Guest experience is becoming the determining factor of a venue visit – and it’s a lot more involved than just a good F&B offer.
I’ve curated the Pub Leaders Summit program almost every year since it began in 2016. The program has always run the gamut of topics – everything from food and beverage, to entertainment, to staffing and sustainability. Regardless of how varied each section of the program is, every year there is a certain topic that emerges as a through line – something that gets brought up over and over in various panels.
In 2019 it was staffing, as the industry dealt with shortages, particularly around kitchen staff. In 2022 it was adjusting to a post-covid landscape and recouping some of the losses of that dreaded time. Last year it was data, and the role it had to play in increasing sales and maximising operating efficiencies.
At this year’s Pub Leaders Summit, held in Sydney two weeks ago, the theme that was brought up multiple times was the importance of the customer experience. In a time when discretionary spend is down and on-premise visitation is being curtailed, customer experience is one of the deciding factors when people choose where to go, and is THE deciding factor in repeat visitation.
It’s what led esteemed Sydney hospitality group Solotel to appoint a group guest experience manager this year, who oversees the customer experience at all of the group’s venues, from fine dining restaurants like Aria at Circular Quay, to relaxed neighbourhood pubs like The Courty in Newtown. Because, to paraphrase Solotel’s F&B director Joshua Hillary, you can have the best meal, but if the experience surrounding it is no good, you’ll never get that patron to return and they won’t have good things to say about your venue.
Solotel’s food and beverage director Joshua Hillary (centre), discussing the importance of the customer experience at the 2024 Pub Leaders Summit.
What does good customer service look like?
That’s not to say a good customer experience is all white gloves and silver service. If you’re at a three-hatted restaurant it goes without saying, but if your night out consists of a burger and a schooner at the local pub, then a good experience can look very different. And we’re not just talking about how patrons interact with your front-of-house staff and if the meal was delivered warm and up to scratch.
Customer experience begins long before your patrons or diners even enter your venue. It begins when they look at your website or social media, or make a booking. Were they able to access all the information they needed with ease? Was the booking process seamless? Did they have any trouble getting in contact with queries?
At Flight Club Sydney, the in-venue guest experience begins with staff greeting you upon entry.
In-venue, the considerations multiply. How long did you wait for a cocktail? Were the bathrooms clean? If something on the menu was unavailable, were you offered an alternative? Did everyone get their meals at the same time? Were the staff friendly?
Crucially, a good customer experience can be turned into a great one even after visitation has ended. As part of the Pub Leaders Summit Study Tour, we visited Flight Club Sydney, the new social darts venue in The Rocks. The group of 45 publicans who attended the tour enjoyed a fun round of darts, food and drinks.
With cameras capturing the darts action, Flight Club then sends the booking party a recap via email the next day, with stats and images that capture the fun of the experience for the group. It effectively continues the interaction with the venue after the visit has ended, and keeps the venue front of mind.
Having been open now for a couple of months, general manager Frank Burden said the group’s data suggested by November there would likely be a six-week wait for a booking at the venue. The public have decided it’s clearly an experience worth waiting for!
CX insights from the Pub Leaders Summit
Here’s a snapshot of some of the CX insights shared at the Pub Leaders Summit:
- Consumers are favouring the casual style of pubs over other venues – enjoying over-the-bar purchasing style, simple ways to pay and a more laidback experience
- According to commissioned research by McCain Foods, 64 per cent of on-premise diners say expectations of hospitality venues have gone up – they’re looking for value-driven offerings, personalisation, more experiential and digital offerings
- Customer experience is even more important when things go wrong – communicate clearly, transparently and in a timely manner, so that patrons don’t feel like they are only valued for their spend
- Presentation and service can make all the difference when it comes to offers that are viewed as less premium, such as cocktails on tap
- Staff training has a big impact on CX – whether it’s training bar staff about your wine list or creating a marketing strategy around your live music program
Check out a video of the Pub Leaders Summit and Study Tour here.
