Score draw over Brulines - and what can consumers expect in 2011?
The report by the National Measurement Office (NMO) on Brulines' beer flow monitoring equipment was one of those strange beasts, being given the thumbs up by both sides of the argument surrounding the technology.
As reported elsewhere in this section of the thepublican.com, Brulines' boss James Dickson says the NMO's findings show his firm's kit is "fit for purpose". Meanwhile Simon Clarke, a senior member of Fair Pint and vocal opponent of Brulines' technology, enthusiastically points to parts of the report where he says inaccuracies are highlighted for all to see.
Does the NMO's report mean an end to the controversy surrounding Brulines' gear? Does it heck. Pubcos will be emboldened by the boffins' findings, but so too will tenants who believe they've been unfairly fined as a result of the data provided by the system.
Perhaps for the sake of all concerned it's time to prescribe the technology and get Trading Standards in to do what James Dickson said he hopes the NMO analysis will achieve, namely to draw a line in the sand. But even then my guess is one party or the other will still be dissatisfied…
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The first of the year's bi-annual takes on the leisure sector from recovery specialists Zolfo Cooper makes for salutary, if not completely surprising, reading: 2011 will "turbulent" for the leisure sector, including pubs, "inevitably creating winners and losers".
An interesting point raised in its report is that the online relationship twixt operator and customer will grow in importance. We all like to read about an experience in a pub and an online review can make all the difference to new customers flooding in or potential ones staying away.
As Zolfo's Paul Hemming says, keeping on top of online customer feedback should be at the top of most operators' agendas going forward in 2011. I'll second that.
