The Buyer | How to understand your customers & serve them better

Harry Crowther continues his monthly Grain to Grape wine education series on The Buyer with with personal advice on how to identify and segment the type of customers that come into your outlet.

Knowing who walks through your doors is super important. Unless they are regulars or have ‘party time’ stamped across their forehead, it’s not always that easy to figure out how they are going to spend their time (and hard-earned cash) in your establishment.

Harry Crowther with one of his wine training classes for bar staff can help them identify the kind of wine consumer they have in front of them and how to serve them

Having an idea of the different demographics you cater to will automatically put you ahead of the crowd. This might be something you’ve already considered, but how are these groups acting now after the effects of 2020?

Let me introduce you to a few of my mates who I’ve got to know quite well over the years:

Ryan

He is a bit of a legend for your business
A young, social butterfly who parties until the early hours (restrictions permitting)
Hits the town at least three times a week
He will always spend, even overspend
Active on social media

Dealing with Ryan: The Ryan’s of this world account for around 11% of the UK wine drinker, but 26% of the spend (Wine Intelligence). Bring your late-night offerings forward for him and his mates. Communicate well on social media and always push them to upgrade on wine choice, most of the time, it’ll work. Offer him a complimentary drink now and then to ensure repeat business- you don’t want to lose this guy and his crew.

Abi

Could you spot an Abi or a Carrie in your bar and tell the kind of wines they want you to offer them?

Probably lives next door to Ryan and is part of the same WhatsApp group
Always willing to trade up on her drinks, make sure your team are well placed to offer choice and upsell.
Goes for wines from the left field with a good story
Will splash the cash on premium drinks
Loves a ‘treat’ day out

Dealing with Abi: Ensure you are listing esoteric wines. Suggestions from lesser known grapes and regions will keep Abi interested and spending. Premiumise with organic/biodynamic wine as well as more local brands.

Miranda

She drinks often and engages in all categories, not just wine- nobody’s perfect
Lots of cash to splash when she goes out, but that doesn’t mean that she will spend it
Likes to chill at her local pub or restaurant
Miranda has increased her market share of volume consumption since 2018 (Wine Intelligence)

Dealing with Miranda: Keep her interested with new and different wines, she will likely go for them if your team can sell them well. Willing to invest in the drinks category if the service is spot on. Accounts for 20% of the UK drinker, but 30% of volume and spend. Don’t forget, always start off with a glass of fizz for an aperitif.

Which bottle of wine is right for which customer? Harry Crowther hopes to show you in his Grain to Grape training series

Carrie

A creature of habit, tends to order the same thing and looks for value
She does have quite a few pennies saved up but might need a little encouragement if you want to get her spending
Likes consistency and familiarity

Dealing with Carrie: Staff knowledge and the ability to upsell is key here. Make sure she is relaxed in a lower tempo setting. With the right approach and suggestions, Carrie could be a great, regular patron.

Jim

Probably retired
Has money to spend but is cautious and clever with his finances
Goes for an intimate, low tempo setting
Fussy, health conscious and sticks to what he likes (food and drink wise)

Dealing with Jim: Always push for the upsell and offer choice, but keep your recommendations classic and traditional. Get it right with this guy, and you’ll have him ordering wine from the bottom of your list in no time.

Mel & Mike

Limited drinkers and less into their alcohol
Don’t like to go out too much
Not too many savings to spend in the on-trade

Dealing with Mel & Mike: If they go for the house wine, fine, tell them it’s a great choice and nurture their choices. Maybe offer them a taste of something more premium if it’s open… you might be surprised

Smeagol

You won’t see him too much
Super budget conscious
Open to temptation
Lives under a rock

Dealing with Smeagol: Over deliver on service. This guy doesn’t get out much, but if you give him a great experience then you might see him back for more. Open to temptation, so offer him some choice when he inevitably goes for a house wine. Remember, choice = experience.

When to sell, when to not

Which of these customers want you to upsell them a bottle of wine and which ones to leave alone?

It goes without saying that you’ve all had these guys in at some time or another. The art is knowing when to push and when to stand off, which an experienced management and a well-trained team will be able to do.

The common theme here is quite simple: whether its Ryan swinging by to spend spend spend, or Mel & Mike popping in for a small glass of wine, always make sure your team knows how to suggest different wines and offer the right alternatives.

Obviously, suggesting a £10 glass of Cabernet off the back of a £5 house red order will probably have Mel & Mike running for the same hill that Smeagol lives on (or under).

Make sure the team starts small; a £6 sale by the glass is better than £5, and a big win. It might only be an extra £1, but in time, with the right training approach, that £10 glass of Cabernet will be a lot more realistic than you think.

If you are interested in who you are serving, consumer insights and how best to structure your list accordingly, drop me a line at: cheers@graintogrape.co.uk
Data adapted from ‘PROOF’ Insights, click here to download the report.

DEMO

TRAITS

POST RESTRICTIONS

£ TO SPEND

WHAT TO DO WITH THEM

Revellers

Ryan