A RESTAURANT’S success isn’t just about good food. People will come back when there is efficient and warm service born out of well-trained and happy employees.
Tiong Bahru Philippines, the first overseas franchise of a popular Singaporean restaurant chain, believes that employees should be well taken care of as it would with loyal diners.
Customers can sense that a company who focuses on employee needs are more worthy of their trust. This is reflected on the satisfactory level of service which will entice them for a repeat visit.
Tiong Bahru Hainanese Chicken restaurant opened in the Philippines before the pandemic. Sales climbed up during the lockdowns because the roast chicken and Hainanese poached chicken with ginger, chili and hoisin sauces were not only healthy but also affordable. Today, a single order of the signature chicken and ricecombo costs P295. The local franchise chain has since opened seven outlets, mostly in malls, and continues to expand.
Tiong Bahru Hainanese Chicken restaurant merited the Michelin Big Gourmand Award for serving top quality food at affordable prices. The foods such as the fish head curry and tofu with chili sauce are prepared onsite for freshness instead of being delivered from a commissary.
Aside from tasty dishes and attentive service, Tiong Bahru Philippines is earning a reputation for looking after its employees by surpassing compensation and benefits. In other establishments, employees don’t get paid nearly as much as they deserve. The meager pay can lead them taking on long hours just to make ends meet. This could result in burnout or an imbalance ofwork and personal life.
This year, the management introduced a 14th-mongth pay for all employees, building upon last year’s addition of the 14th-month bonus. This incentive has become part of the employee package.
Beginning Sept. 1, employees will be getting a comprehensive insurance coverage of up to Php 60,000 per ailment and Php 20,000 for outpatient expenses.
The staffers in the dine-in section will receive an average monthly take-home pay of Php 25,000 inclusive of service charges. Bigger outlets such as the 150 sqm-Tiong Bahru restaurant in Eastwood mall will provide as much as Php 35,000 salary.
The management believes that a healthy wage and an adequate benefits package will make the employees feel that they are valued. When a company provides for its employees, they will be more content. They will be motivated to be more productive and more dedicated to customer care. Attention to guests will, in turn, invite more business. Moreover, capable and reliable staffers can spread the word that Tiong Bahru Philippines has a caring culture because the staffers are given respect.
The management creates a safe and healthy workplace both physically and psychologically to avoid accidents on the job and burnouts. To prevent work-related mental health issues, Tiong Bahru Philippines cultivates a wholesome atmosphere beyond health and safety policies. The management listens to the employees to understand their needs.
In the end, employees have time for themselves, their family and financial security to pursue that work-life balance.PR