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How to Handle a Drunk

Tips on dealing gracefully with inebriated patrons. (AKA, a drunk.)

December 01, 2005 — CSO — One of Mark Barnes's most memorable alcohol-fueled security incidents took place during a convention of 300 or so lawyers at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort in South Carolina. Barnes, the former director of safety and security, was on patrol with one of his staff when he received a report of a stolen "people mover," an oversized golf cart that holds six to eight people. When Barnes caught up with the cart, which was careening down the middle of a parkway, it was slightly over capacityâ¬a dozen or so lawyers were hanging off it.

After pulling the cart over, the driver, who obviously shouldn't have been behind the wheel of any vehicle, even a low-powered one, began rifling his hands around the dashboard, muttering, "I can't find the registration for this thing."

Dealing with drunk patrons in a hotel or resort takes more finesse than, say, bouncing someone out of a sleazy dive on 25-cent-beer night. Barnes agreed to provide some tips on dealing with the tipsy.

First, be prepared. "Before it even gets to the point of having security intervene, make sure your managers, bartenders and servers are aware of the warning signs," says Barnes. He educates Kiawah's staff using TIPS (Training for Intervention Procedures, a national program to teach bartenders, servers, sellers and consumers how to prevent the misuse of alcohol). On a more macro level, Barnes advises always establishing a rapport with the guest group's meeting planner, to make sure that that person knows the bar hours, the rules of the hospitality suites and so on. He also suggests checking out each group's itinerary, to know what they are doing each day and night. For example, if they are heading off-island for dinner, it's likely some members of the group will return to the resort already liquored up.

When that happens, it's not unusual to find an exaggeratedly happy (or angry) guest who may either be quietly drunk or drunk and bothering others. Servers are trained to gently inform such a guest that he cannot order more alcohol but is welcome to coffee or a soft drink. If the guest doesn't take kindly to that suggestion, the server calls a manager, who tries to deal with the situation in as friendly a way as possible. If the guest becomes loud or confrontational, the manager then informs the guest that security is being called (which he may have done already).

"You don't want to throw the cuffs on them and arrest them."

- Mark Barnes, former director of safety and security, Kiawah Island Golf Resort in South Carolina