A warm welcome in the heart of the city

Licensee Gerry Conteh reckons great service is the main factor behind his bars. Nigel Huddleston reports

Gerry Conteh takes the inspiration for the service ethic at his Bar Hannah, in Liverpool city centre, from classic American bars.

Inspired by a period running a bar of his own in Manhattan, Conteh bought the freehold on the Liverpool property in 1997, never imagining that more than a decade later he'd still be running one of the city's more successful mainstream urban bars.

"I had no intention of operating it," he says. "I just bought it to lease to a pub company or brewery. But by the time any of them were ready, I'd begun to run it myself."

With food from noon until 7pm and live music on five evenings a week, Bar Hannah — named after Conteh's grandmother and also known as Hannah's — has a chameleon-like trading pattern and an eclectic clientele. "We've got a great mix, from students, who know it's the sort of place they can bring their parents when they're in town, to lots of people from the music business and the performing arts."

Warm welcome

As the results of this month's Quality Tracker show, what all these customers get is top-notch service and a friendly welcome,

"I believe if you've got a good product then people will come back," says Conteh, brother of former lightheavyweight world-champion boxer John. "If you've got people who are cold and unfriendly they won't.

"I tell people coming for jobs that if they don't want to give good

service they don't want to come and work for me."

Details count

Staff are encouraged to pay attention to details such as making sure the counter top is always clean and dry, and quickly acknowledging customers entering the venue. "People don't want to see staff looking miserable or talking to their mates, and they certainly don't expect to be stared at as if they're a stranger," Conteh says.

He describes bar work as "being in Disney, you're on a stage", to staff who are prepared to invest the effort. "A good bartender in New York can earn $800 to $1,000 in tips a week, and they don't get that because people think they have to give tips, they get it because they run a great bar."

Conteh says personality comes ahead of product knowledge at Bar Hannah. "I'm not bothered if they've never worked in a bar. I can train someone to pour drinks, but what I really want is a good personality and willingness to give good service. They have to have an energy about them."

New staff do get training, but Conteh thinks it's easy to get bogged down in formalities.

"You don't need to spend lots of money on training because it's not rocket science," he adds. "You have to be a good communicator and convey to your people what's expected of them."

Fact file

Gerry Conteh

Age: 41

Background: Had a business supplying industrial equipment to the government in Sierra Leone before political instability brought a halt to it. Ran a bar - also called Bar Hannah - in New York from 1989, since sold, before opening the Liverpool venue in 1997.

Who he admires: "Richard Branson because he has a deep belief in everything he does. He's determined to carry it through and gives people space to make things happen."

Top tip: "Above all, remember that it's supposed to be fun."

Training

n Two-day induction period in the pub's service values

n Ongoing on-the-job training to maintain standards

n Commitment to service and personality rated higher than bar experience for job applicants

n Staff are encouraged to take pride in their appearance, which is a key part of the venue's ethos