The Importance of Properly Training Your Staff

If you operate a bar, restaurant, or gaming parlor in Illinois today, you probably understand how much competition is out there. Customers everywhere are looking for quality experiences when they make their purchase decisions and, if your venue cannot offer such, they will choose other options. It goes without saying that your locations’ layout, ambience, food and drinks, and overall vibes factor into how people perceive it. But those are not the only elements contributing to the overall quality of your venue. One often under looked and underappreciated factor that can greatly add to or lower the quality of an establishment in the eyes of its patrons are the locations’ staff. The people who work within your location are vitally important to creating a positive customer experience for your patrons due to the face-to-face interactions that occur. It’s important to properly train your staff in order to create the best possible environment for your customers. With that in mind, here are a few ways you can train your staff to foster positive interactions within your establishment.

Card Hard

Underage drinking can result in a loss of a location’s liquor license. It is crucially important for bouncers, bartenders, and wait staff to card everyone that enters in order to minimize the risk that underage drinking can pose to a venue and the community. The location can be held responsible for any injuries that could occur from underage drinking on the premises. Make sure to get across to your employees the importance of checking IDs.

Make Drink Recipes Accessible

Whether your establishment is introducing a special, festive holiday drink or simply caters to a more cocktail-oriented crowd, it can be very helpful to have a drink cheat sheet available to your bartenders. This sheet can cut down on wasted resources such as liquor and lost time while opening the door for greater speed and efficiency.

Hold Pre-Shift Meetings

Weekly or monthly meetings with your staff can be a great opportunity to connect with them. Allow them to voice any concerns and see if they have any recommendations for how you can take your bar or restaurant to the next level. Often your team members will have useful insight given their unique perspective on the way the establishment is run.

Holding pre-shift meetings can also be a great way to ensure you and your staff are staying on the same page. Be sure to go through complicated processes with your employees to be sure nothing gets lost in translation and that things are operating as they should.

These are just a few ways you can ensure your staff is operating to the best of their ability. Remember that your staff and the way they act towards your guests are key in creating a positive customer experience within your venue. By properly training your staff, your bar, restaurant, or gaming parlor can gain a leg up on the competition while creating an environment that people want to be a part of.

Looking for other ways you can promote your Illinois gaming business? Read Accel’s other blogs on how you can better market your small business!