Improving Service and Growing Profits with Bar
Wristbands
Original
Article: Identifying 21 and Over Patrons with Bar Wristbands
When a bar is
popular, it can get packed wall to wall with excited people looking for a good
time and a chance to unwind. The last thing a bar owner or manager wants is a
backed up bar. Bar wristbands can help service run more efficiently by
assisting bar tenders and wait staff. Non-transferable and brightly colored,
bar wristbands make it easy for bar staff to see that a customer paid the cover
charge, if there is one, and had their ID checked at the door. Bouncers can
place bar wristbands securely around each guests’ wrist. Patrons do not have to
pull out their ID for the rest of the nightIn addition to providing general admission into an establishment, bar wristbands also assist with access control. Access control is especially important in a 21 and over pub where there is entertainment. Maybe a popular local band is playing a few sets. It’s a good idea to give the members of the band and their crew bar wristbands to wear, too. Theirs can be a different color to designate special stage and backstage access. This will help the band set up and take down their equipment more efficiently, and will also give bar staff a hint as to who they are.
As guests anxiously await the start of live music, it is likely that many are at the bar ordering a drink or waiting for a drink at their table. If you want to increase spending, bar wristbands are a tremendous help to bartenders and servers. Since the bar staff doesn't have to spend time checking IDs they do not have to spend time waiting for patrons to dig through their purse custom wristbands or shuffle through their wallet. Instead, all servers need to do is quickly glance at the wristband to know that the person sitting before them is a welcome guest and of legal drinking age. This saves everyone time. Guests who don't have to wait are happier and tend to spend more money.
Bar wristbands also assist with security. One clever idea is to rotate wristband colors for different nights of the week. That way, if someone tries to get in with the wrong color wristband—especially someone under age—staff can quickly escort that person to the door. Custom printing also helps to prevent counterfeiting. Custom printing the bar's logo on the wristbands, along with the date is an effective way to prevent people from using a general wristband from a party store as a way to coast in without having their ID verified. For bars that do have a cover charge, both of these strategies work to ensure that patrons do not reuse their bar wristband from the night before or the previous week as a means to sneak inside.
Custom printing is also an excellent marketing strategy. Have the bar's logo or any special promotions imprinted on the bar wristband and turn them into walking mini-billboards. After a great night out at the bar, they may keep the wristband on for a few days, maybe even weeks. People they interact with at work, their neighborhood, the gym, and grocery store are prone to ask where they went and what the experience was like. They might say, "I heard that place is a lot of fun and has excellent service. Is it really that good?" Custom printed bar wristbands are an excellent conversation starter. Word of mouth can spread like wildfire!
Bar wristbands are highly effective promotional tools. If your goal is to increase sales for one specific night, print a drink special on the wristbands to promote a premium brand, “$3 off Brand X cocktails!” Reinforce the special by having your staff remind patrons about the special that's right on their wrist. Not only will you increase sales for that night, but patrons may start associating your bar with that premium brand that they enjoyed and want to come back for more.
Another promotional strategy is to imprint a coupon or promotion on the bar wristband that motivates patrons to come back, and opens the door to future business. One example might be, "Come back Thursday for live music. Show this wristband, get in FREE.” Another could be, “Come see us again! Show this wristband, have a beer on us.” When patrons have a good time with good service, plus incentive to come back, you can be sure that they will return. Bar wristbands help make that happen.
