Bringing Out the Best in Your Restaurant Staff Through Smart Digital Tools
Why Staff Performance Matters in a Digitised World
As a restaurant manager, you know firsthand that your team’s performance can make or break the guest experience. Even the most exquisite menu or chic decor can’t compensate for disorganised or stressed-out staff. The modern diner’s expectations go well beyond a tasty meal; they crave quick, frictionless service from the moment they’re seated to when they pay. And in many cases, the difference between an okay visit and a memorable one is your front-of-house and back-of-house teams collaborating seamlessly.
That’s where sunday comes in. While sunday is often discussed as a powerful QR code payment system, it goes deeper than giving customers a fast checkout. When used thoughtfully, it also becomes a tool that restaurant managers can wield to strengthen team efficiency, improve morale, and drive higher revenue. In other words, sunday helps managers nurture better-performing, more confident staff who can delight diners every single day. Let’s explore how.
1. Saving Time on Payments so Staff Can Shine Elsewhere
Traditionally, settling the bill can be a slow, manual process. Servers dash around with card readers, queue for receipts, or toggle between different screens. This all adds up during peak hours, leaving staff scrambling when they could be focusing on diners’ needs.
sunday’s role:
- QR Code Payment: Customers simply scan a code at their table to settle up. No hunting for a server, no waiting for a machine. This self-checkout approach frees staff to handle higher-level tasks — from greeting new arrivals to addressing special requests or upselling a final round of coffees or cocktails.
- Shorter Table Turnover: Because diners don’t linger waiting for the bill, managers see a bump in how quickly tables free up. Freed servers can promptly reset tables and welcome new guests, which can mean more covers per shift (and, indirectly, better staff tips and revenue).
Staff love having less “admin duty” around payments. Instead of each transaction requiring them to present a card machine and manually confirm a tip, they can direct that energy toward real hospitality. That shift in focus is vital for managers seeking to cultivate an upbeat, guest-first culture.
2. Stronger Communication and Real-Time Visibility
Running a smooth operation is about communication. Who’s paid, who’s about to leave, which tables might need attention? Without consistent updates, staff can double up on tasks or overlook diners’ requests. Over time, that chaos can drain your team and frustrate guests.
sunday’s contribution:
- Instant Payment Notifications: When a table completes payment through sunday, staff can see that fact within the system or a connected point-of-sale. That clarity avoids servers accidentally checking on a table that’s already departed or missing a table that needs the final farewell.
- Reduced Errors: Automatic logging of tips and total amounts cuts down on manual data entry. Your team no longer wastes precious minutes reconciling receipts. Everyone sees what’s happening in real time, reducing confusion.
Managers can then direct staff to the tasks that matter most — seating new arrivals or making sure a table’s dessert arrives promptly. That sense of “everyone on the same page” boosts morale and synergy across the floor.
3. Empowering Servers to Increase Tips and Revenue
Let’s be honest: many servers value predictable tips. Traditional payment methods sometimes leave them at the mercy of rushed or distracted diners. sunday’s streamlined checkout fosters higher engagement with the tipping interface, often resulting in bigger gratuities.
How it helps managers:
- Staff Motivation Soars: A server who consistently sees better tips grows more enthusiastic about their role. With sunday’s user-friendly tip prompts, diners are gently guided to leave a gratuity. According to BigHospitality (BigHospitality data), digital tip suggestions can raise average tips by a few percentage points.
- Easy Tip Tracking: Because sunday’s system captures all tip data automatically, managers can quickly produce accurate tip reports for staff. That clarity builds trust, reducing any suspicion that tips were lost or miscalculated. Happy, trusting staff, in turn, deliver better service.
Over time, higher tips contribute to better staff retention. Managers benefit from a stable, experienced team that’s confident in making suggestions and upselling. That cumulative effect means higher ticket averages for the restaurant and happier employees all around.
4. Simplifying Training and Orientation
Introducing technology into a restaurant can sometimes be met with staff resistance, especially if it’s complicated or demands steep learning. If employees find a new tool intimidating, managers end up devoting more hours to retraining or damage control.
sunday’s approach:
- Minimal Steps for Servers: In many cases, staff only need to mention the QR code. Diners handle the entire payment on their phones. There’s no juggling handheld card readers or printing multiple receipts. The simpler the flow, the quicker staff become comfortable with it.
- Intuitive Layouts: sunday’s interface was designed with real-life restaurant pace in mind. So, servers quickly adapt to checking if a table’s paid or seeing how tips add up. It feels like a natural extension of normal service, not an extra hurdle.
By reducing complexity, managers can on-board new hires faster and with fewer headaches. Freed from excessive device training, employees can spend more time perfecting their customer interactions, which typically matter more for your brand.
5. Harnessing Data for Staff Performance Monitoring
It’s one thing to guess how well your team is doing; it’s another to have data that can guide real decisions. sunday’s digital approach captures transaction patterns, typical tip percentages, and how quickly tables settle their bills. From a managerial standpoint, those numbers can spotlight who might need extra coaching and who’s thriving.
