Gearing Up for Great with a Top-Notch Team

As a quick service restaurant owner (QSR), you know that the brand is important because it draws people into your shop.  You also realize that quality ingredients are critical because they keep people coming back for more.   However, when it comes right down to it, you know talented and enthusiastic staff members are the key to creating raving sub shop fans.

You can only achieve QSR greatness as a food franchise owner, at Blimpie and elsewhere, when you build a team that supports your business goals, delivers top-notch service and keeps customers happy.

Finding and keeping such a team can be a serious challenge for food and fast food franchise owners. Here are a few tips our most successful franchisees have shared that will help you gear up for great with your own top-notch team:

During the hiring process, ask pointed questions about the prospective employee’s achievements to dig deep into how and why they’ve accomplished certain things.   The answers they provide on those questions will share a lot about their character and work ethic.   Do they commit to companies or bounce around from job to job?   Did their professional achievements elevate previous employers and connect them with more customers?   Your goal is to hire people who are committed to the brand and passionate about connecting with the customers who walk through the door.   And the manner in which they describe how they’ve fulfilled that role with other employers will tell you if they’re up for the job.

QSRs often have several teenagers and young adults on staff. Most of these youngsters are still developing the sense of self and confidence required to execute on the job and deliver high quality customer service.  Obviously, as shared above, self-awareness, confidence, and quality communication skills are traits you’re looking for in an interview setting – but they’re also skills that need to be nurtured and improved throughout each employee’s tenure with your store.

There are many small steps that you and your management team can take to help young employees develop their confidence and self-esteem; and in turn, deliver quality service to your customers.   These include:

• Acknowledging and rewarding success by giving them the opportunity to take on additional responsibilities.
• Asking about their interests beyond what happens on the job to show your appreciation for them as people and your commitment to their future growth.
• Making sure that training includes clear guidelines on how to handle various customer situations so they know what to expect and how to react.

People are more inclined to consistently give their best when they feel like their contributions have a real impact on the business as a whole.   It’s important to make your employees feel included in the overall direction of the business.   Here are a few tips to do just that and inspire your employees to bring their A-game:

• Share corporate communication with your employees as often as you can so they understand your location is supported by a strategic and in-touch franchisor.
• Meet with your employees consistently and describe your overall business goals and how their daily contributions are helping you accomplish them.
• Nurture a team spirit daily.   Interact with your employees and help foster their development through friendly employee competitions and achievement programs.

As a business owner, your job often parallels that of a coach – and it’s up to you to get the best out of your team.   If you’ve done your job well, your employees will be working together as a team toward a common goal and will bring their best each day – because, after all, no one wants to be the person who lets down the team!

Make it as easy as possible for workers to get the job done well. Certainly, corporate will help you put processes in place at the onset and will share ideas for improvement as you operate, but the local franchisee is the person on the front lines who can see how these processes are being implemented and where there are areas for improvement. To help make the work simpler for people, try:

• Routinely asking for feedback and ideas from your staff.
• Use checklists. Lots of checklists! These can help ensure all details are followed.
• Reinforce corporate guidelines. Don’t assume that training is done after the first day of work. Keep reminding employees about proper methods and procedures.
• Take time to train well. People who feel knowledgeable and confident in the tools they have to get the job done will perform better.

It can be tricky to find and train a high quality staff – but nothing is more important to your success as a business owner. Committing to your people requires a lot of time and effort – but the pay off in terms of retaining your existing customers and drawing in new ones is well worth it.

Contact us today if you’re ready to gear up for great and build your own A-team of employees at your very own Blimpie franchise location.