When using new technology to run your restaurant, your staff must be adequately trained on the equipment to maximize both the employees’ and technology’s full potential. QSR employees tend to leave when they feel overwhelmed and undertrained on customer service and restaurant technology. Of course, you want high employee retention rates to keep costs down, so it should be of utmost importance to train employees.
Technology is Needed, Don’t Be Afraid of It
Advanced tech, like a cloud based restaurant POS system, will help update your company for the modern age. The programs will link with your accounting software, work within the cloud, and provide you with all the information you need. Plus, you can use these programs to clock employee hours, generate reports, connect with your mobile app, or connect with delivery services. Plus, you can connect your website to the POS system so that you can complete online orders.
Your employees may not be tech-savvy, but you should not wait to introduce them to this technology. The cloud is not scary because your staff most likely doesn’t understand how the restaurant uses it. Explain to your staff that utilizing the cloud is safe, stores a lot of information, and helps your company collect big data that can be used in reports to improve business.
Tips for Introducing New Tech
When you are introducing new technology to your staff, you should use a systematic approach. Start with a training session where everyone comes to work, is trained on the new system, and is given a handbook for the system. You cannot solve all your problems in just one meeting, but you can introduce the technology to everyone in a safe environment.
Second, you need to make sure that your managers have been tested on the use of new restaurant technology. You are not penalizing your managers if they do not understand your new systems. You simply want the managers to know what they are doing. By testing your managers, they will have every opportunity to meet up before they are working with your staff on the floor.
Finally, it would help if you warned your staff about changes or updates to your technology in advance. You cannot surprise your team with a mass meeting where they are expected to use new software that very same day. Delay the release of your new technology by a few weeks so that you know everyone understands what is happening.
How to Accommodate for Hesitant Employees
You can accommodate your hesitant employees by:
- Never relating performance on new software to employee pay.
- Have experienced managers near your employees to help. The employees can learn to use software faster if managers are friendly and helpful.
- Offer access to an online tutorial that the employees can try on their own.
One Last Thing About Introducing New Technology
Upgrading and updating your business ensures that you can make more money and make wise decisions. You can use the tips above to train your staff, update your business, and accommodate your employees. When you make simple changes to your restaurant technology, you can become a much more efficient and profitable business.
