Two simple words that people often forget to employ. At this holiday time of year, it is important to recognise and thank your customers and most importantly, your staff, for their loyalty, patronage and service for the preceding year. What is the best way to do that?

Many clubs and pubs hold community/customer focused party celebrations, where the food and drinks are paid for by the venue. If you manage this correctly, your customers will love you even more. It need only be a couple of hours long, and properly managed, walking finger food around and dispensing responsibly served alcohol to a time limit, you will definitely engender feelings of love and warmth with your customers.

Depending on your customer demographics you may need to cater for children as well – jumping castle, face painting and maybe Santa Claus – to ensure your family customer feel the whole family is included. Consider also your cultural demographics and celebrate the cultural and religious festivals that those differing cultures offer, to ensure you are inclusive of all cultures and religions patronising your venue.

Depending on your relationship, you may also want to celebrate your supplier contacts – the sales rep or the account manager in head office, and either create a similar but separate function, or include them in the generic party.

The most important people to fete are your staff. If only this once per year, you shout them a meal and a few drinks, in someone else’s premises, and say a hearty Thank You for your efforts for the year. I am a firm believer in recognising all staff, from the cleaners through admin people and, of course, your front of house (FOH) staff, who operate at the coal face every day.

The investment to the business may seem significant, depending on your staff numbers, but imagine $25 per head for food and say $35 per head (equal to 5 schooners) for drink, for a total of $60 per person? If you have 30 staff, that is only $1,800.00 for the year, to say thanks to the people who bring the money in! 

When you invest in people – customers and staff – they respond with greater support and a stronger bond.

As a sole trader, I utilise Christmas gifts as my way of saying thanks to my loyal clients – wine, an umbrella or something similar of use – to strengthen the relationship. Business is all about connections – within your business, with your stakeholders and your clientele. Just say Thank You in the most appropriate way you can.

Wishing all my clients, suppliers, family and friends a very safe and Merry Christmas

and a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. See you in 2024!