Staff Shortages… *sigh* the moment when you get a text from your employee and realise they will be off for the next week. Everyone in the hospitality industry is rearing to get back to the new “normal” but how do we deal with set backs such as staff shortages?

We have the best tips and tricks for you below.

1. Use QR Codes for ordering!
In a world of scanning QR codes everyone, including your mum knows how to use these little squares. These have become absolutely essential over the past few years for an extremely good reason. Set up a system on your menu or table so guests can quickly log in, review the menu and order all in a matter of minutes, this then keeps the staff and guests safe, plus it frees up more time for the staff to focus on the more typically important tasks.

2. Keep ‘thaw and serve’ stock on hand for busy periods
Imagine you are in the middle of an extremely busy day in your restaurant and your head chef has just gone down with the virus. you only have a few things in the cabinet… What are you meant to do now? Keeping a thaw and serve option on hand is a great solution for a quick fix that all customers will enjoy, and it will still meet your high standards. To see some great thaw and serve products visit our website emmajanes.co.nz .

3. Eradicate the little things
Everyone loves great service but when you don’t have the facilities to be able to do the extras you usually would. Something has to give. Instead of your front of house team running around like a headless chicken create an efficient way to serve customers without seeming stressed. For example if you are a restaurant that pours out water, pop a carafe on the table and only go over and change it when needed. Let customers come to you when ordering. This also helps eliminates mistakes when staff are extra busy.

4. Be Truthful with guests
People in general have become more empathetic as the pandemic continues. As soon as a guest walks into the door make sure you let them know that you are understaffed and there will be a wait time, if they decide that isn’t what they want its better you have been truthful to them compared to getting angry at wait times and creating a bad atmosphere for your remaining staff. You could always provide something small on the house to sweeten up the wait times and make sure they know you are valued.

5. Value your staff
When you are the manager and you are understaffed for the shift you will feel frustrated. The staff see this frustration and take it on themselves. If you appreciate your staff by sending them a small gift basket when they are sick or giving them some sort of pay rise this will mean they are more loyal to you in the long run by taking on more shifts when needed. Make sure you always take care of your staff because at the end of the day they will be the ones helping you when times get tough.