24th May 2012
Greene King has become the latest pub chain to announce the rollout of free WiFi throughout all of its establishments, but is it really necessary? More and more pubs are equipped with the service, which means that those which don't offer it may be putting themselves at a disadvantage. Knowing a place has free WiFi can bring in customers , especially if someone is in need of some information away from home or a spot to quickly catch up on an email. But do other customers really want a pub full of people tapping away at their laptops, smartphones or tablets? Well it could be a good opportunity to draw in customers during traditionally quiet times, like during the day when fewer drinkers are in. With the rise of mobile technology people can get fed up of working from their spare room and knowing there is WiFi might bring them down to the local pub for a couple of hours. This can provide the atmosphere and social side of things that people miss by not going into the office every day. Successful pubs are finding that by diversifying what they offer and the function they perform they are attracting more customers. Greene King has said that its decision to furnish its 2,400 pubs with free WiFi was in response to customer demand. Evidently in order to retain customers Greene King listened to their demands and acted upon this, the sign of a business moving with the times. Some customers like the fact that their local pub just happens to be a mobile phone signal black spot, where they can sneak away from their other half. Others are attached to their mobiles at all times and simply can’t leave home not knowing that the facility is available. Plus, should they need to settle a point over a nice cold beer there’s nothing better than having the ‘Google it’ option available. Is your pub a place to relax, forget about work and remain uninterrupted by the outside world or do your customers want WiFi?
