Telling a customer they’re cut off is among the more awkward conversations a bartender can have. You never know how they’ll react to being told they can’t have any more alcohol. And for the person cut off, it can be a humiliating experience.
One bartender may have found a way to cut off someone who’s had one too many that has the least chance of causing a scene: slip them a discreet note.
Chris Evans (@chrisevans8832) posted a TikTok of the note he purportedly received at a watering hole.
The note in the video says, “You have been cut off. Please leave quietly and no one will know.”
“It has been a pleasure to serve you but it is time for you to leave for the night.”
It’s respectful and gets the point across.
You’ve been cut off
Refusing to serve anyone is already fraught with tension.
Adding a significant amount of alcohol to this exchange can make it even more precarious. By the time a person has enough drinks that a bartender or server is considering refusing to serve them any more, typically they’re extremely intoxicated.
Customers have been known to cause quite a scene in these situations.
While it is arguably in a bartender’s best interest to keep serving someone, because higher bar tabs naturally lead to higher tips, it’s also true that there are risks.
Under what’s known as a “dram shop law,” bars and bartenders can be held liable for customers getting into a drunk driving accident that injures people and/or property.
A smooth move
Evans’ post swiftly went viral. In the two days since the TikTok went live, it’s racked up 2.5 million views and thousands of comments.
Some people in the comments on Evans’ post are impressed with the bartender’s note.
One person said it was “the sweetest thing.” They added, “I would much rather this than to tell me out loud where people can hear.”
“Better than getting walked out,” another agreed.
Multiple commenters suggested that the cut-off card should also include information on getting a safe ride home.
“You better call him an Uber,” wrote one.
Another joked that anyone drunk enough to get cut off probably couldn’t read the note.
“Remake the card in a blurry font,” said one. “It bet it [would] be legible to him/her.
Evans didn’t immediately respond to an inquiry sent via TikTok direct message.
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