The Starbucks mobile ordering and pay app was a great idea but is causing income customers to leave the overcrowded lines without making a purchase. It is likely other restaurants will also stumble while adapting this technology. The biggest problem with this technology is you must have enough staff that is well trained and efficient in doing the job.

Key Takeaways:

• The popularity of Starbucks’ mobile ordering and pay app hampered sales last quarter, but the coffee giant isn’t likely to be the only restaurant chain that will stumble as it adopts the promising technology.
• For Starbucks, mobile transactions spiked throughout its U.S. stores last quarter, with 1,200 of its locations experiencing a 20 percent jump in mobile pay and ordering during peak hours.
• Starbucks has begun brainstorming its own solutions to ease the bottlenecking, but restaurant analysts and consultants have their own suggestions.

“Mobile order and pay apps promise more convenience for customers and restaurant staff alike. However, few chains are equipped to deal with patrons speeding through the checkout.”

http://www.restaurantnews.com/what-restaurants-can-learn-from-starbucks-mobile-stumble/

There are many lessons that food service managers have learned from their worst bosses. One lesson is never to hire someone that always says yes. Those people do not add much, if they are always agreeing with everyone. You also must tackle issues head on. No sweeping anything under the rug.

Key Takeaways:

• When a former supervisor of Brian Hickey’s decided not to confront an underperforming employee, Hickey, an area manager for Greenville County Schools in Greenville, S.C., saw that avoidance leads to bigger challenges.
• Julaine Kiehn, campus dining services director at the University of Missouri in Columbia, says she learned early in her career to share as much information with team members as possible, from department happenings to systemwide news.
• Sam Cross, general manager at Wichita State University in Wichita, Kan., learned to adopt a people-first mentality from his positive and negative experiences with leaders.

“An agreement between Mayo Clinic and a local branch of the Service Employees International Union has been reached after two union votes that took place over the last 10 days, Post Bulletin reports.”

http://www.foodservicedirector.com/managing-your-business/managing-staff/articles/6-lessons-foodservice-managers-learned-from-their