标签存档： solutions

Data-Driven Decisions: Boost Your Business

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In the business world, every decision can directly impact a company's results. However, many organizations still make decisions based on assumptions or intuition, without in-depth analysis. 

The key to sustainable success lies in data-driven business decisions, which allow companies to identify trends, fix inefficiencies, optimize processes, and enhance customer experience. 

With BARE International’s research solutions,  you can turn information into actionable strategies that drive real results. 

Data help answer fundamental questions, such as: 

  • What do your customers really want? 
  • Where are the bottlenecks in customer service? 
  • What are the main factors influencing customer loyalty? 
  • What improvements can be made to maximize team performance? 

Data analysis not only provides answers but also allows your company to anticipate trends and adapt strategies to remain competitive in the market. 

How Does BARE International Help Your Business Turn Data into Action?

BARE International offers research solutions that enable companies across all industries to collect and analyze strategic information to improve performance. 

🔎 Trend Identification  
Through detailed evaluations, we identify consumer behavior patterns and anticipate market changes. 

📈 Service Optimization
Analyzing collected data allows effective adjustments in operational processes, improving efficiency and customer satisfaction. 

🎯 Enhancing Customer Experience 
With valuable insights, your company can personalize interactions, eliminate friction points, and deliver memorable experiences to customers. 

Strategic Decisions Start with Reliable Data

Data is the fuel for sustainable business growth. By making decisions based on accurate information, you can reduce risks, improve efficiency, and enhance customer satisfaction. 

Want to optimize your strategy and boost your results?
Transform data into action today: Request a FREE quote!

At BARE International, we pride ourselves on helping businesses decode these customer behaviors. Whether it’s uncovering hidden trends or designing feedback loops for continuous improvement, our research empowers brands to stay ahead of the curve. 

Want to learn more about what drives customer loyalty in the airport lounge and financial industries? Reach out to us today to explore how our tailored research can take your CX strategy to new heights. 

Tell us about your business and what keeps you up at night. We can help. 

The Importance of the Mystery Shopper’s Perspective

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Do you really know how your customers see your business?

Many companies believe they understand the experience they offer their customers, but reality can be very different when seen through the eyes of the consumer. Mystery shopping is a valuable tool to step outside the internal business perspective and dive into the real customer journey. 

The Difference Between “Thinking” and “Knowing”

Companies often rely on traditional metrics, such as satisfaction surveys and NPS, to measure service quality. However, these metrics only reflect part of the experience. A dissatisfied customer may simply not respond to a survey, while a satisfied customer may praise the service without pointing out improvement opportunities. 

This is where mystery shopping comes in: it allows for a complete, anonymous, and impartial experience, uncovering details that often go unnoticed by management. It’s like adjusting the lens to see your business from a new angle—your audience’s perspective. 

What Can Mystery Shopping Reveal?

By analyzing the customer journey from the point of view of those who truly engage with your products or services, it is possible to identify key aspects such as: 

First Impression
The experience begins before the purchase. How is your team's initial approach? Does your website or physical store make a good impression? 

Wait Time
A decisive factor for many consumers. Is the service efficient, or does it make customers give up before completing a purchase? 

Consistency in Service
Do all employees follow established standards? Is the experience the same across different service channels? 

Empathy and Personalization
Does your team genuinely connect with the customer, or does the service feel robotic? 

Pain Points
From payment difficulties to a lack of clear product and service information, any obstacle can impact the experience and conversion rates.

An External Perspective as a Growth Strategy

Many businesses only realize they have issues when they start losing customers. Viewing your business through the eyes of the consumer helps prevent minor problems from turning into major crises, allowing for quick adjustments and continuous improvements. 

Investing in mystery shopping isn’t just about fixing flaws—it’s also about leveraging strengths and creating a memorable customer experience. Companies that excel in this practice don’t just retain customers; they turn every interaction into a competitive advantage.
 

Are You Ready to See Your Business with Fresh Eyes?

