Our Division of Labour model is engineered to maximise the output of your core-staff

In this blog, we’ll explain the rationale behind our division of labour approach — which makes sure that Stints run smoothly and helps you to make the most out of your extra pair of hands.

 

The Agency Problem

When we explain the Stint concept to anyone with experience in hospitality, we’re typically always met with the same response: “Great idea, but how do your Stinters know what they’re doing?” 

This is an incredibly sensible question, as it is this problem that makes the typical agency model so counterproductive. You can’t expect a stop-gap member of staff to stand in for members of your talented and experienced core team — but that hasn’t stopped agencies from trying. With this approach, agency staff tend to get more things wrong than right, slowing things down and causing more stress for the rest of your brilliant team. 

But Stint is nothing like your traditional staffing agency. Unlike traditional agencies, we took the advice of French idealist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin closely to heart, and are well aware that “one must not close one’s eyes to shortcomings.” What does this mean in practise? We recognise that an ordinary Stinter won’t possess the knowledge and experience of a member of your permanent staff. Resultantly, they shouldn’t be asked —or expected — to act like one.

And so, because we’re aware of our own weaknesses, we can enable you to maximise the potential of your strengths:your core team. Let us explain how we do this…

The Stint Solution 

It is relatively insulting to assume that someone who has never worked in your business before can simply rock up and do a great job in any given role. That’s not a reflection on any individual — after all, why should they be able to? They won’t know who’s who, or where anything is, and are unlikely to understand your menu, your brand/concept, and your customers. 

That’s why we don’t expect or insist that our Stinters know these things. Any experience or knowledge they may bring with them is treated purely as a bonus (they’re typically very smart, so expect to be pleasantly surprised). Instead, we merely expect our Stinters to be intuitive, diligent and willing to get stuck in, and find tasks that these attributes alone will cover.

One type of task every Stinter certainly is capable of is taking care of any basic tasks that slow down your permanent staff during peak hours. Your core team will easily find time to clear tables or polish cutlery throughout the day, but these tasks are likely to slow them down during your busy dinner service. The fact that your core-staff will still be required to carry out these basic chores means that they won’t be able to devote the time required to provide the best customer service.

That’s why our division of labour approach sees Stinters take ownership purely of basic tasks, such as clearing up, sorting out crockery, and resetting tables. It is helping with these tasks that means that an extra pair of hands can be literally priceless. You won’t need them throughout the whole day, but, for those couple of hours that your core staff are swamped, you’ll struggle to function efficiently without them.

And, crucially, unlike agency staff, any Stint additions won’t be scurrying around, asking questions or getting in the way. Stinters are advised to do exactly the opposite of agency staff: keep a low profile, don’t make a fuss, and get on with whatever your core team needs them to. 

My core team were freed from the basic tasks so they were able to focus on their main tasks, upselling and providing amazing customer service. Darya Simanovich, CEO and Founder, Chelsea Crêperie

Harmony, not incompatibility 

You can’t paper over the cracks when it comes to customer service. What defines whether your customer service is up to scratch? Your staff, of course.

However, your staff will only be able to deliver great customer service if they have sufficient time to focus on the customer. Whether that be by being on hand to take orders swiftly, dealing with requests and problems — or even just being available for a friendly chat — you’ll need your staff to be present in order to wow your customers.

However, we’d be surprised if your core staff are currently able to spend all of their time dedicated to your customers, as you still need them to take care of the basic tasks that are necessary to the smooth-running of your operation, such as sweeping the floor and re-setting tables.

The need to balance these responsibilities will mean that your staff typically won’t be able to devote their attention to your customers as much as you’d like. That’s why it is crucial to take the pressure off your core staff as much as possible, so that they can focus primarily on the wants and needs of your customers.

Integrating with Stint is the most effective way of doing this. Our division of labour approach means that our Stinters can take care of basic chores such as sweeping the floor, allowing your permanent staff to apply themselves solely to the client facing roles that set the tone for the quality of your customer experience.

Stint in Action

Sound too good to be true? Then hear from Darya Simanovich, founder and CEO of Chelsea Crêperie, about how our Division of Labour approach helped boost both customer satisfaction and revenue, resulting in a significant increase in her operating profit.

“The Stints were doing basic tasks, such as helping the team with washing dishes, collecting plates from tables and leafleting to bring in new clients, which is exactly what any hospitality owner wants.

“My core team were freed from the basic tasks so they were able to focus on their main tasks, upselling and providing amazing customer service. They were also able to avoid any mistakes which meant no refunds from Deliveroo, which is fantastic!”

After integrating with Stint, Darya saw the average spend in her creperie substantially rise from £7.60 to £9.30 per head.

Darya also testified to being impressed by the quality of each Stinter that was sent to her creperie. “The Stinters brought amazing energy and a lovely attitude”, she said.

Our Promise 

The data we’ve collected from operators pre and post onboarding with Stint only proves what we already knew: that Stint is a smarter way to run your hospitality business. 

Our division of labour approach is just one of the things that makes us so different to anything you’ve seen before. We guarantee that working with us will be an entirely new way of operating. Not only are we realistic, but we’re driven solely by results — and our data speaks for itself.

So, get in touch with us today to learn how we can increase your revenue, staff satisfaction, customer loyalty and more.