For any restaurant visitor, the assortment of food and quality of service are top priorities.

These two elements complement each other and lay the foundation of a successful business. While much emphasis is placed on food, often times the service element is overlooked which in turn results in dissatisfied customers and declining profits.

As experts, we emphasize, excellent service is directly linked to employees’ motivation level. Because at the end of the day, it is these employees who will be directly interacting with the customers on the floor.

If the employees aren’t motivated, they will not perform and service quality will ultimately reduce significantly.

So it is a must that you keep your employees happy and motivated at all times. Here are a few ways to do that.

Acknowledge Their Performance

Put up a board or frame that shows the name and picture of the employees of the month in an area with clear visibility. Simple acknowledgement like this will not only motivate top performers, but also other employees.

Hold Daily Competitions

Competitions on a periodic basis are another way of motivating employees to give their best. Depending on your preference, you may give out cash or gift vouchers to the winners.

Set Monthly Goals And Give Out Rewards

All employees have a bad day or two. As an owner, it is your duty to not let that get the best of your employees.

Therefore, it is important to set monthly goals so that everyone gets a fair chance to bring out the best in them. Give out rewards like salary increments to deserving employees to appreciate and motivate them.

Train Employees

Train employees to reflect the values and ideologies of your business. Don’t train them to follow orders; give them a sense of purpose. Explain why a particular thing is supposed to be that way. This gives employees the ability to take proactive decisions.

Lead By Example

Don’t hesitate to join the servers on the floor. This sends out the message that all employees in the workforce are equal. Moreover, it also motivates those employees who are reluctant to go out of their comfort zone to try out new things.

Compliment Frequently

Verbal compliments are extremely powerful; so make sure you provide positive feedback to your employees on a frequent basis. Throw a few as you cross paths with employees on a busy night.

Give Them The Right Tools

Give employees the right tools to do their job efficiently. Make their life and job easier. This goes for the entire staff, especially those putting their efforts at the back end.

There are some excellent restaurant, food price, recipe management, inventory management software and more available that increase employee efficiency, which in turn, can translate into enhanced productivity, lower costs and higher profits.