Based on five decades of professional human resource (HR) experience in the industry and as management educator at some graduate business schools, I found in a high-turnover business, robust L&D programs help mitigate the costs of staff turnover, improve customer experience & service quality, that ensure consistency across locations. Well-trained staff are better equipped to deliver exceptional service, which increases customer satisfaction & loyalty. This includes mastering menu knowledge, handling special dietary requests, and providing efficient service under pressure during busy and peak periods.
I believe investing in professional development signals a commitment to staff growth, making employees more likely to stay. This is crucial for reducing high turnover rates common in the F&B small and medium enterprises (SME) businesses. Research has shown for operational efficiency and consistency, training ensures that all staff follow the standard operating procedures (SOPs), to minimize waste, improve food safety & guarantees consistent quality.
A case in point derived when I had the opportunity to revisit Warung Che Bunga in Sungai Buloh and saw the flexibility & adaptability of cross-training that enables employees to perform multiple roles, allowing the business to manage staff shortages by improving communication and service excellence. The key to achieving this success was the result of affordable & practical ways to embrace L&D focusing on their learning time for personal development.
I am convinced that SMEs may actually have an advantage over larger organizations when attempting to build a learning culture from scratch. A smaller, growing business with fewer people has a blank slate to set that intention. I think It's not just about structured training programs and systems, it's about learning from one another within the team, it's really about sharing experience serving as a key driver for customer satisfaction and profit sharing solution.
I am witnessing the team members realize that investing a couple of hours learning to deal with issues independently rather than relying on supervision.
Zulkifly Baharom (hajizul50@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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