Giving Your Managers the Tools and Knowledge they Need to Succeed
Effective management in your quick-serve restaurant can make or break your business.
No really. Great management can increase the efficiency and profitability of your quick-serve restaurant plus make work more enjoyable for all of your employees, helping increase retention rates.
However, most newly hired managers start out at entry level. In other words, most managers don’t have any managerial experience when they start the job. Even if you promote your best chef to manager, that doesn’t mean they won’t make mistakes as a new manager.
But it is possible to equip your new (and current) managers to help them do their best and improve your quick serve restaurant’s bottom line!
Here are five ways to equip your managers in your quick serve restaurant.
1 | Communicate and Teach Your Business’ Values
Even if your new manager has been a long-time employee of your quick serve restaurant, it’s a good time to go over your business’ core values and employee handbook again. Why are values so important? Many of your customers have strong values too. Just think about the values that Millennials and Gen Z have when it comes to things such as sustainable food production and recycling. Taking the time to sit with your new manager to show them how they impact the broader success of your business will motivate them to show guests why your restaurant is such an awesome place. Another great way to communicate your business’ core values and keep your staff informed about important updates is by utilizing QSRSoft TV, a leading tool in employee communication for the QSR space.
2 | Clearly Define Objectives and Goals
Giving your managers what they need is important, but first, you need to clearly lay out what you expect from them. Everyone needs an objective and goal to work toward. Did you know that people with written goals are more likely to achieve them? Encourage your manager to write down their goals. Some examples include creating a better guest experience, improving staff morale, or increasing profits. After outlining your goals, leverage QSRSoft Reports to ensure their achievement and ongoing improvement. Then, utilize QSRSoft TV to effectively communicate your goals and accomplishments to your staff.
3 | Encourage Them to Get to Know Your Customers
Customer service is the end-all-be-all for quick serve restaurants. Encourage your managers to get to know your customers better. This will help them better understand what your customers are looking for and improve customer service. Encourage them to also seek customer feedback, as this direct information can be highly valuable to improving your business.
While happy customers are great, there will be times when there are unhappy customers asking to speak to the manager. This is where teaching them how to respond can help. Train them on how to listen to complaints, how to give customers an action plan, and how to follow through on them. When it comes to common day-to-day complaints, keep your managers aware of these issues and in the loop on ownership decisions. This will help them better respond to complaints. Additionally, considering the adoption of a customer feedback program such as SMG Voice or Qualtrics can help you stay well-informed about your customers’ reactions to your staff.
4 | Teach Them How You’d Like Staff to be Trained
Dealing with customers is only part of the job of a manager. The other part is working with employees to make sure they are both happy and doing their jobs well. Teach your managers how you’d like your staff to be trained. Make sure they also have a good understanding of your business policies, culture, and human resource procedures. You might even consider investing in restaurant management courses and certifications for your managers to help give them a more comprehensive grasp of how the industry works and their role in the company. Join your industry leaders and make use of QSRSoft TV to showcase essential training materials that you wouldn’t want your staff to miss. It is one of the simplest and most effective methods to ensure your staff remains well-trained and performs at their best.
5 | Give Them the Right Tech Tools
Finally, give your managers the right technology to get the job done and ensure that they are well-versed in that technology. This includes your POS (point of sale) system, inventory systems, reporting integrations, and other tech or software, such as employee management systems.
Looking for technology solutions that help make it easier to run great quick serve restaurants? QSRSoft’s innovation solutions are trusted by leading restaurant owners and brands. With our solutions, you and your managers will get the tools you need to streamline daily tasks and communications, get insights into data and analytics, as well as manage your employees. Learn more about our products and solutions.