In an effort to better prepare our staff members for the catering season upon us, I scheduled two dates for all staff to become RAMP certified. The RAMP (Responsible Alcohol Management Program) certification gives bartenders and other staff the knowledge and power to identify and manage intoxicated guests, identify minors and fake I.D.s, reduce unnecessary liability and reduce alcohol related problems such as drunk driving and underage drinking.
Not only did this event prove to be a great team building event but the staff learned a ton. We want our guests to have the best time possible at events that we cater. But we also want them to be safe at the same time.
Amanda said, “I was surprised just how serious the PLCB deals with off-premise caterers and serving alcohol. The salesperson on the event as well as the bartender can be held responsible for any incidents.”
Doris said, “I was really surprised that alcohol absorption may continue up to 90 minutes after consumption has stopped. Also, incident records have to be kept for at least 2 years after an event, which is much longer then I thought it would be.”
Scott said, “We all got a lot of great information about documentation and the amount of detail that should be marked down following any incidents. It can be as simple as writing it on a cocktail napkin that the girl in a purple dress didn’t have ID so I told her I couldn’t serve her 10:05 pm. It covers us if someone else manages to get them drinks and anything happens to them at the event or on the way home. Document, document, document—it became our chant.”
Preparing employees in the event of an incident through this type of certification program gives them the confidence to handle the situation professionally and appropriately. Not to mention it was fun for everyone to get together for the evening!
