Scheduling is one of the most important tasks for restaurant managers and owners. If you do not have enough staff, you will have a problem running your restaurant. It is, therefore, important to know the number of staff you need at every shift and how you can account for your staff behavior.
It is also important to make sure you are not understaffed or overstaffed. If you want to run your business smoothly, you need to create an effective schedule with Track Time 24. It is, therefore, beneficial to learn how to create an effective schedule for your restaurant.
You need to consider the needs of your restaurant before you create your schedule. You must know the number of shifts you will need, the amount of traffic you get at each shift, and the number of employees to need to take care of your guests comfortably.
Having enough employees ensures your guests get their food quickly. Understanding the requirements of your business can help you know the number of employees you need to cover every shift.
Under Staffing vs. Over Staffing
It is essential to cover every shift with enough staff. It is not a good idea to be understaffed or overstaffed.
If your restaurant is understaffed, your guests will not receive their orders on time. In fact, they are more likely to feel that they do not get the service they rightfully deserve.
You are more likely to lose some guests. If your guests think you have poor service, your restaurant can get a bad reputation. Getting a bad name can reduce your sales since fewer people will visit your restaurant.
If your restaurant is overstaffed, however, you are more likely to spend more money paying your staff. In fact, you are more likely to lose more money. This is because some of your employees will not have something to do. In addition, some of your employees are more likely to get frustrated. You do not want unhappy employees.
It takes time to know the correct number of employees for every shift. If you choose enough employees for each shift, you can make more money and your guests will be happy.
If you, however, make a mistake, you can learn from the mistake. Do not let small mistakes stop you from fixing your schedule.
Master Schedule
Once you decide on your schedules, you can now create your master schedule. A master schedule shows you the employees covering each area of the restaurant throughout the day.
If one of your employees quit without notice or call in sick, you will check your master schedule to know who to call to replace the unavailable employee.
Post Schedules Early
Employees are usually busy. It is, therefore, necessary to post your schedules early. Your employees should get their scheduled shifts early.
You, therefore, need to create your schedule early enough. Once you complete your schedule, send it to your employees immediately. You can even put it where you can easily see it.
If you do not post your schedules early, you can cause more problems with staffing requirements. Make sure your employees can easily see your schedule.
In addition, if you want your schedule to run smoothly, you need to have a process for making schedule changes. And your employees should know the process of making the schedule changes.
If you need to make the changes, you will just follow the process.
Having a schedule ensures you have enough employees on hand at every shift.