Morale-Building Ideas

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CHAPTER FOUR: THE EMPLOYEE EQUATION

Morale-Building Ideas

Give service staff something new to get excited about. “We created a three-course stimulus menu for $30 – considerably lower than our average check. Our servers really got behind this menu and say they appreciate having something new to tell guests about, especially because it gave them a chance to offer guests such great value.” – Kurt Knowles, vp, The Manor, West Orange, NJ

Give small, frequent raises. “We’ve found that giving multiple small raises is very effective and has kept our turnover under 100%. By the time employees have worked for Which Wich for a year, they’ve received four to six raises – from a nickel to 50 cents. It gives them bragging rights and looks good on their resumes. To bump someone 10 cents an hour for a 20-hour week costs me $2, and I can easily make that back, even in this economy.” – T.J. Schier, pres., S.M.A.R.T. Restaurant Group

Create opportunities to lower stress for management. “We’ve developed ‘Stress Management Self Care’ sessions for our managers, which we conduct four to six times a year around the country. These sessions create an atmosphere where they can share concerns about the impact of the economy on them, their families, and their coworkers. We talk about what troubles them, discuss solutions, and ways they can better care for themselves – including mini-meditations that can be done at their desks for about five minutes to help find some calmness on stressful days. – Alan Baer, sr. vp people and information, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants

Involve and listen to employees. “We find that rewarding employees for their ideas helps keep them engaged. Employees jot down a key phrase on a 2” x 3” piece of paper (the small size keeps comments brief and makes it easy) and drop it in a box. Ideas that have merit are rewarded with one to five wooden nickels, worth $1 each. While we don’t reward or implement all ideas (about 15-25% are put into practice), we do acknowledge all of them to encourage the continued flow of ideas.” – Tom Martin, pres., TS&S Eateries

Continue to get together and have some fun. “Our employees look forward to our annual four-day conference all year long, and we’d never consider canceling it. It’s a time for me to speak to everyone, hear from our founder and guest speakers, give recognition and awards, and do a humanitarian project together. Each store also has a ‘Fun with Purpose’ budget that employees use to go out together for pizza, go bowling, or to a movie, etc.” – G.J. Hart, pres./ceo, Texas Roadhouse

	Introduction A Letter from Curtis Wilson, VP/General Manager, Restaurant and Lodging Industries American Express and the Restaurant Industry American Express Value Story
	Chapter One: Purchasing Powers Introduction Strength in Numbers Going Local Local Knowledge Purchasing Practices Power Buying: Prime Vendor
	Chapter Two: Technology Matters Introduction Feedback on the Fast Track Customers and Restaurant Technologies Taking Your POS to the Next Level Innovative Customer Interface Technology Customers Value Most
	Chapter Three: Saving Green Introduction Save Your Energy Green to Go Baby Steps, Big Impact Marketing Green Briefing References
	Chapter Four: The Employee Equation Introduction Keep the Focus on Training Learning to Let Go: Trimming Your Workforce Legal Sidebar Cutting Labor Costs Building Morale in a Down Economy Morale-Building Ideas
	Chapter Five: Smart Marketing in Tough Times Introduction New Age Marketing: Social Networks and Cell Phones Sales Forces How To Sell More in a Slow Economy Communicating with Cautious Customers
	Chapter Six: Consumers and the New Value Equation Introduction New Deals: Value and Cost-Conscious Consumers Opening the Door to More Business Industry Outlook
	Chapter Seven: Building Loyalty Introduction The Power of Committed Customers The Employee Connection Developing Loyalty – One Customer at a Time Turning Customers into “Members”
	American Express Restaurant Trade Program
	American Express Partners and Services
	Sources
	Acknowledgements

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