Why your staff may be feeling less than festive
Christmas is a key time of year for most hospitality businesses, and a successful festive season is often vital to surviving the January slump. According to research for the NIQ 2023 Christmas Report, 73% of consumers visited a licensed venue during the 2023 festive season.
Christmas party bookings create busier kitchens and bars, and often mean livelier and more demanding customers which can be stressful for your teams.
It helps to remember that some staff may feel they’re sacrificing time with friends and family to be at work, and they want to feel that there’s a reward for that sacrifice. This is compounded by seeing so many others out and having fun; something their friends are probably doing too.
And don’t forget the Christmas tunes on a seemingly endless loop!
How to reduce festive stress in hospitality
Get in the spirit
Developing and strengthening a good team Christmas spirit will go a long way in getting the party atmosphere started right. Initiatives that encourage teams to bond will help make those stressful times a little easier. Think Secret Santa or a Christmas party (or both) to inject some fun and give your team a chance to share a few laughs and stories outside of the work environment. A team which has each others’ back, where staff feel the support of their peers, and they feel happy to be at work will make for a welcoming overall vibe.
Why not set up a special Christmas incentive initiative as well? Recognising when staff have gone over and above and offering fun prizes or bonuses will motivate them along the way. Whether it’s based on the most guests served or the greatest number of positive customer comments or testimonials, however you set it up, it will not only aid staff morale, it’ll be good for business.
Make the most of your data
When it comes to finding the perfect balance of staffing levels, it can be easier said than done. But don’t worry, you don’t need a crystal ball to predict demand this year. Using data to drive decisions about your staff scheduling can be incredibly helpful. Last year’s data, along with demand forecasting can help you to make sure staff are less likely to be overloaded, whilst avoiding lost revenue through overstaffing.
Go through last year’s written reports, or use performance data from scheduling and rota software and your hospitality booking and reservation software to easily build a picture for this year’s festive season. The more data you have, the better, and this is where a fully integrated system can make a huge difference.
When it comes to keeping staff motivated, there’s nothing worse than having too few staff working a busy shift and feeling stressed and overwhelmed. That’s why it’s so important to be careful to have enough staff to cover what are likely to be your peak hours. Pay attention to industry trends; according to our Christmas Trends, using data collated by DesignMyNight for last year, the most popular day for bookings in the lead up to the season, (pre December 25th) was 22nd November. And the most popular day for NYE bookings was 29th December.
You may also want to consider staggered working hours, to make sure there’s always someone on hand to serve customers.
Listen to your team
Communication is key in every relationship, and that includes your relationship with your staff. If you want them to feel well looked after, and avoid burnout, you need good two-way communication. That means you don’t just need to talk to them, you need to listen as well.
When you’re creating rotas for the season, communication is vital.To keep things fair, talk to everyone about what they need as early as possible; you should also make sure everyone fully understands the needs of the business, and their role in that. Once you know staff availability, work around this where possible to finalise your plans.
When you take staff plans and family commitments into consideration, and work with everyone to accommodate them as much as possible, your staff are more likely to want to work with you to find a plan that works for everyone. Showing some commitment to a fair work-life balance at this busy time goes a long way with hospitality employees.
Once you’ve finalised your plan, the earlier you share it with your team, the better. If there are any issues, you can discuss these with those concerned and make any necessary adjustments in plenty of time.
Put the right training in place
Check your staff are trained in all relevant areas. It may be that you need to ask an employee to cover a different area or carry out different tasks over the holidays. Perhaps you’ll need them to work at a different site. Whatever potential duties you may need them to cover, be sure they know what’s expected of them so they can hit the ground running if they’re called upon. By establishing this before the season starts, you’ll be more prepared as a team.
Empower your staff
When staff are facing much heavier workloads than normal, you’ll need to put some measures in place to support them. When staff feel empowered to do their jobs well, and on their terms, they’re more likely to feel happy and motivated.
As we’ve already mentioned, communicating with employees is critical, whether that’s by way of a brief one-to-one meeting every week (or every other week) or just checking in with them frequently. Operating an open-door policy will encourage them to speak to supervisors and line managers about any concerns or ideas before they turn into problems for the business.
Software can help keep your team connected and make it easy for them to see their shifts, request holidays and swap shifts if needed as well as pick up extra shifts that become available at short notice.
In addition to good communication, measures like smart scheduling, proper training, and potentially investing in temporary festive staff are all going to be pivotal in managing your employees’ workload and making them feel that they are being supported.
For operators with multiple sites, you may also wish to move appropriately trained staff from one site to another during busy weeks in December. That’s where the right technology can really make your life easier.
Streamline processes to help avoid unnecessary stress
Christmas is meant to be a joyful time; the last thing you want is for your staff to feel a growing dread in the pit of their stomach as the season approaches. Yes, it’s a busy time for the business, and yes you’ll need them to be flexible to support the increased demand on the business. But it would be nice if they wanted to support you, and felt motivated and engaged with helping the business meet its targets.
If you’re serious about wanting to support and motivate your staff during the festive period, it’s important to recognise the additional stress, and do what you can to mitigate it. A really great place to start is making sure that all of your processes are as efficient as possible. And it’s worth reviewing the customer journey to make sure you’re staying ahead of potential problems. The more you do to make sure your customers are happy, the more you’ll be doing to support your staff. After all, unhappy customers are more likely to complain and increase stress.
Taking payments at the end of a meal can cause stress and delays for both customers and staff when you don’t have the right technology in place to support a seamless experience. Hospitality EPoS (Electronic Point of Sale) integration helps to make taking payments quick and easy for your team, improving turnaround times and keeping your customers happy. It helps you to easily streamline processes and automate certain tasks by connecting and sharing information across key areas of the business.
