by Abby Henson | 9 Jan, 2019 | Blog, Press & News
Due to our continued success we are currently looking for positive, professional and fun people to join us!
We have four new vacancies:
Product Manager
Business Manager – Hotel & Specialist
Product Manager – Forecasting/Reporting
Training & Implementation Manager – Customer Success
The full job descriptions for these positions can be found below.
If you think any of these roles might be for you, please send a CV and covering letter to info@cattonhospitality.com, or to find out more call 01295 267400.
[pdf-embedder url=”https://www.cattonhospitality.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Job-Purpose-Product-Manager.pdf” title=”Job Purpose – Product Manager”]
[pdf-embedder url=”https://www.cattonhospitality.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Job-description-Business-Manager-Hotel-and-Specialist-Jan-2019.pdf” title=”Job description – Business Manager – Hotel and Specialist +Jan 2019+”]
[pdf-embedder url=”https://www.cattonhospitality.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Job-description-Product-Manager-Forecasting-Reporting-Jan-2019.pdf” title=”Job description – Product Manager – Forecasting & Reporting +Jan 2019+”]
[pdf-embedder url=”https://www.cattonhospitality.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Job-description-Training-and-Implementation-Manager-Jan-2019.pdf” title=”Job description – Training and Implementation Manager +Jan 2019+”]
by Abby Henson | 7 Jan, 2019 | Blog, Press & News
After an indulgent festive period, many will aim to kick-start a healthier lifestyle and limit their alcohol intake for “Dry January”.
Studies estimate that over 4 million people plan to stop drinking for the first month of 2019. A cut back on spending and calories from customers makes it a difficult time of year for hospitality.
As businesses typically see a sharp decline in footfall and sales during January, offering discounts can be tempting solution. However, selling everything at a lower price can harm profits. Some operators will turn to alternative strategies to avoid those post-Christmas blues.
#TryJanuary
In response to Dry January, operators are embracing “Try January”, a campaign encouraging people to try new drinks and dishes this month. The aim is to challenge people to try different items on the menu, transforming this usually dreary month into something exciting. Providing visitors with new delicious choices for a limited time is a great way to bring in trade and gives customers something to look forward to.
Offer a variety of soft drinks
As people try to reduce their alcohol consumption, providing a wider selection of soft drinks can help prevent sales falling. Research suggests that more and more people are choosing soft drinks over alcoholic drinks, and not just at the start of the year. Mocktails are a great solution as they offer customers exciting tastes without losing the atmosphere that comes with drinking out.
Increase healthy menu items
After too many mince pies and pigs in blankets, people tend to make more health-conscious choices and this trend isn’t limited to January. Research indicates there is a shift towards healthier eating all year-round. Contributing to this movement is veganism, which has exploded in popularity in recent times. This upward trend presents an opportunity for menu experimentation, helping to keep meals fresh and exciting. People choosing where to eat as a group will be more attracted to menus that cater for everyone’s dietary needs. Increasing the number of vegan dishes, such as salads and other high yield items, can help boost profits throughout the year.
Focus on social media engagement
Studies have shown that people tend to avoid venues that lack an online presence. Making sure your website and social media pages are up to date is vital. You can post live videos on Facebook and Instagram to let customers know what you’re up to and highlight any special events or promotions taking place. Engaging with customers can help prevent a quiet January and showing off new products means people won’t want to miss out.
Encourage staff to upsell
As purse strings are tightened, it is important that staff are upselling where they can to drive sales. Implementing a reward scheme for the number of additional items sold with main dishes can be a good way to incentivise employees to go the extra mile. This will increase staff engagement and keep morale up, ensuring excellent customer service.
January is the perfect opportunity to re-evaluate business strategies and internal processes. Exciting menu items and attractive events can bring in new visitors and keep regulars returning to discover something new. Expanding the menu to cater for a health-conscious market and upselling can boost January sales. Effective marketing and planning will ensure success for the rest of the year.
Get in touch today to find out more about how S4Labour can promote the health of your business in January and all your round.
by Abby Henson | 5 Dec, 2018 | Blog, Press & News
Christmas is the “most wonderful time of year” for hospitality. After quieter Autumn trading, the festive season brings a surge in demand and a chance to drive repeat custom.
