Overcoming Uncertainty and Resistance: Persuading Your Staff to Embrace New Technology
In the dynamic landscape of the F&B industry today, technology is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. From streamlining operations, to enhancing your customers’ experiences, technological solutions offer a plethora of benefits. However, implementing these innovations can be a daunting task, particularly when it comes to garnering support from your staff. Despite the myriad of benefits that technology can provide to a restaurant’s operations, restaurant owners can sometimes face pushback from their staff.
In the dynamic landscape of the F&B industry today, technology is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. From streamlining operations, to enhancing your customers’ experiences, technological solutions offer a plethora of benefits. However, implementing these innovations can be a daunting task, particularly when it comes to garnering support from your staff. Despite the myriad of benefits that technology can provide to a restaurant’s operations, restaurant owners can sometimes face pushback from their staff.
Understanding Your Staff’s Concerns
In our experience, a key reason why restaurant owners face pushback from their staff is their fear of being made redundant. A common misconception (across all industries, not just F&B) is that technology will render their job function obsolete. However, in reality, technology is not designed to replace humans. Instead, it is adopted and implemented to augment the capabilities of your staff, freeing them from performing menial tasks so they can focus on tasks that will add value to your restaurant.
For example, by implementing a QR ordering and payments solution, you give your customers the ability to place orders on their phones and make payment. Our research shows that more than 90% of QSR customers prefer ordering with their phones as it allows them to decide what to order without feeling pressure from people in the queue.
Additionally, a well-designed digital menu should also include images of your food, as well as key information like descriptions, ingredients, and allergens. Instead of delaying your staff with questions about your food, your customers have all the information they need to make their decisions.
As a restaurant owner, it is important that you fully understand the benefits of technology so that you can effectively communicate its value to your staff. Whether it is increased efficiency, improved customer satisfaction, or increased average spend, you should be able to clearly articulate all the tangible benefits that technology can bring to both your restaurant and staff.
You should also be emphatic and acknowledge any concerns or anxieties that your staff may have. Offer them reassurance that technology is not a replacement for them, but instead tools that they can wield to help them perform better. Engage your staff throughout the adoption process by seeking their input, and listening to their feedback. By taking a collaborative approach with your staff, you ensure that they feel like they have a stake in the process.
Easing the Learning Curve for Your Staff
New technology can also be daunting for some of your staff members, especially those who are less tech-literate. As a restaurant owner who is implementing technology into your operations, it is important that you have the knowledge to operate the technology efficiently and effectively, to ensure a smooth adoption process by your staff.
By understanding your adopted technology, you will then be able to create and design comprehensive training and support programs and manuals for your staff to learn from and refer to. We also recommend involving your technology vendors in the process, as they are likely more equipped to answer common questions, or clarify edge-case issues that you might not know about. They might even have ready-made FAQs and best practices that you could incorporate into your Standard Operating Procedure documents.
You should also create a positive culture of innovation or encouragement. Get your team to share their experiences with the technology you have adopted, and encourage them to give feedback, or share their ideas on how to best utilise a particular piece of technology.
For any staff members who are less tech-literate, it is extremely important that you understand that change takes time, and that you should be patient and supportive in their learning journey. You might also want to consider providing them with supplementary training and support.
Make sure that you celebrate your staff’s successes when adopting new technology. Recognising and rewarding their efforts gives them positive reinforcement, thus encouraging continued adoption and innovation.
The Future of Technology in Restaurants
The future of the F&B industry is greatly intertwined with the adoption of technology. As we move forward, we can expect to see even more innovative solutions that will continue to revolutionise the dining experience.
To ensure that your restaurant is primed for the near future, it is imperative that you build a strong foundation for the adoption and implementation of new technologies.