Part of being a bartender is to be able to deal with drunk customers. It is essential you deal with customers who have had a little bit too much to drink in the correct manner to get the best outcome. Remember – it is illegal to serve customers who are too drunk as you may be putting their lives at risk. Drinking alters people’s perception and ability to control their actions – how would you feel if you served someone who was already far too intoxicated and they walked out of the bar and got run over because they didn’t see the car coming… not very good I’m guessing!!!

If you feel a customer is well on their way, instead of serving them alcohol suggest they have a water to sober up a little bit, or suggest they get some food to soak up some of the alcohol. Remember to always use a friendly tone of voice and not speak to the customer in a patronising manner, as this will cause them to become defensive & demanding.

The second method of dealing with a drunk customer is the ‘ignore the drunk’ method. If the customer has already been cut off or you think they are too drunk to be served let them know you’ll be with them in a minute and try to serve the other people at the bar, avoiding them but telling them you’ll be with them in a minute. Remember – this method only works if the bar is busy enough for you to appear too busy. Hopefully the customer will get bored of waiting and move on.

The third method is to employ a more sober friend to help with the situation. Just have a quiet word with their friend and let them know you think they have had a little bit too much to drink and need to cool off for a while, otherwise they may be asked to leave. The friend will then be on your side and encourage the drunk to calm it down so he or she won’t ruin the rest of the groups’ night.

If you ever feel uncomfortable dealing with a drunk customer ask a manager to deal with the situation. We should have all been trained in coping with unruly customers and would rather you come to us as managers for help rather than putting yourself in an uncomfortable position.

Communication is key in these situations. If you have cut off a customer it is essential that you let all other bartenders, managers, bar backs and floortenders know that they have been cut off. The customer will no doubt try and get a drink from another member of staff and if we as a team present a united front that the customer will not be getting served again in your establishment he will most likely give up and move on.