This March, we are celebrating 15 years of Sarah Rogers, a key member of our Head Office team who has been delivering excellent guest experiences throughout her time with us. We recently caught up with Sarah to find out more about what’s changed and what has kept her here throughout her evolution in the company from Retail Marketing Manager to Customer Experience Manager.
First things first, your history with Robinsons extends a little outside your day to day role doesn’t it? Your parents had the Bells of Peover didn’t they? [One of our Pub Partner pubs]
Yeah, amongst the many pubs they had, they had the Bells of Peover, the ‘Bells’ were my mum’s family. My mum was a ‘Bell’ before she married my dad, and my great, great grandad was George Bell. I was christened there, married there and lived there for 11 years. When I worked with my mum and dad at the Bells, I won National Innkeeping Training awards for individual licensee in 1993!
15 years! I bet that time has flown by for you! What brought you to Robinsons in 2011?
It has! Before joining Robinsons, I worked for Scottish & Newcastle. When I left, I already knew Alan Chapman [previous BDM], who worked here, so I reached out to him. He gave me David Bremner’s [Director of Marketing] number. From there, I met up with David, then William [Robinson], came for an interview and found out I got the job on Christmas Eve!
Christmas Eve! What great news! What was the role that you started in then?
It was Retail Marketing Manager. It never really changed to be fair until recently!
Since joining, how has your role changed in the company?
I started working with just Pub Partners, which was a combination of helping with marketing, menus, helping with events, even websites, and I did that for seven or eight years I think it was, and then it morphed into my role on the Managed pub side of the business too. It was a case of “can you do a bit of this, can you do a bit of that”. Until it ended up being more and more Managed and then I moved fully to Managed, which is what I have been doing for the past seven years now.
What are the main changes you have seen in the company since you have been here?
Oh so many things! Systems, how we support people. When we opened The Airport [first Managed pub], we didn’t have a training manual like we do now. It was a case of “do we agree that the uniform looks right, do we agree that we are going to do this” and we did it and launched it and it worked. But things have all changed for the right reasons. Compliance, training, they are just some of the things we couldn’t do without now.
The very first Managed pub! You have been there to witness our Managed journey then?
From The Airport, yes! I think I have been involved in pretty much every single Managed pub. We created everything for the Airport. From the logo, the menus, the original uniforms are funny to look back on; they were like Air Hostesses uniforms! Things have all evolved. I suppose though, I don’t really know anything other than pubs. I worked at Greenall’s, then I went into Inn Partnership then Scottish & Newcastle which became Heineken, where I was Business Development Manager.
What does a usual working day or week look like for you?
I don’t think one day is ever the same. Even today, I have been in a meeting from 9 until now [3pm], talking about our objectives and how we are going to grow Managed pubs. Tomorrow, I’m walking around the Bulls Head in Hale Barns, creating a chalk board plan for the sign writer coming on Thursday. The role can really vary, another day I can be making orders for anything from uniforms to toiletries, to POS, anything that hits a hotel rooms. This week is a focus on Bulls Head, Hale Barns though.
At least you get to do a bit of retail therapy as part of your job and it’s not on your own personal card…
Yes, definitely. I’m very fortunate in what I do. I get to introduce really nice things – for example, Sir Woofchester’s, which was a great addition and is now in all 30 of our Managed sites, and Out of Eden toiletries, which is another initiative I’ve been able to bring in.
In a way, I’m usually “good cop” except when it comes to audits. Those can be more challenging conversations, but I don’t mind having them when I already have a good relationship with people. It always comes from the heart, not from a negative place. It’s really about wanting to be the best and being passionate about what we do. If we’re going to do something, let’s do it properly.
Of course, you used to be part of [our] Marketing Team, and now you’ve had your own role made for you as Customer Experience Manager, what do you enjoy most about this side of your role?
I have really enjoyed putting the customer journey together and defining the steps of service. I have a huge passion for getting things right. I’ve had some of our staff say to me, “you’ll find something.” I don’t do it deliberately, I just notice things. Whether it’s table settings needing improvements, toiletries replacing or even an off centre photoframe, I can’t help it. But I genuinely enjoy it.
I also really enjoy being involved with re-opening the pubs post refurbishment and seeing all the hard work turn into a success. I’m getting a bit older now, Rachel [laughs], and when we have a capex with bedrooms, it definitely takes it out of me, but it’s so rewarding to see all that effort coming together.
