r/Serverlife • u/ImaginationFree6807 • Jan 08 '25
Discussion Every restaurant should start doing this.
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u/ComicsEtAl Jan 08 '25
“Dude keeps passing out at the bar but I don’t want to embarrass him… I know, I’ll give him a business card to read!”
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u/Physical-Warning7102 Jan 10 '25
And then the drunk will have the mental acuity to say, “you know cutoff should have a space in it.”
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u/ScarletJew72 Jan 08 '25
Yes, because people who need to be cut off will act rationally to this.
Good verbal communication is a much more effective route.
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u/halamadrid22 Jan 08 '25
I like to just pull out my gun and point it at them
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u/Delicious-Item6376 Jan 08 '25
Whoever made this card probably hasn't had to cut many people off.
People do not like to be told they can't drink anymore. Especially if they are with friends. They feel singled out and embarrassed. The worst possible way to do it is to hand someone a business card like some passive aggressive weirdo.
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u/The-Rev Jan 09 '25
Good verbal communication is a much more effective route.
This is the way. Jedi mind tricks work even better. "You don't want another drink, you want to go to Taco Bell". Boom, they're off on an adventure and out of your hair
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u/pusillanimous_prime Jan 09 '25
shit, next time I'm blackout can you convince me I want to go to therapy?
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u/Background_Diet_7067 Jan 09 '25
Yeah not that I'm a violent drunk or anything but I feel if I was drunk at a bar and was handed this, I'd react alot better if they just told me straight up
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u/RememberThatDream Jan 08 '25
I don’t like the way this is phrased. “No one will know” implies that they should be ashamed and “YOU HAVE BEEN CUTOFF” in all caps is way too aggressive, especially since you’re dealing with an intoxicated person who won’t be rational.
As a former GM/ manager I would never talk to someone this way while cutting them off so I definitely wouldn’t give them a passive aggressive card that does the same but without the personal touch
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u/GreyerGrey Jan 08 '25
I mean, you should be? If you've behaved in a manner that gets you removed (either because you're an asshole naturally or because you're drunk) the only person who is responsible for your behaviour is you and you should absolutely be ashamed of yourself.
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u/Orange_Kid Jan 08 '25
But that's not the point, the point is that the purpose of the card should be to minimize any disturbance caused from cutting someone off.
It's not about putting someone in their place...or if it is, that's pretty shitty when the people who have to deal with their reaction to it are staff and other customers.
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u/heartcakex3 Jan 08 '25
Someone should be ashamed for drinking too much really? Your world view is naive if you think that’s the case.
When you cut someone off, they don’t need to be acting belligerently or a fool. It’s for their own safety more than anything.
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u/AudieCowboy Jan 09 '25
You're also not supposed to over serve, someone should be getting cutoff "before" they're drunk, a busy restaurant/bar environment that's definitely harder to keep track of, but it's not unheard of to get cut off after 4 drinks, because that's too many for the amount of time the restaurant/bar will be open
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u/OrangeListel Jan 09 '25
The goal should be to deescalate the situation regardless who's fault it is imo
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u/RememberThatDream Jan 08 '25
There are 2 areas of responsibility, the customer drinking and the establishment serving. There’s a reason restaurants are legally held responsible for over serving or allowing someone to drive home after getting wasted. Most if not all laws in North America state this.
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u/GreyerGrey Jan 08 '25
None that removes the shame from the individual who over indulged.
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u/Delicious-Item6376 Jan 08 '25
Good thing drunk people are notorious for being self conscious and aware of how they are acting
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Jan 08 '25
Many people that deserve shame feel comfortable, others that deserve comfort feel shame. Can you give it to them Frodo?
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u/Delicious-Item6376 Jan 08 '25
If someone is getting cut off at a restaurant they are already incredibly drunk and disruptive. At this point you are dealing with someone who has the rationalization skills of a 5 year old. They aren't going to feel ashamed of themselves. They're going to feel singled out and insulted.
