MAGAZINE

Station to station

I’ve banged on many times over the years about the difference your teams can make to any pub or bar visit, be it the greeting received as someone walks through the door or the interaction with a guest when taking a table order. The offer could be the best in the business, but if the people working in a venue don’t match it, everything falls apart. 

For this issue, I was lucky enough to visit an outpost of The Hoxton in Shepherd’s Bush to check out their food and beverage concepts, most notably the Thai-American diner creation Chet’s (page 60). What a place. The style, the food, the atmosphere – absolutely loved it. However, the only question mark on the whole experience was the disjointed personalities at each point of the customer journey. The smiles and energy from the guys and girls behind the check-in desk set the bar high, but it was the bar itself that brought it back down again. When waiting to order drinks, I was met by sombre faces and the feeling that I was putting them out by asking about the drinks. Shrugs, sighs, dragging of feet. Should I feel bad that I interrupted one chap from scrolling on a phone? 

The restaurant team in Chet’s then catapulted the customer service right back up there (shoutouts to the wonderful Danny and Hannah), as high-energy, friendly, knowledgeable individuals ran a fully booked Friday night service with aplomb. They didn’t miss a beat. It’s just such a shame that, despite all working within a few metres of each other, the contrasts between each station were so impactful. It shouldn’t really matter what station a team member is based on – if the training and ethos of a business is delivered successfully and equally to each person, then a reliable level of service can surely be achieved? 

Tristan O’Hana - Editor