In the first of Want to impress guest mixology blog, world renowned Mixologist, Paul Martin, covers one of the key issues we need to address in the bar industry, service standards.

I have been running bartending training courses and master classes for many years and one of the questions I always pose to delegates is, ‘if you had to pick one aspect of a mixologist’s repertoire as the most important bartending skill, what would it be’? The answers generally come back as, product knowledge, speed, confidence, encyclopaedic knowledge of cocktails, etc. But the fact is, the single most important bartending skill is the ability to provide top class customer service. And this has never been more true than it is right now.

It works like this….. if a bartender mixes a truly fantastic drink but delivers it to the customer with bad service, the chances are that the customer won’t return. However, if the bartender mixes an ‘acceptable’ drink but delivers it with exceptional customer service, that customer is guaranteed to return. In fact, not only will they return, but they will probably tell their friends what a great bartender that person is. Put simply, customers value great service above great product. Of course, great mixed drinks wrapped up in exceptional service is the ultimate goal, but let’s just focus on service for now because we mustn’t forget that as bartenders/mixologists, etc. We are service providers!

Service equates to value for money and it’s all in the perception of value. If you were to walk in to a bar and spend £2.50 on a G&T, but that G&T was served in a dirty, inappropriately styled glass, with little or no ice, no garnish, no straw, no bev-nap and was served by a moody, non-communicative, untidy, self-indulgent ‘bartender’, I can guarantee that you would have the sense of poor value for money. In fact you would almost certainly begrudge having to hand any of your hard-earned cash over to such a person. However, if you then walked in to a bar just down the street and paid £3.50 for a G&T, but this one was served in a sparkling clean, 12oz slim-jim, filed with good quality ice, garnished with a wedge of lime, served on a bev-nap with a straw by a well presented, knowledgeable, socially skilled mixologist, you would definitely experience having received good value for money. Even though you had purchased the same quantity of gin and tonic for £1.00 (40%) more.

The difference between the two is customer service…. all aspects of service. Service is not just about putting on a smile and being polite to people. It’s about understanding the principles of ‘perfect serve’, being able to relate to and read the customer. It’s about having an impressive wealth of product knowledge and being capable of using that knowledge to the benefit of the customer and the business. It’s about an ability to adapt your communication skills to fit the requirements of your customer base or the capacity to effectively handle complaints, so that a complainant becomes a regular and loyal customer. In short, it’s about having a broad enough range of skills that enables you to always find a way of sending your customer away feeling impressed.

We are currently experiencing tough economic times and people want to feel that their money has been wisely spent. Pubs are closing at a rate of 6 a day and yet, my experience of service standards within our industry suggests that it is generally low. A recent interview with the Chairman of M&S and the top man at BHS was revealing. It seems that whilst they continue to maintain high quality in terms of their products, the absolute focus for these companies is the provision of the highest levels of customer service as they believe it is a minimum requirement for any business that wants to survive hard times and excel in the future. They are investing huge sums over the long term to make sure they are able to achieve this. And to be quite honest, if these commercial giants get it, then what excuse do we in the drinks industry have for thinking that we can get away with ignoring the most fundamental part of our job….. PROVIDING A GREAT SERVICE.

And if you are reading this blog and thinking to yourself that this doesn’t apply to you then think again!! Time after time, in survey after survey, whether the targets are high-street pubs and bars, hotel bars, night-clubs, exclusive top end style bars, etc., when asked the simple question, ‘do you receive perfectly served drinks with good customer service’? The customer results consistently come in at less than 30%. LESS THAN 30%, What a disgrace!!

So, if you are sincere about wanting to provide great customer service, think beyond simply mixing drinks. Think about product knowledge, introduce ‘perfect serve & service’ principals, develop your communication skills, learn some effective complaint handling techniques, think about presentation, understand the benefits of bar sales and how it can benefit your customers…..... in fact, just keep developing. The day you think you know enough, is the day your competitors have left you behind.

Good luck

Any comments on this blog, feel free to mail me at paul@cocktailentertainment.com

© Paul Martin, October 2009.