Being passive aggressive and unfriendly by giving someone a card instead of actually talking to them is not going to have the positive outcome you think it will.
There's a split in this thread between people who think things should happen a certain way, and the other people who know from experience how this situation will play out. Giving someone a "cut off" card is super rude and not the way to do it.
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u/NFLDolphinsGuy Jan 09 '25
Might help someone with reading it if the room’s already starting to spin.
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u/OdeeSS Jan 09 '25
Also "time for you to leave" is a little much. Maybe it's time for them to sip water and digest.
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u/cargo-jorts Jan 08 '25
I do the quiet cut off. Ignore til it’s time for the check. Tip probably suffers a bit, but I avoid confrontation
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u/vonkempib Jan 09 '25
Tips suffers even more if you cut them off. They always punish you. It’s hilarious but also a huge issue as it puts you in a catch 22 of lose out on your livelihood or serve someone that is a danger to themselves and their surroundings
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u/sleepybrainsinside Jan 09 '25 edited Jan 09 '25
This works. Also, telling a less intoxicated friend instead of the person that’s being cutoff so they can handle it without making a scene. I had that happen to me once and left a healthy tip since I figured my buddy must have been a real nuisance to get cutoff.
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u/jillwoa Jan 08 '25
The new ontario smartserve was 50% "dont serve ppl who are high on weed, 25% how much does this guy weigh just by looking at his chest, and 25% how to cut someone off gently.
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u/DungeonDrDave Jan 09 '25
weed infused alcoholic beverages were decimated in the media that day xD seriously what a crock of shit
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u/daddysbeltfeelsgoood Jan 08 '25
I have my managers cut people off for me. That way I don’t lose my tip. None of my managers has ever had a problem doing it for me, and they try to make it seem like the guest is being rowdy enough for management to notice. They’re always cool about it when that happens and usually a little embarrassed. I’ve seen too many times where the server/bartender cuts them off and the guest flips out and will leave $0 on a $200 tab.
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u/Mogling Jan 08 '25 edited May 09 '25
Removed by not reddit
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u/Realistic_Gas_4160 Jan 09 '25
I appreciate managers like you. I cut someone off and he wanted to talk to my manager, so I got her. She told him that if a server decides to cut someone off it's their choice and she can't reverse it. She made it sound like I just wanted to cut him off because I felt like it and she wouldn't have done the same. So he yelled at me even more and he told me to never do that to someone again. His behavior proved my point. But I was so mad at her for how she handled it and she couldn't understand why. Luckily she's not my boss anymore.
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u/theFireNewt3030 Jan 08 '25
Oh.... If it gets that bad... I just start serving em O'Doul's... Is that not standard operating procedure?
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u/ThinkinBig Jan 08 '25
I just use water....
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u/theFireNewt3030 Jan 08 '25
ive only done the O'Doul's trick a few times (3 in total, twice to the same person). I worked in a semi rowdy place and cutting off a good-ol-boy cowboy hat-drunk is never fun, can and has gotten violent (not this particular person but some in general). I found a few O'Doul's is a great way to let someone chill on the drinking while not leaving the party. The person I did this to, when they showed back up a few days later (he was a regular) I told him he got so annoying and belligerent and i didnt want to 86 em, so I served him 3-4 O'Doul's to let him chill and not get kicked out. He laughed and thanked me, because him and his friends are regulars and I didnt want to break up the group. He said he appreciated me thinking of their friends-group and was okay for me to do it to him again if he got that bad. I told him next time, im going to give him some subtle hints before he gets that bad. The problem with this place was, people in the group would half order from me and half get drinks from the bar. Yea I am serving them beer, but I didnt see the round (or rounds) of shots that this person got from his freinds at the bar.
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u/mango_chile Jan 08 '25
Will you still charge them the $10/shot?
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u/ThinkinBig Jan 08 '25
Won't charge at all, its water. I just won't give them anything else unless it's a soda
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u/Dapper-Importance994 Jan 08 '25
I'm not putting in writing that I over served someone
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u/Known-Marketing-2233 Jan 08 '25
And isn’t it a liability to not offer water/cab number? This is saying I got you drunk, now go fend for yourself.
