Customer

Review of the Week

'We've got to support each other'

28-Jul-2023 By Ed Bedington

The MA's Ed Bedington caught up with the Vaulkhard Group's Ollie Vaulkhard to talk about challenges, positivity and the price of a pint.

Opinion

January trade - win or loss?

06-Feb-2023 By Ed Bedington

Against a backdrop of rocketing price rises, rampant inflation, and closures and sales, it’s been interesting being on the road for the Publican Awards judging this week.

Review of the Week

‘I am worried about people having less money in their pockets’

18-Feb-2022 By Ed Bedington

The MA's Ed Bedington catches up with Glendola's Alexander Salussolia to get his views on the current market, inflationary pressures, financial considerations and what the future holds for hospitality operators.

Content provided by HGEM

Making the most of guest experience data

23-Apr-2021 By HGEM

There is a vast amount of customer experience data available to operators nowadays, and it is expected to increase exponentially in the future, as technology advances.

The Lock In Podcast

The Lock In Podcast: Thanks a lot Boris!

25-Feb-2021 By Ed Bedington

With the roadmap to reopening the podcast team give their thoughts to the news, (spoiler,the reaction is not that great) and look at how pubs should be approaching the reopening challenge. They also tackle the tricky subject of insurance with special...

Schoolgirl's invisible disabilities campaign hailed

26-Nov-2018 By Emily Hawkins

Pubs have been encouraged to use signage inclusive of invisible disabilities for their disabled toilets - after a schoolgirl’s campaign.

Top service award for gastropub the Unruly Pig

31-Jan-2018 By Nikkie Sutton

Suffolk gastropub the Unruly Pig struck gold this week after winning the Front of House Team of the Year Award sponsored by Crown Cellars at the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs.

Need to know: how to deal with complaints

23-Aug-2017 By Fred A'Court

Complaints are an occupational hazard in the pub trade – no matter how good you are – so what are the best ways to deal with them constructively?

GBPA winner urges licensees to 'pay it forward'

08-Feb-2017 By Dominic Worrall

Great British Pub of the Year winner Dominic Worrall from the Bull in Ditchling, East Sussex has his say on why pubs should pay it forward.

Conviviality ahead of schedule on Matthew Clark and Bibendum integration

30-Jan-2017 By James Wallin at MCA

Drinks retailer Conviviality has said it is ahead of schedule on the integration of Matthew Clark and Bibendum.

Business

See the bigger picture: Why taking a macro view of your business is important

23-Aug-2016 By Greg Pitcher

A change in approach took Ashley and Kelly McCarthy from finalists to winners of the BII Licensee of the Year award.

Marston’s pub “attempted to block FOI request” for food-hygiene report

04-Jul-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

A Derby pub has tried to prevent a damning food hygiene report from being released under the Freedom of Information Act.

Technology

Punch and Sky extend Wi-Fi deal

28-Jun-2016 By Nikkie Sutton

Pubco Punch has extended its agreement with TV giant Sky to allow of its pubs in the UK to offer customers free Wi-Fi from the Cloud.

BII supports wet-led pubs

Wet-led pubs hold a "special place in British culture" despite decline

24-Sep-2015 By Oli Gross

The chief executive of the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) has spoken out in support of wet-led pubs following recent statistics indicating their decline, suggesting they "still hold a special place in British culture".

Beer

Carlsberg unveils suppliers for Christmas trade show

23-Sep-2015 By Emily Sutherland

Carlsberg UK will host over 1,000 suppliers and customers at its annual Christmas Trade Show.

Advertising boards

A-board picture gallery: Good, bad and builder's belly

22-Sep-2015 By Oli Gross

A pub’s first impression is often influenced by advertising boards outside, and licensees are warned that “lousy boards will ensure no one tries you for the first time”. This gallery looks at good and bad tactics used by licensees.

Pub Awards: Best Bar Team – The Old Mill, Baginton

10-Sep-2015 By PMA

The bar team are the well-tuned engine that drives this phenomenally successful pub to success.

