Managing reactions
Surroundings - Hospitality - Product -Delay
The surroundings are defined by 5 parts. These 5 make up the ambiance or atmosphere of each venue. Each venue is painstakingly planned before we start building. Everything from the material of the table surface, the height of the bartop, the positions and temperature of the lights and the movement patterns of the guests and staff is planned to match the concept and strategy of the venue you work at.
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However this makes little difference if the daily operations of the bar-team does not include maintaining them. The following 5 ingredients must be constantly monitored and adjusted as the night, crowd and energy evolves.
<aside> ☝ For each of the elements you will se the range of impact they can have on the guest reaction.
For example: Positive range (+3) / Negative range (-9). This means that there is not so much room to impress the guest with this element, but there is three times more room to disappoint!
As you might gather summarizing the 5 parts, the maximum points your team can achieve for the surroundings is +11, and the minimum is -35. But don’t worry, its pretty basic as long as you pay attention.
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Range of impact +0/-10
Sounds simple but getting the temperature right in the venue can be harder than you think. The correct temperature should be about 21 degrees. Warm enough so people can remove their winter coats but not be sweating when they are wearing a t-shirt. Remember that as a venue fills up with people the temperature will rise, so adjustments will need to be made frequently.
By the entrance it’s often the coldest place. Getting the temperature right can begin 1 day in advance. Bars can be very hard to keep cool in summer and warm in winter, so make sure that overnight you have the air-con, heaters and ventilation on appropriate settings. Much of this can be automated, but it’s the bar-teams responsibility to make sure its working and alert the manager when it’s not. Remember that you are moving a lot and is therefore warmer than your guests, be sure to pay attention to see if guests leave their jackets on because they are cold. A guest who does not remove their jacket, is prone to leave more easily.
Range of impact: +4/-8
Perhaps the most fundamental to the surroundings is the music. Too quiet or slow music and you can kill the “energy” of a venue, too loud or hardcore and you can ruin the atmosphere of people wanting to talk. As each evening builds, the volume and tempo should be constantly adjusted. When people are sitting and talking, the level should be just over the conversation volume, but not so loud that it overtakes. A good test is to stand outside the bar, if all you can hear is people talking, it is too low, if you can see that people must lean into each other to talk, then it is too high.
Monitoring the volume is especially important when there is a DJ on. They can easily forget to keep the volume correct, and only “chase the dance floor”.
Also remember that bars have different zones of volume, so walk around the whole venue to make sure it is correct. The areas where guests are seated low are typically at a lower setting than where they are seated on barstools or where they are dancing. Another consideration is what music you are playing. Early in the shift more mellow music is more appropriate, and later on more “upbeat” music is playing.