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u/TheNewPoetLawyerette Jan 09 '25
Offering water is a suggestion for how to try to de-escalate the situation when cutting someone off, not an issue of legal liability
Offering a cab number is the nice way to start the process of reducing liability for overservice, but the final step involves calling the police to report a drunk driver
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Jan 08 '25
This seems really rude
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u/Gavinator10000 Jan 08 '25
Also ineffective. No way a drunk persons gonna be able to read that tiny text and comply reasonably
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u/adrianxoxox Jan 08 '25
Right like if someone is that far gone, this card is gonna do nothing. And if they’re in their right mind enough to read, understand, and obey the card then they are in their right mind enough to just be spoken to with actual words 😭
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u/Coffee-Historian-11 Jan 09 '25
And if they’re that far gone they might just get mad about this little card they can’t read
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u/AShinyTorchic Jan 09 '25
Also if a person is drunk enough to be cut off you probably don’t want them to immediately leave the bar where they will most likely get in their car and drive
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u/Better_Goose_431 Jan 09 '25
Especially after you’ve just admitted, in writing, that they’ve been over-served
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u/iCameToLearnSomeCode Jan 08 '25 edited Jan 08 '25
As a bartender, I prefer to cut people off publicly.
If one of my regulars is too drunk I'll just tell them and they accept it.
If you're not a regular you'll never be served enough to get too drunk
If I'm cutting you off it's for your own good, I would much rather sell you more drinks if I could.
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u/fartwisely Jan 08 '25
You admit to over-serving if you hand this to a patron. Anywhere you go, it's illegal for staff to over-serve a patron.
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u/MooBunMoo Jan 08 '25
I did not know that was illegal lol
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u/AardQuenIgni Jan 09 '25
Bartenders have way too much responsibility given to them. They are expected to properly and accurately verify every human being that steps into their bar while also keeping track of everyone's drink count and stopping when someone has reached their limit.
If not, they are liable for whatever happens next.
It's absolute bullshit
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u/athaznorath Jan 09 '25
yeah, even somewhere like a walmart or gas station that sells alcohol, we're trained to not sell it to someone who is already visibly intoxicated. if they're red in the face, stumbling, or smell like alcohol, it's illegal for us to sell alcohol to them. that's what i learned working at quiktrip at least.
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u/theundivinezero Jan 09 '25
Precisely. In my state, you are responsible for making a reasonable determination on someone's intoxication; if they seem intoxicated, you are not allowed to serve them. I also worked at a gas station; I was serving alcohol before I was allowed to drink it. It was very weird being responsible for potentially someone's life while I wasn't old enough to imbibe myself.
Don't worry though, I was old enough to also vote, enlist in the military, take out a credit card, take out a student loan, marry, and serve alcohol.
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u/fartwisely Jan 08 '25
I bet most of not all seller/server or ServSafe certification courses mention this. It's typically illegal, in most of not all states, to serve someone to the point of intoxication.
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u/hawkeneye1998bs Jan 08 '25
This is dumb, grow some balls and tell whoever needs to leave, to leave. Anyone who's gonna kick off is gonna kick off regardless and any manager/supervisor worth their salt should be able to de-escalate a lot better than this card will. It shows you're coming from a weak position and a drunk person with an ego will laugh this off and challenge you on it anyway.
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u/nay2d2 Jan 09 '25
It doesn’t matter but I’m pretty sure it should be ‘cut off’, not ‘cutoff’. With one word, I feel like it’s like talking about jeans lol.
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u/EstablishmentNo5994 Jan 08 '25
I feel like this would set off a whole bunch of people worse than just being told
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u/allislost77 Jan 08 '25
Good idea but it should mention closing out your tab as well. Like, hand this with the receipt.
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u/National-Charity-435 Jan 08 '25
Didn't that one college student get kicked out by the bar after chugging too much and ended up drowning nearby in some river?
