Technology Helps Calm the Staff Shortage Storm
Technology Helps Calm the Staff Shortage Storm
With bars and restaurants moving towards full capacity following a tumultuous and testing time, restricted by lockdowns and a carousel of changing health guidance and business protocol, many operators are now faced with a new challenge – hiring and staying adequately staffed.
In August, hospitality recorded the largest drop in employment compared to other industries such as retail and manufacturing, with the latest figures from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) highlighting that the number of people working in bars and restaurants dropped by 42,000 to 11.34 million.
In an effort to manage the ongoing staff shortage while running their business, many bar and restaurant owners are having to make tough decisions, whether it’s reducing their operating hours or even closing their doors. However, with the use of the latest technology there are ways that bars and restaurants can minimize the negative effect of a staffing shortage and even reap additional service and business-related benefits with the right system implementation.
Self-service technology in the form of QR codes, apps, table order management systems and kiosks were being adopted prior to the pandemic in order to help improve efficiency and give customers added flexibility -- especially in high traffic locations such as airports and entertainment centers. Today, demand for these solutions has continued to increase as they not only minimize the need for human interaction (addressing specific health protocols), but they are also helping to mitigate the general effects of the staff shortage by requiring less staff and lightening the load on existing servers and employees.
Beverage automation technology within the restaurant and bar space is another area that’s proving to be a future-proof, game changer for operators looking to solve the staff shortage and bartender training gap, while also helping to improve operational efficiency and increase profits.
Not only do automated cocktail dispensing solutions, such as Smartender™, eliminate the need for a trained bartender, but it delivers faster service while helping to prevent waste -- pouring the perfect cocktail every time. Any employee, or authorized user, can serve complex cocktails at the touch of a button, selecting from a library of over 600 drinks and using patented pouring technology that delivers popular beverages such as a Long Island Ice Tea in under 5 seconds.
Automation such as this, also ensures that bar and restaurant operators can easily monitor and track all beverage-related orders and issues, delivering an accurate picture that improves operational efficiency and eliminates a number of potential staffing issues.
The pandemic has certainly forced a number of major issues such as staffing into the spotlight, however in the long run, these automation and technology solutions are arguably shaping the industry for the better.