Alcohol Server · Recognizing Intoxication

If a customer's behavior changes noticeably for the worse after several drinks, the server should:

Correct answer

Take it as a cue to slow or stop alcohol service and monitor the customer

  1. A Ignore it
  2. B Serve faster
  3. C Offer a stronger drink
  4. D Take it as a cue to slow or stop alcohol service and monitor the customer

Why this is the answer

A noticeable change for the worse in a customer's behavior after several drinks — becoming louder, clumsier, more argumentative, or unusually withdrawn — is a cue that the customer is becoming intoxicated and that the server should slow or stop alcohol service and monitor them. Behavioral change over time is one of the clearest indicators of rising impairment, often appearing alongside physical signs. Responding to these cues promptly, rather than waiting for severe intoxication, makes intervention easier and helps prevent harm. Attentive monitoring of behavior is central to responsible service.
Source: Responsible Beverage Service — Behavioral Cues

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About this topic: Recognizing Intoxication

Recognizing intoxication means reading the behavioural signs — slurred speech, loss of coordination, impaired judgement, changes in mood — rather than counting drinks. These questions cover the signs, the traffic-light assessment approach and when the point of no further service has been reached. This is one of 13 Seller-Server questions on recognizing intoxication, each with a full explanation on a single study page.

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