**This is part of our series highlighting startups who share our mission of trying to make people’s lives just a little easier**

Sometimes texting your boss is hard…but now, there’s an app for that.

In fact, now there’s an app that lets you access your schedule, switch shifts with your coworker, and stay updated at work so you always know what to say to your best customer.

Crew is a team communication app that enables companies to communicate freely and easily with employees. No longer do restaurant managers have to communicate separately with Front of House staff and line cooks, nor do retail employees have to text three different people about switching shifts. Now there is an easier way for all staff to see new schedules, switch shifts, communicate, and share important information.

This is an app that will transform the way your company functions on a daily level.

Forbes calls it an app that “helps to improve communications and saves time.”

Why does the world need an app for improving team communication?

Think about the number of people working at a local French restaurant: you’ve got the head chefs, the pastry chefs, the line cooks, the sous-chef, the servers, the hostesses, the bakers, and the dish crew.

That’s a lot of people in one restaurant whose knowledge of the ins and outs is what keeps the restaurant running daily.

And according to the National Restaurant Association there are over one million restaurants in the United States today.

So Here’s The Problem

There is a constant flow of information coming and going, widening the window for mistakes in communication and making it increasingly difficult for all staff to be up-to-date on the same level.

Schedules vary, which means shifts need to change; menus change seasonally and on some days, an ingredient might run out which means two of the signature dishes need to be altered and the head chef needs a few minutes to nurse his disappointment; someone might go home sick, or there might be an impromptu meeting because the truffle oil keeps being used by the pastry chef for his experimental croque-monsieurs.

The list could go on and on, and the potential for miscommunication increases. Plus, tempers start to rise when French cheese sandwiches are on the line.

There is an ever-widening window for mistakes in communication.

It’s not just a problem for busy restaurants—it’s a problem that arises for any company whose staff doesn’t have an employee email to easily connect with their team. This includes a wide range of industries, such as retail, healthcare, pharmacy, hospitality, travel, repair services, and construction.

The Crew app makes it possible for all employees on every level to receive updates, communicate with any team member, and share photos or documents.

Healthy and effective communication is vital to the success of any business. As industries change and consumer needs change, businesses have to maintain a level of agility that allows companies to adapt and change too.

And one of the most important and basic areas where success begins is with communication. Only when every employee is on the same page can the team function smoothly and achieve success.

With a team communication app like Crew, companies have an opportunity to improve their methods of informing, scheduling, updating, planning, and training. It’s a real game changer for millions of businesses.

About Crew

Founded in 2015 by Danny Leffel and Broc Miramontes, Crew is a communication app designed to enhance and simplify internal communication so that businesses can function smoothly every day.

It’s a free and easy-to-use app that creates one centralized location for all information and all team members, right on their device.

Crew is different from most collaboration software that caters only to the needs of office workers. It’s the first of its kind to solve the needs of millions of workers across many industries that don’t have access to an effective communication service.

Seven Ways Crew Can Help Your Team

There are many special features on the app that can keep your team running smoothly every day, no matter what.

1. Easy Messaging

Employees no longer have to dig around for the correct phone number to text—instead they can use the app to ask the head chef a question about the menu or find someone to cover a shift.

2. Customizable Schedules

Each new schedule can be updated or created within the app and shared with everyone. There’s no need to jump on a computer or wrestle with the printer that keeps running out of ink. Plus, there’s the added feature of pick-ups and approvals.

3. A Simple Way to Switch & Cover Shifts

Sometimes finding someone to cover a shift becomes a huge and stressful hassle. With the Crew app, messaging coworkers and updating the schedule is simple and easy to do.

4. Read Receipts

When workplaces are busy, it’s often easy to see a message but forget to reply or run out of time. Instead of getting stressed out wondering if your message was seen, users get a read receipt every time a message is opened.

5. Unlimited Photos and Videos

Whether it’s a photo of a new product or a short training video, it’s easy to send and receive files from the Crew app.

6. Works With Any Smartphone

Don’t worry; you don’t have to make every employee get the same phone. The Crew app is usable on all iOS and Android devices. You can even access it on the web if you don’t have your phone nearby!

7. Notifications To Stay Updated

Team leads can rely on Crew’s notifications to update the entire team on high-priority information.

“Thousands of teams across every industry are using Crew to help their businesses run more smoothly…”

Internal communication for any business within any industry is often a source of problems, and for businesses whose employees don’t have access to an on-the-job communication platform, it makes daily tasks much more complicated and stressful than they need to be.

With the Crew app, businesses have a free and easy platform for sharing important information that is vital to the health and success of both team and business.

This is an app that’s changing the way we do business while making lives simpler at the same time.