Overview

Stir Cambridge is a specialty coffee company with seven locations across the city. Known for its seasonal brunches, fresh baked goods, and, of course, great coffee, Stir is more than just a café: it’s a cozy local hub where Cambridge residents come to relax, connect, and feel at home. We sat down with the team at Stir to learn how they’ve used Workforce.com and our integration with TiPJAR to streamline tip distribution, simplify shift management, and boost employee satisfaction.

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Challenge

Stir Cambridge faced the everyday challenges familiar to any hospitality business: staying sufficiently staffed, managing tips fairly, and keeping employees engaged. These challenges became even more complex when issues popped up across multiple locations and at unexpected times, adding pressure to an already fast-paced environment.

“There’s always something that needs your attention: a problem to solve or a surprise to manage. Something can happen at any moment, so you need to be ready.” - Chiara Di Corcia, General Manager at Stir Cambridge.

One of the biggest challenges Stir faced was making sure tips were distributed quickly and accurately, something super important for keeping up team morale in the world of hospitality. Before the integration, staff had to wait until the end of the month to receive their tips in their payslip. 

Stir also ran into challenges like filling shift vacancies in their schedule, finding coverage for last-minute changes, and keeping track of employee documents and information. All of this added additional pressure to the team who was constantly juggling these responsibilities alongside other demands across the business.

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Solution

Effortless tip management 

After looking for platforms that were fast, easy to use, and motivating for employees, Stir discovered the Workforce.com and TiPJAR integration. The integration made it easy to ensure all tips were accounted for and distributed fairly according to each and every employee’s hours. Tip calculations and their distribution became automated.

Once timesheets are approved in Workforce.com, TiPJAR collects the employee hours, calculates the tronc for each employee, and distributes the amounts. From there, employees can instantly withdraw their tips to a bank account or wait to be automatically paid on the 3rd Thursday of each month. This seamless integration not only eliminates manual errors but also ensures that staff receive their tips faster and with total transparency.

Faster filling of shift vacancies

Stir also saw real benefits from using Workforce.com’s vacant shift claiming tool. When a shift opens up, managers can quickly publish it, allowing team members to offer to cover. No back-and-forth calls or messages required. An added bonus was that Stir managers could handle it all from their phones using the mobile app, eliminating the need to be at a desk or even on site.

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Centralised employee data & documentation

Record keeping became much easier to manage with Workforce.com’s single staff profile. Stir no longer faces the manual burden of scanning paperwork and uploading files. Instead, managers can send forms directly to employees through Workforce, allowing them to complete and submit forms themselves. All submitted information is automatically stored in the staff profile, reducing admin time and keeping everything organised.

“We used to scan every single document and form and upload manually. Workforce has been life-changing for us.” - Chiara di Corcia

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Results

With Workforce.com, Stir reduced administrative burden, saved time, improved employee satisfaction, and boosted customer service. For example, approving employee hours now takes just 5 minutes a day per site. And, thanks to TiPJAR’s comprehensive tip management platform, Stir was able to distribute quick, accurate, and transparent tips – something that inspired extra effort from staff.

“They can see their tips better, and they’re more motivated. They are going above and beyond in terms of service because they know if they do that little bit extra, they get that little bit extra.”

Stir also achieved peace of mind when it came to shift vacancies. Instead of panic when an employee was unable to work or stress in having to call employees asking to cover, they now feel relaxed knowing that it’s a simple click of a button to broadcast out to all staff and find coverage quickly. “With Workforce, if we know in advance that a shift needs covering, we can simply publish it as a vacant shift. Team members can then pick it up based on their availability. Especially for last-minute changes, it’s made managing shift coverage much easier and more efficient.”

Workforce.com has become an essential part of Stir Cambridge’s daily operations—saving time, reducing stress, and helping the team work more smoothly day to day. Shift management is simpler, timesheets get approved in minutes, and with TiPJAR in the mix, staff receive their tips quickly and fairly. The result is a more motivated team and a better experience all around.

“The integration is easy and fast. I just need to sit down for 10 minutes, and it’s done.” 

With everything running more efficiently, Stir can focus on the heart and soul of their business: being a welcoming local spot where the team’s extra effort creates great service and happy regulars.

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If you’re looking to streamline your operations, save time, and keep your team happy and motivated, Workforce.com is here. Book a demo today to learn how Workforce.com can help.