Planning for the challenges ahead
With the media continuing to focus on binge drinking and anti-social behaviour, and with tough new powers for the reviewing of licences, hosts have to be more responsible than ever before.
1 Challenge 21 - Staff caught serving children face a fine of £80, while the maximum fine for consistent offenders has increased from £1,000 to £5,000, on top of possible licence revocation. Challenge 21 is a simple and effective way to weed out under-age drinkers. Put up a poster informing customers that everyone who looks under-21 will be asked to show a valid form of ID and should not be offended by this. Acceptable forms of ID are a driving licence, passport or an ID card with the PASS (Proof of Age Standards Scheme) hologram. Be wary of fake IDs which are readily available on the internet. Take a lead from the United States where it is common practice to ask for ID rather than an exception to the rule.
2 Training - This is vital. Staff need to know about the dangers of alcohol, how to deal with drunk people and how to spot underage drinkers. Many councils and police forces run free alcohol and drug-awareness lectures, which are a great start for any team. Your staff should know all about the abvs and measures of drinks you serve. One idea to keep staff on their toes is to hold a quiz on drinks products and weights and measures. Get them to also think about their own drinking habits. A quick look at the Portman Group's excellent drink aware website (www.drinkaware.co.uk) should help. It has a unit calculator that will help root some of the theory in reality. The BII (British Institute of Innkeeping) has also just launched a level-one course in responsible alcohol retailing.
3 Drunks - This is a tricky one. How can you tell if someone is drunk? Look for visible signs like staggering or slurred speech. If you are unsure it is better not to serve them, as it is your licence on the line. Staff serving intoxicated customers can be slapped with an £80 fixed-penalty notice. Be firm but polite in refusing to serve customers. Offer them a coffee or soft drink instead, or even offer to call a taxi. A great idea is to give people a card detailing why they have been refused service. It may not mean much to them in their drunken state, but it will do in the morning when they sober up.
4 Refusals log - Every time you refuse to serve someone because they have no ID or because they are intoxicated, then record the time and date. The record will prove inval-uable if you are ever caught out, as you will be able to prove you are a diligent operator.
5 Pubwatch, Best Bar None & Night-safe - All three schemes play an inval- uable role in helping to promote respon- sible drinking. Get involved with the schemes. Hundreds of new Pubwatch groups have sprung up in the last year in response to the new licensing laws. The groups provide a good link be- tween local licensees for banning trouble- makers from all venues as well as setting up an effective communication link with local police. Best Bar None is like a social-responsibility health check. Venues are visited by inspectors and if they come up to scratch are awarded accreditation for being responsible. If they fall short, they are made aware of the areas they need to improve. Nightsafe schemes provide posters, beer mats and educational leaflets to give customers advice on alcohol consumption and how to enjoy a safe night out.
6 Promotions - The days of £10-all-you-can-drink or women-drink-free-until-8pm are over. Promotions need to be carefully monitored and managed. Any promotions that encourage speed drinking or excessive consumption such as buy-nine-pints-and-get-a-free-T-shirt are also out. A copy of the British Beer & Pub Association's code on promotions and happy hours is available on its website (www.beerandpub.com). It recommends setting a clear time period for happy hours, but points out that the shorter that period, the stronger the incentive may be to binge. If you want to hold a happy-hour promotion, then offer some food as well, especially as the traditional time for them is straight after office hours, when customers may not have eaten. Also offer some soft drinks at cut prices during the promotion.
7 Food - Serving up food is a great way to offset binge drinking. Not only will it help mop up some of the booze sunk, but it will also help to relax drinkers and may create a more welcoming environment. If customers are just standing up and drinking, the emphasis is all on the drink. However, a few tables and chairs to eat at will provide a more sociable atmosphere. It is important to serve food during promotions. Simple bar snacks such as chips or toasted sandwiches are easy to prepare and offer late at night.
8 Soft drinks - Make them special and extend the range. Non-alcoholic cocktails are a good way to raise interest but there are also many quality soft drinks on the market, aside from the usual colas and lemonades. Serve them properly with a glass, ice and slice. Display them on the back bar so that customers can see what is available. You might consider giving designated drivers free soft drinks if they are part of a paying group. Otherwise, don't overcharge for soft drinks - sell them at a reasonable rate. Investing in a good coffee machine will also reap dividends.
9 Doorstaff - Clearly this is not appropriate for all venues. However, for those opening late at night or in city centres it may well be a good option. Doorstaff must be Security Industry Authority registered. They will be trained to deal with anti-social behaviour. They will help customers feel safer and more comfortable. Doorstaff also provide another level of checks for ID, but don't always rely on this. Still ask at the bar for ID if customers look under-21.
10 Measures - How about reviving an antiquated but legal measure - the third-of-a-pint? This measure not only allows customers to drink less, but may also encourage them to try different real ales. Earlier this year the Beautiful Beer campaign encouraged more pubs to adopt the third-of-a-pint measure to help attract more women to beer. It is also sig-nificant that JD Wetherspoon - which scooped an award for the most responsible managed chain - has stopped serving discounted doubles.
The BII has just launched its Responsible Alcohol Retailing campaign to promote the socially-responsible people behind pubs and is urging all members to abide by its code of conduct and to display the Responsible Alcohol Retailing window sticker. For further information contact the BII on 01276 684 449 or visit www.bii.org.
