After years spent working closely with hundreds of hospitality managers, I’ve got used to hearing staff getting blamed for all sorts of things…‘my staff are always asking dumb questions’, ‘they never show any initiative/ are always late’ etc etc.

While probably just looking for a little bit of validation, I often now throw a spanner in their works by employing a somewhat confronting technique I call ‘holding up the mirror’

You see, the problems they (we) see in our staff are actually OUR problems – as WE are the ones who must create the change if they want things to be different or better. To quote the great Gandhi we must… ‘be the change we want to see in the world’, in other words we must first look closely at ourselves and our actions to see what we can do to change or improve in things – therefore taking responsibility (the ability to respond) over the problems we face.

It’s all too easy for us to blame and judge our staff – and therefore shift the onus on them (rather than us) to change. It’s far harder (but much more empowering) to look at what YOU need to change in order to fix the situation. Essential management & leadership skills are forged by not asking for things to be easier but by asking what you can do to be better.

Great managers are constantly in the business of developing both themselves and their people. If staff are constantly arriving late, they say ‘what can I do to ensure they understand the importance of arriving 5 minutes early to a shift / how can I incentivise them to do so? etc. By ‘holding up the mirror’ I take personal accountability and, in doing so, begin to generate the same characteristics from my staff.

When was the last time you found yourself complaining about your staff? Last year? Last week? This morning? Make no mistake – their problems are your problems – so you’d better get to it!

Got some great things happening over June – new management training sessions/ specials on staff training + end of year stocktake specials – read on for more info.

"If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude." - Maya Angelou

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BARMETRIX TOP TEN TIPS for Increasing Sales & Customer Satisfaction, Part 1

By Sean Finter and Jason Jelicich

This edition's "Top 10 Tips" is a two part article. Tips 1 - 5 appear this month, and tips 6 - 10, as well as an implementation strategy, will continue in the June edition.

We ask each bar team in a training session "Tell me what your job is" - and with all the answers we get, we almost never hear the most important job description - "Salesman!" There is a tendency to steer away from the idea of sales - as if it feels unfair to try and "hard sell" an exhausted patron just out to relax and have a good time. But as we tell the respondents in each session - "if you aren't a salesman, you're a vending machine!"

There are plenty of ways to increase sales - or the profitability of existing sales - without hassling a single weary patron. Infact in many cases, providing the extra service that leads to a better sale can do more to make your guests feel appreciated than ignoring them could. So - below is the first half of our top 10 tips to increase your sales AND customer satisfaction without chasing patrons out of your bar with a free set of steak knives.

1. Allow staff to offer ‘sales guarantees’

Sales Guarantees enable bartenders to offer new products and drinks to their customers with minimal risk. For example, a bartender may encourage a customer to try a house cocktail over their usual drink. If they are not completely satisfied after one sip it will be immediately replaced with their favourite.

Organise a business card drop facility

Business card drops are a great way to continuously build a customer database, while simultaneously promoting interaction between the bartender and their guest.

All customers like to discuss their favourite topic (ie themselves) Have the bartenders make polite conversation based on the business card eg ‘so you work at Westpac, which branch..?’ Use the card to address the guest by name and make them feel important.

Incentivise your bartenders to collect as many business cards as they can over the course of a night/week, by offering a small prize to the winner (ie bottle of champagne, dinner for 2 etc)

Identify and regularly monitor spend per head

Spend per head is a powerful way to track the effectiveness of your salesforce (aka bartenders). On busier nights organise for door staff to count people entering the building and divide by revenues over a certain period. Certain POS systems may also be used to track sales/head.

Use spend per head to judge the effectiveness of promotions (eg cocktail nights) or as an incentive for your bartenders to sell (again, by rewarding increases).

Police poor attitude rigorously

Nothing kills business faster than having unhappy or disgruntled staff. Bad vibes rub off on customers and can quickly spoil the mood of a customer (or even a night).

Make it a policy (and announce it) that all staff are expected to project a positive attitude upon starting work and that their services will not be required if they are unable/unwilling to do so.

Mini Cosmopolitans may help your bartenders upsell

Introduce ‘Conversion’ items

Many people like the idea of ordering cocktails but simply cannot justify the price difference – and this makes it harder for bartenders to upsell (sometimes the difference in the trade up from a mixed spirit to a cocktail is as much as $10).

Conversion items assist by providing options for the customer which are only a few dollars more expensive. Eg, a guest may be more likely to order a Mini Cosmopolitan if it was $7.50 rather than $12. Gross margins are maintained by using only 45ml of spirits (30ml vodka & 15ml Cointreau).

Note: When dealing with groups, conversion items are best offered to one of the 1st people to order – potentially encouraging others to follow suit.

