Chris Maclean: greed's not for me

This month's BII magazine has an article entitled "Time to squeeze some extra margin", written by a stocktaker.

A more dispiriting article showing the nastiest side of our profession I have yet to read.

The author pushes the boundaries of what he can get away with. Saving pennies here and there, driving the GP upwards to the highest level.

On one level I can understand that, because we are in business, making money is the primary function. But it is also our living, our social life and our conscience. And that is where I find stocktakers unpleasant.

The only stocktaker I ever knew was a cold-blooded soulless reptile.

I learnt a lesson many years ago when a licensee/manager was stealing from a particular company. He was incredibly popular and his sales figures were fantastic but his GP was awful. He was sacked and the takings nose-dived. But the irony was that the company were better off with him stealing and the takings being very high, than a higher GP and lower sales. Stocktakers are the last to see that £8,000 per week with a 45 per cent GP is better than £3,000 at 60 per cent GP. Although I must stress I am not countenancing theft.

I have never understood the pricing policy which charges extra for lime in lager or for a 'top' of lemonade on a pint. How can you justify charging extra for lime or lemonade when you are saving by cutting the amount of the more expensive ingredient, beer?

Some things just strike me as greedy.

If the last pint in a barrel is unpleasant I will not sell it. If a customer only wants a glass of water I will try to serve it with good grace. I put flowers on the bar. I smile and say please and thank you. I give people free samples. I am in here trying to make a pleasing environment and make a living too. But I sleep at night with a clear conscience.

I am not sure a stocktaker would understand that. I know of no stocktakers who run pubs but, going by the article I have just read, I reckon they would be pretty miserable places.