10 Customer Service Tips for Bar Owners

A great customer experience is a key to your bar business. This is where customer service plays a major role. Customers will return if they feel valued and welcomed. Signal Connect is here to help. We reached out to professionals in the bar industry. We reached out to them to find out what their customers love most. We received overwhelming responses and are happy to share these tips with you to improve your bar service.

These are the top 10 customer-service tips and tricks that you can use to make your customers happy at your bar.

1. Customer Service Experience Personal contact is key to good customer service. Every customer should be greeted by you or one of your staff members with a warm greeting. You can also ask customers how they enjoyed the experience, such as when they pay their bill or get ready to go. You must also provide excellent customer service at all points in between.
2. Could you keep it going? Factor: If you don’t improve your bar, it can become boring. Although it might seem harsh, this is true. Successful bar owners tend to improve and change their bars constantly. You could have an entertaining bartender (see point X), or you could improve the decor and add pool tables/video games, etc. Another example is to buy a round of beverages for new customers who come in for the first time. Any activity that increases the excitement and fun at the bar can help create the Wow Factor.
3. Entertaining bartenders Do You Remember the 1988 movie Cocktail? Tom Cruise portrayed a bartender known for performing outrageous tricks behind bars. He did everything, from setting fire to drinks to impress his customers to tossing and collecting bottles. These are some tricks that a bartender could incorporate into their routine. Customers love this stuff and, when done well, can get people talking about your business and referring their friends. It’s all about providing a fun and entertaining customer experience.
4. “Bar Stars” Many bars are about being seen and seeing. This quality is what Studio 54 is known for. It is possible to recreate that magic by making customers feel like celebrities. You can do this by having someone from your staff capture digital photos of guests having a blast. These photos can be featured in a section of your website and shared on social media. This appeals to people’s desire to feel special, famous, and unique. This makes it easy for others to visit your bar and want to be a bar star.
5. Install an ATM/Cash Machine: You’re losing out on additional revenue if you don’t have a cash machine or ATM in your bar. Although it may seem like “nobody has cash these days”, that is not the case. Many people still use cash to pay for items. Some prefer to pay cash in bars and pubs. Your cash machine in your business is the best convenience for them. Customers can also use it to play Keno or other computer and lottery games.
6. Recommendations for Staff: Do your employees have a favorite wine, beer, or cocktail? These products will likely be more popular if they are recommended to customers. This will result in more customers who will be happy to try something new and enjoy it. Remember that sales growth doesn’t happen simply because your staff likes it. Your team must be able to explain the drink to customers.

These are the things your wait staff and bartenders need to know about the drinks they recommend.

– The place where the product was made. Some customers prefer domestics, while others prefer imports and microbrews.

– What are the ingredients that create this unique taste/appeal?

– The product’s flavour profile

– Unusual ways to enjoy the drink such as adding a slice of orange to a wheat beer

1. Get involved with your customers: Do your sales reps often give you free samples of new products or drinks? Let your customers test them if you offer it. You might be able to convince them that this is their new favorite drink. This increases their loyalty to your bar. You might feel like they have some ownership over the decision to introduce a new product. These are the kinds of things that people will tell their friends about, and you should aim for.
2. Don’t Turn Your Back On Customers: Do your bar staff face customers? Your team and you should never forget your customers, except when changing a tap or reaching out for the best liquor. Although you might not mean it, your customers may view it disrespectful. This is so important; other bar owners have made no-backs-to-customers policies in their establishments. You might consider doing the same.
3. Correct Negative Online Reviews Some bar owners believe that a negative review is an end. Bar owners who see negative reviews as an opportunity to win customers back are smart. It’s amazing, think about it. It was a nice gesture to have someone review your bar on Yelp! You can reach out to them and offer to help them. Most people want to feel validated. To get them back, offer them something free of charge. Then wow them with exceptional customer service. There’s a good chance they will edit or remove the negative review.
4. Watch out for the competition: Do you know of another bar that draws huge crowds every weekend? You’ve likely wondered how they do it. It’s a great way to learn by sending your staff to these places. Ask your staff to note every detail of their experience and then create a report on the customer service standards and methods they observe. Train your staff to serve customers more efficiently than other bars.