Quality controls

Are you putting enough emphasis on the quality of your serve? By Peter Segal of srcg, a consultancy specialising in retail strategy, category development and training.

I recently asked a group of seasoned industry professionals whether quality is always important. They gave me a look and then proceeded to convince me that quality is fundamental to the success of a pub. It's the daddy of sales drivers, the one not to be messed with.

Given its fundamental nature I turned to the dictionary which defines a quality product as "having or showing excellence or superiority". I found this helpful.

From a consumer's perspective, "having" is about the drink or food itself and whether it tastes good and this is about a combination of factors that include temperature, flavour and carbonation.

Temperature has become increasingly important with the influx of extra cold products and the growth in PPLs and PPSs. Soon we may even be able to dispel the myth that Poms drink warm beer! Wine drinkers, too, are much more discerning - a warm glass of pinot grigio is no longer acceptable.

When it comes to carbonation I would point to soft drinks as being the most influential. A flat cola from the fountain can be a killer blow if you've got thirsty drivers and kids in the group. This is a real sign to me as a consumer that not enough care has been taken and may well lead to me going elsewhere, never to return.

Show​

The next word in the dictionary definition is "showing" which broadens quality to the way the product looks. I have recently been introduced to the concept of the nucleated glass and was suitably impressed. On comparing the appearance of two pints of lager, one in a branded, nucleated glass and the other in a standard pint glass, I couldn't help but notice the difference. Suppliers such as Coors, through its Carling brand, are rightly placing much emphasis on glassware as it will begin to drive up consumer perception across the industry.

Appearance also has a huge part to play when you consider the quality of spirits served to consumers. Branded glasses, ice, lemon or lime can all make a real difference.

Again, supplier support is available. Diageo, through its ESP programme, offers a training service that raises the understanding and skills of on-trade staff so that they deliver consistent quality to consumers.

Excellence​

This brings us to "excellence" and for me this is a combination of taste, appearance and service. The occasion does play a role because on a big night out appearance and service may well be more important to consumers whereas a quiet drink is more likely to focus consumers' minds on the taste of products. Pubs will rightly place the emphasis on the different factors depending on the lead occasion but they should never let quality slip below an agreed minimum standard.

Superiority​

The final word in the definition is "superiority". We often assume that quality will be obvious to consumers. The quality message must hit home so that they can make favourable comparisons against other pubs, restaurants or even drinking at home. So pubs need to communicate their superiority and they can do this through enthusiasm for the products they sell and through providing other quality messages to consumers such as clean bars and tables.

Successful communication will also enable the publican to consider the price he charges as consumers will often pay more if they feel they are getting value for money.

With pubs coming under pressure from all sides it is clearly vital for the industry to take quality seriously. A number of pub groups have set up quality programmes that aim to provide skills, tools and techniques to raise standards in their pubs. In most cases suppliers are supporting these programmes and the more enlightened of them are offering support beyond their own categories in the knowledge that getting the overall standard up is in everyone's interest.

Getting quality right is central to maximising pub profits as it is the building block for all the other activity in the pub. It is simply a hygiene factor, no questions asked. I won't ask again!

Top tips for quality and serve​

Checklist for drinks:

• Knowledgeable, friendly and efficient staff
• Well presented back-bar and front-bar
• Premium brands
• Clean, branded glasses
• Ice
• Fruit
• Upsize option
• Correct temperature
• Good cellar management

Checklist for food:

• Knowledgeable, friendly and efficient staff
• Efficient and hygienic kitchen area
• Quality ingredients
• Good sized portions
• First class presentation
• Attractive menu/range

srcg​ is a consultancy specialising in retail strategy, catgory development and training. srcg​ facilitates collaborative working between retailers and manufacturers in the On-trade, Multiple Grocery and Convenience. Tel: 020 8948 4048 or visit www.srcg.com