Give a warm welcome to all pub-goers this Christmas

The run up to Christmas is a busy time with many people coming to the pub to catch up with friends.

For us licensees it is a time to be on our mettle to ensure that new visitors enjoy themselves, return in the new year and hopefully become regulars.

It is also a time that we may wish to show our appreciation to existing customers for the trade they have brought us over the year. This may be in the form of the traditional Christmas morning drink or possibly by some other means such as a brewery trip organised for a particular group or maybe sponsorship of a club that regularly meets at the pub.

However it is done, pub customers are no different to those of other businesses; they need to feel that you want and appreciate their custom. How many pubs have you been in where you aren't greeted with a cheery welcome, served pleasantly and efficiently and left feeling that they were pleased to take your money?

We all know how important The Guv'nor is in making us feel special in a pub, but have you ever thought about how you can encourage your staff to do the same, especially when you are out? Why not give them the authority to give away the occasional drink or dessert, as long as it is written into the 'Complimentary book'?

Why not teach all of the staff to greet every customer as they arrive and as they leave, so that they all feel welcome? This all leads onto customer feedback and we have formalised this now with a small company (I like dealing with small companies) called Silent Customer, which provides a customer feedback and a mystery dining system to help us assess customer satisfaction.

It can be quite a surprise when you think you are doing a great job and then find some specific instances when things have not gone quite as you would have hoped and that further training is required. It can also highlight times when staff have done something particularly well and you can give them a pat on the back.

Catching people doing good things and then telling them is a really powerful tool.

While we are patting people on the back, take a couple of bows yourself. Anyone surviving in this tough environment must be doing something right and deserves a bit of credit.

Happy Christmas, here's to The Guv'nor. Cheers!

Gerry price is licensee of the Inn @ West End in Surrey​