Improving quality standards

The following article is brought to you by Diageo.

Nothing new and easy to do - right?​

There is nothing new in the concept of improving quality standards - it's a continuous cycle we must all confront everyday. How to go about improving your quality is not rocket science either. So if we've known about the problem for a long time and it's easy to change, quality isn't an issue, right?

Wrong! Quality scores across all service industries have been declining steadily for the past five years. More worrying for the drinks industry is that consumers state that the widening gap between expected quality standards and the service itself is the main reason that they spend more time on other leisure activities such as cinema, fitness/sport and in-home entertainment. In short, consumers have high expectations of what they want and currently, these high standards are not being met.

Help is at hand with the esp programme. Designed to improve quality standards in the on trade, esp focuses on six principles; the way you serve drinks, upsizing for profit, premium and quality brands, bar merchandising, range and layout of your back-bar and chillers and customer service.

Quality standards are a vital ingredient if you are serious about business survival, yet alone business growth. The key elements of quality that esp covers are outlined below. Of course Diageo can only help in providing a macro outline - it is up to individuals to decide what micro elements are appropriate for their bar or pub.

There are three key topics: People, customer service and the ability to evolve.

People​

• Capability of your staff
• Motivation
• Reward and responsibility
• On the job training

Customer Service​

• Standards
• Consumer experience
• Service delivery at point of purchase
• Ensure your processes are clear, consistent and backed up with excellent communication

Evolve & Adapt​

• Keep up with trends - including fashion, product and consumer
• Avoid getting over-attached to particular habits and ways of working
• Test yourself and staff - visit your local competition and see how they compare

Improving your quality delivery requires you to take a close look at your existing way of working with a bias towards honest self-criticism.

You will need to be open-minded and willing to try new ideas. You will also need to have the skills to train your staff, as they will be at the front line interacting with your customers. How you train your staff must be interactive and fun, as this way more information is retained. Help is available and if you want to take part in the esp​ programme please read the esp​ section below.

So why do you want improve your quality standards? Besides the obvious advantages of addressing the issues mentioned above, improving quality will have a direct impact on sales and therefore the revenue generated. Licensees who have improved their quality standards on the esp​ programme have seen sales increase by anything between 10 per cent and 42 per cent.

Quality is vital and the esp​ team can help you address your quality issues and start to deliver excellent quality of service to your customers.

Can esp help?​

esp is a real business solution for publicans, designed by Diageo GB. The esp programme aims to promote quality across all areas of the on-trade in order to help you increase your profits.

Our dedicated training team runs interactive sessions all over the country. Training is based around six key category levers:

• "The Perfect Serve"
• Upsizing
• Range and layout
• Premium brands
• Fridge merchandising
• Customer service

We give you the tools to train all your staff including an esp manual called The book and a training kit

We give you point-of-sale material to communicate to your customers that you are a QUALITY driven outlet

We offer on-going support and communication including a monthly esp magazine with hints and tips to help you grow your business

We run an incentive scheme - esp points can be redeemed for exclusive rewards

If you would like further information, please email: espadmin@klm.co.uk or write to: esp team, Diageo Great Britain, Lakeside Drive, Park Royal, London, NW10 7HQ, or telephone the esp hotline on: 0121 472 9020.​