(Continued in June Edition)

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WELCOMING NEW FRIENDS

Barmetrix would like to extend a warm welcome to some new partner venues who have joined us this month in our vision to revolutionise this industry. To our growing client base of the hospitality's most progressive operators we welcome the famous Commodore Hotel of the Icon Hospitality Group, who will join sister hotels the Bourbon, Dolphin Hotel, Martin Place Bar and the Warren View Hotel in working with Senior Account Manager, Roger Truman.

We would also like to greet the latest Keystone acquisition and newest Barmetrix Sydney client, the Glenmore Hotel, who has, like the Australian Heritage Hotel, Gazebo Wine Garden and Loft/Bungalow 8, come under the wing of Senior Account Manager Gary Lord.

Last but not least, we are very chuffed to welcome renowned Fortitude Valley cocktail leader, The Bowery to Bametrix's client group in Queensland. The Bowery enjoys an enviable recognition and reputation in the premium cocktail category and will come under the close attention of expert consultant (& Barmetrix QLD Chief), Peter Stawiarski.

Finally, we would like to introduce our latest additions to the Inventory Control team, Paul Liao and Kris Guragain. Keep an eye out for them in your venue as they are both well worth meeting!

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BARMETRIX MOVES HOUSE

To all friends, suppliers and clients - even those who would just like to drop by and meet the team someday - Barmetrix Australia Head Office has moved to Woolloomooloo (see below, and the 3 panel picture at the top of the newssheet). Upstairs in the new office, before everyone arrives....

After a year right next to two of our favourite clients Picadilly Hotel / Soho and Jimmy Liks, Barmetrix is reluctantly giving up access to fantastic cocktails in favour of a modern, new look office complete with our own training space (pictures in the next newssheet). Keep an eye on the newssheet (or drop in!) to find out about our new series of PROmanager workshops - smaller, customised to your business, and comfortably accomodated in the Barmetrix in house training space!

The reasons behind our new approach to PROmanager (including hosting them in-house) have been formed from workshop feedback over the past few years - by reducing the size and increasing the frequency, we can now offer more personal attention - plus more flexible times, dates and curriculums, to an industry who needs more help finding time in their week than anyone - hospitality! (Plus, we can finally offer lunch, which should also resonate pretty strongly with past attendees...)

This has come about in particular after recognising a need for more training resources for middle management - bartenders moving into their first management positions, learning about delegation and people managing for the first time. The new PROmanager module - From Technician to Magician is our response to this important resource gap in the industry. To find out more, or to book your junior management team in, call Joel or Jason on 02 9357 3666. Sessions run every month (max of 12 attendees per workshop) - or you can schedule your own session for a team of 5 - 15 at any time. Why not come and see us?

New address: Suite 4, 144 - 146 Cathedral St Woolloomooloo NSW 2011

(Please note, this is also our new billing & mailing address - all phone numbers remain the same. Please have your accounts department update their records too.)

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END OF YEAR SPECIALS

End of financial year is a time to settle up accounts and look ahead to the new year - but it can also be the time we're forced to use up remaining budgets, + find some tax deductions, quick!

To help you with this struggle, (both the planning, and of course, finding tax deductions...), we have put together some End of Financial Year Specials that save dollars - and make great business sense.

TRAINING: Like to buy your training now to deduct as a business expense, but save the actual training until you need it? Try our 50% off - buy now, train later deal. All sessions - from Speed & Efficiency to Profitable Bartending are available at $750 each + gst to all customers who pay in full before 28th June 07. First in best dressed - these are usually $1,500 and sessions can be used right up until 30/11/07 - so why not map out your training for the next quarter now and save half your spend?

Or were you looking to POUR TEST: your staff to get a handle on overpouring? (Hint: your bartenders will save you $ by pouring accurately for at least a month). We've found in particular you can expect to save 10% of your liquor stock in the shift immediately after our test using industry leading software (so do it right before a really busy shift to make the most of it). Usually $750, but pay before EOFY and save 60% - just $300! That way, you can make the cost of the test back in one shift. Interested?

Get results accurate, to the ml.

INVENTORY CONTROL: Not a Barmetrix client? Need to do your EOFY Audit? Why not save time & hassle and get us to do it? You'll get guaranteed accurate data, plus you'll be checking us out for yourself at the same time. Our expert consultants will even throw in a free venue analysis with your tax deductible audit to give you a taste of the service. (Queenslanders - if we manage to hook your interest, and you want a follow up audit to analyse your variance, QLD's best consultant will do the report, for a 90% discount off regular rates! Only for the second count though, and as always, strictly limited etc)

Call us on 02 9357 3666 or reply to this email for more information.

Limited number of places available for EOFY audits.

