The restaurant labor shortage isn’t improving. A lack of staff to fill key roles in restaurants and bars continued to plagueF&B operators throughout 2021. With nearly 4 in 10 restaurants claiming they simply can’t find enough workers, many are turning to alternatives to limitgaps in service.
Here’s how restaurants can get creative with technology to address staffing shortages, both immediately and for the longterm.
For sit-down restaurants and to-go services, one of the first touchpoints is usually providing your customers with a menu.This requires a real person to stand and deliver, but you also need employees to collect, clean, and organise menus throughout the day.
Using contactless menus takes away the need to use labor resources for menu duties. Turn your menu into a digital format, thenpost a QR code that a customer can scan with their smartphone (97% of people have smartphones now). The menuwill pop up on their phone’s screen so they can browse at their convenience.
When customers are ready to order, technology can take over once again. Allow customers to place their own orders via an app. This is a huge benefit to the customer since they won’t have to wait for an overworked server to free up their time. They can place the order when they’re ready and make sure everything is entered correctly before it goes to the kitchen.
The secret sauce to self-ordering is the process. Typically, servers will ask specific questions based on the meals that customers order (e.g., side item options, sauce preferences, level of done-ness for steaks, etc.). These same questions can be built into the digital ordering process, too, so that customers can make informed choices.
When customers are ready to pay, this usually requires another touchpoint from a restaurant employee. Technology puts controlo ver payment into the hands of the customer, allowing guests to pay directly from the table. They can review their bill, choose their payment options, and leave a tip without interfacing with a server. A user-friendly interface makes it easy to complete the payment, even for customers who might not be technologically savvy.
Unemployment continues to decline, but manybusinesses in hospitality are still struggling to find employees. What’s more, food costs and operating expenses continue to skyrocket with inflation and cut into restaurants’ margins. It’s time to rethink your biggest expense — labor —and ensure your business is set up for long-term success.
Horago can help. We’re an app-based platform purpose-built for hospitality. Restaurants can create digital menus, set up table-side ordering and payment, and reduce the demand on your in-house team. By eliminating timely and costly processes of taking orders and payments, restaurantscan continue providing personalised experiences to their customers and servemore people with fewer employees.
See how Horago can help you transform your restaurantsales — contactus today!
