Back to basics: consumer research

How can you engage your customers in a meaningful dialogue about what they really feel about your pub? And how do you assess the findings and draw up an action plan to improve the business on that basis?

With all the other activity filling our waking hours, perhaps the last thing you want to do is strike up a serious conversation with your customers. But if you can, the benefits heavily outweigh the negatives.

Sales data can, of course, tell us what dishes are selling, our most popular lager or bitter and how much the AWP in the corner took last week, but the reasons behind the figures may be more interesting and help you build for future growth.

Many pub customers welcome a dialogue, especially if there are plans to change or reposition an existing offer. Being given an opportunity to voice their opinion makes them feel valued. That alone often results in greater customer loyalty and consequently more repeat business.

The danger, of course, is that there may be such a mixture of customers that formulating a consistent view and getting a true reflection of your outlet is tricky.

What one customer would like may be totally different to another ­ but if, when consulted, 40 out of 50 regulars feel they would like a particular guest bitter, is it not time to listen?

Talking to the right people can also be an issue. Research suggests that in a destination food pub about one-third of customers will visit only every two to three months, while in a community-based venue customers could call as frequently as five nights a week.

And despite the greater opportunities to engage customers in a community local, many say they have never had a discussion with the management about what they think of their pub.

It's worth doing, though. Licensees quickly learn from each other and it is increasingly difficult for one pub to be radically different from a neighbouring outlet, so the subtle changes and ideas that you can instigate as a result of this research will often set you apart from your competitors.

And make no mistake, the customers will notice ­ they are far more intuitive than we may think.

Speaking to a captive audience​

One advantage of carrying out research among your customers on site is that you don't have far to go and you automatically get a representative sample ­ you have an opportunity to engage occasional as well as regular customers. You can:

• Assess their needs and reasons for coming to your pub on the spot
• Ask them why they have chosen your outlet on this particular occasion and whether it is measuring up to their expectations
• Find out their likes and dislikes by asking them what elements of the offer they would praise, and what areas they think you could improve on
• Take it as a PR opportunity ­ customers like being asked their opinion if there is a good reason.

How does it work?​

Clearly, staff have a limited amount of time to engage with customers and for a detailed appraisal of your business it may be necessary to employ an independent company to carry out the interviews.

There are, however, a few simple questions you might ask to get a flavour of your customers' views. Far from being a cosmetic exercise, this can positively build customer relations as well as involving your staff in the decision-making process. You could ask:

• Where else do you go to eat?
• Do you like our specials board?
• Did you come to our wine tasting?
• Have you tried our new coffee?
• Do you like the new extra cold beer?

Clearly, there are a lot of issues to explore. But if all staff are briefed on one topic a week, then problems such as dishes that aren't up to scratch, inappropriate music levels and coffee that is always cold could be addressed before customers vote with their feet.

Professional help​

If you want to conduct a full audit of your business by assessing each element and drawing up a plan of action, you will need an impartial, professional approach.

Working with managers and owners to improve their offers is one of the most rewarding aspects of my work. It demands that we work as a team, being honest and sharing the ultimate goal of improving the pub ­ even if it means ripping up the manual and starting again.

The process can be applied across the board or to test a new initiative such as promotional activity, assess the reaction to a new menu or a new product, or gauge the success of a new gaming machine.

Too much that goes on in the industry is based on assumption rather than fact. But the heart of this thinking is customer opinion, and many licensees appreciate the feedback because it has come from the lifeblood of their business.

After 15 years in market research, Phil Strongman set up The Pub Doctor to help smaller pub companies. To find out more about how it could help your business go to www.thepubdoctor.co.uk​