The real customer experience might not be what you expect. Adopting mystery shopping as a strategy allows businesses to step outside their internal perspective and immerse themselves in the real customer journey, ensuring that every touchpoint is optimized to surprise, delight, and retain customers. 

At BARE International, we pride ourselves on helping businesses decode these customer behaviors. Whether it’s uncovering hidden trends or designing feedback loops for continuous improvement, our research empowers brands to stay ahead of the curve. 

Want to learn more about what drives customer loyalty in the airport lounge and financial industries? Reach out to us today to explore how our tailored research can take your CX strategy to new heights. 

Tell us about your business and what keeps you up at night. We can help. 

Uncover the Truth About Your Customer Experience with Mystery Shopping

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Every business strives to deliver the best possible experience to its customers, but does the service provided truly meet expectations? Often, small details go unnoticed by management, directly affecting customer satisfaction.    

To gain an objective and unbiased understanding of the customer journey, Mystery Shopping has become an essential tool in the market. It allows companies to evaluate service quality, adherence to brand standards, and operational efficiency from a real customer’s perspective.

What is Mystery Shopping?

Mystery Shopping is a research methodology where trained evaluators act as regular customers to assess and report their experience. This approach provides detailed insights into customer service, product availability, store organization, and employee compliance with company guidelines.  

At the end of the evaluation, businesses receive comprehensive reports highlighting strengths and areas for improvement, enabling them to implement strategic actions to enhance the customer experience. 

Benefits of Mystery Shopping for Businesses

Investing in a Mystery Shopping program can significantly improve various aspects of a business, leading to more efficient service and higher customer satisfaction. 

  1. Identifying Improvement Opportunities

Mystery Shopping helps reveal inefficiencies and service gaps that might go unnoticed by management. From inefficient processes to inconsistent service quality, these insights allow companies to correct issues before they impact customer perception. 

  1. Enhancing Customer Experience

A positive experience increases customer loyalty and brand advocacy. By leveraging insights from Mystery Shopping, businesses can make data-driven adjustments that improve customer satisfaction and engagement. 

  1. Improving Employee Performance

Employee interactions shape the overall customer experience. Mystery Shopping enables companies to assess staff behavior in different scenarios, providing valuable data for training programs and performance enhancements. 

  1. Continuous Monitoring of Service Quality

Implementing changes is just the first step. Regular evaluations help track progress and ensure that improvements are maintained over time, leading to long-term business success. 

  1. Competitive Advantage in the Market

Companies that use data-driven insights to optimize customer experience stand out from the competition. High-quality service builds a strong reputation, fosters customer trust, and drives business growth. 

BARE International’s Expertise in Mystery Shopping

With over 38 years of experience, BARE International is a global leader in Mystery Shopping solutions. Since its founding in 1987, the company has helped businesses across industries enhance their services and deliver exceptional customer experiences. 

Operating in over 150 countries, BARE International develops customized Mystery Shopping programs to meet each client’s unique needs. The company boasts a global network of highly trained evaluators who conduct in-depth research and provide precise reports to support strategic decision-making. 

Decades of expertise have made BARE International a trusted partner for businesses seeking to improve performance and ensure service excellence.

Enhance Customer Experience with BARE International

Achieving service excellence requires data-driven strategies and deep customer insights. Mystery Shopping is an essential tool for businesses looking to understand customer perceptions, correct shortcomings, and strengthen their market positioning. 

If you want to elevate your customer service and stand out from the competition, rely on BARE International’s expertise. Request a quote today and discover how a Mystery Shopping program can transform your business: 

Request a quote with BARE International

Discover How Surveys Can Revolutionize Your Customer Experience

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Customer experience is one of the key factors determining a business’s success. Satisfied customers not only return but also recommend your brand to others, helping to build a positive reputation and drive growth. But how do you know if your company is meeting customer expectations? The answer lies in customer experience surveys.

