SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
This is the term that applies to the professional practise of caring for the customers and patrons on your licensed premises. This could include an upmarket cocktail bar or the pub / tavern on the corner and even a restaurant and a nightclub. We have as servers, the responsibility to ensure that alcohol is consumed responsibly and with care by our customers / patrons, and in most countries this is enforced by law.
We all know it is hard to escape from alcohol. Even if we never touch the stuff, we are always exposed by the media on the merits of this or that route to ‘paradise’ and the dangers inherent in overindulgence particularly in regard to road safety. Every day, there are sad reports over the radio and on TV, about those who didn’t manage to make it through the weekend, and press coverage of every new move to control drink‑driving is extensive. So we all know about alcohol?
There is a general understanding that alcohol is a “Social Lubricant”, but harm can be caused very easily by over indulgence and stupid behaviour on behalf of those who believe they are “ten feet tall and bullet proof”. This in itself is a big problem that has to be addressed, and more seriously is the customer who drinks at home before leaving for a night on the town.
So, we believe that if the facts about alcohol are explained, there will be many who will be able to form a balanced judgement, and drink sensibly and remain within the law.
As bartenders we have the task of serving and dealing with all types of people from all walks of life and strata’s of society and different ethnic backgrounds. Whilst in the main this is an enjoyable and rewarding part of the job, there are many occasions when it can be one of the most difficult.
We have to be able to use all our senses at all times, our powers of observation, memory, and alertness are all vital in ensuring the success of our hospitality business.
We have a particularly difficult task when one considers that we have to deal with people who may well have on occasions for various reasons consumed too much alcohol. This situation requires considerable patience, tact, firmness and above all experience when handling difficult situations that may have arisen because of overindulgence on the part of one or more customers.
