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Can pubs be doing more for customer experience?

Can pubs be doing more for customer experience?

Written by

Abbie Dawson

Published

October 18, 2021

Category

Latest research

Our research shows that nearly half of pub-goers think the atmosphere would be improved by music and the sound of people.

It’s been a tough year or so for all pubs, restaurants and retailers, but pubs have arguably had the biggest challenge in getting back to normal, and at a time where many are still announcing that their like-for-like yearly sales are down, those challenges still remain.

Music, and especially live music and gigs, were one of the very last elements to return to pubs, a vital part of the magical pub atmosphere. At one stage, regulations stipulated that people were not allowed to sing-along or dance in a group to music. Doesn’t sound much like fun, does it?

So, it is perhaps not surprising to see that significantly more pub-goers, in comparison to restaurant and shop goers, believe that the experience would have been better with music and the sound of people.

43.3% of pubs goers think the experience would have been better with the sound of music while 44% say it would have been better with the sound of people. The corresponding stats for restaurants are 28.1% (better with music), and 30.3% (better with sound of people), and for retail are 30.2% (better with music), and 24.9% (better with sound of people).

Chart showing people who think the atmosphere would be better with the sound of music


It should not be forgotten that music and atmosphere are vital ingredients to creating a great experience in restaurants and retail. And there is more to a great atmosphere than just the music played. Embracing the combined power of music and technology to shape behaviour is a smart and strategic way to engage customers, improve customer experience and stand out from the competition. That is what at Startle we call Music+.

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Ready to create standout customer experiences? Get in touch to find out how we can use music and tech to help you achieve your goals.

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Rotary phone

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Music is powerful, but using it with intention takes skill. Chat to our team today to find out how our behavioural-science backed, curated playlists could help you achieve your goals.

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Woman dancing

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Seeing is believing. Engaging your customers through vibrant visual displays can be a game-changer in your retail or hospitality experience. Chat to our team today to find out how our dynamic digital signage solution could help you achieve your goals.

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Woman's face

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Live sport has been at the heart of many pubs for decades. Chat to our team today to find out how Arena, our automated, all-inclusive sports promotion platform, could help you achieve your goals.

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People watching sports in a pub

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Your environment is always changing. Chat to our team today to find out how using our invaluable insights to auto-adjust your atmosphere could help you achieve your goals and fine-tune your operations.

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Happy woman eating in restaurant

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Replicate a perfectly curated atmosphere across an entire estate, all from a single platform. Chat to our team today to find out how using Studio could help you achieve your goals.

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Technoology

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Creating something so deeply subjective as an atmosphere without a strong understanding of human behaviour is kind of silly. Chat to our team today to find out how behavioural science can be applied to help you achieve your goals.

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People walking

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Dedicated management, free player replacements, 24/7/365 support… what you want, baby we got it. Chat to our team today to find out how relentless our Relentless Support™ really are.

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Man with headphones

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Creating a standout retail experience isn’t easy. Chat to our team today to find out how we can use music and tech to create a till ringing atmosphere and help you achieve your goals.

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Clothes on rack

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Creating a standout restaurant experience isn’t easy. Chat to our team today to find out how we can use music and tech to serve up the perfect atmospheres in your restaurants and help you achieve your goals.

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Restaurants kitchen

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Creating a standout coffee shop experience isn’t easy. Chat to our team today to find out how we can use music and tech to brew the perfect atmospheres for your cafes and help you achieve your goals.

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Cafe

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Creating a standout pub experience isn’t easy. Chat to our team today to find out how we can use music and pint-sized tech to create the perfect atmosphere and help get the drinks flowing.

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People celebrating in pub

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Creating a standout hotel experience isn’t easy. Check out (or in) how we can use music and tech to create the perfect atmospheres and help you achieve your goals by chatting to our team today.

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Restaurant table with cutlery

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Creating a standout gym experience isn’t easy. Chat to our team today to find out how we can use music and tech to get your atmospheres into perfect shape and help you achieve your goals.

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Gym equipment

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Creating a standout salon experience isn’t easy. Chat to our team today to find out how we can use music and tech to create an atmosphere with the perfect finish and help you achieve your goals.

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Salon equipment

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Creating a standout office experience isn’t easy. Chat to our team today to find out how we can use music and tech to create atmospheres that work as hard as your customers.

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Co-working space

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Creating a standout spa experience isn’t easy. Chat to our team today to find out how we can use music and tech to create the perfect peaceful atmosphere and help you achieve your goals.

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Towels and insense

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Creating a standout ship experience isn’t easy. Chat to our team today to find out how we can use music and tech to create the perfect atmospheres for your cruise ships and help you achieve your goals.

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Beach with cruise ship in background
Can pubs be doing more for customer experience?

Abbie Dawson

Marketing Manager at Startle. I'm in charge of our marketing activity, making sure to spread the word of Startle to as many brands as possible. When I'm not working, you'll find me vinyl shopping to add to my collection or working out at the gym (usually making enemies with a punching bag).

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Hey, we've just met you and this is crazy. But here's our number +44 (0)203 397 7676. So, call us maybe?

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