The Importance of Surveys in Customer Experience

Customer satisfaction and experience surveys provide valuable insights into what consumers really think about your products, services, and customer support. By collecting and analyzing this data, your company can:

  • Identify strengths: Discover which aspects of your service are most valued by customers.
  • Fix issues: Detect problems in customer service, product quality, or any other touchpoint in the customer journey.
  • Anticipate needs: Understanding customer expectations allows your company to offer solutions before issues arise.
  • Make strategic decisions: Base your actions on concrete data, optimizing resources and ensuring continuous improvements.

How to Conduct Customer Experience Surveys

Define your objectives. Before conducting a survey, clearly determine what you want to learn. This could be overall satisfaction, perception of a specific service, or the shopping experience.

Choose the right format. Use online surveys, interviews, post-purchase forms, or even direct email evaluations.

Ask strategic questions. Opt for direct and objective questions such as "What can we improve?" or "How would you rate our service?".

Gathering data is just the first step. The key is in applying the insights gained.

Turn Feedback into Action

BARE International has over 38 years of experience providing data-driven insights to help businesses enhance their customer experience. With our customized solutions, you can identify trends, resolve issues, and elevate service quality.

Request a FREE quote for your research project. Request A Quote

Invest in customer experience and strengthen your business.

 

At BARE International, we pride ourselves on helping businesses decode these customer behaviors. Whether it’s uncovering hidden trends or designing feedback loops for continuous improvement, our research empowers brands to stay ahead of the curve. 

Want to learn more about what drives customer loyalty in the airport lounge and financial industries? Reach out to us today to explore how our tailored research can take your CX strategy to new heights. 

Tell us about your business and what keeps you up at night. We can help. 

BEYOND FOUR WALLS: NAVIGATING THE ‘HOME GYM’ BOOM WITH NEXT-LEVEL CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

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As fitness enthusiasts redefine their workout spaces and embark on the journey of the “home gym” experience, the fitness industry finds itself venturing beyond the conventional four walls of a gym. The allure of personalized workouts, virtual classes, and fitness technology has reshaped how individuals approach their fitness routines.

In this dynamic landscape, fitness center and gym managers are presented with a unique challenge – how to adapt their customer experience strategies to meet the evolving needs of their members.

Join us as we explore the growing impact of the home gym trend on the fitness industry and unveil strategies to not only navigate these changes but also transcend the traditional boundaries, crafting exceptional experiences that resonate with members, whether they work out at home or within the gym setting.

THE RISE OF THE HOME-GYM EXPERIENCE

The convenience and flexibility offered by home gyms have become increasingly appealing to fitness enthusiasts. A recent general survey concluded that 53% of people prefer to do at-home workouts instead of going to a gym.

With advancements in technology, virtual fitness classes, and a plethora of at-home workout options, individuals now have the freedom to curate their fitness routines from the comfort of their homes. This shift has created new challenges and opportunities for traditional fitness centers.

ADAPTING CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE TO MEET CHANGING NEEDS

1. ENHANCING VIRTUAL OFFERINGS

As home gyms thrive, fitness centers and gyms can adapt by expanding their virtual offerings. Live-streamed classes, on-demand workouts, and interactive virtual training sessions can extend your gym’s services, catering to members who appreciate the flexibility of working out at home.

2. INVESTING IN TECHNOLOGICAL INTEGRATION

Embrace technology to bridge the gap between the home gym experience and traditional gyms. Mobile apps, wearable fitness technology, and online member portals can enhance the overall member experience, providing tools for goal tracking, scheduling, and personalized fitness plans.

3. TAILORING IN-PERSON EXPERIENCES

Recognize the unique value of in-person interactions and facilities. Focus on creating an environment that offers experiences beyond what can be replicated at home. Consider specialty classes, social events, and exclusive amenities to entice members back to the gym.

46% of survey respondents stated that facility cleanliness is the most important factor in their gym experience, followed closely by variety of machines and equipment at 43%.

4. GATHERING MEMBER FEEDBACK

Regularly collect feedback from members to understand their evolving needs and preferences. Mystery Shopping Programs and Customer Satisfaction Surveys can provide valuable insights into how well your gym is adapting to the home-gym trend and identify areas for improvement in the customer experience.

