Greene King induction course pays off

Greene King tenanted division has reported startling results after it introduced mandatory training for new licensees in March 2008.

The Go for Growth programme is now compulsory for new licensees — Greene King Pub Partners won't hand over keys to a pub until the training is completed. To date, 638 delegates have been through the course, with Greene King encouraging the attendance of a minimum of two people per pub.

Greene King is expected to reveal at its forthcoming results that the training has made a "marked difference" to first-year retention.

Director of recruitment and training Caroline Hollings said: "We developed this course for all new licensees on the back of our BII NITA Supreme Award training course, Go for Growth.

"Many in the trade didn't believe it when we said all our licensees, irrespective of their experience, had to attend the course before they got the keys to one of our valuable assets. Even some licensees were shocked, but all of them get so much from the training when they attend and we know that they're fully prepared for taking on such an important business and making a profit.

"These results show that this training is right, relevant and unmistakably an asset to all licensees going into a Greene King pub".

Prasong Suppadungchon, licensee of the Old Tom in Oxford, took over his pub from a restaurant background. Since attending the course he has increased gross profits by 50% and reduced operating profits by 10%. He said: "The course totally boosted my confidence, it focused my attention — I was so busy running the business and making it a nice place for my customers, I completely forgot about profit".

After attending the second day six months later he added, "I would definitely recommend this course to others, it makes you focus on what's important to the business and spend time planning the way forward".

Another attendee is Vernon Blackmore of the Anchor pub in Woodbridge, Suffolk. Blackmore was previously a chef, but had never run a pub before.

Since taking on the Anchor and attending the Go for Growth induction he has seen turnover trebling, saved £2,000 on bank charges and improved wage percentage by 5%.

He said "The course showed me a lot we were doing was right, but it also exposed some things we weren't so good at. It made me more confident about the business and gave me clarity of vision on how I want to take things forward."

Adam Rainford, licensee of the Welcome Inn, in Eastleigh, Hampshire, adds, "The course made me look at the bigger picture — I used to spend one hour after service thinking about the business, which wasn't quality time as I felt burnt out. I now spend two uninterrupted hours a day."

Other licensees have also achieved real financial success following the course, with Dee and Tommy Takacs from the White Hart in Fulbourn, Cambridge, seeing turnover double in nine months and Nigel and Gail Woodley of the Golden Ball in Littlemore, Oxford, having turnover increase £3,500 per week with nearly £4,500 costs saved in a year.

Pub Partners commissioned Oxford Brookes University to carry out research on licensees who have attended the Go for Growth mandatory induction programme for new licensees. It found:

•96% plan for growth of their business rather than just working in it

•96% review customer care as part of their ongoing strategy

•96% developed and managed their staff more effectively.

Hollings added: "It's vital in this industry that you retain the good quality licensees you have and you can only achieve that by giving them the best start. With Go for Growth we know that everyone will have the right level of skills to operate what is a very cash-driven business, but also the best platform to build it in the long term. It's our duty to do that, but also absolute business sense".