Ask any restaurant owner what part of their job they love the most and they will be happy to rattle off a string of them! Meeting new people and interacting with the guests, trying out new dishes and spicing up the menu, offering a great dining experience to all those who visit and creating a wonderful working atmosphere for all employees. Ask them what causes them the greatest frustration and the answer will surprise you - it is not the picky guests or the hard-to-please critics but the employee scheduling!
Though this may sound simple enough, ask a restaurant owner, manager, chef or any other industry professional and they will attest how complex it can be to schedule employees taking into account their individual constraints, to avoid conflicting shifts and to take into account sudden changes. In fact, they will tell you that all the hours spent in just scheduling various shifts could have been spent more productively in improving the quality of the service offered to customers and hence in improving their business.
Well, they do not have to worry any more. 86shifts.com (http://www.86shifts.com) is an online restaurant management software that makes life easier by allowing for automated employee scheduling. It has very quickly built a reputation as one of the most user-friendly software that has all the powerful features of any sophisticated scheduling software but without the added complications. In fact, 86shifts.com engages the entire restaurant staff, giving them a fun and easy way to make changes in their schedules as also to communicate amongst themselves and with the managers. Naturally, this restaurant scheduler leads to schedules that are better managed, happier employees, and more satisfied guests.
86shifts.com has all the features a good online restaurant employee scheduling software should have -
Schedule management online is now possible for managers who can post the schedule of employees online, who in turn can view it in advance and put in a request if they would like any changes. Since this schedule can be seen at any time, there is no excuse for anyone forgetting a shift.
Employees can view each other's shifts and thereby easily put in requests for trading of shifts. These requests are immediately forwarded to the manager for approval. This avoids cancellations and staff not turning up for duty and certainly last-minute confusion over whose shift it actually was. The restaurant scheduler of 86shifts.com makes it possible for employees to access their schedule at any time so as to avoid conflict and confusion.
Important documents such as the menu or the employee handbook can be uploaded online. Using the restaurant management software of 86shifts.com one can easily access, view and print any of these documents, making it possible to avoid paper trails.
Employee schedule management online is now not only easy but also fun through 86shifts.com. This online restaurant employee scheduling software takes off all the daily pressures of creating shifts and covering for absences from managers while giving employees the convenience to trade shifts. A restaurant that uses 86shifts.com is bound to have more satisfied and motivated employees leading to a smoothly functioning business.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Children's Boutique
Some people are obsessed with fashion and open up their own clothing boutiques. But some people are expressly interested in children's clothing. Kids' clothes can be so cute and boutique clothing is becoming increasingly popular with young parents. They see their child as a reflection of themselves. In today's world of clothing and identity going hand in hand, parents are looking to make sure that their children are as stylish as they are.
Children's clothes sell all year long. Seasonal spikes are bound to happen, but kids are always outgrowing clothes. They have weddings to go to, birthday parties, they need church clothes, and school clothes. There are so many opportunities to sell to the same customer over and over. Plus, a lot of your advertising should be done for you.
Parents talk, create networks, and support groups. They are eager to let each other know about special deals, the latest in baby gear, and that cute little boutique where Abby got that adorable watermelon dress. Parents are more likely to go out of their way to buy clothing for their kids than they are for themselves. Parents love to make their kids stand out in the crowd so that they can brag and hear all the "ooohs" and "ahhhs" going around the room.
When you decide to open a children's boutique, make sure that you keep all of these things in mind. A parent buying a dress for a little girl looks for a lot of things. The style has to be cute, unique, well-made, and they may want to personalize.
Having an embroidery service to work with can bring in lots of extra cash. You can offer special items that are meant for monogramming. Some parents may be interested in airbrushing or having their child's name painted or screen printed on certain things. Make sure that you establish good working relationships with the companies that you will use if you offer these services.
Set up the store to show parents that you have the unique items that they are after. One good move is to have your baby clothes facing out towards the customer. Don't cram them and hide their details by using all round garment racks in your boutique. Use a flat retail display, like slatwall, so that people can easily browse your products.
You can use slatwall panels to create free-standing displays as well. This is helpful in a boutique because you can change the shape and size very easily. Slatwall accessories are easy to manipulate to create that special slatwall display that is sure to help you make a name for yourself.
Last but not least, be considerate of parents' needs. Leave enough room between your displays so that parents can fit strollers through. Provide a lot of seating throughout for women that are pregnant. Strategically place activity tables for children near displays that you want parents to stop and look at. Clearly label restrooms or areas where mothers can nurse. These few things will keep parents very happy about shopping at your children's boutique.
Children's clothes sell all year long. Seasonal spikes are bound to happen, but kids are always outgrowing clothes. They have weddings to go to, birthday parties, they need church clothes, and school clothes. There are so many opportunities to sell to the same customer over and over. Plus, a lot of your advertising should be done for you.
