Diageo Australia has called for bar and pub owners to invest in Diageo Bar Academy training for all bar staff as venues head into the busy summer trading period which officially kicks off next week.
Diageo Bar Academy account director Jared Plummer said the summer period sees an increase in the number of people celebrating in licensed venues around Australia, as well as increased employment of casual and part time bar staff.
“Summer presents itself as a high risk period for licensed venues and licensees,” he said.
“Firstly you have new and sometimes inexperienced staff behind the bar, coupled with a rise in patrons, and compounded by an increase in drinking occasions.”
“If you and your team aren’t prepared with the practical measures required to deal with a high influx of patrons, the season can pose a tense few months,” Plummer said.
“The skills acquired through Diageo Bar Academy’s Essential Techniques module are crucial to delivering responsible service to patrons and the training really prompts bartenders to consider their approach in venues over the busy period.”
The Diageo Bar Academy program was launched by Diageo in March this year and is designed to ensure licensees and their staff are prepared to face challenges that present themselves in venues year round.
The specific skills covered in the training include how to create a great atmosphere and safe environment for staff and customers. It also covers how to monitor and manage customer behaviour, as well as providing some practical skills to help manage intoxicated or aggressive customers who need to be removed from the premises.
Since March, more than 6,000 trainees from around Australia have taken part in the Essentials and Foundations modules within the Diageo Bar Academy program, which won the title of On-Premise Training Provider of the Year at the 2014 Australian Liquor Industry Awards.