Sangria Brings About A Happy Hour Attitude From The Friendly Riviera Village Bar Manager
Here’s a way to win over customers. And to build customer loyalty.
And that is to treat customers like guests in your house and to make them leave wanting to return.
That’s exactly what happened at Zazou in Redondo Beach.
I had assembled a group of friends there to meet before the annual Holiday Stroll in Riviera Village. I picked that place because it has a great Happy Hour, the best sangria in the South Bay and was craving those huge appetizer meatballs.
Everything was great until I got the bill. It was more than $70! When I inquired about it with the bartender she informed me the sangria was not on Happy Hour, which means they cost about $9 each. Ouch! I was pretty sure that on a previous visit the sangria was indeed $4-5 for Happy Hour.
I was so positive, in fact, that I was planning to bring in a group – 10 or so – PubClubbers on a Sunday. The Happy Hour runs 4-7 Sunday thru Thursday, to have that great sangria and those fantastic meatballs. Obviously, $9 a pop for sangria blew a hole in that plan!
Curious, I called over a friendly gentleman who was obviously in charge. I thought he might be the owner but he turned out to be the manager. Solvadur is his name. I said I thought the sangrias were on Happy Hour but if not, would he possibly discount them were I to bring in a group.
And Solvadur responded by acting as if I just asked for his daughter’s hand in marriage. He said he would absolutely give our group Happy Hour for sangrias, said “I’ll put them on Happy Hour tomorrow if you think I should,” and then went the extra mile by offering us free sangrias to make up the fact I thought they were cheaper.
Solvadur made me feel as welcome as being part of a new family. I felt like I should walk out into one of the shops during the stroll and get him a Christmas gift.
Every bar owner and manager should take lessons from Solvadur. He should give clinics as well as giving out sangrias.
Since I live in Manhattan Beach and go out there and Hermosa Beach most of the time, I don’t make it to Riviera Village too often. But Solvadur’s winning attitude has encouraged me to do so, and the place where I’ll hang my hat is Zazou.
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