аЯрЁБс>ўџ 35ўџџџ2џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅС7 јПхbjbjUU ."7|7|Ыџџџџџџl–––––––Њффф8 (Њ ЖH^"€€€€€€       $S s~B –€€€€€B 6––€€W 666€v–€–€ 6€ 6ц6 –– €< р“О0ЩЊ:фі@  m 0  ё6ё 6ЊЊ––––йArticle for September Drinker Nick Tegerdine, Executive Director of apas, challenges the paying customer to insist on better standards of service. “I don’t believe it”. A local MP walked into a seaside pub with his wife (honestly, it was his wife). He wanted a pint, she a coffee. Landlord said ‘we don’t do coffee’, so our MP nursed his pint whilst she grumbled over an orange juice. The landlord then said to a barmaid ‘I’m just going round the back for a break and a coffee’! Our MP left, exasperated, and the pub lost sales. The moral of the story is that dinosaurs do not run financially viable pubs, although I do come across a good few that are trying to remain in prehistoric times. I recently walked into a famous city centre hostelry that has been extensively and expensively refurbished. Five out of the eight or so hand pumps were not in use, and one was serving beer so poor that it was sent straight back. At that moment, a young man staggered through the bar carrying an open bottle of an American product that is highly advertised on TV. I walked out. Standards are clearly continuing to fall, both in terms of servers attitude to customer care and the appreciation of the experience offered to the customer. This means that fewer people visit pubs, and so more pubs close. It looks to me that all too often the attitude remains that the customer is there to service the pub, rather than the other way around. Why do we tolerate such appalling standards? I know of nowhere else in the world that would tolerate what we face on a daily basis. We all know that not all pubs that serve real ale serve decent ale. Why do we use them? However, it’s not all bad. Pubs with high standards of service can be very profitable. Let me share a beautiful moment with you. The barman said ‘you have to have that served in a glass sir’. Customer,’ OK, but why won’t you serve me with a bottle’? The reply was ‘Sir, it’s to keep the knob heads out’. Not exactly PC, but accurate. The strategy works. The industry has worked hard to squeeze every drop of profit from the customer, but the customer is fighting back. The experience of drinking a beer is enriched if it is properly poured into a nice clean glass. Why would you pay Ѓ3 for someone to take the top off a bottle for you? I won’t. From a wider perspective, top quality service is associated with a reduction of problems. If the server respects the customer then the customer respects the server. If the server respects the product, knows about it, and pours it well, then the customer is more likely to respect the product as well. In my view, to avoid the unnecessary imposition of unwanted and poorly thought out centralised regulation of pubs, we must insist on higher standards in our pubs. We have the excellent LocAle scheme, and if we build on that to improve standards of service then the imposition from above of nonsense is less likely. The following exchange, from last years Best Bar None scheme, captures the problem: “Excuse me, there’s vomit all over the ladies’ toilet floor’. “Well what do you expect, this is a busy pub”. That’s what’s wrong! That’s the problem. Now, the solution. The answer is that the customer is king, and if it ain’t right, say so. Eventually the dinosaurs will become extinct and the new breed of quality licensees will come to the fore. This will not happen if we tolerate the ‘Slack Alice’ standard of service that is all too often the norm. If it’s no good, go where it is good. It would be really helpful to collect your anecdotes of the good, the bad and the ugly. Let me know what experiences you have had, it all helps to build the case for the better management of pubs, rather than government management. I contribute to the debates at a regional and national level, so your views do get heard. For your information: The National Alcohol Strategy 'Safe, Sensible, Social’. A ‘consultation on further action' was launched on 22nd July and is due to close on 14th October 2008:  HYPERLINK "http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Liveconsultations/DH_086412" http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Liveconsultations/DH_086412. Go there and tell them what they need to know! Competition result: many of you gave me the correct answer of Vernon Coaker MP to the competition in the last Drinker. The winner, drawn from the hat, is ……………………………………………….who receives a meal for two at the Luk Pra Tor Thai restaurant, situated behind the Three Crowns pub in Ruddington, Nottingham. Real Thai food with real ale. Enjoy! PAGE  PAGE 1 –­фх)_ЋЌћќ§>?r†ХЦЩЫЬвгджзнопрсфхќјќќѓчпачЦчпОѓпќјЗДЗДЗДЗЌЗДј0JmHnHu0J j0JU5\^JaJ0J6]^JaJj6U]^JaJ6]^JaJj6U]^JaJ^JaJ5\6]!”•–Ќ­фхКЛ67ž Ÿ § ў п р   12no01nњѕѕѕѕѕѕ№№№№№№№№№№№№№№№№№№№№№$a$$a$$a$Ыф§§noВГѕіЋABqrХЦЧШЩЪЫдежстуфхњњњњњњєєєєєєњњњяяцфтцфття„ќџ„&`#$$a$7$8$H$$a$,1hА‚. АЦA!А"А# $ %ААФАФ Ф}DаЩъyљКЮŒ‚ЊKЉ Bhttp://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Liveconsultations/DH_086412рЩъyљКЮŒ‚ЊKЉ „http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Liveconsultations/DH_086412 i@@ёџ@ Normal CJOJQJ_HaJmH sH tH 2@2 Heading 1$@&6]<A@ђџЁ< Default Paragraph Font,B@ђ, Body Text6], @, Footer  Ц9r &)@Ђ& Page Number.U@Ђ!. 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