DOING THE HEAVY LIFTING

Members look beyond the weights and treadmills; they seek a holistic gym experience that aligns with their needs and expectations.

You can create a gym environment that members love by prioritizing personalized engagement, maintaining high-quality facilities, fostering transparent communication, integrating technology, and cultivating a knowledgeable staff.

Staying on top of Customer Experience is not just a trend; it’s the cornerstone of lasting success in the fitness industry. Whether your members are working out at home or hitting the gym, the key is to create exceptional experiences that resonate with their evolving preferences. Transcend the four walls and navigate the home gym boom with a customer-centric approach, ensuring your fitness center thrives in this dynamic landscape.

Tell us about your business and what keeps you up at night. We can help.

7 SECRETS TO ELEVATING THE GUEST EXPERIENCE

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In an era where the hospitality landscape is evolving rapidly, guest experience has emerged as a defining factor for hotels’ success. Exceptional guest experiences are a blend of thoughtful strategies, operational excellence, and genuine care.

Here are the top 7 key insights and industry best practices that can help you elevate the guest experience in your hotel and perhaps inspire new avenues of excellence. 

1. THE GUEST EXPERIENCE QUOTIENT

Guest experience isn’t a single moment; it’s the sum of all guest interactions with your establishment.

Every touchpoint presents an opportunity to create lasting impressions from the initial booking process to check-out. How seamless and enjoyable these touchpoints are greatly influences your guests’ perception of your brand. 

2. AUDIT FOR EXCELLENCE

Comprehensive audits can act as a guiding light, illuminating areas that deserve attention.

You can align your hotel’s services with guest expectations by evaluating processes, identifying bottlenecks, and addressing operational inefficiencies. Consider conducting regular internal audits as part of your commitment to delivering consistent quality.

3. QUALITY ASSURANCE AS A PILLAR

Quality assurance programs are the backbone of a guest-centric approach.

Establishing standardized service protocols ensures that each guest is treated to a consistent level of excellence. This is where your staff’s training and commitment to providing impeccable service come to the forefront.

4. THE EFFICIENCY-EXPERIENCE CONNECTION

Efficiency isn’t just about quick check-ins; it’s about giving guests the gift of time.

Smooth operational workflows translate to more opportunities for meaningful interactions. When cumbersome processes don’t bog down your staff, they can focus on what truly matters – catering to your guests’ needs.

5. UNVEILING INSIGHTS WITH MYSTERY SHOPPING

Stepping into your guests’ shoes is an enlightening experience.

Engage in mystery shopping initiatives to gain an unfiltered view of your hotel’s strengths and areas of improvement. Use these insights to fine-tune your services, refine training programs, and nurture a culture of continuous improvement.

6. STRIVING FOR AUTHENTIC PERSONALIZATION

Personalization isn’t just addressing guests by name; it’s about understanding their preferences and anticipating their needs.

Consider leveraging technology to track guest preferences and tailor experiences accordingly. When a guest feels genuinely understood, their loyalty deepens. In fact, after surveying a random sample, we found that 69% of respondents are extremely likely to return to a hotel that provides a personalized and memorable guest experience.

7. NAVIGATING GUEST FEEDBACK

Guest feedback, whether positive or constructive, is a valuable compass guiding you toward guest satisfaction.

53% of our random sample respondents prefer to provide feedback regarding their hotel experience via online review sites, and 29% prefer utilizing the hotel’s direct feedback form. Embrace both online reviews and direct feedback channels.

Responding thoughtfully shows your commitment to improving and adds a human touch to your brand. 

Elevating guest experience is a collective effort that involves every team member, from the front desk to housekeeping, from management to kitchen staff. As you explore avenues to enhance the guest experience, consider these strategies as stepping stones toward creating meaningful connections that turn guests into loyal advocates.

Together, we can shape a hospitality landscape that leaves a lasting impact. Contact us today to learn more about extraordinary guest experiences

WHAT IS INCIDENT MANAGEMENT AND HOW CAN DIGITAL CHECKLISTS HELP?

