When a customer walks through a venue’s door, a multitude of opportunities follow.
One advantage is they pass on critical information to the venue. A way that a business can measure feedback, no-shows, bookings, receptivity to promotional strategies, which dishes are/aren’t flying out of the kitchen, how customers respond to different initiatives and so on is through recording and analysing their actions and behaviours.
Restaurant reports are a powerful tool that help summarise and present this data. Nowadays, it’s more than jotting everything down in a paper diary, or punching in entries on an excel spreadsheet. With ResDiary, there are a variety of customisable and readily available reports which help to tell restaurateurs the information they need to know.
But the cold, hard data – and the reports that follow – might not be enough to help businesses improve their operations. There are a number of ways that hospitality venues can maximise the benefits of these reports.
So much important information is available in ResDiary reports, so read them closely and carefully, and consider everything that is being presented. Check out the customer list and spending reports, the feedback reports, the amount of vouchers and promotions that are being sold, the menu reports and so on. The numbers at the end of the week, month, or year may elucidate which initiatives are or aren’t working, and it would be remiss to disregard data that help to clarify the strengths and weaknesses of the business.
Reports tell some of the story, but they may not show the why or how behind the data. It might be a good idea to share the report with the hospitality team – or other stakeholders – to discuss why no-shows are higher this month than last month, or how a menu item’s selling rate could be improved upon. These data reports can be a catalyst for discussion, and can be the perfect reason to bring other voices to the table.
It can be difficult to make improvements without some indication of past performance. For example, the reports may show a turnover of 1000 specials, 500 group bookings, or the sale of 200 vouchers over a particular month. That can be used as a point of reference to maintain, or improve performance over the following months.
If the numbers from a particular report don’t reflect what you’re trying to achieve, it might be time to make a strategic change. The trigger for change may be trending feedback from customers or a lower-than-anticipated set of financial numbers, but the information outlined in these reports can serve as a necessary wake-up call for adjustments that can help to reinvigorate the venue.
Reports can be a really useful tool for hospitality venues in showcasing historic performance, and the impact of implementing specific strategies over a period of time. They can also be a motivational force underlying future actions. But, these reports are only as useful as the hands they are in. So read them thrice, discuss them widely, consider them reflectively and – if necessary – make a change until the reports match, or exceed, expectations.
Disclaimer: This guide is general in nature and does not take into account your individual circumstances. Before acting on any information, you should consider whether this is right for your business.