Man Vs. Machine – embracing technology in today’s labor crunch
The integration of technology within the Food and beverage industry has been a growing trend for years. But the current challenges of a shrinking labor pool have created a new urgency to not only accept, but to embrace, this trend. Despite this, many operators are still asking the question: can I afford to invest in technology? I would argue that in today’s world, you can’t afford not to.
Imagine a restaurant manager from the 1980s who travels through time and takes a peak into the tech-driven world of Food and Beverage today. They’d be in for quite a shock.
Reservations, inventory, ordering, scheduling. All of these labor-intensive managerial activities are now augmented using tech and take a fraction of the time and effort as before. And advanced POS, payment processes and QR code menus are reducing steps of service and allowing for fewer FOH staff to serve the same number of guests. And the advancement of robot dishwashing could soon eliminate every chefs nightmare…the dreaded “walkouts” of entire dish room crews.
As amazing as all of this seems, I’d imagine that time traveling restaurant manager asks the key question: Isn’t hospitality about people? How do we maintain a sense of true hospitality if we are reducing the number of interactions between a guest and staff? And how do we avoid the pitfalls of technology turning our restaurants into a robot-infested “Hal” dystopia? A slightly dramatic way of looking at progress but also a somewhat relevant question that many operators are asking themselves and to the consultants advising them.
When we are advising clients on how to effectively embrace and integrate tech into their operations we also advise them on how to keep that tech in balance and avoid the pitfalls of reducing hospitality in the process. I’ve highlighted below a few specific topics that come up frequently.
- Reservation systems – have created huge efficiencies in reducing admin and host labor. But be careful not to cut back too far. Many restaurants have completely eliminated the ability to call a restaurant and speak with someone live which can create a very “non-hospitality” outcome. Take a typical situation of a guest being late for a reservation. The inability to call the restaurant and speak with someone live can create a stressful situation and taint the experience before they even arrive at the restaurant. And without the maître d’ or host getting that info live they are unable to shift things around and maximize seating/revenues. Another huge pitfall of relying too much on this software is your host staff may stick rigidly to the reservation slots and not adjust as the evening unfolds…missing out on more turns and the associated revenues. These systems can never replace the ingenuity and quick thinking of a trained host staff.
- QR code menus – great for the environment and eliminates the “sorry that’s an old menu” scenario. But you still need to have paper versions available, or better yet ipads, that guests can use. Some guests have trouble reading menus off a small phone screen. And wine lists are especially difficult to scroll through on a phone. Ipads are definitely key for navigating through a robust wine list.
- Mobile device order taking - This innovation can greatly reduce misordering and the associated negative results: wasted food and disappointed guests. But it’s vitality important to train servers through the proper way of interacting with guests during that process. A server that doesn’t engage correctly with the guest and has their attention solely on an ordering device can seem aloof and not hospitable.
- Payment processing – same as with the order taking. Vitally important to train servers to use that time to interact with guests one last time and engage…not solely focus on the tech device in their hands.
- Inventory and plate cost software - can be a revolutionary time saver for a chef. But these systems are only as good as the data put into them. If pricing isn’t constantly updated then you can find your food cost creeping up. And no software should ever replace a physical monthly inventory.
- Beverage inventory software – same as with food. A monthly physical inventory is still absolutely required to ensure you are keeping beverage costs in check and alerted to any “shrinkage”.
- Automated dishwashing – one of my favorite tech advances and one to really track. Still very much in the early adoption phase but expect that to change quickly given the increased strain on finding staff for this crucial restaurant function. I encourage clients to explore this option now and get ahead of the curve. However, like most evolving new tech there are still bugs to work out. So at this point, it’s crucial to have a backup system in place if the equipment goes down.
- Tech scheduling platform – this is a game changer that allows staff to trade shifts with an app vs. the old-fashioned back and forth with multiple fellow employees and management. Great time saver and staff love the flexibility but I caution clients to not give employees too much autonomy when trading shifts. Not all employees are created equal. And finding yourself with the “traded” B team on a busy Saturday is a recipe for a frustrating night.
- Training software – another game changer in how management is able to effectively and efficiently make sure staff are trained and knowledgeable. But this should never be a total replacement for in-person and group training. A perfect example is with wines. Having a sommelier do a training and tasting session (with all the associated nuance) can never be replaced with a tech solution.
Tech will continue to improve the efficiency of our lives in many ways. And tech will continue to be a key force as the Food and Beverage world continues to evolve and adapt to find better ways to do more with less labor. But as with most things in life it’s all about balance. At it’s core hospitality is about people and tech should only be the cherry on the sundae.
