Four in five hospitality professionals surveyed are back at work, new research by CGA and CPL Learning shows—and training has helped the large majority to feel safe and satisfied.
A new report, Hospitality Professionals: Returning to the Sector, reveals that 81% of professionals are back working in their venues, though a quarter (24%) say they remain concerned about their long-term job security. A total of 89% are satisfied with the COVID-19 measures in their workplace.
It follows widespread training across the industry in safety and hygiene. Nine in ten (89%) professionals said they had received COVID-specific training before returning to work, and nearly as many (87%) were satisfied with it.
The training and hard work of frontline teams has helped hospitality to show consumers that it is safe to eat and drink out since lockdown. ‘We Hear You’ research from CGA, Yumpingo and UKHospitality shows 96% of guests have been satisfied with the level of hygiene and cleanliness in venues they have visited, and 89% with the way team members have followed precautions.
The survey also reveals the frustrations that professionals have experienced since lockdown, including the challenge of ensuring that guests respect guidelines around social distancing, one-way systems and staying seated.
There is also disappointment about the pandemic’s impact on operations, and well over half (58%) of professionals think safety measures have had an impact on the level of service they can provide, especially by reducing personal interaction. Those concerns don’t appear to be reflected in the views of customers though, since nearly nine in ten feel their interaction with staff has been better (29%) or the same (57%) as on pre-lockdown visits.
Consumers’ satisfaction with their hospitality experiences since lockdown reflects the dedicated work of professionals, the careful planning of leaders and the good training that has been provided,” says Chloe Sheerin, Consumer Research Executive at CGA. “New regulations around 10pm closing, face masks and table service are going to place even more pressure on teams, and extra preparation and training are going to be needed in the coming weeks. Frontline professionals will have to work harder than ever to sustain the balance of safety and experience for guests, and they will be right at the heart of hospitality’s recovery.”
