I'm really not sure what's up with this country. As a rule, we truly offer the worst customer service experience of any country I've ever visited. My latest 'service with a snarl' experience was at a well-known coffee house and whilst American owned, clearly the UK staff were resistant, I dare say immune, to what i'm sure was comprehensive training in the subject of customer service.
So pubs are closing, leisure businesses are suffering, dare we look at what service we offer new and existing customers and see if that will make a difference to trade. A friend of mine, Keith Knowles, head of the Beds and Bars business who operate across Europe, has very strong views on customer service and staff training, in fact alongside ensuring his venues deliver a quality experience, I'd say Keith is the most dedicated person I know when it comes to staff development - it's funny how this dedication from the top has meant that every time I've visited a pub of his, I've had an excellent experience - it couldn't just be that the staff feel cared for, empowered and maybe even enjoy working for the organisation...of course it is. One issue I think hampers this development in other businesses is that they are trying to fix too many things from the Boardroom. So often a failing unit is subject architects, mood boards, the introduction of a premium Italian lager...how about looking at the experience through the eyes of your customer...smile at them, serve them in order and in an efficient way and let them know you appreciate their custom.
As a hospitality industry I think we could do with a few less awards looking at the quality of the food and drink, or for Christ's sake we have them for the quality of the loos, and have a scheme that rewards / monitors customer service. I'd love to know if anyone is doing such a thing and if they are, let's get behind it and work towards making it an industry standard - it's simply not enough to try and halt the decline in the pub trade, done better, I believe we're not far away from seeing growth, but first we need to sort our own house out!
Have a nice day!
Tuesday, 16 August 2011
Tuesday, 22 February 2011
Should I open the bottle today, or tomorrow?
For those of you that read my piece of beer tasting, I thought you might be interested to read about Domaine De Bellevue and their biodynamic approach to wine tasting...
http://domainedebellevue.wordpress.com/2011/02/07/biodynamic-approach-to-tasting-wines/
Not only an stunning winery, it's great to hear another perspective on 'tasting' and whether you believe in the principle or not, it adds to the great debate that is wine and beer tasting and the opinion that emanates from it. Let's face it, there's also not a right or a wrong opinion, but as long as great producers like Domaine De Bellevue exist, we'll have plenty of amazing wine to muse over.
http://domainedebellevue.wordpress.com/2011/02/07/biodynamic-approach-to-tasting-wines/
Not only an stunning winery, it's great to hear another perspective on 'tasting' and whether you believe in the principle or not, it adds to the great debate that is wine and beer tasting and the opinion that emanates from it. Let's face it, there's also not a right or a wrong opinion, but as long as great producers like Domaine De Bellevue exist, we'll have plenty of amazing wine to muse over.
Sunday, 30 January 2011
Lessons from across the Pond
Seriously, the customer service in this country is worse than terrible.
I've just come back from The States, having spent some time away with some great friends. One thing that wasn't necessarily obvious at the time, was the great customer service. Regardless whether it was a waitress in a bar or the people working reception - first class, just couldn't do enough for you.
You know, we take the p1ss out of the whole "have a nice day" tag line, saying it in a disingenuous way, that fact is, they don't say it in that tone, we just say it that way to distance ourselves from it because we seem to find it impossible to be bloody welcoming. The other thing with the Americans (I know it's a big country, but this is based on my experience), they know how to interact, they take time to know you and care, genuinely bloody care!
So, I get back into Heathrow and I'm waiting at the ticket counter to buy a bus ticket back to Gatwick - all I get is a head gesture to invite me to come to the counter, then silence.....I waited and I waited, finally, I said "you go first" it was as if I'd badmouthed her mother.
As a business owner myself, I'll be spending more time looking at how we interact with our customers and hope that we can beat the standards set by National Express in Heathrow and aspire to those in The States
I've just come back from The States, having spent some time away with some great friends. One thing that wasn't necessarily obvious at the time, was the great customer service. Regardless whether it was a waitress in a bar or the people working reception - first class, just couldn't do enough for you.
You know, we take the p1ss out of the whole "have a nice day" tag line, saying it in a disingenuous way, that fact is, they don't say it in that tone, we just say it that way to distance ourselves from it because we seem to find it impossible to be bloody welcoming. The other thing with the Americans (I know it's a big country, but this is based on my experience), they know how to interact, they take time to know you and care, genuinely bloody care!
So, I get back into Heathrow and I'm waiting at the ticket counter to buy a bus ticket back to Gatwick - all I get is a head gesture to invite me to come to the counter, then silence.....I waited and I waited, finally, I said "you go first" it was as if I'd badmouthed her mother.
As a business owner myself, I'll be spending more time looking at how we interact with our customers and hope that we can beat the standards set by National Express in Heathrow and aspire to those in The States
Tuesday, 11 January 2011
Baptism of fire
Funny, wrote my last blog about a blind tasting of real ales making a case for a level handed approach on the big brands (do bare in mind I work for Dark Star) and someone, a brave soul, at least brave enough to be anonymous, said that all beer bloggers reviled me - I feel so welcome to the blogging community, thanks. Well, if blogging is about expressing my thoughts, freely (Phil Dixon tells me so) I wont be deterred. About this bloody tasting. Now pressed, not one person recognised London Pride or Greene King IPA or indeed TT Landlord - so let's cut through the nonsense and relax. We all love beer and i love nothing more than reading about expert's adventures (I show my hand, I love all Pete Brown books), but we must relax and just enjoy, what we enjoy.
