Molly Weinberg

Staff turnover and retention is a well-known struggle in the hospitality industry. But with the right restaurant management software, you can engage your employees and ultimately pave the way for exceptional guest experiences. Happy employees deliver better service, and better service means happier customers. And as your restaurant’s hospitality management improves, so can your bottom line.

Restaurant turnover is the percentage of staff that leave their position in a given year. An average restaurant turnover rate of 50% means that most of the staff are happy with their job, but it is a strong signal that some corrections need to be made to avoid employee turnover growing. In 2017, the industry’s turnover rate topped 70 percent. With the on-demand service economy on the rise, your employees are feeling the pressure to meet customer expectations – anytime, anywhere.

Check out how restaurant technology empowers front- and back-of-house staff to perform their best and provide a top notch fine dining service.

Improve employee engagement

Frustration or confusion over internal processes can quickly lead your restaurant staff to look elsewhere for work and increase turnover. And in the restaurant industry, those new opportunities are plenty. Unfortunately, high employee turnover and low employee engagement can lead to subpar customer service, resulting in empty tables. To combat this, try using restaurant technology to help your employees deliver consistent, praise-worthy customer service.

New technologies – such as online reservation books or in-service apps – can motivate employees. Not only will using new tech help make their jobs easier, but with the ability to track how their actions are impacting the business, it stirs a desire to continually develop their skill sets so they’re eligible for job promotions, higher wages and more benefits.

Empower your restaurant staff

Happy employees lead to happy guests. And when your staff has access to customizable CRM platforms and digital reservation books, they can easily keep track of guest preferences and treat every diner like a regular.

Restaurant technology and reservation systems make it possible to truly personalize the guest experience by collecting guest data and storing that information in easy-to-use profiles. Those insights can then be accessed at a moment’s notice to create a seamless experience no matter where a guest chooses to dine.

What this really looks like

The right restaurant management system creates a positive working environment where employees are able to meet the expectations of customers with ease. Whether you use scheduling apps to organize staff availability or integrate a new POS to streamline payments, there’s no limit to the ways technology can benefit your operations.

Let’s say your restaurant employees want to take their customer service abilities to the next level – a centralized restaurant management system that focuses on capturing and sharing guest data can make that a reality.

The right restaurant management software allows your staff to instantly access guest data and insights collected over the course of several visits. Want to surprise and delight a guest by offering them their preferred seating? Your host can quickly access a guest profile via a mobile app and make sure that guest’s favorite table is open for their reservation.

Looking to make a guest’s next visit memorable? Your staff can use your reservation system to know ahead of time if a guest is celebrating a special occasion. If so, your front-of-house employees can ensure they receive a warm, personalized greeting when they check in and a special treat at the end of their visit.

By creating a culture that engages employees, your restaurant can keep turnover rates low and strengthen customer loyalty.