Restaurants know, or should know, that customer loyalty is key. But how many restaurants really care about employee loyalty? Do restaurants understand the value of an employee who has been with them 10+ years, or do they assume that employees should just be happy with the job?
Forty-one percent of customers remain with a brand because of the employee interactions they have, while 68% of them leave because of it. Clearly, if a restaurant has a good employee, it is important to keep them on. So how does a restaurant start to take care of their employees?
What a restaurant’s employees want may differ even within the same company. So it is important that management get in there and talk to their employees.
Find out what they want. Find out what their concerns are and find a way to cater to them in a meaningful way that benefits both the employee and the restaurant. Sometimes it’s as simple as a “thank you” or some recognition, but it can take other, more extravagant forms.
For instance, Mercy Wine Bar in Dallas, TX has sent employees out on an all expense paid trip to the Wine and Food Classic in Aspen. That not only allowed the employees to take a trip of a lifetime, but also imparted knowledge to them that they can use to create a customer experience.
Other restaurants have had tuition reimbursement or seminars for helping employees buy homes or helping with other important aspects of their lives. The possibilities are almost endless, but first management needs to find out what the employees want.
Just like a restaurant needs to give customers a reason to come back, they also need to give employees a reason to stay. Show that the company values the employee and what they do. That will help instill employee loyalty.
Jim Balis' Blog 