In surveys, hospitality workers are telling managers and operators exactly why they’re leaving: burnout, stress, feeling they aren’t paid enough, dealing with angry or frustrated guests and feeling blamed by customers and management for problems beyond their control.

By Nadav Solomon, Tabit Technologies

Three years after the beginning of the global pandemic, clubs and resorts are still feeling the impact of “The Great Resignation” that has seen hospitality workers quit by the millions.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, during October 2022 alone, a full 5.5 percent of the total hospitality workforce in the U.S. quit their jobs. That’s more than double the monthly quit rate of industries like construction (2.4%) and manufacturing (2.1%).

In surveys, hospitality workers are telling managers and operators exactly why they’re leaving: burnout, stress, feeling they aren’t paid enough, dealing with angry or frustrated guests and feeling blamed by customers and management for problems beyond their control.

It’s a complex, hard-to-solve issue. But there is a solution, and it’s a lot more affordable than you might expect. Through adopting and utilizing today’s best hospitality technology, club and resort owners can improve employee experiences and job satisfaction, helping more hospitality workers make the choice to stay in the industry. By boosting tips, streamlining interactions with guests and improving ordering accuracy, technology can help clubs and resorts retain valuable workers and be more attractive to experienced job-seekers with the skills to take your operation to the next level.

Consider these five ways hospitality tech can improve employee experiences in clubs and resorts:

MORE ACCURACY, BETTER INTERACTIONS

The age of “notepad ordering” is done. By replacing pen-and-paper ordering with ordering tablets linked to an advanced, integrated hospitality tech system, club and resort employees can fulfill guest requests or drop orders instantly to the bar or kitchen from wherever customers are. That means less chance for mistakes, even with complicated orders or while serving large parties. The result: happier customers, happier staff and fewer opportunities for the friction between staffers and guests that makes hospitality workers quit.

SIMPLIFYING THE COMPLICATED

With older tech like centralized POS systems, handling complex financial transactions like check-splitting or billing to a guest’s room can be a confusing chore. That’s especially true when trying to handle payment in a noisy club, or poolside at a resort that might cover several acres. Electronic pad-based ordering and modern tech can ease those frustrations. By putting an advanced POS terminal in every server’s hand, complex payment tasks can be handled with the guest looking on. That not only makes guests more comfortable, it means fewer chances for mistakes, less running back and forth and a lot less stress for employees.

BIGGER TIPS

In surveys, low pay is one of the biggest factors driving hospitality employees to seek greener pastures. But today’s technology can even boost take home pay without raising base pay. How? By supercharging accuracy, letting staff focus on guests, and giving servers instant access to features like constantly-updated drink selections and specials, as well as more opportunity for up-selling, hospitality tech can raise the PPA and therefore have a direct impact on tips. Not by just a little, either. On average, operations that replaced centralized point-of-sale systems with Tabit mobile-first platforms see servers’ tips rise by 37 percent due to a combination of higher average checks, plus being able to cover more tables with fewer staff and turning tables with greater speed.

EASES ADMINISTRATIVE PAIN POINTS

Another big driver of hospitality’s “Big Quit” is conflict between employees and managers over basic administrative tasks. Chaotic or unfocused scheduling, payroll, sick leave or PTO management is a recipe for employee stress, resentment and turnover. But with fully-integrated systems and archival data, club and resort managers can improve scheduling, find efficiencies that lead to more flexibility, and help employees find a better work/life balance while feeling more supported.

MORE WINS, LESS SWEAT

With mobile ordering pads, every staffer has the information at their fingertips to make them a hyper-knowledgeable, guest-pleasing rock star. Auto-updated drink lists, instant specials, upsell opportunities and prompts about special ingredients and even potential allergens are all a click away. Today’s tablet-based POS systems also mean ordering and payout from wherever a customer is, for much less walking per shift. That kind of attention to detail can not only raise online review scores, it can help employees feel less exhausted at the end of the day while still delivering the excellent service that increases tips and keeps guests coming back.

Nadav Solomon is the president and co-founder of Tabit Technologies, creator of a mobile-first point-of-sale and tableside ordering platform for hospitality operations that streamlines operations, extends sales opportunities and increases the bottom line. Learn how innovative technology can help make hospitality operations more profitable while retaining valuable staff at www.tabit.cloud.