Front Of House 21/10/09 16:09 Page 44
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The finalists
FRONT OF HOUSE TEAM
OF THE YEAR
HALES BAR
Harrogate, North Yorkshire
Amanda Wilkinson
Hales Bar in the centre of Harrogate is a wet-led pub with no outside space
that has proved successful by making the team behind the bar the key point
of difference. It is their focus on customer service that has enabled it to build
a fiercely loyal following.
What is the range of job roles in the team?
With the bulk of sales coming from drinks, the entire team (except the chef)
works behind the bar, and operates within a very flat structure. Amanda says:
“They work as a team with everybody able to do the same jobs.” The assis-
tant manager, however, has a broader remit that includes banking and
product ordering. THE FACTS
How do you maintain excellent customer service collectively and as • Type of pub: Freehold
individuals? • Style of outlet:
Amanda says the key has been to employ people who love the job and have a Country Inn
natural ability to converse with customers. The result is that the all-woman team • Wet/dry split: 32/68
“fight to work at Christmas and New Year, as they are party animals”. This leads • Total employees: 24
to very limited staff turnover and obviates the need to forever train new people. • Front-of-House team:
Crucially, it also helps build relationships between the team and the customers.
YE OLD SUN INN
14
What training is the team given?
Following an initial induction period, the training is ongoing and typically
Near Tadcaster, North Yorkshire
involves Amanda providing details of the latest drinks range (through tast-
Kelly McCarthy
ings) and any changes made to the till system. She also holds regular infor-
mal meetings with the team: “I’ll often sit down with the staff and converse
with them about any issues they have. This helps give them more confidence.” Ye Old Sun Inn is a freehouse that has a strong focus on its food offering,
which requires the front-of-house team to be sufficiently flexible to move
Why should you win this award? between bar work and foodservice tasks, with the extra complication of a
Amanda says the success of the pub is entirely down to the team and it is their regularly changing menu.
delivery of high levels of customer service that
THE FACTS
has enabled the pub to thrive in difficult times. What is the range of job roles in the team?
Sales are forecast to be up by 20 per cent this Of the two full-time employees (excluding the owners), one has responsibil-
year. “Once customers are through the door ity for the bar while the other supervises the food side of the business. The
• Type of pub: Tenanted it’s all about customer service and we enter- part-time employees then work across these two areas, dependent on where
• Style of outlet: tain them with our staff’s personality,” she resources are most needed. Kelly says: “The majority of staff will be serving
Town centre explains. food and taking orders but they are flexible enough to jump in at all stages.”
• Wet/dry split: 92/8
• Total employees: 10 How do you maintain excellent customer service collectively and as
• Front-of-House team: individuals?
9 (plus occasional help A major help with maintaining a focus on service is the monthly menu
from three regular meeting, when staff are given a tasting session of new dishes and wines.
customers) “They get to know about suppliers and ingredients and this gives them the
confidence as well as pulling them in and keeping them focused,” says Kelly,
who constantly monitors their performance. The meeting also provides an
opportunity for the team to voice their thoughts and raise any issues.
What training is the team given?
Following the induction training a ‘buddy’ system is employed whereby new
recruits shadow an experienced member of the team. They also receive the
benefit of regular monthly visits from a wine merchant. For part-time staff
there is no formal training but the two full-time staffers are pursuing the rele-
vant NVQs.
Why should you win this award?
Kelly says an appraisal of the efficiency of the front-of-house systems was
undertaken at the end of last year, with the result that each member was given
the aim of focusing on their weaker areas. “If you can get their confidence up
then they can be more efficient,” she says. “If they can pull a pint correctly
then you’ll never have to give customers a replacement.” This approach has
helped to significantly increase profits at the pub and push up the consistency
of its offering.
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