Right, let’s be honest here. We’ve all had that member of staff who just isn’t pulling their weight. Maybe they’re always late, giving customers attitude, or simply not doing the job properly. It’s one of the biggest headaches we face as pub landlords, but ignoring it isn’t an option.
Poor performing staff don’t just affect your bottom line – they drag down the whole team and can seriously damage your pub’s reputation. The good news? There are clear steps you can take to either turn things around or move on professionally.
Running this problem at your pub?
Here's the system I use at The Teal Farm to fix it — real-time labour %, cash position, and VAT liability in one dashboard. 30-minute setup. £97 once, no monthly fees.
Get Pub Command Centre — £97 →No monthly fees. 30-day money-back guarantee. Built by a working pub landlord.
Document Everything From Day One
Before you do anything else, start keeping proper records. Write down specific incidents with dates, times, and details. “John was rude to customers” isn’t enough – you need “John told Mrs Smith her complaint about the steak was ‘not my problem’ on Tuesday 15th at 7:30pm.”
This documentation is crucial whether you’re trying to help them improve or need to let them go. Without it, you’re just having a chat that won’t lead anywhere productive.
Have the Difficult Conversation
Once you’ve got your facts straight, sit down with them privately. Be direct but fair. Explain exactly what the problems are, show them the impact on the business, and listen to their side.
Sometimes there are genuine reasons behind poor performance – personal issues, lack of training, or unclear expectations. If they’re willing to improve and you believe they can, set clear, measurable goals with specific deadlines.
For example: “You need to arrive on time for every shift over the next four weeks” or “Customer complaints about your service must stop immediately.” Make sure they understand the consequences if things don’t change.
Create Better Systems to Prevent Future Issues
While you’re dealing with current problems, think about preventing them in future. A proper staff rota system helps everyone know exactly when they’re working and what’s expected.
Clear training procedures also make a massive difference. When new staff know exactly how to do their job properly from the start, you’ll have fewer performance issues later on. Our free front-of-house app at SmartPubTools includes features that help you track staff schedules and performance, making these conversations much easier.
If someone doesn’t improve after you’ve given them a fair chance, don’t drag it out. It’s not fair on your other staff, your customers, or your business. Sometimes the kindest thing for everyone is to part ways professionally.
Ready to get better control over your staff management? Try SmartPubTools for free and see how proper systems can transform your pub operations.
Free Tool for UK Pub Landlords
Used daily at Teal Farm Pub, Washington NE38
The Pub Command Centre handles everything in this article — without a spreadsheet.
Wet GP%, dry GP%, labour costs, beer line cleaning logs (12 lines), HACCP temperature checks, stock ordering, weekly P&L. All in one system. Used every shift at Teal Farm where labour runs at 15.1% against a UK pub average of 25-30%.
On a pub taking £900k a year, running labour at 15% instead of 25% is worth roughly £90,000. That is what tracking it daily — every shift, every week — actually looks like.
£97 once. No subscription. No monthly fee. Works on any phone, tablet or laptop. Setup under 10 minutes. Built and used by a Marston’s CRP licensee with a 5-star EHO rating and 180 covers.
See the Pub Command Centre — £97 →
One-off payment. Works on any device. Used by a working licensee, not a software company that’s never pulled a pint.
SmartPubTools FOH App — Free, Forever
Built by a real pub landlord from the North East. Staff gamification, shift tracking, leaderboards and rota tools — free, no subscription, no credit card needed.
📊 Your EPOS tells you what sold. Pub Command Centre tells you whether you made money.
Real-time labour %, cash position and VAT liability in one dashboard. Built by a working pub landlord. £97 once, no monthly fees. 30-day money-back guarantee.
Takes 2 minutes · Free forever · Made for UK pubs
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Running your pub on gut feel?
The Pub Command Centre gives you wet GP%, cellar checks, staff cost and weekly P&L — from your phone, every shift. £97 once. No subscription.
See the Pub Command Centre →