I know there are a number of people here who are/have been wait staff, so I’m hoping someone can help me out.
A friend of mine recently started waitressing part time, and on her last shift she overheard a couple of coworkers criticizing the way in which another coworker had cut off a customer. She didn’t want to ask them for details, but from what she overheard she had several questions, and I’m intrigued as well.
Are there any kind of specific rules dictating how much a person can be served? Or is it completely based on the person’s behaviour?
Are there any guidelines about how it should be done? Should the server issue some kind of warning with the last drink served? Should anything be said to the customer?
I assume it’s mostly based on judgement calls and personal experience, but if someone could walk me through the process in as much detail as possible, I’d really appreciate it.
Thanks!
You’ve come to the right place, Elret. 
I’m a bartender who used to waitress, so I know ALL ABOUT cutting people off. It’s fun.
No, really…there is no specific rule about when to cut someone off, unless they’re doing something that could get them cited for public intoxation. (Like falling over, passing out at the bar, vomiting, etc…in TX, FYI, it’s illegal to sleep in a bar for this reason. And yes, I have seen all of this occur. Cutting them off is kind of a moot point once any of this occurs.)
The thing to remember, at least for me, is that I’m certified by the state of TX, so I’m liable for anybody who’s drunk in my bar. If they wrap their car around a tree or whatever, I can be sued personally, not just the bar/restaurant.
My liability gives me sovereign power; if I say someone is done, they’re done. Period. Even the manager/owner cannot make me serve someone after I’ve said I won’t. (I mean, he can try, but I can so sue him for it. This is why most managers just take the bartender’s word for it.)
I usually cut people off when they become obnoxious; I work at a tourist bar downtown so 90% of my clientele is within walking distance of their hotel. I don’t usually have to worry about them driving. (I ask this question early to make sure.) If they’re being obnoxious and they ask me for another drink, I just smile and say, “I’m sorry, but I’m not going to serve you another drink. I think you’re done for the night.”
This pisses most people off, and they usually try to argue with me/cajole me/prove their sobriety, etc., and the more they argue, the more firm I become about it. If they get in my face about it–and some do–I tell them I’m going to call a cab or the cops, and either way, they’re leaving.
If I think someone is getting toasty, I will warn them, though. “Here you go, and I think that’s gonna be your last one tonight.” I always say it with a sympathetic smile, as if I’m doing them a favor (which I am), and how they take it determines what I do after that.
Most people don’t take it well. A few people thank me, though. The thing is, there is no foolproof way to tell somebody they’re cut off; there’s no way to do it in which you never piss anybody off. People just don’t like hearing that they’re drunk and their fun has ended, however nicely you say it. You can try, but even if your friend’s coworker had done it “correctly,” he/she probably would have still had many of the problems with his/her customer that apparently emerged.
The rule according to TABC is that more than one serving of alcohol per hour equals intoxication, b/c that’s what the average person can process within an hour, but nobody ever goes by that because who goes to a bar to remain sober? I watch for signs and general behavior and changes in that behavior; some people are really nice when they’re sober and then just morph into complete assholes after four beers. Some people can drink like fish all night and never even blink. It’s a gut call. Sometimes I’ll cut people off just because, even though they’re still acting sober, I know damn well they’ve had enough and that in half an hour it’ll all hit them like a ton of bricks. I’ll put those people in “time out,” and tell them they can’t have another drink for awhile, til they process the drinks they’ve already had.
Btw, I also cut some people off the moment they walk in the door, before they even have a single drink. If I don’t like their attitude, if they’re rude or pushy or whatever, I don’t serve them at all. I don’t care if they’re stone-cold sober; people who are assholes when they’re sober are the LAST people I want to get drunk. It just creates tons of problems, for me and for other customers. This call can be made by anybody serving alcohol, but most of the time it’s the bartender who does this; servers, for some reason, rarely exercise this type of control over their customers. I always encourage the servers to go with their gut, and I tell them never to get “guilt-tripped” into serving someone who’s toasted.
Oh, and my definition of “obnoxious” is widespread. Anybody who gets really loud, or confrontational, or starts hassling other customers of either sex…anybody who looks like they’re spoiling for a fight…anybody who starts making lewd or rude comments to me…anybody who develops an attitude problem, basically. I’m the one in control of my bar; I never allow anyone else to think they’re running the show.
I say G’NITE! You’re cut off. Thanks for playing. Pay up and go.
It all depends on how the person is acting. If they are starting to get much louder, disturbing other people, then it’s probably time to cut them off.
It varies from place to place how a person is cut off. Normally the server starts taking a long time to get the drink, bringing something to snack on and a glass of water first. Most places prefer the manager to handle actually telling the person that they can’t serve them anymore alcohol. This is usually by telling the person that the management doesn’t feel comfortable with serving them any more alcohol, not by saying you’ve had too much.
Thanks very much for the information, guys!