Tucked within the Bishan neighbourhood is traditional Thai restaurant Mata Thai, which has added a modern touch to the way they run their business. Unlike most eateries at HDB heartlands, servers take orders using electronic tablets. While that is surprising enough, you may be more surprised by the fact that instead of a young crew in charge, all eight employees at Mata Thai are aged 55 to 75 years old.
The move is part of the company’s job redesign plan where they tapped on the Workforce Singapore’s WorkPro to make the workplace and processes easier, safer and smarter. Customers now enjoy half the wait time for their food as an order chit is auto-generated and immediately sent to both the cashier and kitchen.
“Before implementation in January 2017, chefs had to wait for the cashier to key in handwritten orders to the kitchen. Now that step is removed and they can cook the food concurrently while the cashier prepares the drinks,” said 59-year-old outlet manager Pauline Ten, who joined in June 2016.
Positive Reception
While older workers take a longer time to fully master the tablet, they do realise the benefits of technology, said Ms Ten.
With lower stress levels and higher efficiency, workers can now focus on building rapport with customers. New dishes and promotions can also be easily updated in the system to ensure menu consistency and accuracy.
“In the past, I didn’t know how to use a mouse. I learned on the job at my previous workplaces and over here with the vendor. It is not difficult but you have to be patient when communicating to the mature workers and help them step out of their comfort zone,” said Ms Ten, who trains new employees.
With more time on her hands, she was able to take on more value-added tasks such as manpower, budget and resource management at the end of last year, and received a $200 salary increment.