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READY-AIM-HIRE Part 2

by Angus Winchester and Sean Finter

Part 2 of the Ready-Aim-Hire article from last month's newssheet (Apr 07) begins with a recap of the first 4 tips, and then continues with tips 5 - 7.

Recruitment: ALWAYS BE RECRUITING - Don't wait until the day you need someone, as that need will become the lens through which you view a candidate's suitability.

‘Standard’ application forms: forget using CVs or resumes. Make every applicant fill out the same form, so you compare apples with apples - avoiding applicants' "airbrushed" productions.

Gauge Experience/skill level: Decide what experience you need, if any at all. Then throw in a knowledge test with the application form. Otherwise, consider having a structured induction and on going training program, then hire for attitude to avoid bad habits learned elsewhere.

Pre-qualifying: Take 5 mins to pre-qualify face to face when accepting applications; have a standard template of questions to ask on the phone when ringing to book a 20 min interview.

Interviewing: The atmosphere of the job will be fun, dynamic and fast paced- so should the interview. You are not hiring accountants here! The interview process itself for many managers is as stressful as being interviewed. This is a learned skill and there are plenty of books on the subject. Firstly hold the interview in a quiet area where neither of you will be distracted and make sure you have enough time to gather the facts and get a feel about the attitude of the interviewee and the possible “fit” with your existing team. Secondly remember that interviewing is also about observing – how does the person deal with the pressure of the interview and the problems of trying to establish a rapport with you? Are they able to loosen up? Do they meet your eye contact? Fiddling constantly? Smiling? Thirdly your questions should be a mix of practical (“How did you deal with intoxicated patrons in your last job?” as well as those to reveal the applicant’s attitude to work (“What was the best/most challenging about your last job? Or, How would you feel about coming along to a wine tasting on a Monday evening?”). Finally find out the ‘human element’ of the applicant such as do they have a family, do they live far away and the like.

Reference Checks: Why do so few people check references?? This person has not just landed from outer space! They have likely had a job before and therefore have had employers- call them and speak to them! Remember, often people do not want to speak poorly of someone after they have left so you have to be very clever in the way you ask your questions. For example; rather than ask closed questions such as “Were you satisfied with Sara’s work” try “What were Sara’s top qualities as a bartender?” Ask specific questions with a bit of background such as “We are a very busy bar, how do you see Sara doing when the bar is 5 deep of football fans shouting for beer?” and “We are fanatical about punctuality here, do you think that that will be a issue for Sara?” Knowing why employees leave and the terms they left on is important for any new employer. Most of the issues that separate bad staff from great do not surface at an interview. These traits are drawn to the surface during the heat of the moment which is why the reference check is so important. Anyone can be impressive for 20 minutes. Talk to someone who has watched this person under pressure for 6 months. The skill is to call and have a “conversation” (build some rapport at the start of the call) with a past employer, showing you are genuinely interested in ensuring that there is a fit between your organisation and this potential employee.

Trial Shift- after all the steps above have been taken offer a trial shift (or 3) to the cream of the crop letting them clearly know what and why you are doing. The old adage of “throwing new staff in the deep end” is a fool’s game. Have your new bartending hopeful scheduled on a few shifts with your most experienced staff. Have your bar veterans show them the ropes on a relatively quiet shift, followed by a busier shift. Each step of the way a Peer-2-Peer evaluation should be filled out by your senior staff. This needs to be viewed as the final stage of the interview process. The new bartender has then had interaction with the management team, their new co-workers and most importantly your clientele. If all of the stars align you have got yourself an ideal new bartender. Now the induction programs starts but that is another story…!

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TRIVIA - US LIQUOR LAWS

For the lighter side of the business this month, we bring you some of the more interesting liquor laws we've found from America ...

Chicago: You can't sell alcohol too close to a library, nor can you serve liquor to the 'feeble-minded'.

California: Animals are banned from mating publicly within 1,500 feet of a tavern

Pullman, Illinois: It is illegal to drink beer out of a bucket while sitting on the curb

Colorado: It is illegal to ride a horse while under the influence

Topeka, Kansas: Servers are forbidden to serve wine in teacups

Indiana: Patrons may not carry their own cocktail from the bar to a table; the waiter or waitress has to do it

Hawaii: It's illegal for a shooting gallery to offer liquor as a prize. The shooter might want to come back after drinking the prize and try again

Iowa: If a law enforcement officer is having a drink in a bar in Iowa and an employee pours water down the drain, the water is legally considered an alcohol beverage intended for unlawful purposes (What?)

Iowa: After sex between a married couple in Iowa, it is illegal for a husband to take more than three gulps of beer while still lying in bed with his wife

Hopefully the information above will stand you in good stead on your next travels to the USA!