Enhance the value of the waiter's job by bringing pleasure to your employees
June 21 2022
The restaurant industry is facing an unprecedented staffing crisis. Today, with the demands of the job and the time constraints - especially working on weekends - finding competent, motivated servers who are proud to do the job is becoming increasingly difficult.
Valuing the job, enjoying it, and digitizing certain tasks, Adoria delivers its advice for finding servers who are happy to work.
The challenges of the "sit-down" restaurant business today
In a society where everything moves too fast, the waiter is becoming a marathon runner who must take orders, serve plates, cash out, and advise at the same time. This multiplication of tasks is to the detriment of commercial conviviality and customer relations. Especially since the restaurant industry is faced with customers with new needs.
A clientele with different needs
The difficulty for waiters is to find a compromise between speed and privileged relationship, to satisfy the needs of customers according to their desires. Today we find:
- Active customers who, often on lunch time, are looking for a fast and efficient catering to lose as little time as possible in the restaurant;
- Customers wishing to spend a privileged moment to mark an event and to take pleasure (often in the evening or on weekends).
To avoid confronting your servers with an awkward situation, we advise you to choose a style of service according to the time and day of the week:
- A rather simple service at lunchtime during the week for a faster service;
- A more friendly service on the weekend allowing servers to pamper customers and create an exchange around the dishes and wines.
Some restaurants mix the two clienteles with fast service at lunchtime and more elaborate service in the evening and on weekends. You can also make the choice to offer only one type of catering.
Valorize the waiter's job to find pleasure again
Valorizing the waiter's job must go through adjustments to allow your employees to take pleasure in a job of permanent contact with customers.
Digitizing certain tasks to relieve your waiters
To avoid your waiters "running around", you can for example digitalize certain tasks. This way, the server can focus more on customer relations.
Paying the bill represents almost 40 u time your employee spends with a customer. By digitizing the payment, the waiter can thus take more time to advise and exchange with each table, for a real proximity service.
Act on the drudgery of the work by arranging the working hours
The main flaw of the waiter's job is the drudgery of the working hours. With services at lunchtime, in the evening and sometimes every day, it is a job prone to long breaks and evening and weekend work. These hours contribute to the reluctance of some, as compatibility with a family life proves difficult.
Some tables, for example, make the choice to close on weekends to leave a privileged family time to the waiters.
Server shortage? Prioritize motivation over experience
To adapt to the shortage, you need to review requirements and sometimes favor motivated people with no experience over experienced servers with no motivation. It is the pleasure that must come first and therefore the desire. To compensate for the lack of experience, you can:
- Organize micro-trainings led by more experienced members such as team leaders;
- Take the time to train servers whether it is in business friendliness or in service techniques.
Make room as much for motivation and desire as for experience to have a team of dynamic and passionate servers. With training and briefs, your employees will be more united.
Adoria helps you to enhance the value of the room jobs by digitizing operations, such as inventory.