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A five-hour computer outage cost Delta Airlines $150 million in 2017. Similarly, companies lose an average of $300,000 per hour in revenue, staff productivity, and maintenance costs due to system outages. 

Major disruptions can significantly outweigh such expenses. The reason behind this is simple: customers who are unable to pay their bills, participate in a video conference or purchase a plane ticket are eager to switch to a competitor.

 

Moreover, such incidents can disrupt the organization’s processes and make them highly critical to its future. Therefore, incident management is vital to ensure smooth business operations and to avoid such incidents in the future. 

WHAT EXACTLY IS INCIDENT MANAGEMENT?

Businesses use dozens of technological packages in the forms of software and hardware to increase productivity. But like other systems, these IT systems too are vulnerable to breakdowns and stutters or can malfunction from time to time.

One incident could be all it takes to break your business practices, and it can throw your entire organization in flux. This is mainly because the incident occurs out of nowhere, and no one is prepared for it.

Incident management refers to a certain set of IT practices and preparations that your team or organization would carry out to measure KPI (Key Performance Indicators) and detect and solve problems or an “incident” in the business. 

Incident management ensures that your IT team can resolve technical malfunctions at the earliest, to reduce damage and even your reputation in the long run. For instance, you don’t want your website to stop running amidst a big sale, for it may repel customers indefinitely.

BENEFITS OF INCIDENT MANAGEMENT

A good incident management software will give KPIs to help the concerned team dramatically reduce incident response time.

However, it must be noted that KPIs themselves will not solve your problems. Still, they will assist you in identifying the source of the problem and directing your efforts toward digging more profound in the appropriate areas.

Here are some benefits of incident management:

  • Deriving vital KPIs for current and future use.
  • Prevention of incidents and risks.
  • Reduction and elimination of downtime.
  • Securing confidential data.
  • Improving customer service.
  • Better efficiency by identifying areas of improvement.
  • Mitigating spontaneous labor and costs.

HOW CAN A DIGITAL CHECKLIST HELP?

Manually conducting safety auditing, inspection management, and meeting compliance standards can be tedious.

But harnessing digital checklists, businesses can streamline incident management and make it more accessible.

All industries have a unique set of challenges they face during operations. Digital checklists simplify these processes, making it much easier to tackle challenges while maintaining an organized workplace.

Digital checklists can prove your team with some critical KPIs like timestamps, uptime, SLOs (Service Level Objectives), SLAs (Service Level Agreements), MTTR (mean time to repair, resolve, respond, or recovery), On-call time, MTTD (mean time to detect), and MTTA (mean time to acknowledge). 

Furthermore, you can use digital checklists for incident management to do the following:

  • Log all incidents.
  • Determine the location and sensitivity of the incident at hand.
  • Isolate the incident to ensure it doesn’t affect other resources.
  • Identify regulatory measures for the incident.
  • Assign duties throughout your team according to various factors for faster issue resolution. This can be done according to the category, location, and effectiveness.
  • Eradicate malfunctioned or compromised data.
  • Develop a list for forensics and hardware replacement if needed.
  • Analyze data to study why the problem arose and how you can avoid recurrence in the future.
  • Create an incident report that logs which areas of the organization were most affected.
  • Track and monitor all incidents to ensure accountability as well as faster resolution of incidents.
  • Improve security measures.

As you can see, digital checklists can be beneficial in the case of incident management.

HOW CAN BARE HELP?

BARE-IFY is an iAuditor alternative that helps you create digital checklists and carry out vital functions that support your organization to run smoothly and effectively.

BARE provides businesses with KPIs for incident management to identify and diagnose problems with processes and systems, provide benchmarks and realistic targets for the team to work toward, and serve as a springboard for more extensive inquiries.

Additionally, BARE has a user-friendly mobile app that operates offline, gathering data for you to inspect and analyze easily. A simple dashboard displays real-time results that are easy to gauge.

The BARE-IFY mobile audit application is easy to use and super practical. Revolutionize your business practices, meet standard compliances, and rise to the top.

