Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Today's Specials:
INFOGRAPHIC: Are Restaurants On Board with On-Demand Technology
On-demand technology is a new way for restaurants to meet and interact with guests where they already are – be it on their mobile devices or at your table. This infographic shows if restaurants are on board with the on-demand technology and ways to implement new strategies.
DID YOU KNOWS…
Rules of Conduct in Sportive Protests
Many players of the NFL have begun kneeling during the national anthem to protest racism in the United States and has caused an immediate divide among viewers. This infographic shows Americans’ views on the protests and President Trump’s reaction to the following boycotts.
Doomsday Costco Kits
Costco has introduced a rather intense emergency meal kit option for their doomsday preppers. Now you can buy Emergency Meal Kits with enough canned and shelf-stable meal options to sustain between one and four adults for up to a full year. Prices range from $999.99-$5,999. And yes, there are already reviews for the doomsday kits.
A Big Mac with a Side of Coke
Police say that a McDonald’s night-shift manager in the Bronx ran a thriving cocaine side business from the store’s counter for the past eight years. During a three-month sting, he reportedly sold undercover cops more than $10,000 worth of the drug. Not the happy meal people were expecting.
SEATTLE’S BEST
Why it matters to you: Hey Seattle, you’re paying how much and still aren’t staffed?
With a soaring economy, a vibrant downtown and all the amenities of the great Northwest, Seattle has been on a rising trajectory for several years now. It is also a progressive bastion that was an early adopter to the Fight for $15. Now, it appears that the results are in and raising the minimum wage has done little to improve the labor market. In fact, with a rising economy has come out of reach rents that force lower wage workers into long commutes because they can’t afford to live locally. The natural assumption is that increasing the wage and more people will have interest in the positions, but it hasn’t worked out that way for Seattle.
The proof here is that labor issues are far more complicated than simply how much a job pays. None of this even scratches the surface of immigration-related labor pool issues, as more and more raids are executed at restaurants. So, while the increased wages definitely improve the lifestyle of employees, it has had little impact on an incredibly tight labor pool. This is just further proof that finding and attracting quality people is only partially related to how much you pay them.
PHONE FAILS
Why it matters to you: How do you prevent staff members from using their phones during their shift?
There are constant challenges with our staff that restaurant managers everywhere face in their day to day operations. One specific problem cited by an owner revolves around keeping employees from using their phones at work. While having policies in place against using phones at work, there seems to be a disconnect between what staff members deem appropriate for inside versus outside of work habits. In a Restaurant Business Magazine article, an industry professional discloses his struggle with keeping staff members focused and engaged with guests.
Specifically, some owners have created cell phone lockers with chargers where employees can lock up and charge their phones for the shift. In some cases, establishments have had to ban cell phones altogether to keep employee’s focus on their guests and not on their messages.
This obstacle has only become more complicated to deal with now that so many forms of technology are available, including Apple Watches and restaurant-used tablets. From the guest’s perspective, it is extremely unprofessional to see staff constantly glued to their phones even when our employees think they don’t notice. Overall, the safest bet is to ban any device that can cause disruption in your staff as a means to keep everyone’s focus to the guests. Enforcing a complicated cell phone policy will only set yourself up for debates you don’t want to have. It’s better to keep it simple and say no phones on the floor.
