With the hospitality industry reopening after lengthy lockdowns, all establishments are vying to capture customers’ attention. Each one is trying to make its unique identity felt to stand out on the high street, often against a lot of competition.
Staff uniforms are a lesser-utilised way hospitality businesses can make their business stand out. By making staff presentable in smart, branded workwear, a business can effectively brand itself while showing customers it goes that extra mile. But what should an establishment look for when purchasing staff uniform?
Here are the top five tips for hospitality businesses choosing new workwear.
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1. Choose one suitable for your role
The first thing a hospitality business needs to do is make sure each uniform is suitable for its wearer’s role. This means considering whether the wearer is a member customer-facing and the kind of image they need to present.
Front of house staff are the first members of a team customers meet, so they have to give a great first impression. Their uniform needs to be smart, well cared for and complete with a name badge, so customers know who to speak to if they have a concern.
Management will likely need a different uniform to general waiting or bar staff, because clothing should signify who’s in charge. By giving management a smart shirt and waiting staff a T-shirt, businesses can easily let customers know the hierarchy, allowing them to find the person they need more easily.
2. Make sure it does what you need it to do
A key concern for any business looking for a uniform is whether the clothing will distract staff from their job. Uncomfortable clothing or garments that are a nuisance to wear will inhibit tasks from being completed.
Hospitality staff work long hours and spend most of the time on their feet, so a comfortable uniform is paramount. Businesses should choose items that can be easily sized to their team’s requirements and are breathable to keep the wearer cool. All garments should have pockets so team members can keep pens and notepads close to hand: a small detail that enhances the customer experience.
Establishments should also pay attention to the material their uniforms are made from. Garments made from a mixture of polyester and cotton are durable and breathable, so you get the best of both worlds: comfortable clothing that’s long-lasting.
3. Ensure it meets safety specifications
While the primary focus for hospitality uniforms might be on how they look, attention should also be paid to safety. Every industry has safety specifications for every role, and any uniform purchased will have to comply with them.
Establishments should make sure they purchase clothing from a specialist hospitality workwear manufacturer. They will ensure the garments are made to the highest standards to keep staff safe.
4. Choose one that’s ‘brandable’
One of the best ways establishments can promote their brand is by using staff uniforms’ ‘real estate’. Businesses should purchase uniforms that can be embroidered with unique designs such as logos, staff names and job titles.
Those wanting to take their design skills even further should look to match staff uniforms to their business’ colour palette. Using the colour wheel makes it possible to choose contrasting or complementary colours to build a brand identity customers remember.
5. Make sure your staff feel good wearing it
The final consideration for establishments when buying uniforms is whether their staff are happy to wear them. Uniforms should make team members feel confident, professional and part of a team. Everyone should feel like the clothes they wear on shift represents them and their company fairly.
When choosing new uniform designs, businesses should run their ideas past their staff to get their input. They should make sure no clothes are too revealing and should ensure all garments fit each person properly, so no one feels uncomfortable or dowdy in what they’re asked to wear.
When hospitality uniforms are designed correctly, they can boost a business’ brand recognition, ensure customers know who works at an establishment and make staff feel more comfortable on shift. By following the five tips above, any business can make sure its new uniforms are a surefire success.
