Help customers with wine support

Hospitality customers don’t enjoy the process of choosing and ordering wine, so how can outlets help?

For many, sitting in a restaurant with good friends, sipping a perfectly chilled glass of wine can’t be beaten. I’m sure many of you will agree with me, but KAM’s latest research identifies an element of this experience that many hospitality customers don’t enjoy – the actual process of choosing and ordering wine.

The research, carried out in partnership with Hallgarten & Novum Wines, looks at the customer experience when ordering wine in pubs, bars and restaurants and found that 70% of wine drinkers don’t feel they are provided with enough information in pubs and bars to help them make an informed decision. Restaurants fared slightly better at 43%.

One in three customers said they don’t feel confident ordering wine in pubs, bars and restaurants, with one in nine admitting they often find

it intimidating. We also see they are put off by confusing jargon and the perceived complexity around wine. They feel embarrassed and, therefore, default to what they know, switch to a different category or go without.

SO HOW CAN WE ADDRESS THIS CONFIDENCE PROBLEM?

While the layout and copy on menus is critical to give clarity and confidence for customers, there is also a key role for staff to play. Nothing can replicate the ease at which well-trained and knowledgeable staff can put the customer when guiding them through their selection.

Wine guru Harry Crowther from Grain to Grape suggests that training your team to taste wine and talk about it in a language they can relate to is key. If they can relate to it, then so can your customers. He suggests it’s important to focus on less formal knowledge – most customers don’t care what soil or type of oak a wine comes from, but they can relate to other elements such as organic.

Make sure your team are equipped with the tools to offer range and choice, and the upsell is critical. The holy grail is being knowledgeable and confident enough to take a customer from a £20 to a £25 bottle in a few words.

With the current cost of living crisis, we are seeing a much more discerning customer base. Venues must recognise the value proposition for customers – if the experience isn’t there, then it’s a much easier decision for them to enjoy their wine experience at home instead. Getting that experience right is key and it needs to be dialled up to ensure it’s an experience they don’t forget.

» Blake Gladman, Strategy & Insights Director, KAM