MOBILE AUDITING – LENDING A HELPING HAND TO YOUR EMPLOYEES

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We all live in a modern era. People generally prefer to use cloud storage and digital technology in their day to day life. Gathering information on paper forms can be simpler compared to the usability and speed of the mobile audit application.

Also, using paper forms may be too complicated and disorganized. It can take a lot of time to search, which may be very frustrating to employees. To make it more efficient and quick, mobile auditing helps in inspection in an organized manner.

 

WHY ONLY MOBILE APPLICATIONS?

Using paper forms to work may be a time-consuming way; instead of that, laptops and desktops can be more efficient. But, there is a higher possibility that you won’t be carrying your laptop or desktop with you every time. Considering that case, a mobile application is built for inspection because mobile phones are portable, and used by almost everyone. A mobile application for auditing and inspection can bring more productivity and minimize the consumable time.

THE BENEFIT OF MOBILE AUDITING

A smartphone can be useful to gather information anywhere and anytime. The following are several points that mention the benefits of mobile inspection and auditing:

  • Easy to Use: Mobile auditing is performed on a mobile application that has user-friendly software.
  • On-Demand Access: Users don’t have to search for data at several places and spreadsheets.
  • Checklists: Preloaded checklists and forms related to marketing and products are available. These templates make it easier for employees to work.
  • Work From the App: Companies can assign tasks to employees and keep track of their actions and progress.
  • Connect the Field to the Office: Since mobile phones are easy to carry anywhere, an employee can update the fieldwork on the mobile application from anywhere at any time.
  • Capture Images: A person can also capture the image of the work’s confirmation.

HOW CAN IT BE HELPFUL IN THE POST-COVID SCENARIOS?

During this pandemic situation, companies may be worried about the safety of employees. Industries such as healthcare, transportation, and food production need inspections and audits in weekly intervals. Mobile auditing application provides various checklists and forms for:

  • Washing and sanitizing workspaces
  • Intake forms (screen clients before entering the site)
  • Safety and hygiene audits
  • Vendor inspection forms

BARE-IFY has hospitality audits for COVID-19, so it allows a company in tracking activities to be 100% sure about a safer workspace. There will be higher possibilities that post-COVID consumers will only buy from brands that are concerned about safety and hygiene.

BARE-IFY – THE BEST FIELD INSPECTION APP

BARE-IFY powered by Pulse Tech is the technology that resolves all the challenges faced by a company in inspecting, auditing, and storing the data. It is a user-friendly platform that your work team can easily access. It has the following benefits:

  • This mobile audit application allows a store or office team to start inspection immediately.
  • It has preloaded checklists. These are necessary for a business (however, it also allows users to customize the checklists). The preloaded checklists contain forms for Covid-19, infrastructure, visual merchandising, marketing, and products.
  • It allows the user to select the industry type such as automobile, retail, medical, banking, etc. It reduces the time complexity. This simply means the work which needs an hour to complete can be easily done within a few minutes.
  • It allows you to assign and track various tasks for your employees. Assigning tasks in just a few clicks can reduce the time, and tracking their activity enhances productivity. BARE-IFY makes the company’s environment more efficient and enjoyable.
  • It allows you to assign major actions to the employees. “The more the actions completed, the more will be the improvement in sales and performance.”
  • It has an advanced dashboard for data analytics.

The features of BARE-IFY that always make it a front runner are:

  • Automation
  • Analytics
  • Action tracking
  • Scale/ Efficiency
  • Accountability

The BARE-IFY mobile audit application should be considered as a replacement for paper forms. It has an effective dashboard that provides accurate information. It maintains the data in an organized way. BARE-IFY is easy to set up, accountable, cost-efficient, and highly configurable. You can customize your forms and dashboard. If your business needs to be more efficient, then BARE can help you to do so.

SAFETY AND SUSTAINABILITY: THE EMERGING PILLARS OF WORK CULTURE

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One of the popular buzzwords quoted in corporate investor meets and annual reports in recent times have been ‘Sustainable’.

Over 93% of CEOs see sustainability as necessary for their company’s future. Sustainability has moved from being just an ‘add-on’ into ‘that’s how we do things here.’ 

