Combatting Venue Staffing Shortages with Contract and Payment Automation

The hospitality industry may be booming again, but that doesn’t mean your venue has completely recovered from the pandemic or what some call “the great resignation.” Plus, to no fault of any business, the industry’s always been known for high staff turnover.

If your entertainment or restaurant venue is struggling with staffing shortages, technology can help – and it doesn’t have to be at a high cost or onboarding commitment. Sometimes the simplest solutions can make the biggest impact, especially when you’re looking for a quick but lasting fix.

You can also start slow and still see results, for example, starting by automating your event contract and payment process. Think of how much time is wasted chasing down guests for answers and information. Wouldn’t it be great to streamline that process alone?

Here are just some of the ways automation can help you increase staff efficiency and keep event business moving when you’re short-staffed:

✅ Task Offloading

Let technology take care of routine and repetitive tasks, including data entry, email notifications and responses, and report generation. This frees up staff to focus on complex and strategic tasks that require the human touch.

✅ Workflow Automation

Automated workflows ensure that tasks are routed to the right people at the right time, preventing bottlenecks and keeping business moving forward efficiently, even with a reduced staff. For example, Sertifi lets you send combined contract e-signature and event deposit requests to multiple parties at once. Staff are notified whenever a request is opened, and everyone receives a signed copy and receipt when the request is fully executed.

✅ Self-Service Portals

Self-service online portals allow staff to create, manage, and complete tasks from any device and location. Responding from an online portal is also much easier for guests than having to print and send back paperwork. Many Sertifi customers, for example, have started getting signed contracts and deposits back within a day – sometimes within minutes – thanks to a more convenient guest experience.

✅ Easy Contract Revisions

Working with electronic documents makes it easy for guests to request or markup changes to a contract and for your staff to respond. No more needing to print and reprint files over and over. In-portal messaging is also a fast way for guests to reach you, and instant notifications ensure you see their questions to respond to them right away.

✅ Secure and Flexible Payments

Give guests a secure, PCI-compliant way to provide their payment information. It’s also much more efficient than having to repeatedly call or email for their payment information. Offering flexibility, such as accepting both card and ACH payments, will also help you get paid faster.

✅ HR and Onboarding

Simple digital solutions significantly decrease employee onboarding time and let your staff work from anywhere, opening up your pool of candidates. As an added bonus, you can even use your e-signature solution to finalize onboarding paperwork.

While incorporating more technology and automation into your process may seem daunting, it’s been proven time and time again as an effective way to increase efficiency and keep guests happy – especially during staffing shortages. Plus, the right vendor will make sure you get up and running with ease.