The festive atmosphere marks an increase in footfall and a boost to profits. The best operators will exploit this further to maximise revenue in preceding months. Providing customers with exceptional service during December will promote the long-term health of their business. Here are our top tips to make this Christmas a roaring success.
Prepare in Advance All Year Round
Kitchens tend to run most efficiently on Christmas day. In anticipation of a high footfall and eagerness to get home to families, most of the meal preparation is done beforehand. This shortens the service length and keeps labour costs down. Customers benefit from reduced waiting times and staff experience less pressure during their shifts. It would make a huge difference to take this approach throughout the year.
Schedule to Match Demand
The festive period brings a unique pattern of high demand for sales and is the busiest time of year for hospitality. A large group booking will justify having additional team members on shift. However, if you know the party will only be on site for a few hours, there is little point having everyone working the whole day. To maximise revenues and staff productivity, stagger start and end times. This will reduce unnecessary labour spend and encourage flexible working. Staggering start times will make team members more receptive to a later than usual finish. A well organised rota will keep staff energised to provide high quality service and makes it easier for them to plan their festive activities.
Upsell Premium Products
Christmas is the time of year when customers want to celebrate and treat themselves. They are more willing to indulge in exciting drinks and festive desserts. This is the perfect occasion to upsell premium products. It is important staff are pushing high margin products in a way that highlights the variety of choices available. Emphasising a high-quality wine or specially selected dessert option is the simplest way to maximise spend per head. Failure to do so is a wasted opportunity and could potentially harm future profits too.
Make it a Memorable Experience
Focusing on high quality food and service is a sure-fire way to drive repeat custom. As seen at the Propel Multi Club Conference this Autumn, exceptional food quality is the number one driver of people recommending a venue to family and friends. Christmas brings countless new people to pubs, restaurants, and other hospitality sites. This is the perfect opportunity to mitigate those January blues by converting these seldom-seen seasonals into year-round regulars. Making sure there are enough staff working will help to deliver a memorable experience that will keep customers returning long after the Christmas decorations are stashed away.
Reward Your Team!
Rewarding staff for working the festive period is crucial. Employees in hospitality sacrifice their own time with family and friends so guests can enjoy a special occasion. Plan an end of festive season event, such as drinks after a busy shift, to show staff how valued they are. It gives staff something to look forward to and appreciate words can have a huge impact on morale. Happy, motivated staff are much more likely to deliver exceptional service, earning valuable repeat custom into the spring and beyond.
The festive period is an excellent opportunity for hospitality businesses to enhance their reputation with customers and generate repeat custom in the following weeks and months.
S4Labour helps users schedule the optimal number of staff during busy periods. This allows its users to take advantage of increased sales opportunities, whilst maintaining high standards of service and driving repeat business. Click here to find out more about the benefits of S4Labour.
by Abby Henson | 15 Nov, 2018 | Blog, Press & News
Recently, we were lucky enough to sponsor the Multi Club Conference, the latest in a series of exceptional Propel events. This year’s autumn conference was filled with enlightening talks from a variety of speakers across the hospitality industry. It was a pleasure to spend the day with passionate leaders who genuinely care about what they do and the people they work with.
As industry experts we know how valuable fresh insight can be and it was a privilege to learn from the very best. Here are the key messages we took home with us.
Your people are your purpose
We were proud to see one of our customers, Anglian Country Inns, on stage. Managing Director James Nye spoke passionately about the family run business. These roots have laid the foundation for a successful business as James attributes the success of ACI to making people happy by treating them like family. High quality food and looking after your workforce were strong recurring themes throughout the day. The importance of recognising people’s achievements may be common knowledge but James spoke fervently about letting employees share ideas, so they can perform at their best.
Focus on what matters
Matt Snell, Managing Director of Gusto, also believes that people are your greatest assets. In order to differentiate Gusto from the rest of the Italian casual dining market, they had to focus on their values. These ultimately came from the team, helping to drive innovation and marketing an authentic experience.