 

The same goes with safety; organizations find their financial, social, and environmental risks, obligations, and opportunities better met when focused on safety in workplace culture. So how are these two parameters – safety and sustainability shaping the next-gen workplace cultures? In this post, we dive into this question.

WHAT DOES SUSTAINABLE CULTURE MEAN?

Sustainability and culture are increasingly used interchangeably or together in corporate narrative, despite both words having different connotations.

The World Council on Economic Development perhaps gives the most cited definition of sustainability – practices that “meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (Brundtland, 1987).

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) says: “Sustainable organizations strive to balance the triple bottom line of people, planet, and profit to achieve long-term success and viability.”

Hence, a sustainable culture means businesses are managing the ‘triple bottom line.’ This includes making decisions that take financial, social, and environmental risks, obligations, and opportunities into account.

This means, accounting for environmental and social implications in business reporting is not enough. Sustainable businesses produce jobs, healthy ecosystems, and strong communities. Sustainable enterprises thrive in healthy economic, social, and environmental systems.

Companies across the world are aggressively chasing sustainability goals to become carbon neutral, among others. To do that, companies often focus on establishing sustainable cultures in the workplace.

For instance, one of the world’s biggest sports-tech companies, Nike, launched its Reusable Dishwasher Program, encouraging its employees not to buy or bring disposable lunch containers to work. As a result, Nike cut single-use containers (cups and bottles) by 16,000 pounds per quarter, and by the end of the year, trash per employee was down 11.5 percent.

Another notable example of how global companies harness workplace culture to attain sustainable goals is the case of chip-giant Intel. The company reportedly allows compensation to their employees who uphold recycling ethos on campus. As a result, E-waste bins populate the company’s California campus, where employees are encouraged to dispose of their old electronics for recycling. The result? Intel can recycle 75% of its total waste and is reportedly one of the world’s most sustainable-minded corporations.

Safety and Sustainability: Two Sides of a Coin

At their core, safety and sustainability concepts are geared towards the same objective – preserving resources. And when it comes to safety, the resource that is in question is the human workforce. An organization cannot be called sustainable if it does not focus on protecting the health and safety of its employees.

Some of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by member countries at the landmark United Nations Summit in 2016 specifically deal with employee health and safety. These goals pertain to protecting labor rights, promoting safe workplace conditions, managing hazardous chemicals, etc.

OSHA has also been instrumental in promoting these guidelines and standards to ensure sustainable practices and reporting to protect the interests of workers.

SAFETY AND SUSTAINABLE CULTURE: HOW CHECKLISTS CAN HELP?

Almost every organization has a number of industry-specific health and safety risks that they need to take care of. Many companies put multiple guidelines and SOPs in place to mitigate and tackle each of these risks. However, it is quite a daunting task for an organization to ensure that these norms are being adhered to across all units.

This is where BARE can help. The BARE-IFY Audit App is an advanced safety compliance and auditing tool is an audit and inspection platform with robust incident reporting mechanisms and super user-centric UI. With our intelligent checklists and state-of-the-art mobile applications, ultra-modern interface, and fast team adoption, you can seamlessly implement and monitor your organization’s safety policies and procedures.

Our pre-created, easy-to-use, and logic-infused checklists make safety and sustainability compliance easier. Through the app, you get a 360-degree view of all your business operations and can take corrective actions against any safety violations in real-time.

The application offers industry-standard safety, which means large organizations’ sensitive and mission-critical data are in safe hands. Pulse also integrates seamlessly with your existing interface and is 100% mobile-ready.

Some stats to support BARE-IFY’s excellence in meeting safety & sustainability goals are:

  • 23% environment impacts reduced
  • 33% sustainable goals boosted
  • 73% risks minimized by fewer incidents
  • 9-hours saved in each inspection

As the quote goes – “Safety does not happen by accident,” to preserve one of the most valuable resources of your organization, i.e., your workforce, additional steps need to be taken. Only then will your organization prove to be sustainable and resilient in the true sense.

