Warm weather in May over the bank holidays has helped boost pub profits too. So far so good. However, there are a few potential pitfalls. Unauthorised staff absences (pulling a sickie) do tend to go up when the weather’s good or there’s a big sporting event on, and it’s the customers and the remaining staff who suffer, with long queues at the bar, empties not collected and an unpleasant working environment to boot. According to betting site FootballTips.com, football fans are, on average, expected to miss as many as four days of work to watch the World Cup. These unexpected absences could cost the UK economy as much as £13bn.
And of course not everyone likes to watch the football, and some people will actively avoid pubs during world cup matches. Appealing to everyone is very challenging, but there are a few things you can do to make the atmosphere as convivial as possible for everyone.
If you are managing staff, talk to them prior to big matches or events and be clear that not turning up for a shift will be taken seriously.
Whatever your role, you are part of a team and it should be a team effort.
Make sure you are fully staffed too – look at match and event schedules, annual leave requests, training days well in advance and plan accordingly.
Consider short-term cover. If you know you’ve got really busy days ahead and a big premises, take on someone to clear glasses perhaps.
Unless you know you are completely a sports pub, and you do have the space, try to create quieter areas for non-spectators.
Conversely, if it’s possible, a viewing area, with a big screen is likely to be very popular with sports fans and may increase footfall.
June 27, 2018