The Responsible Service of Alcohol online or RSA Online training course aims to educate alcohol servers working in bars, clubs, cafes, pubs, hotels and events like fairs and festivals on responsible alcohol service.
The mandatory training course for alcohol handlers, sellers, and servers aims to help in minimising the adverse effects of alcohol intoxication within communities. These effects include patron rowdiness due to intoxication, aggressive behaviours resulting in property damage, and vehicular accidents resulting from drunk driving.
The RSA online, with the course code SITHFAB002 Provide Responsible Service of Alcohol, is available through Registered Training Organisations (also known as RTOs) that are located throughout the country. These RTOs deliver the course training through a variety of means, such as face-to-face classes, online training, and a blend of both methods.
These RSA training courses have a completion window during which the course student should finish the course-related tasks. Once these tasks are completed, the student can then complete the assessments. If they pass their assessments, the RTO will then issue the student their statement of attainment (generally within the same business day – depending on each RTOs policies).
The SITHFAB002 Provide Responsible Service of Alcohol course, in line with the Australian Government Department of Education & Training’s current course packages, has seven standardised tasks for students to complete to qualify for certification assessment. For these documentations, specific skills need to be harnessed for the ideal assessment outcomes.
Communication Skills are Essential
One of these skills is oral communication. When working as a server for venues licensed to handle, sell, or otherwise serve alcohol, effective verbal communication can be the deciding factor between an irate patron escalating their behaviour to physical aggression, or calming down and accepting the server’s refusal of service professionally.
The critical reason for effective oral communication being a necessity for alcohol servers is that it dramatically helps in the de-escalation of conflict that may arise due to a patron’s intoxication, especially when a server suggests refusal of service for the sake of the patron’s well-being. Because alcohol – and, ostensibly, intoxication – affects a person’s inhibitions, inebriated patrons may find themselves more prone to confrontational behaviour. In these instances, practical oral communication skills are essential not just for maintaining professionalism but also for ensuring the wellbeing of the unruly patron, fellow patrons within the vicinity, and the server or servers who are involved in managing the service of alcohol or the patron.
Concerning a server’s oral communication skills, they must also be capable of identifying patron scenarios which require intervention, up to and including refusal of service. The server must be able to address these scenarios in a manner that displays a clear understanding of how to manage conflicts, and most importantly how to resolve them.
Patron behaviour isn’t always predictable – a seemingly compliant patron may suddenly become argumentative or aggressive without prompting. When this happens, the server must have the skills necessary to walk the situation back to a point where all parties involved can interact without the risk of a physical confrontation.
The Responsible Service of Alcohol training course and certification is a useful tool not just for alcohol servers, but for anyone looking to work in the hospitality industry. Register for an RSA class today.