You Never Know Who’s Walking Through the Door
I remember one of my team questioning why I was so particular about pub standards and Customer Experience.
Why I expected them to keep themselves busy.
Why I wanted the bar and restaurant always ready.
And in particular, why I didn’t want cloths and table sprays left on the bar, the back bar, or on tables while they served guests.
To them, it didn’t seem important. It was only a cloth. It was only for a moment.
So I explained it simply.
You never know who’s going to walk through the door next.
It might be a regular who knows the place well.
It may even be someone new to the area, walking in for the first time.
It could be a rep, a delivery driver, or someone calling in on the off chance.
Or it just as easily be your Area Manager, your Operations Director, or even the Managing Director.
But the point isn’t really who it is.
The point is that whoever walks in should see the same thing —
a pub that’s ready, a team that’s prepared, and an environment that feels cared for.
That doesn’t happen by chance.
It comes from the small things.
It’s All in the Detail!
Not stepping over a dropped napkin or a bit of litter, but picking it up straight away.
Not walking past empty glasses on a table when you’re heading back to the bar anyway, but clearing them as you go.
Not leaving things where they don’t belong, even “just for a minute.”
These aren’t big jobs.
They take seconds.
But they show awareness.
They show pride.
And they show ownership.
Standards aren’t something you switch on when it suits you.
They’re what you do all the time, especially when no one is watching.
A cloth left on the bar might seem small, but it changes how the whole place feels.
It suggests things are being done halfway.
It breaks the sense of order.
Keeping things where they belong — under the counter, out of sight, ready to use — isn’t about being strict.
It’s about respect.
For the space.
For the guests.
And for the team around you.
This is something I’ve seen in other areas too, particularly when looking at how teams understand the whole business. Because when everyone works to the same standard, the whole place runs better.
And when you’re always ready, nothing catches you off guard.
Aces in Places isn’t just about who you have on shift — it’s about how prepared they are, at any moment.