Real-Life Communication -- Solution
Here's what you could say to the drunken patron:
"I've
appreciated having you here and you've been good to serve, Todd. But,
unfortunately, by law, I simply can't serve you any more alcohol tonight.
I have to make sure everybody has a good time without overdoing it.
"It's
nothing personal. We'd love you to come back again, but you've had
enough for tonight.
"If you'd like, I'd be happy to get you
some water. You don't have to leave right away if you're not bothering
anyone. By the way, I can get the doorman to help you with a cab to get home."
You
can't be a bartender without strong communication skills. First, those
skills are important for evicting patrons with minimum hassle.
Amanda
Talmage has had plenty of experience working behind the bar. She explains
that communication plays a huge part in building a rapport with her customers.
When she gets to know her customers, they become much easier to deal with.
"You have one or two that get really drunk. For the most part, you get to
know them and they know you'll just set a cup of tea in
front of them."
Second, communication skills are used to interpret
the kind of service a customer wants. "It's about more than just being
able to communicate. It's about being able to relate," says Talmage.
"You have to know how to read people. If someone walks into your bar and you
can see that they don't want to talk, then you leave them alone. But
if you can see that they want to chat, you go over and talk to them."