Where was the manager during this whole thing? Did you relay to your manager
your discomfort with serving them both? And if so, why was she not supporting
your decision to cut them off? ESPECIALLY since it's her husband and friend.
Laws here in CA forbid the service of alcohol to those who are visibly
intoxicated. I guess we're lucky, we cut people off if there's any doubt
whatsoever. What more is management is behind us all the way.
I think that your manager should have been alot more proactive with dealing
with the situation. If there was anything else that I would have done in your
situation, it would have been to get the manager involved. Threats towards
you or anyone else should NOT be acceptable under any circumstances. If the
situation persists, I would find another job...
Oh.. and just cuz it's the boss's husband (or the boss) doesn't mean you can't
cut them off.
Good luck
Michael
P.S. A note on bully's: typically if you stand up to them, they back down...
Gauge the situation and decide your best course of action, and once you
decide, stick to it.
> Hey yall, I'm pretty new to the profession and need some advice about
> a little situation I had a few weeks ago. Any kind of "you should
> have done this" or "try this next time" would be much appreciated by
> this newbie. Thanks!
>
> I've been bartending for about 3 months at a small private yacht club
> near Boston and had my first real "situation" the other night...July
> 4th as it turns out. It was about 11:30 p.m. and the dining room was
> all closed up, I was just cleaning up behind the bar. The manager's
> husband came in with a friend and they sat down at the bar, even
> though the lights were down and I was putting everything away. They
> ordered drinks and I figured what the hell, I'll be here for a while
> anyway. But after a few minutes of chatting I could tell these two
> were pretty loaded and I began to second guess giving them those
> drinks. But then again, I wasn't sure how well shutting off the
> manager's husband would go over. After about 15 minutes, the friend
> spills his beer across the bar and immediately calls for a new one
> (as if I didn't see the bottle fly off the bar already).....so I just
> nodded and went about my cleaning up duties hoping he was a little
> too gone and would forget about it. But he didn't and after a few
> minutes he started getting a little mouthy. So I apologized and said
> I had forgotten and got him a new one.
>
> The manager then came in and I told her what the deal was, but she
> just said not to worry about serving them because she would be
> driving the friend back home anyway. So I was a little relieved but
> the friend then starting getting real mouthy...saying things like I
> can't make drinks right and I'm just a sissy kid (I'm 22) who doesnt
> know what he's doing, etc.. He was talking about coming behind the
> bar and making his own drinks, and if I didn't like it he would "beat
> the __ out of me" and the husband just sat there laughing. The guy
> wanted to put up money to fight me at one point. So I just went along
> and laughed with him, trying not to provoke him at all (even though
> he made me look like a big wuss). Eventually when the manager came
> back I gave her their tab and said to screw the tip, she could deal
> with them, I was heading out.
>
> So nothing major really happened, but I still don't know if I handled
> those guys correctly. Do I shut them off in that situation,
> especially if I don't have any kind of back up and one seems to be a
> violent drunk? Or was that handled ok? Any help...thanks.