Introduction
As Easter is closing in, hospitality businesses wrestle with the challenges of ensuring customer satisfaction and increasing sales. Peak holiday season comes with its hurdles, but if navigated deftly, it can give the profits you desire. Keep reading this blog post to find out how the right management solution can help you to succeed this Easter, along with tips and tricks to give your customers a magical experience!
Springing into Action: Managing Labour Costs Amidst Easter Weekend Rushes
According to Restaurant, last year, restaurants saw a 3.09% increase in customer spending over the Easter weekend (restaurantonline.co.uk). This figure suggests that venues should be prepared for an influx of patrons as we approach Easter next week. With increased numbers of customers, employers may need to consider adding more staff to their rota than they usually would, which means increased labour costs.
This issue becomes especially pertinent for hospitality venues operating in multiple locations. As staff hours vary across different venues, familiarising with the ebb and flow to reduce wage spend becomes crucial. The solution? Robust scheduling software. With it, businesses can stay up to date with weekly shift requirements around Easter, as well as holidays or time off requests.
No More Time-Consuming Staff Scheduling
Employers can't overlook the dilemma of staff scheduling. A massive chunk of time is consumed in juggling multiple staff members' availability. The Easter holiday rush can exacerbate this problem, but with the right rota software, the issue can be mitigated significantly. This helps businesses focus on what truly matters – providing stellar service and delicious, festive food.
Opsyte offers a range of automated scheduling solutions to help save time, such as staff rota templates, compliance warnings, and labour-cost management tools. You can find out more about our scheduling software by visiting our website.
Revolutionise your Time-Tracking
Opsyte revolutionises staff management for hospitality businesses, especially during the bustling Easter Weekend. Operators benefit from unparalleled flexibility in monitoring staff hours and attendance, essential for maintaining seamless operations amidst increased customer traffic.
Whether you opt for a tablet/computer setup on-site or our intuitive app, complete with location and IP restrictions for added security, you can easily adapt to your unique needs. Our innovative staff rota feature streamlines oversight, allowing you to compare scheduled shifts with actual hours worked effortlessly.
This efficient process ensures precision and empowers you to swiftly approve hours, minimising time-consuming tasks. Additionally, our scheduling software's robust reporting module offers comprehensive tools for efficient time and attendance tracking. Detailed reports pinpoint staff absences and late clock-ins, providing actionable insights for proactive decision-making and cost optimisation.
With our solution, hospitality businesses like yours gain full visibility into your workforce, enabling you to meet demand, manage labour costs, and deliver exceptional service even during the busiest periods like Easter Weekend.
Happy Staff, Happy Customers
During the lead-up to the Easter weekend, ensuring that your staffs' needs are met becomes paramount. As the saying goes: 'Happy staff, happy customers'.
The hospitality industry experiences a significant surge in activity during holidays like Easter, with increased foot traffic, reservations, and events. Therefore, the performance and demeanour of staff play a crucial role in shaping the overall guest experience and satisfaction levels. Happy and well-trained staff not only contribute to smoother operations but also directly impact customer retention and brand reputation.
Employers and managers can set aside five to ten minutes before or after each shift during the Easter weekend to ask how their employees' have been coping with busier shifts, and whether there can be anything done to improve their experience and benefit overall operations. Giving your employees' a chance to speak is essential to letting them know that their opinions are important to your business, which they are.
To ensure that there is a channel of communication for everyone, you can enable Opsyte's 'Shift Feedback' feature which allows staff members to anonymously rate each of their shifts. This is a fantastic way of pinpointing areas of your operations that require improvement without making a staff member feel singled-out for speaking up.
Secondly, well-trained staff have the necessary skills and knowledge to manage the increased demands and complexities associated with holiday periods like Easter. Effective training ensures that employees are proficient in various aspects of their roles, including customer service, food and beverage preparation, safety protocols, and crisis management. This proficiency not only enhances operational efficiency but also instils confidence in staff members to handle any challenges that may arise, thereby minimising errors and mitigating risks.
Opsyte's HR solutions mean that you can store and track your teams' training documents in one place and manage them in accordance with when they need updating in line with your business's policies.
Easter-Themed Delights
With the burden of labour costs and scheduling alleviated, co-owners and restaurant managers can focus their efforts on immersing their customers in the Easter celebrations. Consider adding Easter-themed menu items that focus on icons of the holiday including, rabbit ears, eggs, chicks, flowers etc. Alternatively, you can focus on an Easter-inspired colour palette for your menu items, these could include beverages as well.
Additionally, catering to families during the Easter season can significantly enhance the appeal of hospitality venues. Hosting family-friendly events such as Easter egg hunts or organising craft sessions for children help to create memorable experiences.
For adult patrons, Easter-themed brunches featuring festive drinks and a floral colour palette can provide a sophisticated yet celebratory dining experience. Whether it's a refreshing mimosa adorned with spring blossoms or a decadent floral-inspired dessert, these touches can elevate the Easter dining experience and appeal to a diverse range of clientele. By embracing the spirit of the season and offering activities and menus that cater to different age groups, hospitality businesses can further differentiate themselves and attract a wider audience during this peak holiday period.
Conclusion
In summary, the combination of efficient restaurant rota software and creative culinary efforts offers wide-ranging opportunities to boost sales and ensure customer satisfaction during the Easter season. With the right tools and strategies, your venue can turn Easter into a festive sales booster, making it a true financial 'Easter miracle'.
