E-Malt.com News article: Kenya: East Africa Breweries turns to bar attendants to help grow its beer sales

East Africa Breweries Limited (EABL) is taking the battle to grow its customer ranks to the bars after it rolled out a customer - care training for pub owners, The Business Daily Africa reported on March, 27.

The move is aimed at growing and defending its market share that is under pressure from new entrants and its rejuvenated rivals.

The new entrant, Keroche Breweries, entered the beer market last year, while international brands like Heineken and Sierra, a local premium beer that has now moved to local bars, are gaining consumers, putting EABL’s stranglehold of the local beer market at risk.

Still, the galloping inflation and Kenya’s battered economy, which is causing layoffs and recruitment freezes, has slowed down the consumption of beer because of reduced disposable incomes. The youth are also slowly opting for other means of entertainment, shunning the traditional leisure activity - beer drinking.

Now, the giant brewer is turning to bar attendants to help grow its beer sales.

The company launched this week a training programme in partnership with Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) that will see bartenders receive six months training on customer service.

Jerry Wakhu, sales director EABL, said customer service is central in increasing the firm’s customer numbers and boost uptake of beer per customer.

“Improved customer service will increase sales, enhance customers experience and increase brand loyalty,” said Mr Wakhu.

The countrywide initiative has already commenced in Nairobi where 500 bartenders have enrolled in the pilot programme. EABL is targeting 500 bars in Nairobi and 5,000 bartenders and based on the success in the country’s capital, it will roll out the programme to other regions.

Besides revving up sales, the brewer says that the training initiative would help boost the survival rates of bars, especially the small and mid-sized outlets, since a significant number of them collapse before their third year.

The curriculum will also target other sensitive issues such as public health and hygiene as well as HIV/Aids, said Prof Mabel Imbuga, vice chancellor JKUAT.

This is the second training phase in the Tusker academy launched last year.

The first session saw 1,000 distributors receive training. In total, the initial programme will utilise Sh20 million.

Prof Imbuga said the training would mainstream the profession and raise its status as a noble career. However, the training is targeting bars that strictly sell EABL products.

This comes at a time when the brewer is keen to boost its profits.


27 March, 2009