As a bar manager, you don’t only have to keep an eye on inventory or staff training. You also have to make sure your establishment is providing proper customer service.One of the best ways to ensure that you’re providing smooth service is to make smart staff scheduling decisions. Having enough employees around will save you from many mishaps, such as unattended guests or delayed orders.Here are some great staff scheduling practices that you can apply immediately.
Schedule your team members according to their strengths.
Every staff member has unique skills and strengths. Take advantage of this and schedule them for the times they’ll be most effective.Let’s say you have a bartender who’s not chatty enough but can pour drinks at lightning speed. You can schedule him during weekends when your bar is packed with customers. This way, your establishment will benefit from his ability while he’s still improving his weak points. Remember, you have plenty of time to help your staff enhance and hone their craft. For now, you have to maximize their skills and do what you need to do to keep things going.
Assign tasks to every shift
When setting the schedule, assign specific tasks for each shift to avoid confusion and to help your employees focus. It’s best to do this in advance, so when your team shows up for a shift they already know what they need to do.For example, the opening shift will be responsible for setting up the tables and chairs and preparing the garnishes. The closing shift will take care of rearranging the liquor shelf and refrigerating the mixed juices.
Implement performance-based scheduling
Some staff members want to work at weekends because there’s a higher chance of getting tipped. To be fair to your team, create a performance-based schedule where the top performers get the coveted shifts. This will motivate your employees to improve their performance at work.
Publish staff schedules in advance
Like you, your team members have their own lives too. So it’s best to solidify and distribute their work schedules a few weeks or a month in advance. If someone has a conflict, you’ll have plenty of time to shift things around or find a replacement. Also, scheduling in advance shows that you value your team and their time. If everything goes well, they will reward your efforts by showing up on time and as expected. Management is challenging work, but if you’re smart about scheduling you can avoid the bumps and help your establishment run smoothly. For more tips and guides that will take your managerial skills to the next level, visit BevSight’s website and subscribe to our blog!
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