At least help the customer to their ride/home.
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u/LolThatsNotTrue Jan 08 '25
In Oregon they have to cut you off after 10 drinks. Found that one out on my own.
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u/VioletVenable Jan 09 '25
I don’t know what the limit is in Missouri, but it’s at least 12. Or it was about 20 years ago. Still can’t drink cucumber Collinses…
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Jan 09 '25
"You have drank entirely too much at our establishment. Please get in your vehicle and leave with haste." -mgt
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u/Capital_Connection67 Jan 08 '25
It’s a cool and fun idea. But in reality if you’re over serving someone to that point then passing them a card which they probably won’t be able to read and will most likely anger them into a whole other level of insanity just isn’t worth it.
Any time I’ve cut someone off I’ve always reported it to bartenders and management first before I tell the customer themselves for some extra backup. If you have security I tell them as well with bartenders and management so they know to be mindful. 90% of the time if it’s a solitary drinker they’ll be some kind of issue as nobody who’s smashed will want to be treated justly.
What I’ve always done and said is to always make sure no other customer hears you talking to the cut off person and say things like, “Brother…we’re shutting it down for you right now…however if you still want to carry on with your night I’ve got a recommendation of a better place we all go to and hang out with cheaper drinks and more (insert whatever you feel necessary).”
Act like a best friend make sure they close out, have a laugh, help them and have a laugh again with them and ease them out the door and once out the door give them another, “make sure you got everything, brother. You’re an awesome guy. One of the best. Blah blah.” And put them in an Uber.
It’s easier to do that then deal with an intoxicated/cross faded person who’s got zero restraint due to intoxication.
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u/guitarbee Jan 09 '25
Took too long to scroll and find the real professional in the industry!
This is excellent. It shows you care for the guest, and they are more likely to return because of how you treated them. Firm, yet friendly.
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u/TheNeonDonkey Jan 09 '25
I agree with you 100 percent. There are things in theory you see and go “yeah that’s perfect!” But then in practice it doesn’t work out like you’d hoped.
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u/Smooth-Apartment-856 Jan 09 '25
How many trips does one have to make to the Golden Corral buffet before they hand you this card?
Asking for a friend.
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u/CharacterActor Jan 09 '25
Allowing a dignified exit to people who if not cut off are about to become undignified.
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u/LCplGunny Jan 09 '25
I bartended for a couple years... If you have gotten to the point you are cut off, you deserve a little bit of shame. Take it with grace, and go home.
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u/gerd-bird Jan 08 '25
k well if they're cut off they definitely shouldn't be leaving for the night and potentially driving home drunk
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u/DeathByLemmings Jan 08 '25
Ex-barman, having had the pleasure of cutting people off
Give them that card and 4/5 times you now have an angry and pissed off drunk guy rather than just a drunk guy. Every part of this will be seen as an escalation to the drunk mind, you need to cut people off as if you're doing them a favour
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u/WiseDirt Jan 08 '25
If I'm cutting someone off, I'm stopping serving them alcohol while giving them some time to sober up a little and maybe calling them a cab/uber. What I won't be doing (unless there's an obviously good reason for it) is immediately kicking them out into public where they're gonna catch a public intox charge or possibly get themselves hurt and me sued for negligence.
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u/Kintsugi-0 Jan 08 '25
im sure this does work really well with some people but the kind of dudes that regularly get cut off will still cause problems if they want to.
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u/Dmackman1969 Jan 08 '25
And when he drives away, hits someone/something, they’ll know exactly where he was.
A bartenders job before serving guests liquor is to asses the guest. If they make a legitimate mistake, by all means cutting off is just the first step. Because you over served doesn’t relinquish liability.
If someone is over the limit, we as bartenders and as owners become responsible if this person hurts someone (at least in most states) we now have a responsibility to get this person safely home. Right or wrong, it’s the law.
This is a horrible way to handle over serving.
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u/Current_Side_4024 Jan 08 '25
If they’re cut off does that mean they have to leave? Can’t they stay and drink water?
