Join us for another series of podcasts exploring every aspect of running a pub to help you grow your business and, ultimately, boost the bottom line, featuring some of 2023’s best pub operators! Fill your ears with advice, tips and ideas from some of the best pub operators in the business with this podcast series for publicans from Zonal and the British Institute of Innkeeping.
Missed our 2022 series? Dive into the entire podcast series now!
Episode 6 - Joe Buckley and Flo Pearce, The Tollemache Arms
In the first episode of our Pioneering Pub People 2023 podcast series in partnership with the BII, we sit down with this year’s BII Licensee of the Year champions – Joe and Flo from The Tollemache Arms – to talk about all things Tolly. From Tolly Fest and running effective pub marketing campaigns, to sharing their experience entering the BII Licensee of the Year Award for a second year running, discover what makes The Tolly the hub of the local community.
Episode 7 - Michelle Gilmour, The Old Windmill
In the second episode of our Pioneering Pub People 2023 podcast series in partnership with the BII, Molly is joined by 2023 Licensee of the Year Award finalist Michelle Gilmour of The Old Windmill in Coventry to talk about how she got started in the industry, what keeps people coming back to The Old Windmill, her approach to managing staff, and the challenge of keeping hungry customers in-venue whilst still remaining a wet-led pub.
Episode 8 - Ollie Coulombeau, The Turk's Head
In this episode of the Pioneering Pub People Podcast, Molly is joined by Licensee of the Year Award 2023 finalist Ollie Coulombeau of The Turk’s Head in Twickenham to talk through what makes his pub such a success! From the differences in managing different customer-bases between locals and visitors for Twickenham Rugby, to his career in hospitality, developing his team and what’s in store for the coming years!
Episode 9 - Keris De Villiers, The Pig & Whistle
In this episode of the Pioneering Pub People Podcast, we’re joined by Licensee of the Year Award 2023 Finalist Keris De Villiers to explore what makes her pubs so great – from sustainability, to putting together, managing and developing a great team, and sponsoring local sports teams!
Zonal has a wide range of technology solutions designed to make life easier and businesses more profitable. Find out more about our range designed specifically with pub tenants and licensees in mind, here!
Subscribe to get the latest news, product announcements and industry updates
Subscribe to get the latest news, product announcements and industry updates
People vs Tech: What guests want in 2023
Exclusive research into hospitality consumer attitudes towards technology as part of the overall guest experience
The role of technology in hospitality is evolving – not only are guests used to seeing technology in-venue, they now expect it to be present. But the importance of human connection for which the hospitality industry is known and loved so well, is not to be underestimated.
Produced in partnership with CGA by NielsenIQ, we asked 5,000 UK hospitality consumers to find out their views on technology in hospitality.
With 55% of those surveyed believing that a balance between technology and a human touch delivers the best hospitality experiences, ensuring you’re meeting the expectations of ever-increasingly digitally-savvy guests, will be key for success now, and in the future.
What's in the report?
- When guests prefer to use technology versus interacting with staff
- How guest preferences change at different stages of the customer journey
- Average spend by tech natives versus those who prefer a human touch
- How attitudes to tech may develop over time
Subscribe to get the latest news, product announcements and industry updates
Father's day proves a gift for hospitality industry with bookings up by 27% on last year
Bookings for Father’s Day up more than a quarter this year, while a record number of dads received hospitality gift cards
The latest research from Zonal and the hospitality commerce platform Toggle, shows bookings for Father’s Day 2023 rose by 27% compared to last year, while a record number of dads will have been given gift cards for meals and drinks as sales of hospitality gift cards increased by 88%.
Compared to pre-Covid, reservations for Father’s Day in pubs, bars and restaurants were up 16%, with the most popular time to book being three days in advance, which accounted for nearly half (54%) of reservations. Many left it until the last minute, however, with 23% booking on the day.
In further good news for operators, cancellation rates were low, with four in five honouring their booking. The most frequent reasons for cancelling were given as Covid or chickenpox.
At the same time, Toggle fulfilled sales of nearly £700,000 worth of gift cards in the run up to Father’s Day alone this year – an increase of 88% on 2022. In fact, the firm’s digital gift card sales have grown by a staggering 1,900% since Father’s Day in 2019, when total sales were £30,000 – showing how gift cards can generate additional revenue for operators.
The sales bring Father’s Day into the top three annual occasions when it comes to gifting, joining Mother’s Day and Christmas.
Olivia FitzGerald, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Zonal said: “These booking numbers are great news for hospitality operators and show that consumers remain willing to go out and treat themselves and loved ones on big occasions, despite the cost-of-living crisis. Operators can make the most of the Father’s Day opportunity next year by promoting booking in advance, creating special Father’s Day offers and cashing in on a growing gifting opportunity for the industry. Not only does this drive incremental bookings and spend but helps operators to secure advance revenue and positively impact their cash flow.”
Subscribe to get the latest news, product announcements and industry updates
Subscribe to get the latest news, product announcements and industry updates
11 ways a hospitality booking system can drive revenue
Over 60% of customers research and book online – significantly higher for those booking larger groups or special occasions. Your booking platforms are a gateway to increasing revenue and, if utilised to their full extent, can be a powerful tool in boosting your bottom line.
