Wegmans Honored for Alcohol Service, Sales Training

Health Communications Inc. (HCI), the provider of the TIPS (Training for Intervention ProcedureS) Program has presented Wegmans Food Markets Inc. with the 2013 TIPS Award of Excellence. Award recipients are chosen by an internal committee based both on volume of employees certified and feedback from TIPS trainers and student participants.

So far, Rochester, N.Y.-based Wegmans has certified more than 1,200 employees in either the TIPS for Off Premise or TIPS for On Premise program in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Virginia. “As a company, we pride ourselves on setting high standards in everything we do,” said Wegmans Director of Restaurants Kathy Haines. “The TIPS Program was selected because of its nationally recognized reputation for excellence in training responsible alcohol service. We are very committed to our customers and employees, but also to the communities where we operate stores. A big part of that commitment is serving alcohol responsibly. The TIPS program gives our employees the tools to accomplish this goal.”

The TIPS for Off Premise Program is specifically designed for grocery and convenience stores, while the TIPS for On Premise program targets restaurants, bars and other establishments where alcohol is consumed on the premises. Both programs provide participants with strategies for preventing alcohol sales to underage and/or intoxicated patrons. The main goal of either program is to build skills, instill confidence and empower servers to ensure that alcohol is sold responsibly and legally. Employees and managers who have undergone the training are able to avoid selling to minors, recognize signs of intoxication, effectively intervene to defuse problem situations, and handle refusal situations with greater confidence.

“Wegmans is a unique supermarket brand that has a reputation for investing in their employees and the communities that they serve,” noted Adam Chafetz, president and CEO of Arlington, Va.-based HCI. “Having trained their employees in TIPS is just another example of their dedication and commitment.”

Family-owned Wegmans operates 81 stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland and Massachusetts.