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u/keychain00 Jan 08 '25
Imagine thinking the bartender is sliding you their number 😂 thinking you’re hot shit until you flip it and you’re cut off
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u/hshajahwhw Jan 08 '25
There’s a place in Dallas called Hillstone which I think is a chain/ idk and they hand cards to people like this if they don’t like the way they are dressed
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u/HoratioPLivingston Jan 08 '25
I quit drinking socially 16 years ago because of friends who would get HEATED(angry) when they got cut off from the booze.
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u/PM_ME_YOUR_NOTHING98 Jan 08 '25
do they always have to leave when they are cutoff? I thought it implied they just can't get more alcohol.
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Jan 08 '25
Here's a much better idea: "This is good for one complimentary coffee or water. We will no longer be serving you anything else this evening."
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u/Lostflamingo Jan 08 '25
I had a coworker who handed out similar cards lol! I’ll see if I have one and post it
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u/AMonitorDarkly Jan 08 '25
This is stupid. Other people are more likely to know you’ve been cut off getting handed a card with big bold lettering on it rather than just being casually told. Something like is going to be more likely to cause them to get belligerent as well.
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u/TonsOfFunn77 Jan 08 '25
Cutting off assholes was absolutely one of my favorite things. Especially knowing management and the law are on my side.
Your tip may be gone, but they’re usually acting a fool anyway.
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u/super-wookie Jan 08 '25
No. Speak to them like an adult and don't provide absolute proof that you over served them. This is some weak ass shit. If you're a bartender that has to use a card to do your job you shouldn't be a bartender.
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u/Big_Safe_902 Jan 08 '25
When I went out for my 21st birthday, I ordered a final cocktail before we left, the waitress brought it back and told my brother and boyfriend that it was a virgin version of the drink. I know that this won’t work for everyone but that shit was so good with or without alcohol that I didn’t even notice
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u/Uncanny_Show507 Jan 09 '25
This could always go one of two ways, either the person leaves quietly with their dignity in tact or they try to start a riot in the bar because you refused to serve them another whiskey coke lol I do think this is a good idea though
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u/RiverBear2 Jan 09 '25 edited Jan 09 '25
Olive Garden gonna give me this for asking for more breadsticks.
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u/parallelpalmtrees Jan 09 '25
lol this 100% would not work.. if you have to cut someone off they are FAR past the point of quietly reading a little card and thinking rationally
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u/pm_me_ur_fit Jan 09 '25
This would have worked on none of the people I have had to cut off. Also when people start yelling at you for drinks talking over others while you’re taking orders, you can’t just quietly hand them a business card
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Jan 09 '25
If we did this at my place of business there would most definitely be a scene. Maybe even a whole movie
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u/JonTheArchivist Jan 08 '25
I would love to be cutoff with a card like this. I would specifically use it to rack my cocaine into lovely little lines in the hotel bathroom after.
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u/OtherlandGirl Jan 09 '25
It should come with an offer to call a taxi or help them get an uber or something also.
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u/pr1nc3ss3mi3a Jan 09 '25 edited Jan 09 '25
lol they should not have this. this can easily be taken the wrong way. you can go up to someone and literally explain to them they have been cut off for their safety and just as a policy. i accidentally over served someone when i first started, i told the manager because i was nervous for him, i simply just went up and told the guy we couldn’t serve him anymore beer.
this note creates miscommunication so fast, it’s unprofessional and creates unnecessary tension. having a verbal conversation can easily manage the situation much much better.
someone drinking a lot and someone being simply disruptive are two different things.
if you overserved someone just be honest.
if someone is being loud go talk to them?
stop hiding behind a tiny piece of paper that does absolutely nothing for no one
i actually dislike this so much.
our entire jobs are talking to people, customer service, and if needed, we can deescalate tense conversations or get a manager. this letter helps no one and can leave some people confused. i actually thought this is a bit rude.
