It doesn’t matter what the quality of your wine or the reputation of your winery. If you want to rake in the dollars from visitors, your winery hospitality staff better show visitors kindness and willingness.
That’s the conclusion of a new study by Dr. Kyuho Lee, associate professor of marketing, and Dr. Anisya Fritz, professional faculty at Sonoma State University’s Wine Business Institute and proprietor of Lynmar Estate Winery. It’s been accepted for publication in the Service Industries Journal, one of the foremost academic journals specializing in services marketing and management
“Market trends show direct-to-consumer wine sales represent more than half of overall revenue for small wineries. Our study builds on existing research that indicates service quality is a critical influence on winery visitor satisfaction and loyalty, and it further examines service quality attributes, such as hospitality staff behavior, and their influence on direct to consumer wine sales,” Lee said. “The results of the study reveal that wineries can differentiate themselves by developing training programs that focus on specific staff hospitality behaviors that will drive sales.”
“The vast majority of wineries in the United States rely on direct to consumer sales. This study specifically speaks to the drivers of engagement at DTC- focused wineries and provides evidence that there is a clear link among customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, and a winery’s revenue,” Frit added.