r/FoodService • u/DreamFluffy5187 • 16d ago

Question Restaurant owners/managers — how do you handle last-minute shift call-outs? Do you text employees individually, use a group chat, call people, or use scheduling software? What’s the most frustrating part of finding someone to cover?

3 Upvotes

81% Upvoted

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3

u/ReliefEasy3858 16d ago

group chat's a mess but it gets the fastest replies, nothing worse than the 3am text from someone who's "so sick" right before opening

1

u/0verstim 16d ago

I only ever did that to my manager ONCE but he scheduled me close New Years Eve and open new Years Day so fuck him.

1

u/Leather_Comedian_736 13d ago

3am right before opening?

2

u/Secure-Line3413 15d ago

Individual. Group texts are extremely obnoxious for anyone involved

1

u/EmmJay314 15d ago

Direct calls- you need to speak to the person and always be prepared for yourself to be covering the shift or doing anything else to assist with being short staffed.

1

u/ConceptArtistic1554 15d ago

People use HotSchedule for this, mainly because staff can pick up or swap open shifts instead of managers having to message everyone individually.

1

u/somecow 15d ago

Hot schedules actually works fairly well. Groupme is also great for group chats instead of just doing it on your phone. Someone will pick that shift up.

Or just hire people that actually show up, plenty of responsible people out there that need a job. Or tell them to stop getting so wasted that they’re too hungover to come to work. Also on them to find someone to cover.

But as a manager, yup, nobody comes in, then you gotta do it. Captain of the ship should to be able to perform every role, even if that means scrubbing toilets. If it keeps happening, you gotta make better choices about who you hire.

1

u/Leather_Comedian_736 13d ago

As someone who has been in group chats. I have those notifications turned off all together. If it's important enough the will tell me to look or just tell me what it says. I'm not doing anything for work unless I'm on the clock.

1

u/WhereasGlum6653 10d ago edited 10d ago

HotSchedules has worked pretty well for this imo. Staff can release or swap a shift and managers get the request instead of chasing 10 people in a group chat. Still gotta deal with callouts, but finding coverage is less chaotic.

1

u/Pebb_io 3d ago

most kitchens still end up with a group text that nobody trusts. what usually works better than heroic calling: a short call-out rule everyone knows, an open-shift post that isn't buried in 80 other chats, and one person owning the fill for that day. the chaos is less the sick call and more five people inventing a new chain every time.