A customer at your bar orders a drink but appears to be showing signs of intoxication. You politely refuse service. The customer becomes angry and demands to see your manager. What is the most appropriate next step?

Question: A customer at your bar orders a drink but appears to be showing signs of intoxication. You politely refuse service. The customer becomes angry and demands to see your manager. What is the most appropriate next step?

Answer options:

• Serve the customer one last drink to calm them down, then call your manager.
• Immediately call the police as the customer is becoming aggressive. ✅ Calmly explain your refusal again, citing responsible service policies, and then inform your manager if the customer persists.
• Ignore the customer and continue serving other patrons.

Correct answer: Calmly explain your refusal again, citing responsible service policies, and then inform your manager if the customer persists.

Explanation: When refusing service due to intoxication and a customer becomes angry, the most appropriate step is to calmly reiterate the refusal based on responsible service policies. Involving the manager is prudent if the customer persists or escalates the situation, but direct engagement by staff is the first step. Serving another drink (option A) would be a violation of responsible service and liquor laws. Calling the police immediately (option B) might be premature if the customer is not yet threatening or violent. Ignoring the customer (option D) could lead to further escalation or a breach of peace.