While being cheap is bad, there is nothing worse than a customer appreciation party that got out of control. We have been known to call these Sodom and Gomorrah parties.
Everything starts off well, everyone is having a good time…and then all of a sudden you realize that you have a few customers that have had one to many sips of punch and they seem determined to totally embarrass themselves and you.
What to do?
The first thing to do before the party even starts, is to let the employees attending know that they will not drink. This seems like a no brainer but often times employees will be sipping wine right along with the guests. Rather than looking out for the company’s interests they unable to think clearly.
Not good.
Next it is important to determine how you will handle customers that seem to be drinking a little too much. This is a good time to sit down with your employees and go over various situations and how you want them handled. You will want to keep control in such a way that you are not making the customers angry but at the same time you are not allowing things to get our of hand. It can be done.
Plan on having plenty of food and various beverages besides alcohol. Coffee, punch, tea, and hot chocolate are good to keep out in plain site. Soft drinks are a good bet too.
Consider having only one kind of alcoholic beverage, a champagne punch or something that is a little lighter and less likely to turn a long time customer into a Marilyn Monroe impersonator.
About halfway through the evening stop serving alcohol and begin to serve coffee or espresso. To squelch any complaints begin giving away door prizes at this point. That will get your guests looking forward to the next thing and add a little excitement if the party is starting to lag.
Gift baskets, throws, and other items work well here but it is probably not the best itme to give away a flask!
Don;t forget to have a little something for each guest to take home,and plan to have a limo or taxi service to take guests home that shouldn’t drive.
Plan ahead and use common sense and your party should be a hit!