Here’s what that means in practice:
- Identify Star Performers: Maybe you notice one server’s tables consistently tip 2-3% more than average. That suggests they excel at reading diners’ needs or building rapport. You might ask them to share tips with fellow staff or even consider them for a shift lead role.
- Spot Bottlenecks: If certain shifts see slow payment times, it might correlate with a short-staffed hour or a server who’s juggling too many tables. By linking data to staff schedules, you can tweak coverage or offer targeted training.
- Reward and Retrain: Data-based insights encourage fair, transparent staff appraisals. Rather than basing performance on vague impressions, you can say, “You’ve improved your table turnover by 10% since last month. Great job!” or “Your tip average is sliding — let’s find out why.”
For managers, data gleaned from sunday can turn guesswork into informed strategy, letting you refine daily operations or bigger staffing strategies.
6. Building a Guest-Centric Culture
Digital transformations aren’t solely about gadgetry. They revolve around making the guest journey smoother — from ordering to paying and potentially leaving a review. sunday’s self-pay solution addresses that final checkpoint, but the ripple effect touches staff, too.
- Focus on Service Over Admin: Freed from the burden of manually running a card machine or manually reconciling tip amounts, staff concentrate on personal touches. A brief chat, a meal recommendation, or checking if everything is perfect. That’s the face of real hospitality that diners remember.
- Positive Last Impression: The payment experience often decides whether your customers leave relaxed or frustrated. By smoothing out that final step, sunday helps staff maintain consistent positivity. A pleasant farewell moment can tip the scale for a glowing online review or immediate word-of-mouth praise.
In short, a consistent “service-first” mentality emerges. And when your staff embody that mindset day after day, your restaurant stands out in a crowded market.
7. Strengthening Team Collaboration
Smooth operations demand a well-coordinated dance between servers, the kitchen, and the front desk. When payment is no longer a bottleneck:
- Servers Communicate Better With Each Other: If a table has paid, staff can instantly see that in the system or from a simple on-screen indicator. No more confusion about whether Table 7 still needs a final top-up or is ready for clearing.
- Hosts or Managers Keep a Clear Overview: If your hostess sees which tables have completed payment, they can seat new arrivals faster. Meanwhile, managers can focus on guiding staff or handling any special issues that pop up, rather than chasing receipts.
The entire team’s synergy rises when they share real-time insights. Less guesswork, fewer frantic check-ins, and a calmer environment for your employees. Calm staff typically perform better, with sharper attentiveness and a friendlier demeanour.
8. Encouraging Continuous Improvement
One hallmark of a high-performing team is the drive to keep evolving. sunday’s analytics and feedback loops can feed that development.
- Staff Check Their Progress: Maybe your server gets to see how their average tip changed after adopting new upselling lines or friendlier table greetings. That sense of personal growth can be quite motivating.
- Managers Adjust on the Fly: If a certain shift falls short of your tip or time goals, you can investigate quickly. Was it a staffing mismatch, or was a certain server struggling with a new routine? Timely adjustments avoid repeating mistakes week after week.
Such transparency fosters a shared mission: everyone wants to see better numbers next month, not out of pressure but pride. The staff become partners in problem-solving rather than cogs in a machine.
Fostering a Culture Where Technology and People Thrive Together
Technology’s ultimate purpose in hospitality should be to enhance, not replace, human connection. sunday’s approach aligns with that principle: it streamlines mechanical tasks — like verifying bills, splitting payments, or calculating tips — so your team invests more energy in memorable conversations and impeccable service.
As managers, you stand at the intersection of these worlds. You champion your staff’s growth, handle the daily hustle, and ensure the financial health of the restaurant. sunday, with its data-driven insights and frictionless transactions, acts as a powerful ally in orchestrating that delicate balance. You gain the tools to coach staff effectively, respond to real-time shifts in diner behaviour, and keep your most valuable resource (your employees) content and well-supported.
Bringing It All Together
The synergy between a well-trained, motivated staff and user-friendly technology is unstoppable. While sunday is often lauded for making the payment process simple for diners, it also quietly supercharges the team behind the scenes:
- Less Time Spent Handling Payments: Freed labour that can be invested in upselling, table resets, or a personal touch.
- Automatic Tip Tracking: Clear records mean staff trust the process and stay motivated to deliver top-notch service.
- Quick Glances at Performance Data: You can catch inefficiencies or celebrate stand-out employees in real time.
- Unified Team Vision: Everyone remains aware of which tables have paid, who might need an extra greeting, or how close the restaurant is to that day’s goals.
By putting staff at the heart of your digital transformation, you create a culture where people genuinely appreciate the benefits of technology. It’s not an imposed “system,” but a supportive framework that helps them excel. When your employees feel empowered and your diners leave satisfied (and tipping well), you’ll know you’ve harnessed the real power of sunday.
After all, the best restaurants aren’t just about delicious dishes — they thrive on human warmth, efficiency, and a shared commitment to brilliance. sunday may be the digital spark, but your team remains the beating heart that brings it all to life.
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