2.1 Greeting the Customer at the Entrance

MAKING GUESTS FEEL WELCOME

The role of a tasting room host is an important winery staff function. One of the keys to making guests feel welcome is to create order out of chaos when visitors arrive at your winery. Keep in mind what visitors see when they first enter the tasting room and be strategic in bringing them inside and making them a part of what’s happening rather than letting them feel like an outsider. A smiling face and a friendly word of welcome will put visitors at ease and give them a reason to stick around and create memorable experiences at your winery.

You need to prioritize "giving your visitors a good customer experience" over every other part of the tasting room job, i.e., checking inventory, stocking shelves, or arranging glassware. During slow periods it is feasible to catch up on other tasks, but on a normal day with a good flow of visitors coming in and out you should make customers the primary focus of your attention.

High visitor demand can mean that something good is going on for both customers and the winery which is attracting business to its doors. But winery tasting rooms can seem chaotic and intimidating at first glance, especially for first-time visitors. The concept of making your guests feel welcome is even more important for first time visitors. More often than not, it is the timely and personal attention from you that will make first-time visitors into repeat customers and loyal fans of the winery.

HANDLING LARGER GROUPS OF CUSTOMERS

Each winery has specific procedures for handling visitors who want to taste wines together as a large group, say ten or more people at a time. Many wineries require groups to pre-book by having them call ahead for a reservation. A winery may have a wine tasting option specifically designed for groups, including a separate set of wines and tasting notes, a different tasting fee structure, and quite possibly, a separate group tasting space at the winery.

Nonetheless, groups do land at your door unannounced. Your job is to familiarize yourself with group handling procedures and honestly assess your ability to give quality service to a group when it arrives unexpectedly. Some wineries have written group tasting guidelines that they provide to groups arriving at the winery. It is important to go over these group procedure guidelines with the group leader so that all policies are understood and followed by group members.

One option is to suggest that the group divide itself so that some members start the tasting first and others take advantage of other activities on site, such as a winery tour or a walk on the grounds. In any case, you must realistically assess when or whether the entire group might be served together. You must let the group leader know what is possible or not so the group can make a decision about staying or going. Sometimes a group has to be turned away and invited to return at another time. Handling groups is a big moment of truth as a group consists of many individuals whose word of mouth will affect the reputation of your winery.

HONORING REQUESTS FOR ACCOMMODATION

Generally, questions regarding the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) should be referred to the manager on duty in a tactful manner. However, it is important for you to understand that winery tasting rooms must comply with the ADA and related state laws because wineries are considered to be places of “public accommodation” just like hotels and restaurants. You must provide an accessible transaction counter or equivalent service experience if your regular tasting space does not fit the needs of your guest requiring ADA compliant services. Likewise, tasting room doors, doorways, and aisles are constructed to meet numerous height, width slope and hardware requirements.

Mainly, your role as a tasting room host is to be aware of each guest’s rights and individual accommodation needs and to make every guest feel welcome and comfortable. This includes treating guests with service animals like any other guest. You cannot require proof of a disability or special identification for either the person or the service animal. Under ADA, a service animal must be leashed and controlled at all times by the owner or animal handler. Most service animals are trained to be around other people and are not dangerous; other guests in the area should be cordially reminded that the law permits service animals in places of public accommodation.

Take a minute to review by answering the following questions. Then check your answers below.

1. Which of the following is a key to making customers feel welcome?

a. Create order out of chaos when people enter the winery

b. Treat customers like outsiders to keep things professional

c. Ignore customer questions for as long as possible

d. Let your regular customers give instructions to any newcomers

2. What tactics can you use to manage large groups of visitors to the winery?

a. Ask groups to pre-book by calling ahead for a reservation

b. Ask groups to split up into smaller groups so they can get served faster

c. Give the group an honest estimate of how long the wait will be

d. All of the above are all possible tactics to use with large groups

Answers: 1a; 2 d.

INVITING THE GUEST TO EXPERIENCE YOUR SERVICES

One of the biggest questions on the visitor's mind is likely to be, “What can I do at this winery?” Of course, the answer to this question varies from winery to winery, but many start with tours. As wineries open up again, they may re-envision tours, making them more of a private experience for individual parties. Tours are remerging as appointment-based activities with attention to operational sanitation and guest safety.

Formal Employee-Led Tours: Some wineries offer formal lecture-based tours with specific start times and a more up-close view of the production operation. Give your visitors clear instructions as to when the next tour is and where it starts from; this will help them take full advantage of the winery tour opportunity if they care to do so.

Self-guided Tours: Other wineries suggest that visitors enjoy a self-guided walk around the public areas where they might see some tanks through protected glass windows (as seen in the photograph) and other typical winery apparatus, i.e., bottling equipment.

Types of Tasting Options: The hands-down most important reason people visit a winery is to taste the wines. It is important to let guests know what tasting options are available at your winery. Many wineries have two or more tasting menus to choose from and it can get confusing for the winery visitor unless these options are clearly explained and differentiated. For example, a winery may have a basic wine tasting and also specialty wine tasting offers to appeal to customers who prefer sweeter wines or want to access the winery’s premium reserve vintages.

Take a look at this range of tastings available at a local winery:

• Regular Tasting: Our regular tasting is offered daily. This includes an overview of our winemaking process, a tasting of five wines, and a souvenir wine glass. $9 per person. Reservations are recommended.

• Reserve Indulgence Tasting: Our Reserve Indulgence tour and tasting is offered on Saturday and Sunday at 1:30 pm and 3:30 pm. This includes an overview of our winemaking process, a tasting of six reserve wines paired with local handmade chocolate truffles, and a souvenir premium wine glass. $30 per person. Reservations and 24 hour notice of cancellation are required.