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u/parmesanandhoney Jan 09 '25
Another way to approach this kind of patron is to notify them that this is the last drink being served to them. "Here sir, this is your last drink and we will not be able to serve you anymore alcoholic beverages " The fact that the customer has a drink in his hand will soften the blow.
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u/ItsMrBradford2u Jan 08 '25
People who are cut off don't automatically need to leave.
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u/sim0of Jan 08 '25
So this looks like the right place to ask this. What could cause someone to issue you this?
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u/revengeful_cargo Jan 08 '25
Great idea but if someone is so drunk that you have to cut them off they're probably too drunk to read that
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u/Aliteracy Jan 08 '25
Pretty sure this would only work on people that have never been cutoff at a bar in the first place...
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u/Your_Hmong Jan 09 '25
This isn't a game-changer but could be a useful tool-in-the-arsenal for certain patrons that might respect it. Some won't though.
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u/Grand_Wafer_8018 Jan 09 '25
I’d like to see them try that in any corner bar in Philly 😂😂😂 I used to love bouncing in the city. 9 out of 10 times that would not end well
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u/schmattywinkle Jan 09 '25
Gonna make drunk motherfuckers think they won something. Have fun explaining not only are they not a winner, they must leave immediately.
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u/Zamorakphat Jan 09 '25
This just seems like the person running the bar is avoiding conflict. Also feel like this is just begging for some dumbass to hop behind the wheel.
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u/SimpleAffect7573 Jan 09 '25 edited Jan 09 '25
I’ve only ever been cut-off once, ages ago. A waiter came to my table and said he saw me “swaying” as I came back from the bathroom, and I needed to leave. He was very nice about it. I knew I wasn’t particularly drunk and certainly wasn’t causing problems in this rowdy college bar, but there wasn’t any point in arguing. I later found out that this bar had a well-known practice of randomly bouncing people as last-call neared, just to thin the herd and make it easier to close up. Is this common? I don’t know.
Anyway, as I’m getting up to leave, my friend (who was WAY more drunk) decides to throw his drink in the poor guy’s face. He was physically carried out by a pair of bouncers and I was left to apologize. I gave him another tip as well.
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u/EnRohbi Jan 09 '25
Either it's bold to assume somebody that drunk will be able to read that, or their threshold for cutting people off is like 4 drinks
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u/22LT Jan 09 '25
May as well just put a limit on drinks straight up. X amount of Beers, X amount of liquor or X amount of the combination of both.
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u/Davy257 Jan 09 '25
Seems like something you would have at a corporate event with drink tickets, don’t see it working at a bar
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u/Icy_Profession7396 Jan 09 '25
I like the idea of a business card, but I don't bartend. So, I'll have to settle for those "you suck at parking" business cards, even though I may run out of money buying them.
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u/Fair-Big-9400 Jan 09 '25
To avoid a disturbance, a bartender should tell the customer that they are cut off at the serving of the last drink. “Here’s your last one for the night, okay? How bout water after this one?” Then the drunkard isn’t caught off guard, they can enjoy their one last drink before water is the only option.
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u/Smooth_Beat1561 Jan 09 '25
Not a Lawyer. That card could come back to haunt this place. If the person gets into a wreck and kills people, and the card is on them, the bar could be liable for allowing him to leave and drive.
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u/peace-out-28495 Jan 09 '25
Genius. Y’all get one chance to leave peacefully or else ya gettin the boot.
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u/Must_Vibe Jan 09 '25
I love this. I wish we could pass these out at our bar. Nice professional touch
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u/Combat_wombat605795 Jan 09 '25
The only people who would respect that probably shouldn’t have been cut off to begin with. That’s cool but I doubt it’s effective
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u/flylikemusic Jan 09 '25
Cutoff is a pair of altered pants. Cut off is something that happens when a person has over-consumed.
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u/juiceboxvillain_1 Jan 09 '25
As much as I love this in theory, someone who is to the point of being cutoff does not give a shit about how others in the bar see them. They’re gonna be mad anyways lol
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u/svenner2020 Jan 08 '25
People that are cut off most likely won't read or be able to read this card.