Pub Awards: Best Entertainment Pub - The Lord Clifden, Birmingham

10-Sep-2015 By PMA

Following a refurb a few years back the Lord Clifden, in the Jewellery Quarter of Birmingham, has gone on to smash its targeted expectations and continues to bound ahead of competitors. 

Pub Awards: Best Sports Pub – The Murderers, Norwich

10-Sep-2015 By PMA

For a mature and well established operation, the fact this pub continues to grow year on year is excellent, and it’s excellent use of digital technology, both through it own website and on social media, means it remains at the forefront of sports fans...

Training

On the career path: The thin blue line

27-Jul-2015 By Paul Chase

The freedom to trade and to operate in a fair, flexible market place is key to the health and prosperity of the pub and bar sector.

Comment

What sets you apart from the crowd?

13-May-2015 By Neil Morgan, Christie + Co

When it comes to buying a pub ‘location location location’ has always been a key consideration and you will often pay a premium for a pub in a town or city centre with a high footfall.

Property

Money maker: Growing trend for pubs with beds

09-Apr-2015 By Paul Davey, Davey Co

Pub accommodation can drive sales and increase revenue — but make sure your rooms represent value for money.

Arkell's partners with Swindon College for hospitality qualifications

13-Jan-2015 By Naomi Larsson

Arkell’s Brewery is teaming up with Swindon College to offer local training on nationally recognised hospitality qualifications.

CHRISTMAS TRADING

Making the most of Christmas:top tips

30-Nov-2014 By Jo Bruce

Love it or hate it Christmas is here again: arguably the most critical time of year for our industry. The bookings schedule is crazy, the clientele is demanding, the chef is on his knees and the staff are either burned out or partying hard!

Nestlé Professional urges pub caterers to refloat their gravy boats in Maggi campaign

22-Sep-2014 By Noli Dinkovski

A campaign to bring back the gravy boat in pubs has been launched by Nestlé Professional.

EPOS supplier Zonal expects turnover to top £50m

10-Sep-2014 By John Harrington, M&C Report

Zonal, the electronic point of sale (EPOS) supplier to the hospitality and leisure sector, expects full-year turnover to grow from £41.3m to £52m in the year to 30 June 2014 as the group expands its operations and continues to innovate.

New name and look for berry-flavoured Magners

26-Aug-2014 By Robyn Black

Magners Berry has been given a new look and a new name.

Building a sense of community

25-Apr-2014 By Jake Kwan

Four years ago, I was given the opportunity to take over the tenancy of a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) pub, the Barley Mow in Bedford, one of the oldest such venues in the country.

Heineken announces services moving to Poland and 55 job cuts

27-Mar-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

Heineken UK is relocating some of its “transactional” services to Poland and will axe 55 jobs at the beginning of next month, as part of a series of changes to its finance team, the Publican’s Morning Advertiser has learnt.

Pub deliveries hit by Carlsberg computer glitch

25-Mar-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

Licensees across the country have been hit by a Carlsberg UK computer glitch leaving them with delayed, incomplete, or no deliveries for more than three weeks.

5 steps to creating an authentic atmosphere in your pub

31-Jan-2014

One of the keys to retaining existing customers - and attracting new ones - is found in your venue’s atmosphere. Here are a five tips operators can use to create an authentic atmosphere in their pub.

JLA acquires the Carford Group

11-Dec-2013 By Lesley Foottit

JLA has acquired independent catering equipment distrbutor and service provider the Carford Group.

Carlsberg attracts free-trade to Christmas shows

30-Oct-2013 By Jessica Mason

Carlsberg UK has attracted over 1,000 free-trade customers to its Christmas trade shows.

Essex pub still without power after St Jude storm

30-Oct-2013 By Ellie Bothwell

An Essex licensee has lost around £2,000 after his pub has been without power for three days as a result of the St Jude storm.

