Thank Your Taproom Guests

The initial greeting and the final goodbye are two of the most impactful moments of any taproom visit. If a guest isn’t acknowledged promptly or made to feel appreciated upon leaving, their likelihood of returning greatly decreases. In a recent study, we analyzed the importance of the greeting. Now, let’s examine the data and strategies for ensuring a successful closing interaction between guests and staff.

Let’s start with some good news: Taproom staff give guests a sincere “thank you” on 91% of visits. When guests receive this, they are 97% more likely to recommend and return to the brewery. However, without a “thank you,” the likelihood of recommending drops to 84%. Viewing this in reverse, a guest is 530% more likely not to recommend your brewery if they don’t receive a sincere “thank you.” About 1 in 10 guests may come once and never return. While we may not please everyone, we can at least thank them.

What if it’s the guest’s first visit? First-time guests who don’t receive a sincere “thank you” are 211% more likely not to return compared to repeat guests who don’t receive one. A returning guest may overlook a less-than-perfect visit, but a first-time guest may not. You only get one chance to make a first impression, and that final interaction—a sincere thank you—is one note to miss.

Moreover, guests who receive a genuine thank you return sooner. They’re nearly 360% more likely to return within a week compared to guests who don’t receive one. These small touchpoints—greeting and thank you—contribute to the bigger picture of a more memorable guest experience. In turn, stacking habits like these increases customer lifetime value.

With various service models across taprooms, there are multiple approaches your team can take to offer sincere thank-yous. Here’s what we recommend:

• Counter Service

  • If the guest keeps a tab open, thank them after each purchase and express appreciation when they close out.

  • If the guest doesn’t keep their tab open, offer a sincere thank-you after each purchase and remind them that you're available if they need anything else.

  • In addition to thanking the guest after their purchase, whenever possible, make eye contact and give a wave or farewell as they leave the taproom.

• Table Service

  • When bringing the check, thank the guest for visiting and let them know you hope to see them back soon.

• Staff Near Exit

  • If you have a host or greeter, train this staff member to always give a verbal thank you to guests as they leave.

• Bonus: Encourage staff not only to thank guests sincerely but to give them a reason to return.

In addition to wanting guests to feel appreciated, a sincere “thank you” from your staff can directly benefit their earnings. Staff members who thank guests see tabs that are nearly 10% higher and receive tips that are 12% larger. Multiplied by all the guests they serve, this simple action can add up, potentially earning the employee an extra $101 for every 10 tabs. Thank you for reading.

 The data was collected from a set of 1326 unique taproom visits from November 16, 2022 to February 27, 2024. Each tab represents 2 guests and includes tax and tip.