In high-turnover industries like quick service restaurants, employee experience can often be overlooked, as it’s merely a fleeting part of business operations. In the eyes of a busy business owner or restaurant operator, many employees are there one moment and gone the next. What business leaders miss, however, is that employees represent the most powerful resource at their disposal. When it comes to business operations, employees are the primary drivers of retention, performance, and customer satisfaction.
For businesses that rely on regular, up-close interactions with their customers, employees are integral to the success of their business. Whether it’s a smile greeting them when they walk in the door, or seasoned professionals who know a menu from front to back, at quick service restaurants (QSRs), workers are a part of the business’ overall product offering. The employees who take orders, prepare meals, and address service issues are essential parts of a tightly connected restaurant ecosystem. They are more than just “the face” of the restaurant—their performance is the reason customers leave satisfied and return again.
This means QSRs rely on their workforce as a key contributor to profitability. In a business notorious for its low margins, employees who are trained on processes, understand the company’s approach to service, and leave consumers feeling as if they got their money’s worth are a vital reason customers return and a brand’s reputation grows.
More than perhaps any other industry, QSRs meld employee experience (EX) with customer experience (CX), putting employers in a challenging spot. Balancing people-related costs while meeting customer demand can mean the difference between a healthy and a struggling business. And since customers are the ones paying the bill, their experience is seen as an essential investment. Employee-centered benefits, on the other hand, can sometimes be viewed as only a nice-to-have despite their clear influence on customer experience. So, it’s critical to manage HR in a way that optimizes labor costs, improves efficiency, and ensures compliance.
Download the Full Research Note: