Robots vs. Humans: How to overcome a labor shortage at your restaurant
Our research over the past few months has shown that the restaurant industry is dealing with a major labor shortage. It’s not just that people don’t want to go back to work; people feel that the risk outweighs the reward. Labor has always been an issue in the hospitality industry; the pandemic simply shed light on the low pay, long hours, and lack of benefits. Naturally, employers are once again relying on the power of tech to sustain their business. And everybody loves their tech, right? Wrong.
In truth, most people in your restaurant are not your go-to-guy when handling tech issues, and with fewer hands on deck, tech problems will pull managers and shift leads off their game. Of course, our Scientists have been working diligently in the Lab to construct the ultimate resource guide to maintaining a balance of human interaction vs automation in the work environment.
Lean in to Tech
There isn’t always an easy transition from old to new, but right now the worst place you can be is somewhere in the middle. Doing an audit of your technological needs can help you figure out where you are falling behind, or where consistent technical failures are. You may also be spending more to maintain some of your older equipment because of the lacking availability of necessary parts. Basically, if your POS looks like this, it’s time to move on. Upserve, Square, and Toast POS systems have many tools and integrations , so that you can communicate directly from front of house to back of house with ease.
Additionally , the world of restaurant tech is evolving rapidly. Not preparing for the inevitable automation of a lot of functions - touchscreen kiosks, drone delivery, robot waiters - could be the end of your business as you know it. Okay, robot waiters might not be something you need to worry about [yet], but you get the point. Trying to make the leap every 10 years instead of every one or two years is a lot harder to accomplish. 86 Repairs is an excellent resource for diagnosing and repairing restaurant equipment.
2. Focus on what you do best
Being short-staffed SUCKS! It can make or break an evening, and possibly ruin your weekend. But sometimes, you have to deal with it. So while you are waiting for your team to be back to full strength, just do you! Make your food delicious, your service spectacular, your atmosphere impeccable. Technical issues may come-and-go, but that’s to be expected. The best you can do for your customer, and your wallet, is to make your restaurant the place you want it to be.
3. Call Science!
We at Science know we can’t replace a new waiter or host, but while you’re out recruiting your next employee, Science is here to handle all your technological crises in your restaurant. It’s certainly cheaper than paying for internal IT staff- see prices – and it’s a whole lot simpler than having the bartender unplug and plug things back in. Among all the services we offer, from POS installations, Online Ordering Configuration, Internet Outage Solutions, to onboarding new employees, we offer you the thing you need most: availability. We’re here, 24/7. When the walls start caving in and the staff starts feeling the heat, Science on Call is just a call or text away.