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While there are many things that keep a restaurant running, one of the most important sources of fuel for the business’s continued success is great employees. The staff is not only the customer’s first impression, but they are responsible for creating the entire dining experience, from seating to serving to dessert and clean-up. If you want to guarantee a great restaurant experience for your customers, it’s of supreme importance to have a competent, well trained, professional staff.
A well-trained staff is the secret to keeping a restaurant running smoothly, and one of the sure-fire ways to guarantee success. A great staff will keep operations in tip-top shape, and can help keep the restaurant functioning efficiently and cost-effectively. Here, we will discuss 10 reasons why taking the time to properly train your employees is one of the best investments you can make in your business.
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10 Reasons Why You Need to Properly Train Employees. These are some of the key reasons why you need to take the time and energy to train your employees, including an explanation of the benefits.
You’re investing in your future staff. It’s important to train all of your employees–even the bus stuff, dishwashers, and hosts. After all, it’s the employees who start out on the “low” rungs who often rise up the ranks. By starting out employees with a solid foundation, you will be investing in the future of your restaurant–you never know when today’s dishwasher will show a culinary talent that can revolutionize your restaurant. You want to nurture that talent and those skills.
Trained employees are more likely to stay with you. By taking the time to train your new hires, you are showing them that you respect them and their place in your establishment. This has the effect of immediately making employees feel valuable, which makes them more invested in the business. A trained employee is far more likely to be loyal to the restaurant and stay with you through good times and tough times. By having a great core of employees, you’ll have less turnover, and this can actually cut overall restaurant costs
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Trained employees will be better able to “sell” to customers. When you train employees, you are not merely teaching them about your restaurant’s technology and rules of conduct. You are also educating them on your restaurant’s mission, cuisine, and history. For servers and bartenders, this is of particular importance.
When they are well educated on the restaurant’s ingredients, cooking style, concept, and the story behind the chefs and establishment, they can offer a more comprehensive experience for the customer, making them feel as if they are in good, trusted hands. Ultimately, the customer is more willing to go for what the server proposes, and may end up spending more money, thus improving sales.
You’ll pass more health inspections. A training program for employees offers you the opportunity to educate them on the different rules and codes of conduct for handling food in a commercial kitchen. By educating employees on the rules regarding handling food and cleaning up, you are far more likely to adhere to health codes and maintain a sparkling food prep area. This means that the next time you have a surprise inspection, you’re far more likely to pass with flying colors.
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Trained employees provide a better dining experience for your customers. When employees are trained and educated, they feel as if they are part of the team and that they belong; this makes them carry themselves with more confidence while working. If you have employees in clean uniforms, carrying their heads high and handling customer requests with confidence and ease, your restaurant will come off as polished, professional, and a smooth running machine. It makes for a more enjoyable dining experience for diners, who will feel taken care of and pampered as customers.
You’ll increase overall efficiency. By training your employees, you are also teaching them how to operate effectively and efficiently. When each individual employee is working more efficiently and not having to pause to figure things out as they go or slowing down the system, they allow all of the other employees to work efficiently, too. The cumulative effect is that when your employees work more efficiently, from the host to the servers to the line cooks, things get done faster. This means that your tables will turn faster and the restaurant will make more money.
The workplace will be more positive. As previously mentioned, employees are more likely to remain on your staff long-term when you make the time investment to train them. When employees feel valued, they are happier and will do better work and take more pride in what they do. This ultimately creates a positive attitude in the workplace; when employees feel appreciated, they do better work and it creates a better overall environment. This means your employees are far less likely to leave mid-shift, as they might in a less friendly atmosphere.
Employees will have a better relationship with the management. A proper training program can promote a more healthy relationship between employees and the management. This is particularly true if someone in a management position leads the training. Spending time together creates a better relationship and more relatability, so that even while the manager remains in the position of superiority, a relationship is forged.
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Trained employees relate better to one another. When each employee is properly trained, they are better able to satisfy the requirements expected of them. This can reduce an imbalance in work between employees, which can lead to issues between workers. When each employee is adequately trained in his or her responsibilities, they are less likely to rely on others unnecessarily. This can lead to greater respect and peer relations among employees.
You will make more money. When your employees are trained, they will stay with you longer, sell better, provide better service, and work more efficiently. In case you haven’t already figured it out, all of these things add up to more income for you. When the employees are operating in a good groove, the restaurant is more open and ready for success.
Conclusion: By taking the time to properly train your employees, you are investing in the overall health and longevity of your restaurant. It’s worth taking the time to train employees thoroughly, because it is a sure-fire way to guarantee that your establishment is delivering the best dining experience possible for your customers.
Do you have a training program for employees?