Owning a business in the hospitality industry is often fun, but like many other industries, it comes with a responsibility to improve yourself so that you can offer better services. That’s what RAMP does for establishments (licensees) like bars, restaurants, or other places that handle, serve, and/or sell alcohol in Pennsylvania.
If you are interested, we understand that you just can’t jump into the certification process right away. You’d first want to understand what RAMP is all about and why you should even care in the first place. Well, keep reading to find out.
So, What’s RAMP Certification?
Before we can dive into the more interesting facts about RAMP, here’s what you should know. RAMP stands for the Responsible Alcohol Management Program, which is the initiative that Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) designed to the promote safe or responsible alcohol service.
Training is available as online RAMP certification courses from providers like RocketCert, thus it’s convenient for your employees to complete their training even when they have other engagements.
Keep in mind that the server/seller training, which is a prerequisite for successful certification, is paramount for anyone hired on or after Aug 8, 2016, to serve or sell alcoholic beverages and/or check IDs. The employees in this category (bartenders, beer distributor salespersons, waiters, doorpersons, bouncers, etc.) should get their training within six months of being hired by a licensee, unless the employee has completed RAMP server/seller training prior to the being hired.
The main prerequisites that an establishment interested in earning the RAMP certification must meet are:
- Owner/manager training
- Server/seller training
- New employee orientation
- Signage
After fulfilling above prerequisites, a licensee should submit the their application for the RAMP certification. If the board approves the application, it will offer the certification, which is valid for 2 years.
Why Does RAMP Certification Matter?
It’s easy to look at the training requirements as red tape, but the reality is that RAMP offers tangible benefits that can save a business from costly mistakes. Some of these benefits are:
1. Legal Protection
Pennsylvania’s alcohol laws are undeniably strict. Serving underage persons or visibly intoxicated patrons can result in huge fines or lawsuits. Sometimes, you could even lose the licence that allows you to sell alcohol. Becoming RAMP-certified helps you avoid harsh punishment if something ever goes wrong, since it shows you’d already put in some effort to avoid such cases in the first place.
2. Safer Work Environment
Alcohol service comes with risks such as unruly customers, liability concerns, and others. RAMP trains employees how to avoid situations that could result in unwanted behaviour. If it ever gets to that, nonetheless, your employees should have the knowledge they need to handle the situation confidently, in a way that ensures safety for everyone in the establishment. You don’t want to be making headlines in the local paper simply because your employees were unable to de-escalate a disturbance.
3. Better Business Reputation
Customers notice more details of your workplace than you’d think. They can notice when your staff handles alcohol responsibly and when your service delivery is below standard. Many patrons prefer to frequent the establishments that value compliance and professionalism, since they feel safer there.
Over time, your efforts will have been a great foundation for unlimited trust, and you already know that trust in the hospitality industry translates to repeat business and sustainable profits.
Increase Training Accessibility for Your Employees
It’s not a secret that investing in RAMP training resources will have an overall positive impact on your business. It’s optional, yes, but it can be the difference between you creating a profitable business or having to settle unbearable fines resulting from situations your employees should have handled better if they were trained.
Ready to get started? Make employee training easier today by investing in the simplified online courses that RocketCert offers. Visit rocketcert.com today to learn more.