Here are 11 ways you can utilise your booking platforms to drive revenue from hospitality sales & marketing experts Bums on Seats:
-
Paint a picture
Take another good look at your current online booking journey, or better still, ask someone else to do it for you. Your own ‘secret shopper’. Is there plenty of imagery (people only read 10% of information they see – rocketing to over 60% if accompanied by attractive images of your venue). Ensure that all your spaces are shown separately so that customers can envisage themselves enjoying them, know when they are available and how to book.
-
Review setup
Look at your timeslot capacity and ensure this is maximised. Table joins can be utilised to maximise pre-booked capacity.
Take the time to review your whole booking journey, ensure any Covid 19 messaging has been removed along with any booking restrictions.
-
Bookable spaces
Tables are often moved from area to area based on demand – your booking system can work on a first come first served basis to guide required layouts.
You can also assign tables based on occasion or booking type.
-
Upsell
Itemised upsells at the point of booking are a great way to increase spend per head (SPH). Allowing guests to pre-order a bucket of beers, or bottle of Prosecco for example. Spreading the guest spend in this way is a proven method to increase the overall SPH.
Ensure this is particularly being utilised for occasion bookings such as birthdays.
-
Auto-confirm is your best friend
Ensure you have auto-confirm set up for smaller bookings (we suggest 12pax), allowing guests to make a booking immediately. This not only increases conversation but frees up your sales team to focus on larger enquires and building relationships.
-
Reduce no-shows
Deposits or card pre-authorisations are a sure-fire way to reduce no-shows. Consider basing these on booking size or occasion type.
-
Pre-arrival
Set up your SMS and email reminders for bookings. Use your brand tone of voice for this to not only build excitement for the visit, but also reduce no shows.
-
Automated reminders
Ensure these are set up for any outstanding deposits or pre-orders. Again, this will free up your team to focus less on admin, more on converting those larger enquires!
-
Occasions are key
Ensure your online booking journey is clear for special occasions and key calendar dates.
Have you given them an easy way to get more information before they book? If it’s all there they will be confident about booking with you, but if not, may well go elsewhere. And remember not to leave marketing of key dates too late, people start thinking about booking for special occasions months in advance.
-
Feedback
Utilise your systems to send follow up emails prompting feedback and online reviews from guests. Go even further and incentivise repeat visits with your automated follow-ups, to build brand loyalty.
-
Build a guest data map
Utilise all your data touch points (Booking System, WIFI, Order & Pay, Feedback Management Tool, EPoS) to integrate and feed into a central CRM system.
This will allow you to build a clear view of who your most loyal guests are, who your lapsed guests are, what occasions they visit for, their most purchased items etc – to enable effective marketing campaigns.
Increase yield and generate more revenue with Zonal Bookings
If you’d like to find out more about Zonal Bookings you can browse through some of the great functionality available here, or get in touch today and our team of hospitality technology experts will be happy to talk you through what’s possible.
webinar
The future of bookings & how to drive sales
In this bitesize webinar we explore how consumer booking behaviour has changed and how social media now plays a vital role in generating bookings, the importance of creating a frictionless experience for customers, and tips for operators on how to capitalise on current consumer trends to drive sales.
Subscribe to get the latest news, product announcements and industry updates
Webinar | Booking platforms: Back to basics with Bums on Seats
Amidst today’s hectic trading environment, it’s important that every part of your business is running as smoothly as possible to make life easier for both you and your staff, and ensure your guests are still receiving a first-class experience when engaging with your venue – and there’s no better way to do this than making sure your bookings process is working successfully for your business.
In this webinar, Ed Christmas, Director at Bums on Seats, joins Zonal’s Head of Customer Success Natalie Millington as they explore taking a step back and revisiting the foundations of your bookings process, as well as the opportunities getting this right can bring.
Watch this webinar for actionable expert advice, including:
- Where is the industry at the moment?
- Tips for reoptimising your booking platform
- How you can make the most out of your bookable spaces
- Making sure you’re understanding your customers
- Our checklist for success
Access this free webinar
Subscribe to get the latest news, product announcements and industry updates
Watch: Booking platforms: Back to Basics
Subscribe to get the latest news, product announcements and industry updates
Webinar | 2023 hotel guest trends to help you maximise revenue
As the cost of living crisis continues to fuel the staycation trend amongst British consumers, ensuring your hotel is matching the demands of both new and existing guests will be key to making the most of the opportunities presented during today’s turbulent trading landscape.
Join Stewart Moss, Managing Director at High Level Software and Karl Chessell, Director of Hospitality and Food, EMEA, at CGA by NielsenIQ, as they present an exclusive preview of the findings from Zonal and CGA’s latest GO Technology research into how consumers engage with hotel businesses, and what they expect from their visits to hotels in the future.
From how often guests are visiting UK hotels and what the driving factors behind their visits are, to how they prefer to make a reservation ; as well as new innovations in hotel technology consumers are interested in, this webinar will provide you with actionable insights to help you boost your business in 2023.
Watch this webinar to discover insights including:
- The driving factors behind the frequency of guest visits to UK hotels
- How to cut costs by encouraging guests to book directly with you
- Hotel sector trends that consumers are most interested in
