Article

How 'informed' employees will make your restaurant more money

Developing a culture of learning is a 365-day commitment that will motivate staff and have a significant impact on the bottom line if retailers put in the time and effort.

July 22, 2015

By Andrew Meggitt, St. James Winery

If you’ve been in the restaurant industry for any significant amount of time, you’re probably well aware of how it has transformed over the years.

Perhaps most noteworthy is how the Internet has created a more knowledgeable retail client base. Customers have access to a lot more information than they did 15 years ago. Now, they can find recipes online and watch videos on technique. There’s a good chance customers know just as much as some founders did when they started their restaurants years ago.

But if customers can easily find out how to flambé bananas foster online, why would they bother to go out and pay for someone else to set their dessert on fire?

The answer is in the experience. The customer experience.

Take wine tasting, for example. It’s more than a history lesson on grapes. Guests walk away raving about the experience. It’s about how employees present themselves and how they interact with the potential customers. The knowledge is a part of the experience, but people don’t tend to walk away saying, “He knew wine like the back of his hand!” Instead, they’ll say, “He was so delightful to be around, and I learned so much!”

It always circles back to the experience.

But emphasizing personality and experience doesn’t mean knowledge is no longer important. Of course, you probably already have a training system in place to show new hires the ropes, but in the digital age — where industry standards can change at the drop of a hat — you need to take it one step further and bake a culture of continuous learning into your establishment.

Learning begins at the top

Creating a culture of learning must begin with the leaders. They set the tone. If they aren’t invested in learning and growth, everyone else will blow it off, too. On the other hand, if their excitement is palpable, it will become contagious.

As a leader, there are many things you can do to encourage this culture shift in your retail store. At the very least, you should make yourself available to staff members, especially those who interact with customers or distributors on a regular basis. Allow them to pick your brain. The more they know, the more they’ll sell. And, more importantly, the more they know, the more motivated they’ll be.

There are a number of important reasons to invest in this culture shift, including:

The more employees know about a subject, the more confident they’ll feel interacting with customers. Have you ever seen an employee stumble through a simple customer question? What about the customer’s face as your employee bluffs his way through an answer? It’s a truly cringe-worthy sight to see.
Decreased turnover: Your rock-star employee won’t fall asleep on the job if he feels challenged and fulfilled by continued learning at work. Once you create a culture of ongoing learning and exploring, you’ll notice a lower turnover rate. Employees are more likely to stay at a company if they feel fulfilled by their work, and learning is an important part of that.
Camaraderie: When all employees — from busboys to managers — are learning together, people feel more like a team. They’ll be more likely to take initiative and lend a helping hand where needed. There’s a sense of responsibility and ownership in everything that happens at the company.

A culture of learning won’t happen overnight, but it’s a worthy long-term investment. Before you can hit the books, however, there are a few steps that you need to take:

Understand this is a shift in the culture of your business. This isn’t about a one-shot training session; this is about changing attitudes and behaviors. To make the switch smoothly, your employees must understand the “why” behind the change. If they know that you have their best interest at heart, that this can improve their tips, and that it can earn them some loyal customers, they’ll look for more opportunities to increase their knowledge base and become experts in their field.

Determine who will create your training curriculum. Think through whether you want to outsource the curriculum, create your own, or develop a blend of both. What are the positives and negatives of each option? It’s important to be honest about your limitations and abilities as a staff. If you decide to do it yourself but are unable to implement it, you’re back at square one.  

Hold yourself accountable for leading the change. Once you’ve reached implementation, join your team in the trenches. Spend time on the floor with staff, and actively participate in training sessions. This way, others can see that you’re invested in the process. Offer yourself as a resource when necessary.

A culture of learning takes time to develop. It’s a 365-day commitment that will motivate your staff and have a significant impact on your bottom line if you put in the time and effort. After all, a motivated staff cares about the bottom line for the retailer. Trust me. If you invest in your team, your team will return the favor.