SINGAPORE — According to Mr Edward Chia, Managing Director of the Timbre Group, customers now know more about beer than they did a decade ago.

Said the 28-year-old: “Our customers have changed in terms of their tastes. They are more sophisticated. And since Singaporeans tend to be well-travelled, these are people who have been to breweries in Belgium. They will ask for wheat beer or ales. It’s the same for cocktails. We can’t just make the regular ones — they have to be something special, and our staff have to be able to explain to customers what they’re serving.”

The Timbre Group, established in 2005, is known for its original live-music bar venue Timbre, which now has three locations: The Arts House, The Substation and Gillman Barracks. It also hosts a popular beverage festival event called Beerfest Asia.

In response to customers’ changing expectations, Mr Chia actively sends his employees for training. This year, five staff members attended Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) programmes offered by the Association of Bartenders and Sommeliers Singapore (ABSS). Two were enrolled in the WSQ Bartender Training Programme, while three entered the WSQ Advanced Beverages Programme.

“The market in Singapore changes very fast, and the only way to keep up is to make sure that our people are sent for training,” said Mr Chia.

“This is not just an integral part of our growth, but also a way to maintain our business. If we don’t stay ahead of the curve, our customers will leave and go to places where the staff are more knowledgeable.”

For a relatively young company like Timbre, training is also a way of recognising staff members who have demonstrated loyalty and commitment to the organisation.

Said Mr Chia: “We want to equip our staff members with the ability to provide a better experience for our customers. But training is also a demonstration that we are prepared to invest in our staff. On their part, they feel that there is growth in this company — not just growth in terms of career opportunities, but personal growth as they acquire new skills and knowledge.”

One success story involves a staff member who attended the WSQ Bartender Training Programme in September. Although he was not expected to do so, the staff member returned to work at night immediately after each training session, eager to put his new skills into practice.

“After he graduated, his manager recommended that he be promoted as he had sufficient knowledge to do inventory control. Now, he’s not just in charge of one bar, but the whole group. He functions as an internal bar auditor now — this is a newly created role. Every week, he visits each bar to do an inventory check and he trains other colleagues to keep track of the inventories as well,” said Mr Chia.

“This is a tangible outcome of the training, and I’m very pleased. After going on the course, he felt that someone was investing in him and he took it very positively.

“He has a better pay package and more responsibilities, and I have someone who ensures consistency by implementing the same inventory system for every location. It’s a good situation for both him and the company.”

Melody Tan

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