If anon would like to chat further, please get in touch, please do, but let's chat, not throw mud, we must be on the same side...aren't we?
If anon would like to chat further, please get in touch, please do, but let's chat, not throw mud, we must be on the same side...aren't we?
Tuesday, 28 December 2010
Has Real Ale entered the branded goods arena?
Had an amazing night at the Royal Oak in Rusper (Just outside Horsham if you're interested). I attended a blind tasting and was surprised by the results, though the landlady / owner / rule-maker, Sara, wasn't.
So, we blind tasted a variety of beers, some from Dark Star (obviously), others from local heroes such as Surrey Hills and great new start-ups like Kissing Gate, feathered in with a few bigger national brewers who, it would appear, are often knocked with gay abandon (a phrase we should all use more). What did we learn? Well, I have to be honest and say we probably rely too much upon our pumpclips for our information. Whilst the quiz didn't ask for our fondness of each beer, looking at the results it was easy to see people pour scorn on beers they believed belonged to the big brewers, when in fact, they came from local craft brewers. All in all, I'd say it was an education and a lesson that we should look beyond the brand, big or small and take the beer on merit - what's the shame in liking a popular beer that is served nationwide if you like it, equally, what's the harm in dedicating your drinking life to a delicious drop like Ranmore from Surrey Hills? Just don't judge others for their choices as when it's a blind choice, you may end up looking more of a mule, than an expert.
Signing the night off with a Classic Golden Ale from a Sussex Micro Brewery with the Grapefruit aroma of Kentish Hops...or is it?
So, we blind tasted a variety of beers, some from Dark Star (obviously), others from local heroes such as Surrey Hills and great new start-ups like Kissing Gate, feathered in with a few bigger national brewers who, it would appear, are often knocked with gay abandon (a phrase we should all use more). What did we learn? Well, I have to be honest and say we probably rely too much upon our pumpclips for our information. Whilst the quiz didn't ask for our fondness of each beer, looking at the results it was easy to see people pour scorn on beers they believed belonged to the big brewers, when in fact, they came from local craft brewers. All in all, I'd say it was an education and a lesson that we should look beyond the brand, big or small and take the beer on merit - what's the shame in liking a popular beer that is served nationwide if you like it, equally, what's the harm in dedicating your drinking life to a delicious drop like Ranmore from Surrey Hills? Just don't judge others for their choices as when it's a blind choice, you may end up looking more of a mule, than an expert.
Signing the night off with a Classic Golden Ale from a Sussex Micro Brewery with the Grapefruit aroma of Kentish Hops...or is it?
Trying to remember what it felt like to be hungry
It's true of Christmas that all you really do is travel from relative to relative, try to look grateful for presents that you wish came with a receipt and accept food and drink when you're neither hungry or thirsty. On the present front, this year's gem has to be a golf ball stamp so that you can emboss your initials on your ball - not only do I rarely keep them long enough to worry about continual identification, but it came from St Michael - now I'm not being funny, but that puppy has been kicking around a while - no thank you card required!
With an office based out of the Dark Star Brewery in Sussex (I handle their PR, which must be the easiest job of all), I know the sales guys were busy as were the delivery drivers this Christmas - plenty of Critical Mass left the building - a beer we describe as being a 'pint of two halves'. I managed to wrestle a poly pin of American Pale Ale out of the brewery, so Christmas was full of cheer on the beer front.
Beer consumption continues this evening with a trip to the Royal Oak in Rusper (Friday St), which for those that don't know it, is an amazing pub a few miles outside of Horsham - I could go on for ages about how good this is and probably will do in future blogs...and pub that has a Cheese Monster Club will do for me! So tonight's activities will see teams of four trying to recognise beers in a blind tasting. This is about getting people to focus on taste and characteristics, though secretly, I think it's about Sara getting here customers not to drink with a closed mind and drink outside the box.
Well that wasn't so painful
J
With an office based out of the Dark Star Brewery in Sussex (I handle their PR, which must be the easiest job of all), I know the sales guys were busy as were the delivery drivers this Christmas - plenty of Critical Mass left the building - a beer we describe as being a 'pint of two halves'. I managed to wrestle a poly pin of American Pale Ale out of the brewery, so Christmas was full of cheer on the beer front.
Beer consumption continues this evening with a trip to the Royal Oak in Rusper (Friday St), which for those that don't know it, is an amazing pub a few miles outside of Horsham - I could go on for ages about how good this is and probably will do in future blogs...and pub that has a Cheese Monster Club will do for me! So tonight's activities will see teams of four trying to recognise beers in a blind tasting. This is about getting people to focus on taste and characteristics, though secretly, I think it's about Sara getting here customers not to drink with a closed mind and drink outside the box.
Well that wasn't so painful
J
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