It’s a team effort - Ed’s letter

‘It takes a village’ is the message delivered with sage head nodding whenever a child is born and though that same message may take a hit when the child writes ‘bums’ in the dust on your neighbour’s car window, it’s generally appreciated that anything decent is going to require a group effort.

Here in hospitality we know this to be true. A venue is only as good as its team, who have to deliver on a promise, be that for a brand or an owner with an idea of what would make people happy.

So it was no great surprise to read CGA’s study into the damage that can be done to brands by having a team where morale and numbers are drained. The group reported that almost a third (30%) of hospitality leaders planned to reduce recruitment investment and a quarter (25%) intended to cut back on staff training. The damage is incoming.

And we all know why. But coming up with a solution has so far eluded us. Levers such as takeaways and even closing down on quiet days have already been pulled. There is no money in government to throw our way, with the view still being that we are the golden goose whose eggs have to be spirited away.

The solution presented by CGA was one of the sector helping itself. Specifically, the brands who sell out of pubs. They were, the organisation noted, benefiting from using pubs and bars as shopfronts to sell drinks which could also be bought elsewhere for consumption at home. We have, as a sector, made moderate peace with the idea that people drink on their sofas, so we’ll move past that.

CGA pointed out that that a strained team is not going to be focused on presenting products as they should be, be that in the correct glassware, at the right temperature or with any knowledge of what they’re selling.

They suggested that drinks brands might like to offer “co-branded training, compelling advocacy tools, and tailored insights” to support teams so that everyone can benefit. After all, everyone wins.

And how about other suppliers? Technology, nuts and crisps, even the glassware itself. What’s the best crisp to have with your pint of cider? It may sound a little puerile, but sometimes, in times of crisis, we all need a little fun. Your team certainly does.

And really, don’t you want to know?