TAM Documentation & Incident Reporting 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When documenting a refusal of service, which detail is MOST critical to record first?
- The customer's physical description
- The exact time and date of the refusal (Correct answer)
- The server's personal opinion of the customer
- The price of drinks the customer ordered
Correct answer: The exact time and date of the refusal
The exact time and date establishes the factual timeline needed for any subsequent legal or administrative review.
Question 2: A TAM-certified server witnesses a fight break out. What should be documented about bystanders?
- Their names and contact information if they witnessed the event (Correct answer)
- Their drink orders from the past hour
- Whether they appeared to be enjoying the fight
- Their table number only
Correct answer: Their names and contact information if they witnessed the event
Witness names and contact information support accurate accounts and can be used if the incident requires legal follow-up.
Question 3: Which of the following is the BEST reason to document a patron who was cut off but left peacefully?
- To charge them for unconsumed drinks
- To create a record in case they return later the same night (Correct answer)
- To report them to the liquor board immediately
- To share on social media as a warning
Correct answer: To create a record in case they return later the same night
Documenting a cut-off patron protects staff if the individual returns and attempts to obtain more alcohol from a different server.
Question 4: Under Maryland TAM guidelines, an incident log should be stored for a minimum of how long?
- 30 days
- 6 months
- At least one year or as required by the licensee's legal counsel (Correct answer)
- Only until the next health inspection
Correct answer: At least one year or as required by the licensee's legal counsel
Incident records should be retained at least one year, or longer if litigation is possible, to support any legal defense.
Question 5: A manager discovers an incident report that is missing the server's name. What is the correct action?
- Discard the report and start over
- Add the server's name with a notation of when and why it was added (Correct answer)
- Leave the report as-is to avoid alterations
- Ask the server to rewrite the entire report from scratch
Correct answer: Add the server's name with a notation of when and why it was added
Correcting an omission with a dated notation maintains the report's integrity while making the record complete.
Question 6: Which scenario requires an incident report even though no one was harmed?
- A guest complained the music was too loud
- A minor attempted to purchase alcohol and was refused (Correct answer)
- A server spilled a drink and cleaned it up immediately
- A customer asked for extra napkins
Correct answer: A minor attempted to purchase alcohol and was refused
Any attempt by a minor to purchase alcohol must be documented, as it may trigger mandatory reporting obligations.
Question 7: When recording a patron's level of intoxication for an incident report, a server should use:
- Subjective terms like 'very drunk' or 'wasted'
- Objective, observable behaviors such as slurred speech and unstable gait (Correct answer)
- A numerical scale the server invents on the spot
- Only the number of drinks consumed
Correct answer: Objective, observable behaviors such as slurred speech and unstable gait
Objective, behavior-based descriptions are defensible in court and provide clear evidence of the patron's state.
TAM Documentation & Incident Reporting 2
When documenting a refusal of service, which detail is MOST critical to record first?