Massachusetts Bartenders Fired up About Handing Out ‘Over-Served’ Card

If you are a bartender around the country, you will quickly learn not all establishment rules are created equal.

This especially applies to handling customers who have had too much to drink, or are on their way to being stupid.

What To Do With Drunk People

Sometimes we don't know we are tipsy until we're cut off at the bar or restaurant, and isn't that embarrassing? It's a hard lesson to learn, but how the bartender or server handles it makes all the difference.

Recently on the North Shore Dining Facebook Page there was quite a discussion about the proper way to deal with someone who's been overserved.

The chatter was based on a business card similar to this photo which was handed out to customers in one establishment.

Over 1,000 people reacted and almost 900 commented.  That's a whole lotta input, and you can see why.

Check Out These Comments

This card is for hacks, not professionals (bartenders).

Cutting someone off wouldn’t be the worst but saying please leave the establishment and no one will know is harsh!  Like how about my table of friends!? The card's rudely done in my opinion.

I’d love it and begin to collect them like baseball cards from different establishments.

In new Hampshire, if you cut someone off they must leave. Plus- if they are drunk enough to get cut off, the are a liability. If they hurt themselves or someone else, that’s a lawsuit.

Perhaps the best comment was the very first comment from a seasoned bartender who responded to the card with this:

Hmmmm as a bartender, I generally don't use the term "cut off".

I politely place a water in front of them instead of the drink they ordered. Most ppl get it. If not, I say I gotta slow u down. Tbh if they're over served it's our fault. Slowing down consumption is something we do under radar.