With nearly 28 years of running Coquitlam's popular John B Pub behind her, Lisa Lepinski has no hesitation in placing staff training high on her list of key ingredients for success.
Lisa says that she and husband John realized almost from the moment they opened the John B (named after the Kingston Trio/Beach Boys hit, Sloop John B) back in 1978 that "...staff can make or break you...and if you don't put energy and time into your staff, it's a lot more difficult to get rewards."
At the John B, training begins as new employees learn the standard of service that Lisa expects. They usually start by helping behind the bar and graduate to working the floor after they have acquired a basic knowledge of stock and procedures. Once out on the front line, the trainee shadows an experienced person and then gradually takes on more and more independence. The process can take from several weeks to several months until the new employee has Lepinski's full confidence, but it doesn't stop there.
For Lisa, training is an ongoing thing. Anytime there is an industry-sponsored tasting, a tour or other promotional activity, she tries to include as many staff as possible. As a result, she says, "my people can sell anything because they have the knowledge. If you don't have the knowledge, how do you sell anything? You have to have the confidence, because the customer is looking at you and wants to know, 'What is this scotch like? Is it peaty? Is it sweet? What region is it from?' We have probably 85 single malt scotches in our back bar, and if the servers don't know what's back there, how are they going to sell it? I hate dust-collectors."
Part of the payoff also comes in staff loyalty. In an industry notorious for its high turnover rate, more than half of John B's 80-plus employees have been there more than five years, several for more than a decade, and there are a few veterans who were on hand when the pub first opened its doors. Although Lisa believes that a regular influx of "new blood" is important in maintaining a fresh and lively atmosphere, this core staff stability allows her as an owner to "sit back a little more readily."
For Lisa, training is a two-way street. The John B gets competent, committed staff with knowledge and expertise that contribute directly to her bottom line, while the staff learn a host of broadly applicable skills that they will possess for the rest of their lives.
Lisa cheerfully admits that the John B's brand of training is more expensive than the casual approach many pubs use, but she doesn't have any idea what the direct cost is, nor is she interested in knowing. "It's beneficial to the business. If you have good people and you spend money on them, in the long run it gives the business a good reputation."
