MyShout

The smoking ban presents

an opportunity to attract potential pub-goers, says David Elliott

I was lucky enough to be able to buy a couple of

tickets for the England v Samoa game in Nantes two weeks ago.

We decided to travel by ferry and the great thing about it is that you meet a wide range of people

from different backgrounds - the one thing they

always have in common when you engage them in conversation is a passionate view of the Great

British Pub.

I asked a group of 12 to 14 people their views

on pubs generally and whether they would visit

more often following the introduction of the smoking ban.

So what was the view of these potential pub-goers? Firstly, they all had a terrific recollection of a great

pub experience.

I asked them to elaborate and, for them, it was about a great welcome, wonderful service and a strong goodbye.

However, the really worrying aspect is that they all felt the industry had not taken advantage of the ban to attract the six million adults who stated that they did not use pubs due to the smoky atmosphere.

So, what are we going to do about it? Just believing that a smoke-free atmosphere is enough, is, actually, not enough.

We have to improve the overall offer, which would include food, new wine lists, quality coffee and - just

as importantly - train our staff properly

to improve the customer experience still further.

I accept that this is nothing new so why don't we do it?

Having said that,

I have visited a great number of Greene

King licensees lately who have decided

to improve their offer.

One host was telling me that they now sell more than 200 sweets per week when they used to sell 50, just by getting the staff to ask one question: "which sweet

can I interest you in?". Try it - you may well be pleasantly surprised.

The question I would ask all licensees is why don't you hold your own "focus group" in your pub with your customers? Ask them what they really want and ask them how they think you could improve your offer. Have you captured the email addresses of all your customers so you can contact them quickly?

Let's try to make every single visit to a pub memorable for customers, because there are lots of other businesses - restaurant groups and cinemas - that would love to have their business. So, on a wet winter evening, give them a real compelling reason to visit your pub.

Finally, I take some comfort from England's performance on Friday, when we beat Tonga. It just goes to show that in the face of difficulty, team work and re-thinking your game can pay dividends. My dream now is that the pubs will be full to watch England play (and beat) the Australians in Marseille on 6 October in a re-run of the 2003 final.

David Elliott is managing director

of Greene King Pub Partners