Beat the downturn in 2009: part four
'Avoid knee-jerk reactions'
Leigh Taylor, licensee of the Bluebell in Henley-in-Arden, Warwickshire - Newcomer of the Year at The Publican Awards 2008
"I would advise avoiding knee-jerk reactions to the credit crunch. If you drop prices you're inevitably going to have to sacrifice quality.
"You might pull in some new customers with lower prices but you risk losing regulars if you compromise on quality. We're keeping the same prices and keeping the same top-end suppliers.
"Making redundancies is not necessarily a good idea. If you cut back on staff you will not be able to offer the same standard of service.
"The pub's reputation is important. We're holding charity events, such as a fashion show in March, organised in conjunction with a local boutique. This will give the pub good PR in the local press."
'Keep re-evaluating, stay in touch with customers and keep an eye on the competition'
Victoria Steadman, licensee of the Whitmore Arms in Orsett, Essex - winner of the Food Pub of the Year and Front of House Team of the Year awards at The Publican Food & Drink Awards in 2008
"The best way of ensuring products and services are up to the mark is to ask customers. Through emails and the telephone, we find out customer opinions and let them know about upcoming events. But we don't go overboard and contact them all the time. New customers have been brought in through mailshots and targeted mailing. In this way we have built up a commercial clientele even though there are no big businesses in the immediate vicinity of the village. Now people from the local council offices, which are five miles away, come for corporate lunches.
"We try to get as much free PR as possible; for example, by putting posts up on bulletin boards of local websites. And of course, we keep our own website up to date.
"Once a month, we go mystery shopping ourselves at other establishments. This way we get extra ideas about what we could be doing better but also ensure we distinguish ourselves from the competition."
'Go more affordable but don't scrimp on quality'
Kelly McCarthy of Ye Olde Sun Inn in Colton, North Yorkshire - named Pub Food Pub of the Year at The Publican Awards 2008
"In the slow month of November we kept customers coming in with an 'early-bird' special. By offering lunchtime prices for meals between the hours of 6pm to 7pm, we caught people leaving work who might not have bothered to come to the pub once they'd gone home. We are running the early bird deal again now. In January, we normally have a gourmet seafood evening. This year we're doing a tapas night instead. I would advise pubs not to change their ethos, not to scrimp on good quality if that's what they're known for. You can offer more affordable alternatives but make sure it's still up to a good standard. If people are eating out less, they need to be persuaded it's worth spending the money."
'Highlight events that no other pubs in the area offer'
Nigel Anstead, licensee of the White Horse, Bedford - Charles Wells' Pub of the Year in 2007
"We're a community pub. We don't draw people in with cheap drinks promotions but attract them by offering things that they can't get at home. Between 70 and 100 people come to the pub for our Tuesday and Sunday quiz nights. Our monthly karaoke evenings are always well attended.
"We also do things to support the local community, such as charity quiz nights. The charity gets all the proceeds from the £5 entry and raffle tickets; we donate a free ploughman's supper to the customers and in return get bums on seats and money from drinks.
"We try to offer things that nobody else in the area does. For example, we gave copies of our buffet menu to local undertakers because there is a crematorium nearby and now we're doing a lot of catering for funeral parties."
'Use innovative advertising'
Chris Lewis of the Swan in Stafford - BII Licensee of the Year
"We've invested in a Bluetooth marketing campaign. Since Boxing Day a Bluetooth transmitter has been sending messages to the phones of people walking near the pub, telling them about promotions. The system cost £99 to install.
"In the past, we advertised on radio and in the papers. This year, for the first time, we're renting a billboard on one of the town's main roads. I thought they would cost a fortune but it's actually only £350 a month. It costs more than that for one week of radio publicity and one day in the papers.
"Since December, we've been advertising 10 per cent discounts on food that we are offering in January. The discount might mean less immediate revenue but hopefully it will draw more people in.
"It's also important to keep our regular customers, so we're making sure that even if we cut costs, we are not cutting the quality of our service."
Tell us how YOU are tackling the crunch. Email news@thepublican.com
