Ban the Order Pad
One barrier that prevents staff building rapport with customers is the use of order pads. Encourage staff to take orders without an order pad. Start with two customers and then build to four as people develop their confidence. I don't recommend trying this technique for more than 4, but you never know with some super stars.
The improved interaction with customers soon becomes noticeable and as a an added benefit you also save money on pads!
Chase the fiver
encourage your team to "sell" by playing - chase the fiver!
one way of playing it is by encouraging the sale of doubles. Start the shift by programming your mobile alarm to go off at a certain time, later in the evening.
When the first person serves a double, they get passed the fiver. In turn as they sell it gets passed around the team. Whoever is in possession of the £5 note when your alarm goes off keeps it.
Please remember however this must be done with consideration of the responsibilities of responsible retailing.
other ways it can be used:
for garlic bread sales
for liqueur coffees
items with a high gross margin
items that may go beyond their sell by date
Check your bank statement daily
First job in the morning as you enjoy that first cup of coffee or mug of tea; go on-line and check your bank statements. This will keep you totally up-to-date with what is / isn't in your bank! Be in control. Bank Charges for going overdrawn are an unnecessary business cost. A great course to consider is the BIIAB Profitable Business Portfolio - Unit 1 Profit and Loss and Budget Control
Exceptional Service leads to great tips
Customers will reward great service. I always worry for people who say "our customers don't tip!"
It is rare for a customer who feels they have had good service not to tip and leave at least 10 - 15% of the value of the bill. Some points to consider are:
treat customers as individuals
put yourself into their shoes -empathise with them and consider "how would I feel"
the fewer the members of staff that handle a customer the better
anitcipate customer needs, don't react to them
make sure the customer knows your name
sell to them - more coffee, more drinks, desserts
fill the chat gap - not about the weather or traffic though
make sure they don't have to wait for their bill
sign the bill with your name and say thank you!
Flip chart and Pad
ask Santa for a flip chart - they are a great tool to assist with staff training and to use when planning or reviewing your business
Sales incentives
As Christmas approaches set each member of your team some sales targets. For example bottles of wine, liqueur coffees, bottles of champagne or perhaps desserts. As an incentive for each one sold either offer them a cash reward or give them points towards a big prize. Why not tempt your team with a colour TV or a week-end break in London hotel. Remember though to do the calculations as every incentive must be self financing i.e. you make sufficient profit to easily cover the cost. It is worth taking a look at the BIIAB Profitable Business Portfolio - unit 3: Motivating your Team
Send team members on a mission
Another great idea is to send members of your team on a mission to go and view what your competition are up to. Arm them with some money - the amount depending on whether it is for a drink or a meal.
Ask them to complete a simple review
what did they like?
what didn't they like?
what should be copied?
what makes your business better or different
the benefit of this is that they will learn from their visit, you will gather useful information and they will feel motivated by being treated by you! Everyone is a winner
If you want to know more about Motivating your team - consider taking unit 3 of the Profitable Business Portfolio.
Team Target Board
Put a whiteboard near to your team noticeboard and write on it targets for the week - e.g. Sales, number of covers, average spend per head, how many bottles of wine you want to sell. You can also note how well you did against the targets for last week.
The Trading Week
Think carefully as to what will be the start and finish of your trading week - it should not be a decision you take lightly!
The majority of businesses go for a new week starting on a Sunday or Monday.
Sunday to Saturday: allows you time on a Sunday morning to complete the end of week paperwork, also to build up enough cash to prepare a final banking on a Monday morning, leaving enough for a float.
Monday to Sunday: fits with the traditional working week, more time to complete paperwork if Monday is a quiet day for you, ideal for doing a weekly food stock take (best practice for any food operation)
With either of the above this makes meeting with your senior team to discuss the weeks trading easy.
Friday to Thursday: this gives you an opportunity to hit the week running and by Monday morning you will have a good idea as to how you are hitting / missing your targets. This information helping you to react to staffing levels and costs, not only for the week you are in but the next one as well.
If you go for a Sunday or Monday start, a good week-end is unlikley to make up for a quiet start.
Weekly Business Review
Schedule a formal business meeting at a regular time each week to discuss the business with key members of your team. This may include team members such your partner, bars manager, head chef and supervisor. Develop a set agenda which includes:
Review of the previous week (sales, covers, average spend, wages, standards);
Promotional activity (costs/benefits);
The week ahead (targets for sales, covers, average spend, wages);
Stock reports (food and wet);
Competitor Activity (discuss one competitor in detail each week);
Promotional Plan;
The team (training, motivation, recruitment).
The meeting should last no more than an hour and actions should be recorded and circulated to all concerned.
What's for tea?
A very simple traffic building idea. Pick one night of the week (a quiet one!), select a low cost dish and promote to your customers.
If you are a food pub then it can be offered as a special or if you currently serve little food, why not make it the only dish on offer. Keep the price really low (the lowest of course being break even) and use as a tool to bring in customers who will create atmosphere and of course buy a drink! Suggested dishes include: Shepherd's Pie; Bangers and Mash; Chilli and Rice; Fish Fingers, Chips and Beans; Gammon & Eggs and Fish Pie. It won't be long before customers start saying "What's for tea tonight Mum?"
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