Gusto placed a huge value on its team
Persistence beats resistance
Not many can make the leap from the corporate world to creating a restaurant from scratch, whilst also defying family expectations. Yet Yasmine Larizadeh did when she co-founded Good Life Eatery with her partner, Shirin Kouros. Tired of London’s carb-heavy sandwiches, Yasmine found a gap in the market for a one-stop shop for healthy eating. It was inspiring to hear how she overcame challenges, from difficulties with finding the right location to the restaurant being flooded and temporarily closed for a year. Now reopened and thriving, Yasmine owes her success to never giving up and being surrounded by the right people.
Passionate people aim high
Taking to the stage with candid humour to talk about his new venture Rock Point Leisure was Daniel Davies, founder of CPL training. He captivated the audience with a bold yet relatable speech. Amidst the laughter and jokes, his passion for Rock Point shone through. He turned problems into solutions; hiring disengaged youths to pick up litter to clean up the town. Being proud of the town and its people are just a couple reasons why Daniel strives to succeed.
Strong brand, strong revenues
Rounding off the day was area Vice-President of Hard Rock International, David Singleton. It was an incredible opportunity to hear David talk so energetically about Hard Rock and how important branding and strategy are. Passion through the brand and vision to create a memorable experience has led to monumental success for Hard Rock all over the world.
Turn Data into Action
John Upton, board member of Motherclucker and Naked Deli, brings a wealth of experience as former Managing Director of Leon and member of the McDonalds’s UK leadership team. John delivered an insightful talk on how businesses can grow sustainably. Embracing data is critical for any business to succeed, instead of relying on gut instincts to make choices. However, John cautions that it’s important not to get swamped by numbers. Data is there to help you gain insight which should then be turned into action. It’s not enough to look at statistics, you need to use the results to make informed decisions.
Haysmacintyre analyses the biggest impacts on operators
Survival of the fittest
Neil Morgan, Managing Director of Christie & Co, gave us a key overview of trends in the pub, restaurant and hotel sector. Using survey collections, they found rents are rising with the number of venues. This supply and demand issue could lead to a pub closure rate higher than in the recession. Although some may lose out, there are some ‘winners’ experiencing growth. Also looking at trends was Andrew Ball, of accountancy specialist haysmacintyre. His survey analysis suggests that the biggest perceived impact for hospitality businesses is recruitment, with operators struggling to fill vacancies and finding good general managers. This labour shortage will likely be exacerbated by Brexit. On the flip side, businesses offering healthier options on the menu have an advantage as the demand for vegan and gluten-free food is on the rise. To remain competitive in an increasingly saturated market, businesses needs to adapt and keeping an eye out for up and coming trends is crucial.
Technology at the table
Clive Consterdine, Marketing Director at Zonal, was filled with enthusiasm for “guest obsessed” technology and was positive that using mobile apps to order and make payments is now becoming an expectation. A critical part to excellent customer service comes at the end of a meal so making it easier and quicker for people to pay should be a priority. This technology brings further benefits as people tend to spend more when they use an app and it paves the way for targeted marketing.
Quality is key
Propel events are never short of variety. Alongside front-line operators Martin Dinkele, Deputy Manager of research and brand consultancy Morar HPI. He looks at what drives a high net promoter score (NPS) and found that exceptional food quality is the most common reason why people would recommend a venue. Martin claims there is a strong correlation between NPS and year-on-year changes in revenue. However, it’s the perception of food quality that really matters. Higher pricing or a heavier cup can implicate higher quality, emphasising that every little detail does count.
Spending the day with such genuine and inspirational professionals was a privilege. We’re already looking forward to the next Propel Multi Club conference.
by Abby Henson | 24 Oct, 2018 | Blog, Press & News
The labour misconception by Alastair Scott
Our CEO, Alastair, highlights the tough period ahead for the hospitality industry. He reflects on “Worrying times”, an article written by Ann Elliott, chief executive of Elliotts, a leading integrated marketing agency in the hospitality and leisure sector.
Ann Elliott’s recent article in Propel’s Friday Opinion series was a timely reminder that this will be a tough period for the hospitality industry. Recent analysis suggests consumers spent too much during the summer and are now cutting back. This, combined with a mass of cost pressures, will force all of us to work even harder just to stand still – but we have been there before.
