During this disruptive time, most hoteliers and F&B managers agree on one thing: A not-so “business-as-usual” future will follow the current changes. We know that as the hospitality industry begins recovering from COVID-19, there will be many new challenges ahead. But what can be done with F&B outlets now, to come out of this crisis stronger and better prepared for these future changes? Together with industry experts, we compiled best practices for providing reassurance to customers and employees during the closure of your F&B outlets. Furthermore, we offer you some suggestions on how to build up relationships with your suppliers and benefit from the current situation.
Implementing a multi-channel sales strategy for your F&B operations is not only crucial today but will continue to be relevant in the future. The South Korean food-delivery platforms Baemin and Yogiyo have reported increased revenues up by 9% and 11%, respectively, as of March compared to the previous month. In the same manner, the app Deliveroo is gaining benefits from the pandemic; in Hong Kong for example orders increased 100% from January to March. Therefore, it is reasonable to suggest that hotel F&B outlets who offer off-premise services now, whether that is delivery, catering or pickup, are likely to rebound faster in the aftermath of COVID-19. Consumers have always searched for convenient and high-quality options. While a lockdown is enforced in most countries, many consumers, as well as businesses, are considering delivery options. However, there are a few key aspects to keep in mind to reassure your customers:
Whether you operating as delivery-only or you are closed altogether, you need to tell customers that you are closed for dining-in for the foreseeable future.
This is the ideal time to build relationships. Use it wisely.
The worst you can do is to let go of your entire team and start recruiting and training from zero. You would not have just suffered a lack of revenue during the closure, but you will encounter difficulties from the lack of training and professionalism of your new team once you reopen. Many hotel and restaurant employers use strict “hours worked” measurements to determine whether employees maintain full-time status to determine benefits eligibility, such as vacations. Consider relaxing those standards for this period so that typically classified full-time employees do not suffer a loss of benefits.
Instead, consider options to retrain and cross-train your staff. Lead mandatory virtual classes. Topics may include new sanitation procedures or even courses on wine tastings and time management. The possibilities are endless and can be quickly tailored to your needs.
With the impact of the quarantine, building up your team will be necessary. Keeping your staff motivated will be very important if you want a fast and steady ramp-up. With other businesses facing similar challenges, you could, for example, consider generating more meeting rooms revenues by creating packages with external consultants to offer motivation courses for companies. Furthermore, you can use platforms, such as Workplace, for weekly meetings to update the team based on the latest government news and how they affect the business as well as the reopening plan. Your team reads and watches news to reassure themselves in these uncertain times. Put yourself in your their shoes and be responsive for any questions they might have.
Now is the time to do everything that has been postponed so many times: Look at the operation manuals, policies and procedures. Refresh the websites and pump up social media presence. Take new pictures and revive the menu design. For the administrative work, consider renewing your templates. Most importantly - communicate those changes to both staff and customers to show them you are proactively reacting to this situation.
Now is an excellent opportunity to establish relationships with the suppliers. Make sure to be informed about what they are doing during these challenging times. You may even consider building new partnerships to avoid being slowed down at the recovery stage. Some suppliers, like “Avantcha Tea,” are reacting more proactively than others by sending samples and offering virtual courses to your employees.
With many borders closed, now is the time to consider switching to local suppliers. Pay attention to new trends that are emerging from the current situation. Namely, that people increasingly pay attention to the locality of the food they eat at restaurants. Be sure to remember this and adapt your supply chain accordingly.
It is undeniable that even though COVID-19 is still in full swing, the industry will bounce back eventually. What we are returning to, however, will be a drastically different environment for customers and employees. Those who are proactively taking action today, while keeping these changes in mind will be able to go through the ramp-up quicker and more successfully.
A special thank you to Daniel During, Owner, Thomas Klein Intl., for his expertise on the subject.
Sources of Information