Running a restaurant isn’t easy. There’s so much to think about; from food, service quality and costs, to vital operational details like finding the best credit card terminal supplier or taking card payments over the phone. Things need to be just right to maximise your chances of success. But don’t forget to remember another key aspect of running a successful restaurant business – your staff!
Keeping your team happy and motivated inevitably takes time and energy. However, it’s an investment that will pay off in spades, potentially saving you huge sums on the recruitment of replacement staff and even driving up sales and profits (happy and engaged staff have been shown to boost sales by 37%).
Here are four quick ways to keep your employees happy – and your business healthy!
1. Give good training
Taking the time to teach your staff about your restaurant, the food it serves and the customers it attracts, is a key part of building confidence. It also helps staff (especially new recruits) to feel part of a bigger team.
What type of training could you provide?
As well as things like customer service and food preparation, bring your staff into your inner sanctum by explaining which items are most profitable, how they can suggestively up-sell products such as daily specials and appropriate wine selections, and how to stay in control of table management during a busy shift.
2. Be positive!
Have you ever worked for a miserable, angry boss? It’s a soul-destroying experience that has people running for the exit door faster than they can say “I quit!”.
Positive and motivational managers have a major impact on their teams. In fact, studies have shown that managers account for “at least 70% of the variance in employee engagement scores”.
Remember too that laughter also reduces stress, so make time to have fun and encourage your team to be themselves – don’t force your staff to restrict their personalities.
3. Offer incentives – large or small
Even small incentives, such as a quick drink or snack, have been shown to create a noticeable effect. One study found they increased staff productivity by “almost 20% for a short period of concentrated work”.
So whether it’s above-average pay, a decent bonus when business results allow it, free food and drink, or simply a token gift that recognises excellent staff and the contribution they make, find a way to reward your staff when their performance merits it.
4. Give them the tools to make their jobs easier
Most people enjoy doing their job well, particularly in a service business like a restaurant or café, where it has such an immediate and visible impact on customer satisfaction.
Give your staff the tools they need to perform to their maximum, like a portable card machine, so they can take payments at the table, rather than having to return to a central cask terminal.
Not only is it more convenient for customers, it is easier and quicker for your employees, too. They’ll be able to get on with serving other tables as as quickly as possible.
Reap the benefits of longer-serving staff
In 2016, more than 365,000 workers left hospitality jobs in the UK. And with the average cost of filling a vacancy estimated to be around £4,500, it’s not hard to see how hard the hospitality sector is hit each year by unhappy staff changing jobs.
Happy employees are much more likely to stay at your restaurant rather than switch to a competitor. In turn, that means you’ll spend far less time looking for new staff – and save yourself a small fortune in the process.
Looking for a tasty little something extra? At United Merchant Services we offer modern card terminals which accept contactless and mobile payments. On average, when a customer switches to us, we’ll save them £1,500* on their processing fees.
