A pub landlord's revealed how his successful 'yellow card' system has helped to cut misogyny and trouble amongst his punters.
Rob Heir, 46, says he had to “lay the law down”, giving offenders their marching orders, some of them permanently.
The seasoned landlord has managed 24 pubs across Leeds and Bradford since his teens, and says it's taken “hard work and effort” to turn around his current pub, The Regent in Chapel Allerton in Leeds.
Rob, originally from Kippax, West Yorkshire, has settled down at the Regent Street bar for around five years, and is currently looking forward to marrying his partner Vanessa.
When it comes to the vibe of his venue, he says it's a modernised “good honest boozer” in one of Leeds’ most choice locations, offering Sky Sports and a plush safe environment for punters to reside in.
But even though it's a great spot now, Rob has made it clear that it wasn’t all plain sailing.
When he first came into the Greene King pub, he reveals he had to stomp down his authority, ruling with an iron fist against misogynists and troublemakers.
Rob said: “When I first got here, I had to lay the law down which is quite tough to do. You’ve got to set your stall out and really stick to it.
“I’ve barred a lot of people and ever since then it’s quite nice, it’s a nice atmosphere in here most of the time. There’s never any trouble.”
Rob said that he has high standards for his punters, and uses a “yellow card” system like a referee in a football match to let them know if they’re on thin ice.
When Rob bars customer, it’s not for a short term – they’ll never return to the pub under his watch.
“I don’t bar people for a month or three weeks. If I bar you, you don’t come back in the pub as long as I’m here,” he said.
“More than likely, I’ll give you sort of a yellow card. A warning, ‘This is how I work – if I have to have a conversation with you again…’
“If I’ve got to keep an eye on you, then I’ve got better things to do with my time. If you can’t behave, you can’t come in. That’s how it works.”
Misogyny was the most prevalent issue when he started at The Regent, with regulars being rude to his female bar staff. Rob spoke of how he came to their aid with his yellow card system.
He said: “When I first got in here, it was very male dominated. For example, a few of the guys thought it was okay to speak to the women in an impolite way.
“I gave them a warning and said ‘You don’t do that’. For the first three months I was here, I was observing everybody and seeing what they were doing. Then after the three months, I just basically barred a load of people.
Another issue was that punters were “cliquey” but he’s also managed to fix that and says customers are now mingling within the friendly atmosphere he’s developed.
Rob is now so popular in Chapel Allerton after improving the pub, he joked that he had go out for drinks with his fiancé in other parts of Leeds so they can get a moment’s peace.
He said: “My girlfriend hates drinking around this area as we never have a conversation as everyone’s always coming over to say ‘hello’.
“It’s a bit like being famous but ‘not-famous’, infamous more than anything.”
