staff left

[wally sum]

Staff left parkgate after 2 hours didn't trust ss ha ha

[OldBreweryDrinker]

That must be the shortest employment with SS 

[wally sum]

I ad 10 months

[OldBreweryDrinker]

Probably about the average at the present, some seem to stretch to 11 or may be 12 months. Not many nowadays

[jackrussel]

I was there (Parkgate) as they left, August bank hol or day before- never have I felt a pub as stark as that day. Worse than a funeral. Mr.Smith, you brew the best beer in Britain, don't jeopordise it! Maybe your accounts are healthy now, but you have the power to strengthen your market share in these cash strapped times, from your low price selling policy (don't get too big for your boots- Tim Taylors did and now my all time favourite beer is dishwater). But have some humanity, turning folks out like that is disgraceful. It's 2011, not 1811. Can you change this, while keeping the things that make your company unique (in good ways)? Try it, see what happens; if it comes to a "Told you so" situation, I'll eat crow all day, night and all the next day. Then carry on as now. I can't help fearing some dreadful implosion sometime in the not too distant future. Come on, man! We don't want your splendid ales and splendid pubs and brewery to become mere memories. Remember Murdoch! Thanks for reading this.

[OldBreweryDrinker]

As i and many others have stated before the beer is at the right price and many of his pubs are lovely and well looked after. Many after having many millions spent on them. As to whether the brewery would ever go under is probably not a possibility due to extent of the Samuel Smith empire and diverse activities of it. It would be a pity if it did, as i would lose my reasonable priced beer of a Friday and Saturday night.

Pity about the conveyor belt of managers passing through the pubs over the last few years. It seems to hae been a record year for this, managers going after the 11 month mark. It may collapse due to this rather than lack of sales abroad or stopping brewing.

[wally sum]

We tried for 10 months and made some good friends. Its a shame huph is still runing them

[kettlesimon]

Many people whom i have met over the years, who have run successful business's, realised that their most valuable asset was the staff. They are afterall the public face of the business and a pub can sink or swim by the attitude of the staff when a customer enters. Unfortunately Mr Smith seems not to understand this and the combination of paying as little as possible, together with flogging his managers to within an inch of their life, with the ultimate threat of being sacked has led him to the situation he finds himself in today. Perhaps a rethink might come in handy, before it is too late

[whizz]

I have said this before, that I find it hard to understand how the word has not gone around in the trade about how staff are treated, and how many are leaving, that people are still willing to give it go, after all, Sams is not the only brewery in the market for managers, is it?

[OldBreweryDrinker]

Unfortunately Mr Smith doesn't really care about the pub estate, as he has several other business interest outside of this. I am sure there are many pub groups looking for managers in this climate, and several people applying for jobs.

The managers and staff are Mr Smiths best assets for the pub, in the main part.But he simply doesn't care about them. Mr Smith does seem to want the managers to work all hours and do miracles with his pubs. Don't understand the logic of the man.

We can all hope that Humphrey has a rethink, but i think that's asking a little to much.

[OnTheDrink]

Unfortunately Mr Smith doesn't really care about the pub estate, as he has several other business interest outside of this. I am sure there are many pub groups looking for managers in this climate, and several people applying for jobs.

The managers and staff are Mr Smiths best assets for the pub, in the main part.But he simply doesn't care about them. Mr Smith does seem to want the managers to work all hours and do miracles with his pubs. Don't understand the logic of the man.

We can all hope that Humphrey has a rethink, but i think that's asking a little to much.

In fairness, I think he does care a great deal about the estate - he spends most of his time in it after all - but he lacks the skills necessary to run it properly and as you say, he expects too much from his staff and doesn't treat them as assets. Very shortsighted. As for outside interests, such as the ping food factory, they seem to have professional management in place that would react badly to too much interference.

[OldBreweryDrinker]

I know he cares passionately about the estate and the pubs. He spends millions every year doing some up, and obviously cares about the land he owns, as he takes good care of it. With so many other operations and business activities, which one does he manage most (the pub estate).

As for the ping factory food he has got people to run it for him.

He doesn't care about the staff or managers because he has no people skills that i have seen over the years. This could be easily rectified by hiring an area manager or two to take the weight of his ageing shoulders, but he won't as he's a control freak.

[whizz]

I cant understand why he doesn't take a leaf out of Weatherspoons book. I may be wrong, but I have been into several Weatherspoons and the staff all seem keen and well trained. I cant imagine them being so if they were treated badly.

[OnTheDrink]

I cant understand why he doesn't take a leaf out of Weatherspoons book. I may be wrong, but I have been into several Weatherspoons and the staff all seem keen and well trained. I cant imagine them being so if they were treated badly.

Simple reason it won't happen Is that training costs money. Wetherspoons have an excellent training package with recognised qualifications. Still think they're soulless though!

[DarkieBoy]

I know he cares passionately about the estate and the pubs. He spends millions every year doing some up, and obviously cares about the land he owns, as he takes good care of it. With so many other operations and business activities, which one does he manage most (the pub estate).

As for the ping factory food he has got people to run it for him.

He doesn't care about the staff or managers because he has no people skills that i have seen over the years. This could be easily rectified by hiring an area manager or two to take the weight of his ageing shoulders, but he won't as he's a control freak.

He seems to have plots of land that he either does not care about or he's using as pawns (with the council)...such as the plots of derelect land that are just eyesores in the middle of Tadcaster.

DB.