Staff costs are, as always, one of those areas we all look at and, like Ann, become nervous that cutting staff costs will make the guest experience worse.
This can be true if carried out in a blunt and imprecise way. However, all our analysis shows the worst guest experience occurs not when we are understaffed but when we are overstaffed. Of course we fail to deliver the quality of experience and speed when we are understaffed and we need to increase the level of team when we are busy, but we also have significant challenges when we are overstaffed. Let me give you two examples.
I was recently in one of my own pubs and there were three staff on. A guest came to the bar wanting a drink but one staff member was too busy tidying up to notice the guest or assumed someone else would do it. Another team member was delivering food to a table, while the third team member was at the back of the pub having a cigarette with one of the kitchen staff “because it was quiet”! If we had only had two team members on we would have done a better job all round and not wasted money.
Recently I was in another pub when a lot of people arrived at the bar but the two bar team members were too heavily engaged in a conversation in glass wash to notice or stop for the customers.
Of course training helps but there is an old adage: “If you want a job done, give it to a busy person.”
Labour management, like every other part of the business, requires insightful and precise management, and managing through historic percentages no longer cuts the mustard. In labour I argue we can genuinely have our cake and eat it by saving costs and improving service, normally with the removal of the wasted spend easily outweighing the reinvestment to grow sales and improve service.
It will be tough in the next six months for those who chose the wrong site, the wrong rent or spent too much on the site but for those who are simply spending more than they need to on day-to-day costs, there is a lot we can do.
Alastair Scott is founder and chief executive of Catton hospitality. He is also a director of three leased pubs.
by Abby Henson | 9 Oct, 2018 | Blog, Press & News
Top Tips for Efficient Sunday Lunch Service
At this time of year, people are seeking comforting food in a cosy atmosphere. Autumn brings about a high demand for Sunday lunches and this can be critical to overall profitability. Here’s our top tips for an efficient Sunday lunch service.
Staffing up the curve
We often speak to operators who take too flat an approach to shift planning, not varying start and end times to match patterns of sales. If everyone starts at noon but sales don’t peak until 2pm, this adds up to wasted labour costs and staff left standing around. We suggest gradually increasing people’s start times from open to peak, adding an extra person every 30 mins. Staggering shifts to match the rise in sales will be much more cost effective.
When to run out
Preparing for too few or too many covers can really damage the bottom line. It is vital to analyse past sales trends and forecast properly, including looking at likely weather conditions. This will enable you to calculate the optimum level of sales for profits and labour efficiency. Running out is no bad thing (unless it’s super early), as it creates demand for people to come back next time.
Slack & Stress
Sunday lunch is a flagship service and in our pubs accounts for around 40% of weekly sales, so getting the right level of staffing is more important than ever. Sunday lunch is the most reviewed occasion on Tripadvisor in the UK, so the potential impact on reputation is huge. Overstaffing can have negative connotations as it creates the image of a lazy, inattentive service if there are staff lingering round. On the flip side, understaffing can also damage reputation as it leads to a rushed, impersonal service as well as harming sales. Forecasting and scheduling staff properly can help reduce these issues.
Shift Briefings
Especially on Sundays, there is a need for staff to be properly briefed to ensure shifts are as productive as possible. We recommend that management should spend some time with each member of staff, making sure they know exactly what they should be doing, when, and where. A good idea is to allocate staff with primary and secondary responsibilities. Someone’s main role may be to take orders, but if there are no new orders to take, their next priority could be to help on the bar. Not only does this help build a better relationship with staff, it also improves reputation through enhanced service.
Management Shifts
Too often we see managers who avoid scheduling themselves to work the busiest shifts. Area managers should nip this in the bud and make sure enough senior staff are working the busiest services. Each venue should spend time scoping out what a management shift looks like on a Sunday. Are they serving customers or more focused on leading and supporting teams? Effective management presence does wonders for overall staff motivation, service levels, and therefore profits.
Through intelligent analysis of past trends and better forecasting, S4Labour helps you maximise sales and improve service at the busiest times, all while keeping labour costs tightly controlled.
