The last two years have birthed some pretty substantial staffing crises across a number of industries in Australia. It’s likely no shock to hear that the one taking the biggest hit of all is hospitality.
Just this month, at the Jobs and Skills Summit, NSW Minister for Hospitality and Racing, Kevin Anderson, and Restaurants and Caterers Association CEO, Belinda Clarke, urged the government to address the staffing issue within the hospitality sector as a matter of priority.
This cry for help comes in the wake of applications for hospo jobs hitting a two-year low while the number of job ads creeps to a two-year high. That’s a glaringly big gap of about 95,000 hospo workers. So – unsurprisingly – café, bar and restaurant owners are desperate.
We’ve even seen some pretty wild instances of restaurateurs like Melbourne’s Liam Ganley offering free flights, accommodation and sponsorship but still not getting a single applicant. Even with a $13k incentive!
Some restaurateurs have been more successful in their labour hunts. The company behind Rockpool, Spice Temple, Munich Brauhaus and The Bavarian – Hunter St Hospitality – took on 125 recruits from the Middle East, Europe and the United States through a three-week tour for talent that cost a staggering $10,000 to $20,000 per employee.
The crisis itself has many businesses run off their feet and, in some instances, even shutting up shop because they don’t have the staff to keep them open. Fortunately, these cries for help are being heard. In fact, we’ve developed a tool to help answer them.
Introducing new self-checkout technology
To help fight the staffing crisis here in Australia, we developed an Australian-first for self-checkout in hospitality – payo checkout. It essentially puts the checkout in the customer’s pocket, giving them the power to take care of the bill, whenever and however they want to.
All they have to do is scan a unique QR code at the table – no app downloads, floor staff or roving EFTPOS terminals required. It only takes a few seconds to process and it doesn’t involve lengthy waits at the register. Better yet, diners can split the bill any way they like, and even show their appreciation for a smooth dining experience by adding a tip at the end.
So, let’s talk about all the ways new technology innovations like payo checkout are helping hospo businesses address their staffing crisis.
It supercharges floor service
The beauty of payo checkout is that customers are doing some of the admin work for you, and you’re not even paying them; they’re paying you! This means the people you are paying can redirect all the time saved into providing a more attentive level of customer service, running meals and drinks out sooner, and seating people who are waiting. So, with payo checkout, you might not even need to hire that extra pair of hands – payo is picking up some of the slack for you.
Your staff receive more tips
We’ve already mentioned that customers can easily leave tips when taking care of the bill through payo checkout, but did you know that more than 70% actually leave a tip? With more cash in their back pocket, staff are more likely to (1) gravitate to your business, and (2) stay there. That means less time and money spent juggling a high turnover rate.
You can turnover more tables
Our stats show that you can save up to 10 minutes per sitting when people take care of the bill themselves with payo checkout, instead of lining up to pay or wasting time waiting to make awkward eye contact with a waiter. The result is being able to turnover more tables without even hiring more staff.
See? Payo checkout has the power to alleviate your staff crisis. And the best news is, you don’t have to change the way you operate because it can integrate straight into your POS system, settling each bill automatically. So if you’re ready to minimise staff stress, supercharge your floor service, turn tables over sooner, and make more money on every bill, it’s time to consider implementing a self-checkout function in your business.
Join hundreds of venues processing payments with payo
Ready to add your venue’s name to the growing list of local bars and eateries processing quick bills? Find out more at payo.com.au/payo-checkout/.
