Customers and employees alike have never had so many choices. Within a five-mile radius, customers might be able to choose from three burger places, two pizza joints, two top-notch burrito franchises, and a few chicken places to boot. Likewise, employees have options – everyone is looking for great people to work in their restaurants, but not everyone can hold onto those individuals once they have them.
Some think that in today’s economy you can’t have both: Either your bottom line is going to suffer or your customer and employee experiences will bear the brunt. Luckily, this is a misconception. There are many ways forward for QSR brands – with a strategic mindset, both the bottom-line and the experience for all involved can be protected.
Focus on the experience you can create
Have you ever heard the phrase, “people don’t leave companies, they leave bosses?” This applies to the restaurant industry just as much as it applies to everyone else. If employees don’t feel that they’re being treated the way they deserve, there’s little reason for them to stay with a company when so many others are in desperate need of employees. They might decide to hop around until they find the best fit, so do everything you can to make that your restaurant!
You can do this by prioritizing your team members – treat them well, and they’ll treat your guests well. Happy, well-trained team members create happy, smooth experiences for customers, so the benefit here really is two-fold.
What customers or employees are looking for is no mystery; on the customer side, it’s often a clean, friendly, efficient experience. On the employee side, it comes down to treating them as you would want to be treated and showing them you appreciate the impact they make on your business. As many have learned, restaurants need people to run them, so showing that employee appreciation is key.
Put in the effort to your employee experience, and the customer experience will come naturally. Unsure of what your employees want? Just ask! It is important to keep lines of communication open with them.
Utilize your employees wisely
Restaurant operations have continued to evolve – it isn’t as simple as having someone manage the cash register, the drive-thru window, and the grills, griddles, and fryers. Now it’s important to account for other services, like who is managing the third-party delivery service orders, or the curbside pickup line.
As good service consistently becomes more of a differentiator, it’s especially important to make sure wait times and food quality are being well managed. With labor shortages abound, it is vital to be intentional about how you utilize the people that are on your staff.
Ensure your managers are paying attention to what areas your team members are strongest in. One employee might have a hard time operating the cash register for one reason or another but be fantastic at managing the curbside pickup queue.
Pay attention to these behaviors – encouraging your employees in the areas they already thrive in will in turn strengthen your business. If you have employees in the areas they excel in, your customers will be satisfied and your employees will be happier because they don’t have to spend their shift struggling in an area where they don’t flourish.
“Different options work better for different set ups, but it’s important to do what you can to make getting your food in your customers’ hands as quick and easy as possible”
Continue to enhance your mobile platforms
For many customers, gone are the days of picking up a phone and ordering a pizza. If customers aren’t dining in, most are opting for some type of convenient delivery or pickup option that they select through an app or online.
Customers are incredibly focused on ease of experience. If one burger restaurant has a simple, easy-to-use app interface, while your burger restaurant requires them to go on the website, enter their zip code, select a location – oh, no, the browser crashed! – you’re making it much easier for the other burger restaurant to earn a loyal customer before you’ve had the chance to win them over.
As digital technology continues to evolve, make sure you’re at the forefront. No matter how delicious your food is and how excellent your in-person customer experience is, technology is going to be what makes or breaks your standing with your customers.
“What customers or employees are looking for is no mystery; on the customer side, it’s often a clean, friendly, efficient experience”
Always improve upon convenience
Some restaurant owners have expressed concern that focusing too much on convenience will ultimately ruin the customer experience. The contrary is true – if customers have expressed a want for something and they don’t have access to it, whether that be a quick and convenient pickup option or a nice, clean place to sit down and eat, that will stick out as a negative experience in their mind.
Customers got a taste for the convenience of curbside pickup, order-ahead drive-thrus, pickup windows and the like during the height of the pandemic. Like easy-to-use ordering apps, their craving for such convenience isn’t something that’s going away.
Different options work better for different setups, but it’s important to do what you can to make getting your food in your customers’ hands as quick and easy as possible. For example, curbside pickup, which was unpopular just a few years ago, has exploded in popularity, and that isn’t going away. Evaluate the needs and habits of your customers and adapt your pickup and delivery strategy accordingly.
Reduce waste and order inventory carefully
Knowing your customers’ habits is incredibly important to ensure you‘re ordering the right amount of inventory. You absolutely do not want to be the restaurant known for running out of food, but you also don’t want to be the restaurant throwing extra food – and money – into the trash.
Monitor your metrics, pay attention to what customers are ordering or not ordering and adjust your inventory accordingly. You can also reduce food waste by investing in high-quality storage equipment. While there may be a cost for this upfront, it could pay dividends by reducing food waste and allowing your food to stay delicious and fresh-tasting for longer.
The author
Jackie Lobdell is the vice president of franchise development for Slim Chickens, a U.S.-based better chicken concept
