcohol laws.

RBS training is legally required by the state of California. Any employee you hire must have a valid RBS Certification within sixty days of being hired.

This certification is not difficult to obtain. You can receive RBS training online at a very low cost. RBS certification lasts three years, meaning you need to be re-certified before expiration.

As a server or bartender it is good practice to keep your RBS certification up-to-date. This ensures you are regularly trained on all sorts of issues. RBS training means you can comply with state laws and you won’t freeze in the moment.

Receiving the proper training will make your employee a better bartender. They’ll have an easier time doing your job. In addition, they’ll be prepared for any situation you might come across.

As a bar owner, you’re probably wondering who needs the training. For example, does a bouncer need to be RBS certified? Do you need to be RBS certified?

The answer is yes. Any employee of a business with a liquor license should be RBS certified. This includes bouncers, servers, bartenders, and the owner. 

If you have any employees who aren’t RBS-certified, you may have a harder time getting permission to serve alcohol on the premises. As a bar owner, that’s something you want to avoid. Make sure all your employees – and yourself – don’t let the RBS certification lapse.

Start RBS Training Online Today

Now that you’ve learned how to prevent underage drinking, we hope you’re ready to take the leap and get RBS training. Responsible Beverage Service Training will help you on your way to becoming one of the best bars around.

If you’re ready to receive RBS training online, then don’t wait- sign up for it today!

The process is extremely simple and will help improve the way your bar is run. You’ll thank yourself for it once you see the results.