IS YOUR RESTAURANT’S PIE OF REPAIR COSTS INCREASING DAY BY DAY?

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Any business has to incur a mix of fixed and variable expenses. If you are running a restaurant business, you will have expenses like salaries and rent that you incur irrespective of the number of open days and customers’ footfall. Expenses on food item purchases, however, would vary on the scale of business. 

 

When it comes to repairs and maintenance, a certain amount of it is expected in any business. Items like your kitchen equipment and air-conditioning will go through regular wear and tear. However, when these expenses occur too frequently, you need to sit up and take notice.

You look into the expense trend, sift out the avoidable ones from the unavoidable ones, and look for ways to avoid them to the extent possible. Here is a coordinated approach that you can adopt to keep your restaurant repair cost within the tolerable limit:

BUDGET AND ANALYSIS

Excessive costs erode a business’s profitability, sometimes to an alarming degree. It is always worthwhile to update budget figures and take stock of the restaurant’s various expenses. Depending on the equipment’s age, warranties available, number of items that need repair, etc. an estimate of the repair costs can be made. A detailed list of all these items should be in place, along with the maintenance requirement against each of them. Some of these items would be under warranty; some covered under maintenance contracts while the rest would need one-time repairs. After that, a regular analysis of the expenses incurred and noticing deviations between budgeted and actual costs ensure prompt identification of unexpected expenses. The expertise of service providers like Pulse comes handy in such workflow management and helps increase the business’s profitability.

MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS

Repairs in a restaurant may be required for kitchen equipment, refrigeration, plumbing, and heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) equipment. By entering into maintenance contracts for these items, you can successfully reduce your long-term operating costs. Inking annual maintenance contracts puts various scheduled maintenance in place, which prevents breakdowns and subsequent losses. These contracts help you avoid large expenses that you would otherwise have to incur. In order to manage these contracts, you can use Pulse’s “Track and Assign Actions” feature.

INDUSTRY STANDARDS

As a thumb rule, repairs of 1-3% of the overall budget is considered tolerable. However, depending on your location and industry, you should find out how your peers are doing for repair costs. This acts as a useful benchmark in understanding and budgeting your restaurant expenses. Probing into industry standards will also enlighten you about the restaurant’s best practices that can further streamline your day-to-day operations.

STAFF AWARENESS

It is not practical to remind employees of rising expenses without doing your homework. But with an updated budget in your hand, maintenance contracts in place, and knowledge of the industry, you are better equipped. The next step would be to sensitize your staff about the various practices that can reduce the need for repair. It could be by encouraging simple daily practices like avoiding unnecessary use of equipment, following standard operating procedures (SOP) while using them, and educating them about early warning signs of malfunctioning equipment. Notably, Pulse provides checklist-based inspection processes that can be customized and put in place in your restaurant operations.

OPTIMIZING LAYOUT

In a customer-facing service like a restaurant, the layout is important for various reasons. An attractive layout can woo more customers, improve the ambiance, simplify operations, and minimize expenses. Smart layouts can minimize air-conditioning, reduce the preparation time in the kitchen, and even reduce breakages. A congested layout, on the other hand, generally leads to more cutlery breakages, while a haphazard seating arrangement can increase the consumption of utilities and their wear and tear. Similarly, improving the kitchen set up can reduce the pressure on equipment and the workforce and improve efficiency.

CONCLUSION

With a focused approach towards your restaurant’s repair costs, you can keep better control over your restaurant expenses. And by adopting standardized processes and regularly monitoring and auditing the spending patterns, you can be better prepared to meet your restaurant’s repair and maintenance needs.

The BARE-IFY Audit App is an advanced safety compliance and auditing tool is an audit and inspection platform with robust incident reporting mechanisms and super user-centric UI. By making your company’s incident reporting process more straightforward, you’ll reduce the time your employees spend in reporting incidents and automatically cut back on opportunistic mistakes.

Pulse also offers ready-to-use checklists for multiple industries so that you can stay on the top of your compliance game and reduce the chances of incidents.