LETTERs

Massive boss Peter Linacre took pubcos to task last week - and evoked a passionate response. Below, we publish a selection of posts received on our website forum

It's time to sit up and listen

Your article echoes what many line licensees have said from the start.

As an advisor and mentor to the trade I continually have to instil into newcomers the pitfalls of being brainwashed by the propaganda and marketing of pubcos, and that in the majority of cases what is promised is meaningless and worthless.

There are good BDMs

out there who have the wellbeing of the tenant at heart and can see that

their success is also the company's success.

Unfortunately, the other type - who are in the majority - don't care about anything other than their own success or promotion and see nothing wrong in achieving their goals at the expense of the tenant's ruination. What we are seeing now is an arrogance born of power - the thin veneer of caring and respectability is falling

away to expose a "we will, because we can - and there's nothing you can do about it" attitude.

It's a sad day for this once proud and independent trade that pubcos have become the personification of that New Labour ethos.

Congratulations on the article, and let's hope that someone listens - because, let's face it, they never listened when the tenants said the same thing.

Ken Nason

Pubcos need to invest in future

Not being a pubco tenant, I have no axe to grind on this subject.

However, it is a breath of fresh air to see the trade press finally airing a viewpoint that reflects the feelings of people who actually run pubs.

For too long, we have been reading press that caters for non-brewers and makes no allowance for those who really run pubs and sell beer.

And for too long, we have witnessed a selection process based on how much money the in-going tenant had to lose before they ran away, rather than on their latent potential to run a pub.

With the trade about to enter its most challenging period ever, the current recruitment policies of pubcos need a massive improvement to enable us to see a decent percentage of those who run pubs still trading in two years' time.

David Pott

Too easy to blame BDMs

In my experience, there are BDMs and then there are BDMs.

The good ones tend to be truly great, and are helpful, honest, transparent and knowledgeable.

The managers at this level tend to be the face of the company and if you get a good one - as most are - then all works well if you keep your agreement. If you don't - then, quite frankly, what do you expect?

Graham Allman

FBII

Let's root out the bad 'uns

I have to say that Peter Linacre is speaking for thousands of tenants in his assessment of how the big pubcos operate.

It's a shame, however, that he doesn't name names. Those pubco managers who were quoted anonymously on their attitude to tenants are probably now on

tenterhooks, just in case their details do come out.

Perhaps the MA should send them to the DTI to show what someone on the "inside" knows.

I think the article can be summed up by saying that some pubcos lie, cheat, mislead and are all-round bad eggs.

Of course, Graham Allman is quite right to say that if you play it straight with your pubco, then you are entitled to fairness

and a genuine business relationship.

Because I did, Unique Pub Co, despite their best efforts, had to buy my lease from me.

I had a judge with integrity to thank for that.

Robert Feal-Martinez

We want action, not rhetoric

Well done on such a good article. I have now had three BDMs in just nine months, so it's very difficult to even start a working relationship with the company.

If these people didn't get their salary in a quiet month, such as January, they would soon look at supporting the pubs and not just paying lip-service!

Nigel Maud

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