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 TIPS 

The Charmer Sunbelt Group provides responsible server and seller training through the TIPS program.

About TIPS

TIPS (Training for Intervention ProcedureS) is a dynamic, skills-based training program designed to prevent intoxication, drunk driving and underage drinking by enhancing the fundamental "people skills" of retail cashiers and clerks that sell alcohol. Employees and managers who participate are able to:

  • Spot underage drinkers and prevent sales to minors.
  • Recognize signs of intoxication.
  • Effectively intervene to prevent problem situations.
  • Handle refusal situations with greater confidence.

Retailers who use TIPS benefit immediately by reducing risk and creating a safer, more responsible work environment. TIPS training can:

  • Reduce exposure to alcohol liability lawsuits.
  • Reduce penalties for alcohol violations.
  • Lower insurance premiums.
  • Improve customer service and satisfaction.

A Sample of the TIPS Program

HOW ALCOHOL AFFECTS YOUR GUESTS

Your best tool for assessing a person’s level of intoxication is their behavioral cues. There are four cues to watch for that can tell you whether someone is or is becoming intoxicated.

  1. Inhibitions: Becoming talkative and relaxed, or displaying a notable change in behavior, can indicate lowered inhibitions.
  2. Judgment: Behaving inappropriately, annoying others, or increasing the rate of drinking are examples of poor judgment.
  3. Reactions: Glassy, unfocused eyes, talking and moving slowly, or having difficulty with small motor skills demonstrate slowed reactions.
  4. Coordination: Stumbling or swaying, dropping things and passing out are all signs of a loss of coordination.

The behavioral cues occur progressively as people consume more alcohol. But people are affected by alcohol at different rates. This is due to the impact of intoxication rate factors, which can help you determine how quickly someone is likely to become impaired.

  1. Size: Smaller people are sometimes affected more quickly than larger people.
  2. Gender: Women tend to become impaired faster because they are smaller and have a higher percentage of body fat, which does not absorb alcohol.
  3. Rate of Consumption: The faster someone drinks, the more quickly they will become impaired.
  4. Strength of the Drink: Each drink contains a different amount of pure alcohol, which causes intoxication.
  5. Food: Eating before drinking alcohol can slow the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream.
  6. Drug Use: Alcohol is a drug and can interact unpredictably with other drugs, including over-the-counter, prescription and illegal.

Intoxication rate factors impact how quickly a person’s blood alcohol content, or BAC, will rise. BAC is the legal measurement of the amount of alcohol in a person’s blood. In most areas, the legal limit for driving is a BAC of .08. It is impossible for you to determine a person’s BAC. But there are some important guidelines to remember:

  • The more alcohol a person consumes, the higher the BAC level will be.
  • A person’s BAC level can be different each time he or she drinks.
  • The higher the BAC level, the more behavioral cues you are likely to see.
  • Time is the only thing that can lower a person’s BAC level. Cold showers, food and coffee will not have an impact.

Behavioral cues and intoxication rate factors are a sampling of what is offered in the TIPS program. You can obtain TIPS certification by attending an instructor-led session, becoming certified as a TIPS trainer (enabling you to train other people), or completing the online eTIPS course. For more information on any of these options, visit TIPS online at http://www.gettips.com or call 800-438-8477.

Become a TIPS Trainer

An on-staff TIPS Trainer constitutes a full-time customer service expert who will foster an atmosphere of professionalism, maintain compliance with state and local regulations, encourage teamwork among staff members, and build bridges to your community. An on-staff TIPS Trainer also gives you the flexibility to train on your own schedule, allowing you to maintain excellent standards even when facing high employee turnover or gearing up for seasonal challenges. 

Becoming a TIPS Trainer requires the successful completion of a two-day train-the-trainer workshop. To participate, please visit http://www.gettips.com/TIPS-trainer-workshops.html. The cost is $499 per person. 

OTHER OPTIONS

Your other options are to have an Independent TIPS Trainer come to your location or take the online eTIPS course. To accomplish this, we recommend the following tools: 

  • Request training from TIPS trainers in your region by completing a request form at http://www.gettips.com/trainingrequest.shtml. Within 48 hours of the request, trainers will contact you to set-up a TIPS training session that works for you. We do not regulate what our trainer’s charge, but it is usually from $40 to $60 per person. Co-op reimbursement does not apply for this option. 
  • Take our online course at http://www.gettips.com/eTIPS.shtml. The fee is $40 per person.

For multiple registrations, we recommend purchasing eTIPS Pre-Paid Passports. For every passport that you purchase, we will send you a unique registration code with instructions on how to access the course. The cost is still $24 per passport/person. To order, call 1-800-438-8477, ext. 357.

Contact

Questions? Please feel free to contact Trevor Estelle, Charmer Sunbelt’s dedicated account manager at TIPS. He can be reached at 800-438-8477, ext. 357, or by e-mail at estellet@gettips.com.

More Information

Read a press release (PDF) on how TIPS for the University meets requirements for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.