When the BC Supreme Court recently ruled the Steveston Hotel 50 per cent liable for a drunk-driving accident, managers at the Royal City Star Riverboat Casino in New Westminster didn't take it lightly. Food and Beverage Manager Nadine Ralston used the opportunity to remind her staff of the necessity of responsible beverage service. She gave each bartender a full copy of the Court decision, and case summaries to all other staff to read.
“It was important they familiarize themselves with the events,” she says, “to realize the impact our decisions can make.”
The Facility
Royal City Star Casino operates on a 75-metre long, 4,000-tonne authentic Mississippi riverboat, docked on the Fraser River at the New Westminster Quay, 20 minutes from Vancouver. Becoming fully licensed in September 2004, the Casino operates Fraser's, a restaurant with seating for 100 to 130 patrons, as well as two bars, two banquet rooms, and two portable carts offering alcohol service.
Staff serve up to 600 guests at once on weekend nights, with 10 to 12 Food & Beverage staff working when at capacity. Beverage points-of-sale are on four separate floors, posing a challenge to monitoring patron intake. So how does Riverboat manage safe alcohol sales?
Responsible Service
Internally, Ralston says “communication is the key.” Food & Beverage staff are connected over walkie-talkie, and with surveillance cameras and at least two managers on every shift, the Casino has the resources to monitor people well. “We can inform each other if there's someone we need to keep an eye on, well before the need to discontinue liquor service.”
All staff, including servers, dealers, slot machine attendants and valets, are Serving It Right-certified. Bar and security supervisors and management have licensee-level certification, meaning they are fully familiar with alcohol liability issues.
The Casino also has a three-tiered house policy. The version posted in bar areas educates patrons about the facility's approach to liquor service. All staff are expected to know the second, more detailed policy that discusses handling intoxicated customers. The third version, a comprehensive document for Food & Beverage staff and Casino management, outlines specific procedures to follow, and names who is responsible for enforcement.
Serving It Right and house service policies are provided with the hiring package, and tenets are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Food & Beverage staff are quizzed every six months, and must achieve an 80 per cent score to pass.
Ralston credits the whole team with their proactive approach to responsible service. She says helping customers realize house alcohol policies are to their benefit is an important part of the Casino's strategy.
“Asking someone to leave is the last resort – it shouldn't get to that point. We let customers know in advance if we think they need to slow down their consumption. We explain our policy in a manner that lets them know we're looking out for them. We call it 'protective monitoring.'”
Enforcement
Of course, policies do no good unless they are enforced. Ralston remarks, “You've got to set proper expectations. We have zero tolerance for staff drinking, for free-pouring, or for over-serving. If there is an incident, there are repercussions. I go over the scenario with the employee and talk about what decisions were made. We do constant follow-up.”
All staff, including servers and bartenders, are responsible for alerting management to a potential customer issue. But ultimately, licensee-level certified managers are the ones responsible for intoxication assessments and alcohol refusals.
“Discontinuing service is out of the hands of front-line staff, in an effort to protect them from confrontations. Having managers handle the issue provides consistency, and sometimes patrons respond better, simply because the manager is wearing a suit.”
Tough Love
And if over-consumption does occur? Ralston understands that even the best policies won't prevent all incidents. “If you’re in a business that includes selling alcohol, these issues will arise. Your best move is to know in advance how you're going to handle it.
“We do our best to provide safe transportation home. We'll offer to call a cab or a friend for a ride. Our valets will attempt to persuade the guest to leave their car overnight. We often offer them a voucher for free parking and for a coffee the next morning when they pick up their car.
“We also tell them that if they insist on driving, we'll follow them out, record their license plate number, and call police.”
Limiting alcohol service is a sensitive issue because, as Ralston says, “we're dealing with adults, and adults don't like other people telling them 'no more drinks.' They think they can make their own decisions.” So, what are the keys to successful service?
Ralston says managers must “educate, communicate, and be diligent about follow-up. We err on the side of caution, and make sure everyone understands over-serving isn't beneficial to anybody.
“With customers, it's about rapport. You have to be firm, but point out that you're helping them make good decisions. Helping them recognize when they've had enough is in everyone's best interest.”
