How To Use Technology to Make Life Easier For Your Restaurant Staff
A guide to ensuring your two biggest resources – your people and your technology — are operating in lockstep.
Restaurant staff and technology should be a match made in heaven. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Owners and operators might feel like they’re between a rock and a hard place when it comes to aligning their employees and their technology.
As you already know, the restaurant industry faces serious staffing shortages. So keeping your people happy is a chief concern.
At the same time, the latest restaurant tech innovations — which often boost efficiency — represent a lifeline for restaurants already operating on razor-thin margins.
Your people and your platforms are your most valuable resources. But they often don’t play nice together. Tech malfunctions, bugs, and service delays are a major source of frustration for your employees:
“Why aren’t we showing up on DoorDash?”
“Our WiFi went down. Who knows when it’s coming back!!”
“The POS stopped working after I wiped the terminal screen!”
The key to success lies in getting your tech and restaurant staff on the same page. Your tech stack should alleviate stress and make life easier for your team, rather than causing additional headaches.
Let’s dig into the best way to get your restaurant staff and technology working in lockstep:
5 tech-forward strategies to help your restaurant staff
At Science on Call, we help QSR and fast-casual chains maintain a tech stack that works for them, rather than against them.
We’ve worked with hundreds of restaurants across the country. Safe to say, we’ve observed a few strategies that work well. Here’s a combo platter of tips and tricks for using tech to make life easier for your staff:
1. Provide technology-specific training
We’ll mention a few tech platforms throughout this article — all of which can be helpful for staff. However, before you add any products to your tech stack, it’s important to make sure employees know how to use it.
Put another way: train your restaurant staff on the technology they’re being asked to use! This might seem obvious to some, but it’s not executed nearly enough throughout the industry. Setting aside an hour every month for training could go a long way.
You can also use tech to help you train. We recommend checking out training platforms such as Opus, which are designed with restaurant staff in mind.
2. Update software and hardware consistently
This might be the simplest tip we’ll give, but it’s still important.
If your software or hardware is experiencing bugs, crashes, and malfunctions, there’s a good chance an update might fix it Always check with your IT team first, and even your vendors, as the latest version of iOS, for example, may not work well with your POS software. Still, consistently keeping up with the latest updates can provide a first line of defense against frustrating issues and system failures.
3. Add certainty to inventory management and demand planning
Missing supplies and ingredients can be killer. Customers don’t like ordering an item, only to find they can’t get what they want. Restaurant staff don’t like doing damage control with frustrated customers.
Plus, many shift managers feel personally responsible if they run out of bagels, briskets, or burritos. The I should’ve planned better feeling can be deflating — even if it wasn’t truly the manager’s fault.
Our friends at ClearCogs have developed an AI-powered platform that helps restaurant teams analyze data from their POS and menu to better plan for customer demands. Taking the guesswork out of demand and inventory planning can be a huge boost for staff
Staying on top of staffing during periods of high demand can also provide a boost to your team. 5 Out can be a great tool for making sure you’ve got the right mix of labor scheduled.
4. Highlight your appreciation
You’re an owner/operator, so you understand: restaurant staff are often stretched thin. At the worst of times, serving customers can feel like a thankless job.
Technology can help you show your employees that their good deeds don’t go unnoticed.
One of our good friends, and a genuine thought leader in restaurant operations, Eric Knott of the PDQ Chicken Restaurant chain, has found a creative way to do this. Eric is creating a makeshift “PDQTV” channel. Instead of playing the news, sports or other programs on his restaurant’s TVs, Eric displays slides that spotlight his Team Members, as well as their commitment to Quality Food Preparation and their local communities.
"It is just in our DNA and our name; P stands for People! We try to always remember that People are the core of our business, and we are dedicated to Improving the lives of our Team, Guests and Community. The team as well as our guests really enjoy seeing all of the fun we have with this mission and is just 1 of many ways we take care of our TM's.” – Eric
No worries if you don’t have TVs. Try putting up posters or using your digital menu displays to give your staff some props.
5. HaVe a backup plaN
Even if your tech stack is working perfectly right now, your employees might feel anxious. What’s gonna happen the next time there’s a hiccup? Will customers yell at me if our POS stops working?
That’s why having a tech stack backup plan is so important. Science On Call’s dedicated restaurant technologists can provide your restaurants with a 24/7 tech help desk. Our experts have dealt with nearly every issue related to implementing, integrating, or fixing your tech, and they’re available by call, text, or email. We pride ourselves in solving most issues in a matter of minutes.
Science On Call: A BFF for restaurant staff
Our mission is simple: we make technology work, so you and your restaurant staff can focus on your food and guests.
If you need to take back your tech stack, we’ve got you. Book a demo with our team today to discover your staff’s new best friend for all things restaurant tech.