Server training opens to retail employees

By Allie Blood

Published April 4, 2008

MU’s Wellness Resource Center is coordinating a state effort to train retail store employees on safe practices for serving alcohol.

The Wellness Resource Center created the State of Missouri Alcohol Responsibility Training program in 2004 to educate local bar and restaurant employees on safe practices when selling alcohol. The training includes information such as how to prevent overserving customers and how to deal with an intoxicated or unruly patron. The program was launched statewide in March of 2007.

This month, Wellness Resource Center SMART coordinator Jessica Schlosser said the program opened in March of this year to retail organizations.

“The retail program shows what to look for on a Missouri license, how to spot a fake ID and signs of a third-party transaction, along with other topics,” Schlosser said.

Other topics include laws and penalties for serving minors or intoxicated customers.

“The Missouri Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control wrote a majority of the content to ensure that all pertinent topics are covered,” Schlosser said.

The program is a free, hour-long online course for servers, restaurant owners and retail workers.

“It’s hard to get an entire staff together in one sitting for a training, but it’s not difficult for employees to find an hour to go through SMART,” Schlosser said.

Local businesses such as The Blue Note and The Fieldhouse use the SMART program.

Blue Note owner Richard King uses SMART with all of his bartenders as an educational tool, though most of his staff members are experienced.

“I think that it’s up-to-date and has been well-researched,” King said. “I believe they do upgrades as they go along too.”

The program helps the bartenders look out for signs — both obvious and subtle — that a customer is intoxicated and also teaches how much to serve a person.

“We’re looking for repeat customers, and the best way to do that is to take care of your customers,” King said.

SMART is funded through the Missouri Department of Transportation, and is modeled after a program in Nebraska. Other states such as Georgia also have alcohol responsibility training programs, and the program has been very successful in Missouri, Schlosser said.

SMART was created after the Wellness Resource Center found through surveys that proper serving policies needed to be addressed.

“Local bar owners agreed, and so SMART was created as a way to provide a more convenient training for establishments to educate their employees on these topics,” Schlosser said.

Blunt stated in a news release that SMART is an important tool to fight underage and irresponsible alcohol consumption.

“I encourage Missouri’s retail establishments and liquor stores to consider utilizing this program to help prevent minors from obtaining alcohol,” Blunt said.

According to the release, more than 500 businesses and retail locations have used SMART to train employees since the program started.