Parents talk, create networks, and support groups. They are eager to let each other know about special deals, the latest in baby gear, and that cute little boutique where Abby got that adorable watermelon dress. Parents are more likely to go out of their way to buy clothing for their kids than they are for themselves. Parents love to make their kids stand out in the crowd so that they can brag and hear all the "ooohs" and "ahhhs" going around the room.
When you decide to open a children's boutique, make sure that you keep all of these things in mind. A parent buying a dress for a little girl looks for a lot of things. The style has to be cute, unique, well-made, and they may want to personalize.
Having an embroidery service to work with can bring in lots of extra cash. You can offer special items that are meant for monogramming. Some parents may be interested in airbrushing or having their child's name painted or screen printed on certain things. Make sure that you establish good working relationships with the companies that you will use if you offer these services.
Set up the store to show parents that you have the unique items that they are after. One good move is to have your baby clothes facing out towards the customer. Don't cram them and hide their details by using all round garment racks in your boutique. Use a flat retail display, like slatwall, so that people can easily browse your products.
You can use slatwall panels to create free-standing displays as well. This is helpful in a boutique because you can change the shape and size very easily. Slatwall accessories are easy to manipulate to create that special slatwall display that is sure to help you make a name for yourself.
Last but not least, be considerate of parents' needs. Leave enough room between your displays so that parents can fit strollers through. Provide a lot of seating throughout for women that are pregnant. Strategically place activity tables for children near displays that you want parents to stop and look at. Clearly label restrooms or areas where mothers can nurse. These few things will keep parents very happy about shopping at your children's boutique.
Retail Salesperson
Whether you are a salesperson looking to improve your sales or a boutique owner looking to hire effective salespeople, these tips can help. If you look closely at the management of a store, how they relate to their salespeople, and how the sales staff relates to the customer, you can start to see some qualities that are present across the board. Studying these traits can help you to improve your sales skills and teach others how to improve their skills as well.
1) When satisfied customers are interviewed, they usually mention a few of the same things that they liked about their shopping experience. The first thing that they will usually say is that they thought the sales staff was friendly and not oppressive. Being friendly is important because your attitude is a reflection on the store. People make judgments about you and your store the second they lay eyes on you. If you're smiling, you're off to a good start.
2) Being able to see the customer's side of things is an important skill to master. Let them do most of the talking and listen intently. Drop whatever you are doing and give them your full attention. Try to talk conversationally with them. Do not drop sales lines or try to sway their opinion. Agree with them as much as you can without seeming like you are just trying to butter them up. Don't overdo it, just talk to them on their level.
3) Don't get defensive if someone has an objection or complaint. Take full responsibility, apologize and then offer a solution. If you can't solve their problem, admit it and then let them know that you want to help. Take the issue to a supervisor or manager that can help to make the problem right.
4) Be knowledgeable about every product possible. Customers really appreciate their questions being answered by someone who really cares enough to know a lot about a product or brand. Don't be afraid to point out negative qualities from time to time. You'll gain the trust of the customer, possibly for life.
5) Offer information. If you see that someone is interested in a certain brand or product, calmly tell them something that you know that makes the product unique. Don't hound them, following them around talking about everything that they look at, but offer valuable information if they seem like they are trying to make a decision.
6) Keep the store neat as you work. Keeping your garment racks and displays fully stocked will make customers feel like you care about them finding what they need. Don't overstock, however, because a crowded garment rack or display makes customers feel like you are trying to get rid of as much merchandise as possible and they may not feel like looking through everything that you have.
1) When satisfied customers are interviewed, they usually mention a few of the same things that they liked about their shopping experience. The first thing that they will usually say is that they thought the sales staff was friendly and not oppressive. Being friendly is important because your attitude is a reflection on the store. People make judgments about you and your store the second they lay eyes on you. If you're smiling, you're off to a good start.
2) Being able to see the customer's side of things is an important skill to master. Let them do most of the talking and listen intently. Drop whatever you are doing and give them your full attention. Try to talk conversationally with them. Do not drop sales lines or try to sway their opinion. Agree with them as much as you can without seeming like you are just trying to butter them up. Don't overdo it, just talk to them on their level.
3) Don't get defensive if someone has an objection or complaint. Take full responsibility, apologize and then offer a solution. If you can't solve their problem, admit it and then let them know that you want to help. Take the issue to a supervisor or manager that can help to make the problem right.
4) Be knowledgeable about every product possible. Customers really appreciate their questions being answered by someone who really cares enough to know a lot about a product or brand. Don't be afraid to point out negative qualities from time to time. You'll gain the trust of the customer, possibly for life.
5) Offer information. If you see that someone is interested in a certain brand or product, calmly tell them something that you know that makes the product unique. Don't hound them, following them around talking about everything that they look at, but offer valuable information if they seem like they are trying to make a decision.
6) Keep the store neat as you work. Keeping your garment racks and displays fully stocked will make customers feel like you care about them finding what they need. Don't overstock, however, because a crowded garment rack or display makes customers feel like you are trying to get rid of as much merchandise as possible and they may not feel like looking through everything that you have.
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