Service is King
The People Again Have Spoken

We’re talking in broad strokes in this Buzztime Report, but it’s important stuff. We decided to look at five big elements of the on-premise experience and ask patrons just how important each ranks, to determine the three most important aspects. The elements we chose to include as choices were drink selection; sports, music and entertainment (which we lumped together); prices; service; and food. Twenty-eight percent of guests participating in the survey ranked service as the most important aspect of a bar to them in choosing where to spend their money. Drink selection and sports/music/entertainment tied, chosen by 22 percent of respondents respectively as the most important aspect. Twenty percent said prices were the most important factor,and a mere 8 percent chose food. Asked what they’d pick as the second most important aspect of a bar, the highest percentage chose prices. Service came in just behind that at 24 percent. As the third most important bar element, 25 percent chose prices. So, it’s safe to say that service and entertainment are the most important elements to guests, and prices are pretty close behind in most minds. We’ve touched on this again and again in our Buzztime Report findings, but it bears repeating: Service is king. Price is important, but if people wanted to save money they’d stay at home. They don’t want to get fleeced either, so price is important, but not the top concern. Make absolutely sure your staff is executing the kind of stellar service that makes patrons feel special and pampered. If that’s not already your standard, consider making it the standard. Service sells.