Tenanted Pub Summit: Admiral bemoans quality of some pubco BDMs
He told the Summit: “We have some exceptional guys who work long hours, really care about their licensees and their pubs, are very passionate, and yet we have some guys at the other end.
“We’ve had to change 65% of our BDMs in the Admiral business. That’s not something we’ve done lightly. It wasn’t comfortable but it was entirely necessary if we were going to deliver the vision for the business.
“What I find deeply, deeply frustrating – and this is a challenge for some of my peers – is that many of those BDMs who we regarded as frankly not good enough have arrived back in the sector in other companies.
“The guys who aren’t good enough in the tough market we’re in now really need to move on.”
Georgel highlighted the results of a him! survey of Admiral licensees that found 50% rate their BDM at eight out of 10 or above, with 82% finding them either useful or very useful. One in five rated them as “outstanding”.
BDMs were criticised by multiple pub operators during an earlier panel sessions.
Nick Griffin, managing director or Brighton-based Pleisure Pub Company, said BDMs range from “genuine honest brokers to downright liars”.
He added: “To call it a BDM is a misnomer. I don’t think I’ve ever had any genuine business advice from mine.”
Griffin said he’s had one BDM who he hasn’t seen in eight years. Ed Barlow, co-founder of Cheshire-based Kalton & Barlow, had a similar story, saying that a call he received last Friday was the first contact he’d had from a BDM who started in November.
“Seven months had passed before this guy’s got hold of us. What kind of support is that to a new tenant? It’s utterly disgraceful in my view,” said Barlow.
