IMPLEMENTING A SERVER TRAINING PROGRAM

Implementing and Evaluating a Server Training Program

Implementing and Evaluating a Server Training Program

For the present study, we (a) qualitatively evaluated existing server and manager training programs and (b) identified states that legislatively mandate or encourage statewide server training.

Review of training packages

We conducted a qualitative review of server training packages commonly used throughout the United States. The authors identified 24 server training programs, including state and national programs, by searching the Internet, contacting key informants in the field, and reviewing the relevant research literature. Because a centralized list of manager and server training programs does not exist, there may be other local and state programs that the authors did not identify. Some programs consisted of either a videotape or written material, some others of a videotape and a trainers' manual. Still others included a videotape, a trainers' manual, and written material for trainees. Trainers' manuals were intended for owners and managers training their own staffs or for professional trainers.

Eight of the programs were developed by alcohol industry groups, six by nonprofit or research groups, seven by for-profit training companies, and one by a state alcohol beverage control agency.

We limited our review to programs that specifically targeted establishments that sell alcohol. We excluded two programs that addressed responsible beverage service but focused on the role of the community and law enforcement rather than on alcohol establishments. We categorized the remaining 22 programs according to the intended audience: (a) bartenders and waitstaff at establishments where alcoholic beverages are sold for on-site consumption; (b) owners and managers of establishments (such as restaurants and bars) where alcoholic beverages are sold for on-site consumption; (c) both owners/managers and bartenders/waitstaff at establishments where alcoholic beverages are sold for on-site consumption; (d) clerks at establishments (such as liquor, grocery, and convenience stores) where alcoholic beverages are sold for off-site consumption; and (e) servers and other workers who interact with customers at stadiums and arenas where alcoholic beverages are sold (including security staff, parking lot attendants, and ticket takers, among others).

Based on the research literature on server training programs and behavior change theory, we identified 10 categories in which to rate server training programs.

Content

Legal issues: The legal framework for selling to minors or intoxicated people (including criminal penalties and "dram shop" or civil liability), which identifies consequences for servers, managers, and owners.

Physiological effects: Brief overview of how alcohol affects the body; skills to recognize cues ...