Speed of service and retention: The missing link to VOC

This article is the first in a series of five to promote Delaget’s 2021 QSR Operational Index – an annual report that shares stats and figures from over 6,000 QSR locations for sales, costs, employees, loss, and customer experience. 

With the ability to order food at the touch of a button and instant gratification seeping into the facets of our everyday life, customers’ expectations of service are higher than ever.  

QSR operators are familiar with what we like to call the “secret sauce” which is VOC + SoS. We know that the two stats are correlated. Fast speeds directly and positively impact VOC scores and almost always have. 

The good news: We’re consistently improving YoY, as an industry, at delivering fast service (as shown in the 2021 QSR Operational Index SoS + VOC 4-Year Trend below).

The other good news: There’s a missing link to SoS that you might be overlooking. Healthy employee retention is positively correlated with fast speed of service metrics.  

It makes sense, right? Having an experienced, well-trained staff supports an efficient and effective operation and results in improved SoS and consistently higher VOC scores.  

Unsure where to start? You’re not alone! Here are three things to consider when working to improve your employee retention to decrease your speed of service and increase VOC scores.  

 Evaluating the Effectiveness of Training and Onboarding Programs 

Improving your employee retention starts right when the employee is introduced to your organization at onboarding! Take a critical look at your training and onboarding programs – Are you following the brand’s training program? Are training team members on best cash register policies, operational best practices, and the latest company processes up-to-date? 

Set yourselves up for success 

Meet one-on-one with team members to set your expectations and commitment to your brand’s policies and procedures. In your one-on-one meetings, you can outline KPI goals and personal goals for your employees. 

Schedule time to monitor new hires’ progress using KPIs 

Operational metrics can help you understand how your new hires are performing. Check your metrics on your reporting tools, like Delaget Coach and Detect, to provide the data and guidance needed to identify meaningful coaching opportunities in just minutes. 

Don’t let training stop after onboarding! 

Use downtime to train employees. Ongoing training is a must for improving your Speed of Service (SoS). Check your operational metrics and find the areas for improvement for your teams and pick out a task to train on during less congested hours.  

For example, if you see your discount percentage is higher than the threshold, you can have area coaches or GMs train and review the discount policies and show employees how to properly ring up discounts on the POS.  

If you see SoS slowing down over certain hours, you can re-train on menu items and speed-enhancing efficiencies. 

Add Earned Wage Access as a Benefit 

Earned Wage Access (EWA) is the hottest new competitive benefit in QSR, and it is the best tool for employee retention in 2022. It’s proven to reduce turnover by a whopping 72%, and many providers cater to operators of every size with little to no cost to the employer. Reach out today and we can guide you on which would be the best fit for your needs, size, and goals.   

We’ve seen employers find success with promoting EWA on their hiring materials like flyers, using language like “Work today, get paid tomorrow!” and “NOW HIRING: SAME DAY PAY”.  

Invest time in your employees 

Your employees are your most valuable assets! While you’re busy and have a lot on your plate, be sure to take the time to do two important things with your employees:  

Express gratitude 

A “thank you” can go a long way in ensuring your employees know that you’re grateful for their time and hard work. Remember to recognize positive behavior and share when someone on the team goes above and beyond – or even just nails a skill they’ve been training on! 

Coach and mentor to success 

As a leader, it’s your responsibility to help your team feel empowered and coach them on competencies that will translate to any role! Take the time to talk with your employees about their long-term goals, which skills they would like to develop, and how you can help get them there.  

Now you’re ready to implement some new employee retention tactics – don't be surprised when they trickle down into those speed of service metrics and even further into your VOC scores!  

Shop the marketplace for Earned Wage Access providers that are vetted and integrated with Delaget solutions, and check out our other resources like the Speed of Service Playbook for more tips and tricks of the trade. Download the 2021 QSR Operational Index to benchmark your SoS and Employee metrics.