Star Pubs & Bars gives new lessees cash for high standards

25-Oct-2013 By John Harrington

Star Pubs & Bars, the Heineken-owned leased pub operator, has said that nearly 70% of new lessees on its first year support package are set to receive cash bonuses averaging £1,500 for high customer service scores.

Dirty toilets top pub deterrent for customers

03-Jun-2013 By Mark Wingett

The expectation that higher prices is one of the leading pub deterrents is not borne out by new research, which shows that high food and drink prices (24% and 35% respectively) fall behind several other factors when it comes to consumers choosing to visit...

10 tips on running a customer loyalty programme

16-May-2013

Building long-term relationships with customers in tough times is prompting an increasing number of pubs to introduce loyalty-card schemes. Successful initiatives tend to feature both new and old technologies. Here are 10 top tips to running a customer...

Finalists unveiled for BII and Poppleston Allen Jeremy Allen Award

29-Apr-2013 By Helen Gilbert

A licensee, bar manager and a customer service head have been shortlisted for the coveted BII (British Institute of Innkeeping) and Poppleston Allen Jeremy Allen Award.

Pubs need to embrace the new values of customers

08-Apr-2013 By Neil Morgan

It is only right that the pub sector should celebrate the chancellor’s largesse in removing the beer duty escalator (and the penny off a pint), even if the spectre of the minimum-pricing debate hasn’t quite been exorcised.

JD Wetherspoon to roll out new customer feedback programme across pub estate

07-Mar-2013 By John Harrington

JD Wetherspoon is to roll out its first full customer feedback programme across its pub estate.

TripAdvisor 'doesn't do enough for pubs'

13-Feb-2013 By Lesley Foottit

TripAdvisor is not doing enough to fairly represent pubs online, claim adversely affected publicans.

Give guests a reason to visit your pub

31-Jan-2013 By Anthony Pender

2013 is already well underway and it is safe to assume it is going to be another challenging year. One thing that is clear this year is that certain businesses are weathering the storm better than others.

BrewDog case shows how pubs can attain licences or extensions in cumulative impact zones

09-Oct-2012 By Poppleston Allen

Readers may have seen the Publican’s Morning Advertiser news article on 20 September regarding BrewDog in Leeds. BrewDog is a specialist craft brewery that does things differently. Leeds City Council rejected an application to grant them a new premises...

Focus on the product as well as the smile at your pub

05-Oct-2012 By Mahdis Neghabian

I recently returned from Gothenburg, Sweden’s second city, and my adopted home town. Customer service in Gothenburg (and most of Sweden) is absolutely spot-on. I would even say that, for me, it comes close to faultless.

Transforming your staff into service gurus

12-Sep-2012 By Steve Pike

Customers aren’t generally looking to find fault — they just want a pleasant, hassle-free experience, with courteous and effective service as a minimum, says Steve Pike, director of the Mystery Dining Company.

Running a pub is a complex business

06-Jul-2012 By Gerry Price

It is a busy time of year right now and balancing cost control with great customer service is a challenge. Add in the additional effort for promotional activity vital to keep that sparkle in your customers’ eyes and it makes it a serious job.

Pub Chef opinion: Business approach should be consistent

20-Jun-2012 By Edward Halls

Having pondered many subjects for this column I have decided to talk about the economy and how it helps me stay focused. Nearly everyone in our industry is finding life harder and personally, having only been open two years, I am interested to know what...

Mahdis Neghabian of the Camden Eye is BII Licensee of the Year 2012

08-May-2012 By Michelle Perrett

Mahdis Neghabian of the Camden Eye in London has been awarded BII Licensee of the Year 2012.

Pub 'friendliness' top factor for consumers when choosing destination

30-Apr-2012 By Lesley Foottit

The friendliness of a pub is the most important factor consumers consider when deciding which one to visit.

Do you ask your customers what they expect?

13-Apr-2012 By Rob Willock

How do you handle customer complaints? Do you welcome them; do you measure them; do you act on them or do you ignore them?