The startup recently raised a $1.5 million round of funding led by Google Ventures and Atlas Venture, and it is beta testing its software, Muse, in a 17-unit chain of restaurants called Not Your Average Joe’s. Muse uses data from customer payments, including sales and tips, to track each employee’s performance. Employees who perform the best win the shifts they prefer.
It’s not surprising that giving workers an incentive to work hard improves their performance. Sales commissions appeared on the scene long ago. What’s surprising is that Muse, which the startup plans to sell using a subscription model, works across multiple types of point of sale systems.
Beaugard says he will use the new funding to incorporate other rewards in the platform and add a feature that offers employees tips for how they can improve their performance. An employee who sells a lot of appetizers but doesn’t ever sell desserts, for instance, might receive an incentivised “mission” to sell a certain number of after-dinner treats in one night.