If you haven’t already looked into the benefits of EPoS integration, you may find that it could make a big difference for your business, both for the festive season, and all year round.
The right EPoS integration can improve the customer experience in so many ways.
1- Stock Up
Not only is taking payments easier, you can also link it to your purchase to pay system to optimise stock ordering. Real-time stock alerts can make sure you stay on top of inventory and you never run out of popular menu items at peak times. It can be pretty stressful for staff to have to tell customers that the festive Brie and Cranberry starter is off the menu.
2- Personalise your marketing
EPoS integration with your CRM lets you capture real-time data that can transform your marketing campaigns. Think automated thank you emails a few hours after customers visit, or a free mulled wine if they come back in the next few days.
3- Keep the orders flowing
An integrated kitchen management system can be a game changer when your venue is packed and staff are feeling the pressure; by creating a seamless stream of communication in real time between the kitchen and front of house, everyone’s lives become a little easier. It will also reduce the risk of mistakes, which can be costly in terms of wasted food and negative reviews.
4- Make booking easy
Integrate your EPoS system with your online booking platform to get instant updates on availability and remove the risk of human error or cross-booking. The last thing your already frazzled employees need is to have to explain to a disgruntled customer why there’s no table for them, when they’ve booked in advance.
5- Get the orders in early
Speaking of advance bookings, if your EPoS system allows you to take preorders, you can ask large groups to place their order before they even arrive. This lets the kitchen prepare in advance for big tables, and relieves some of the pressure.
6- Split the bill
When busy staff are trying to juggle multiple customers, their hearts may sink when a group asks to split the bill at the end of the meal. Your EPoS system can automate this process and make it quick and simple.
Make sure your tipping policy is clear and fair
When it comes to tipping, it’s important to operate a transparent, equitable and streamlined system. Some customers may be more generous over the festive period, and if you want your whole team to feel valued and rewarded for their efforts, you’ll need to make sure you’ve got a clear policy in place.
By discussing the matter with staff before you make a decision, you’ll gain valuable insight as to what system might work best for your business and teams. Whichever system you opt for, make sure you’ve clearly communicated that to the whole team, and display the scheme details on menus or notices in your venue for customers to see.
Many operators choose a tronc system, which is a specialised payment arrangement that’s tailored to apportion tips, gratuities and service charges. Whether you’re opting to apportion based on specific shifts or rewards for standout performers, you can operate on a crystal-clear transparency basis.
Invest in the right technology
Investing in technology can do so much for a hospitality business at any time of the year, but it’s important to understand which solutions will offer the best value to you and your business. Efficiency and productivity are only part of the picture (albeit important parts). The right technology can boost your marketing efforts, increase sales and provide a better experience for customers. And, as we’ve already discussed, it can also make managing your people more effective, leading to happier, more motivated employees.
It’s common for people to feel the pinch over the festive period, and the cost of living crisis has meant finances are likely to be tighter than ever for many members of your team. An on-demand pay system can make a huge difference to staff struggling to make ends meet. By giving them the option to take their payment as soon as they earn it, you are showing them that you understand and empathise with their situation and saving them from any potential embarrassment of having to ask for an advance.
Additionally, if you’re asking employees to cover different sites over the busy season and you’re paying the cost of their travel, consider expenses software that saves time and admin and ensures they and the business are income tax and VAT compliant.
How can Access Hospitality help?
Access Hospitality’s range of industry-leading hospitality software solutions can make it so much easier to keep your staff motivated throughout the festive season, and all year round.
Award winning rota software
Rotaready makes it easy for your teams to see, swap and manage their shifts as well as help you ensure you have the right staff on the right days. Our demand forecasting feature will help you to get staffing levels right at this busy time of year, and Rotaready can help you to easily manage attendance when staff are coming and going more often than usual.
Recruitment and onboarding
Hiring seasonal staff can be a nightmare - make the process smooth and simple with an onboarding programme of content to get your new team members confident and compliant from the get go with help from our learning management system.
Easy integrations
Streamline your processes to remove unnecessary stress on your staff. Access EPoS connects your systems together to provide more personalised and effective marketing, increase sales, and an improved customer experience. Access EPoS partners with the biggest names in the hospitality industry to offer a huge selection of integrations, making it easy to implement and incorporate into your existing setup.
On-demand pay solution
With large numbers of employees, possibly spread across multiple venues, manually paying each team member according to a different schedule is an unmanageable task. But on-demand pay software from Access Hospitality allows you to offer your team true financial freedom easily, which will be especially appreciated during the festive season.
Online booking software
Reduce confusion and stress for your team by taking your booking process online. Our best-in-class online booking system lets you manage all of your bookings in one place. Take advance orders, manage deposits, and even optimise your seating plans with ease using Access Collins.
Are your teams ready to serve this Christmas?
In this article, we’ve looked at some of the reasons your team might be feeling less than excited about the upcoming festive period. And more importantly, we’ve examined what you can do to help.
Try to be as understanding and flexible as you can, to show that you appreciate them and you’re invested in their wellbeing. And look into what steps you can take ahead of time to minimise stress.This will help you keep your staff for longer and keep morale high, ultimately leading to a motivated workforce that will deliver the very best in customer service.
For more help with managing and streamlining your staff scheduling processes this Christmas, check out our staff scheduling software or talk to the team to see which solutions could work best for you. or talk to the team to see which solutions could work best for you and your business.