You have quite a close relationship with the Managed house staff don’t you when you go to the pubs?
Yeah, I try to, it’s how you get to know what’s needed, where there’s problems and where you can fix them. It’s all about knowing that and knowing how to put things right. I think even in this new role, there’s even more relationship building. My mum and dad were licensees for 35 years and I think that’s probably ingrained in me on how to create a great customer experience.
What would you say are the most challenging parts of your role?
Sometimes the most challenging part is telling the team when an audit score isn’t as we had hoped, but those conversations are necessary and help us improve. But I think because I’ve worked here the time I have now, it’s not done in a bad way, more in the way “you’ve got this, let’s put this in place”. I think sometimes the challenges that I want to put right; you can’t always with budget constraint. If the rooms need improvement, but we can’t sort them due to budgets, that can be a bit of a barrier. For example, if I am trying to help drive room sales with Becky [Downey] for the month, we want to make sure the rooms are of the standard we are charging for them. The older I have got I am a lot less patient, shall I say, once I want something fixed, I want it fixed there and then which isn’t always possible. Oh, and aside from that, making the beds! When we complete refurbishments, I try to support the housekeepers to make sure the rooms are ready for the reopening, and after all of these years, it can be a physical challenge!
With the experience and knowledge that you have, what do you think pubs should focus on?
I think it comes down to smartness, politeness, and making people feel really welcome, you can’t go wrong with that. You want to offer a warm, genuine welcome. The same goes for appearance: you don’t want to look overly formal or scruffy. The aim is for people to walk into our pubs, have the best possible experience, and leave wanting to come back.
When we look at improving things across our pubs, the systems we have in place help us quickly identify where something isn’t working so we can put it right. Ultimately, we rely on our teams to make that happen.
And on the back of that, what would you say are most enjoyable parts?
The people, easily. No two days are ever the same, as I said before. What I’ve learned over time is that you never really get to the end of your to-do list. As long as you can compartmentalise that, do what you can, and accept that, it’s all that matters.
I also think even things like the uniforms arriving at the George & Dragon (Holmes Chapel), even though I’ve only had a small part in that, the guys all said they loved them. It’s doing all the different things I do and then seeing it all come into play. It’s the little bits and bobs around the pubs, and being proud of the difference I make.
I really enjoy being able to help, even when someone asks, “this is looking a bit grotty – what can I do, and can we sort it out?” I see quite a lot on our review system, and it’s been really good to see the positive reviews too, and how we’ve driven that. It was also really nice to be able to reward our housekeepers last year.
I bet that was a lovely thing to be able to do. All of our teams work really hard, but some roles, such as our housekeepers, are often unseen because of the nature of the job
Yes, definitely. That was a really nice, positive thing I was able to do. Our Housekeepers work so hard across all of our sites, so it felt only right to give them all gifts to thank them. It was a surprise thank you and I think I handwrote 80 cards – I remember that for sure!
Have you got any advice you would give someone wanting to do a role similar to yours?
Well, over the years I have learnt don’t over promise and don’t under deliver, because that only ever ends up with egg on your face. Always be polite, but stick to your guns, don’t be afraid to stand your ground. If you’ve got a belief, stick to it, don’t let other people push you around. Which I can think naturally can be quite hard for women especially, you’ve got to be strong minded and thick skinned!
You cover a lot of ground with your role, do you have a favourite area to visit or a favourite pub?
I am Cheshire girl born and bred, so that’s never going to change. I do love going to North Wales and Cumbria though, but Cheshire for sure. I can tell people where to go with pubs being part of the directions…
For favourite pub, without being biased, I absolutely love the Bells of Peover. I spent a long time in the Spinner & Bergamot growing up too, my auntie had the Spinner so I was there a lot when I was little. My cousin David had The Plough too. I’d be really stuck to say a favourite, I have got a few, we have got some absolute gems on our estate. The Fountaine Inn is beautiful and then I love the Tempest too, it’s such a big site. Out of them all, it will have to be the Bells of Peover though. Even though I am not involved in it with it being Pub Partner, it’s place close to my heart.
A huge thank you to Sarah for taking the time to catch up with us, and thank you for continuing to make our pubs great places to visit (and work)!