• Gazebo Tastings: Gazebo Tastings are offered by reservation only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 3:30 pm and at other times by special request. You will experience breathtaking views from our gazebo as you sample our reserve wines served with some cheese and fruit. This includes a guided tour of our winery with an overview of our winemaking process and a souvenir premium wine glass. $40.00 per person with a minimum of four people. A 24 hour notice of cancellation is required.

Tasting Method Updates: Responding to pandemics and fears about social interaction, wineries have been forced to restrict the number of visitors and their interactions with them, Wineries are also eliminating activities that previously encouraged customers to linger and congregate together. Many wineries have shifted from being a walk-in based tasting room to a reservation-only system, e.g., offering 90-minute slots for a controlled tasting session.

Wineries are also now adding the concept of seated tastings rather than letting visitors wander all over the place. Tastings at wineries are moving outdoors, with the addition of protected overhangs and outside heaters. Guests may be seated at a table spaced at least six feet from other parties, even if they are outside. On a positive note, wineries have seen increased spending at the seated tastings, where guests also receive more individual attention. Visitors enjoy having a guaranteed seat with a beautiful view.

Tasting hosts are increasingly involved in maintaining the safety of their facilities for their guests. They may even email new requirements and expectations for incoming pre-reserved visitors to read (and, in some cases agreements to sign) before they arrive, or share documentation as visitors physically enter the winery. Greeters and screeners may have the job of checking reservations, talking about restrictions and managing socially-distanced arrivals/departures.

In addition to tours and tastings, there are many other brief pieces of information that may be relevant to your visitors when they come to your tasting room:

• • Let them know about any current purchase offers, for example, if you offer quantity discounts when they buy a certain number of bottles.

  • Share unique facts about wine and merchandise, for example, information about limited-release wines currently in stock or specific wines available for sale on winery premises only.

  • Tell them about any upcoming entertainment planned for the day, such as music in the vineyard. This is an important item to communicate as it may motivate visitors to buy wine and food and enjoy a picnic on the grounds of the winery.

  • If the winemaker or owner is available on site that day to answer questions, this is usually an important fact for customers with higher levels of wine expertise or who are members of the wine club.

  • And lastly, since winery visits are often part of the greater tourist activity in the region, you may be asked about other attractions and hospitality businesses of interest nearby, i.e., local restaurants or parks. As a winery tasting room host you represent both the winery and the regional tourist destination.

The following questions will let you check your knowledge so far. See how you do.

1. What is the most common goal of a visitor coming to the winery?

a. To take a formal tour of the production facilities

b. To walk in the winery vineyard and pick grapes

c. To taste the different wines that the winery produces

d. To attend a family or friend’s wedding at the winery

2. Which question is one that mainly wine experts might be expected to ask?

a. How long will I have to wait for a wine tasting?

b. Is the winemaker or owner available to speak to me?

c. When does the bluegrass band you advertised start playing?

d. What other tourist attractions are nearby?

Answers: 1. c; 2. b.

MANAGING GUESTS EXPECTATIONS THE RIGHT WAY

It falls to you to update your visitors on anything out of the ordinary going on that day. The secret of good service is transparency, i.e., keep your guests informed every step of the way. Most of us strongly appreciate the ability to make our own decisions to stay or to go based on clear information about potential waits at restaurants and other attractions or service businesses.

Think about the following two scenarios described by visitors at two very different crowded wineries. Which would you rather experience: Winery A or Winery B?

By providing an honest estimate of waiting times and requesting that your visitors adjust their expectations when possible, you are putting the control back in the hands of the customer. Customers can accept the reality of waiting or can decide to leave based on their personal needs, but they will know you respected them enough to give them that choice.

You will want to give your guests other updates, including temporary changes in procedures or layouts of the operation that will affect their visit. These changes can occur when you are hosting special events or part of the facility is under construction or closed due to weather or other safety issues. When customers arrive and see areas cordoned off, many wonder what is happening--we are all as curious as the proverbial cat after all. By explaining to guests why that area is closed off, you help them to better understand the flow of the facility and activities they are able to pursue on that particular day. And again, you're helping to manage their expectations in a positive way.

MANAGING THE CUSTOMER FLOW

Sometimes the tasting room host role translates into being both greeter and traffic cop! When demand is high, a tasting room host has to step in and get customers sorted out and positioned where they can make the most of their winery visit without feeling disturbed by other visitors. The logic of moving customers through the facility depends on the particular operation and layout, as well as the goals of the guest and the winery operator.

In terms of visitor goals, most guests want to taste wines so having a strategy to get them to a tasting opportunity in a timely manner is critical to the success of the customer visit. Providing alternative suggestions to guests when the tasting area is full is very important. You can guide guests to go on tours or to move to other areas such as the retail shop to avoid having them stand around waiting doing nothing. But this only works if the guests are willing.

Some wineries handle overflows of would be tasters in creative ways by using outside decks or retail tables as additional tasting locations. However, having staff to cover these additional spaces will be necessary, so you should become proficient and comfortable moving around the facility and performing tasting activities in impromptu areas of the winery.

Finally, since winery tasting rooms are major points of wine sales for a majority of wineries, you always want visitors to spend time in the retail store or section. This is the more obvious way wineries encourage customer interest in the products the winery has available for purchase, by making sure the guests are placed right in front of temptation. Winery tours typically end back in the tasting room or a retail shop (see image below) to make sure that visitors have physical access to wine and merchandise prior to exiting the facility.

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Tasting bar set-up, clean-up, and materials