Pub excellence promoted by Charter
Not so long ago, a new high street bar opened near The Publican's offices in Croydon, South London.
The company had gone to a great deal of expense, time and effort in getting the design, drinks range, loos, back-bar and menus spot on - on first impressions it scored extremely highly, yet it failed miserably in one vital area.
On a quiet weekday lunchtime, a group of us decided to give it a go. Not only did we have to wait a good five minutes at the bar while the barman finished unpacking stock in the neighbouring room, but when he eventually did saunter up to serve us he could not muster any form of welcome, let alone a smile. While serving us, he continually chatted with his colleague and failed to make eye contact when asking for money.
It couldn't be classed as terrible service but it certainly didn't inspire us to return in a hurry and, disappointingly, it hadn't improved on our second visit a couple of weeks later.
The result? Croydon's pretty well-stocked for good pubs and bars, so this one's received the definite heave-ho.
This kind of sloppy service greets customers in pubs all the time. It has got to the stage when many of us don't bat an eyelid to poor service - it's part of the British way of life. But should this really be accepted?
There are, of course, a number of exceptions to the rule. Hundreds of pubs and bars provide good standards of customer care and it's evident that professionalism is on the rise.
But it would be fair to say that good outlets are in the minority and British pubs and bars cannot be put under a general good service banner.
The tables are turned when you look at bars in South Africa, Australia, the States and, indeed, several of our European neighbours, which are well known for providing courteous, efficient and hospitable service. So why do the Brits have such a tough time of it?Providing a level of customer care does not come from lengthy training manuals and company courses.
It's all about improving staff attitude through a good working environment and positive company ethos.
I can guarantee that if your barstaff feel happy in their work, they are far more likely to engage with customers and take pride in making sure they have a good time.
You can't order someone to be happy - you have to make sure they enjoy their work and this can happen through decent pay, reasonable working hours, a sense of belonging, career development, good training, an understanding boss, bonus schemes, free meals, regular breaks - the list goes on.
Good staff are worth their weight in gold. Customers will return to pubs because they have had a good time and good service undoubtedly travels via word of mouth - it's the best advert you can have. In contrast, bad service could devastate a business.
Customers have more choice than ever before and if they're not happy, they will vote with their feet.
The Publican People Charter is about improving attitude among staff in pubs, providing decent levels of customer care and, importantly, making sure that Britain's pubs and bars stand out as exceptional in providing great hospitality.
We hope that by encouraging companies and individual pubs to follow the principles of the Charter we will create a new industry to be proud of - one that will help boost profits for individual outlets and give a much-needed lift to tourism.
Britain really does have the best range of bars and pubs to suit all tastes - it is our aim to achieve world class status for the service and staff attitude you get from them.
