Bar spangled manners

UK pubs could benefit from an American-style attitude to service, says Caroline Nodder

Love them or hate them, you can't fault the Yanks on customer service. And as competition has increased on the High Street, the trade in the UK has realised that changes need to be made to stay one step ahead.

According to the two winners of this year's Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) Operations Manager award, licensees should be taking a leaf or two out of the Americans' book.

Laurel Pub Company's Kate Hyde and Guy Arnold, at Enterprise Inns, were voted the winners of this year's competition, sponsored by Miller Brewing.

As a reward for their efforts in the UK, Miller flew the winners to the States to see how the trade across the Atlantic compared to that in the UK.

They reported back on their findings at last month's Pub & Bar show and the most striking contrast by far was the emphasis placed by the Americans on the customer.

A culture of tipping in the US means that staff are rewarded directly for their service standards and this has led to a more friendly and attentive style of service.

On average, barstaff earn a standard wage of $5 an hour - but this is supplemented by tips.

The result is a well-trained, well-paid team of staff and the perception of the job in the US subsequently has far more status that it does in the UK.

Kate said: "We would walk into a bar in the States and people immediately said hello and asked us how we were. The staff were falling over themselves to help us.

"There is a culture of good service and service levels are consistently higher that those in the UK."

This kind of attention to the customers' needs has spread throughout the US retail market. Kate quotes one example where an assistant in a Levis store greeted her at the door and gave her a brief tour of the store so that she knew where the products and changing rooms were.

Kate described the assistant as being "there to help but not in your face".

"We are behind in terms of the service standards in the UK but the reason they do it so well in the States is that they do it naturally. It doesn't seem forced, and I think that is the biggest challenge for us," she added.

As an issue, smoking is high on the agenda for the licensed trade in the US.

Guy and Kate were told by licensees that trade had dropped by up to 40 per cent in areas where a ban on smoking had been enforced - a warning for the UK trade and a worrying confirmation of the effect such a move could have in this country.

But again the US system is ahead of the UK. No-smoking areas are prolific in US bars - and the popularity of the habit itself is falling.

"It is very important to realise what a smoking ban can do to our trade," said Kate.

In general the on trade in America has a number of marked differences setting it apart from that in the UK.

The beer is weaker, the licensing system is more relaxed, there is no tied system and the market is mainly filled with small chains and individual operations that make up over 80 per cent of the pub sector.

All of this gives the licensee more control over how the outlet is run, and this has resulted in a more creative style of bar.

"The advantage is that they can be as wacky and innovative as they like because they are not tied to a big company," said Kate.

One example is the Safe House in Milwaukee where customers can only come in if they have a special code.

Forget the code and they're required to do a forfeit.

What they don't realise is the forfeit, in Kate and Guy's case the dubious honour of "pretending to be a chicken", is broadcast live on screens in the bar so that other customers can see, and laugh at, the unfortunate victim.

Kate said: "The detail that had gone into some of the concepts like that was quite incredible and they were very proud of bars like the Safe House. I had never seen anything like it in the UK.

"Theme bars in Britain boomed some years ago and with the added competition in the market here now, you really have to do something a bit different. I don't know if the US concepts would all work over here but there are things to learn."

Obviously nothing is perfect - and there were a few points on which the Americans may have to do a bit of work.

The food was one such point.

"The food was delicious and the portions were huge and it wasn't all burgers and chips by any means - but it did tend to be variations on a theme. Most was served with chips and salad and wasn't the most healthy option," said Kate.

It is here where the UK's licensees have adapted well to consumer demands - the number of pubs offering restaurant-style food, regularly changed menus and fresh produce are increasing by the day.

It is also interesting that despite its image as the home of the global brand, the US also scored badly on its in-bar promotions.

"For me, the neon signs that they used in most of the bars were a bit dated and had an 80s feel to them," said Kate.

"We are very good at merchandising and that's something they could learn from us."

Some of the more popular service features in the US included:​

• iced water with every meal: a jug was automatically placed on each table with food without the customer having to ask
• bottomless cups: refills of coffee and often soft drinks are free once the customer has purchased the first glass. This helps to keep the customer in the bar longer and encourages them to spend more on food
• a takeaway service: most bars will wrap any food the customer has not finished so they can take it home
• promptness and courtesy: staff are trained to meet and greet customers within seconds of their arrival and will return to the table at regular intervals to check that everything is OK. This also encourages further orders
• eating out culture: it is quite common in the US for people to eat out at least once a day and many people rarely eat at home.

Pictured: (l-r): Robbie Halkett from Laurel, winners Kate Hyde and Guy Arnold and Nick Bish from the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers​