The owner, that's who! (Or sure as heck should be.)
The writer doesn't say whether the new owner is a large chain or a single
investor. I'd guess the former. But at a time when even Starbucks is shutting
down 600 shops, even the chains must treasure every customer.
If an individual, or "mom and pop," bought the shop, putting in their life
savings or their golden parachute, and then let the service slide, they deserve
what they get.
Small neighborhood outlets, where the owners pursue their passion, and
imbue all their employees with their passion for quality and service, are the
absolute best places to go.
The problem is, many people who buy a business like this have big dreams,
but they don't know how to run it. They haven't mastered the tricky balance
between delighting the customers and making a profit. They are terrible at
hiring good help and managing them well. Some are intimidated by their
employees. Or they say, "I never want to be like the boss I hated back at
Megacorp," so they bend over backward and let employees walk all over
them.
In a shop like this, having a quality floor manager as your #2 is critical. No
matter how dedicated you are, you can't be on the floor all the time -- nor
should you be. So having someone who understands your vision and your
standards, and is dedicated to realizing them in day-to-day operations, is
your difference between success and failure. Build performance-based
bonuses into their pay.
You want someone who is good at working with your floor people (many of
whom will be young, entry-level, low paid, part time, rapid turnover). "Here's
how to take care of customers." "Ask if they'd like dessert with that." "You've
got to get to work on time." "Cell phone calls on your breaks only." "Let's
stand back here for a moment and just watch the floor. Tell me what you
notice." "If you have to deal with a problem customer, I'll back you up." "No,
you may not have an extra day off." "Thanks for filling in. Great job! We're
giving you a bonus." "Sorry, that's the third time I've told you about this. We
have to let you go."
Teaching, motivating and inspiring; respected, but tough, no nonsense.
Sounds like the owner/manager of your shop isn't on top of this. If you share
this with them, maybe it will help them preserve your favorite place.
Mike Van Horn
Oh, Sorry, Am I Interrupting Something?
By Robert Gerrish | July 13, 2008
BNET Australia Contributors
Aussie Rules
Biography
BNET Australia Contributors
Brian Haverty is editorial director for CBS Interactive Australia and is responsible for the company's BNET and ZDNet Australia sites.
Robert Gerrish is a coach, author and professional speaker and the founder of Flying Solo, an Australian online community for solo business owners.
Melissa Lourenco is the HR manager for CBS Interactive in Australia.
Chris Golis is the author of The Humm Handbook: Lifting Your Level of Emotional Intelligence. He runs seminars and workshops on EQ.
Suzi Dafnis is Community Director of the Australian Businesswomen's Network.
Yvonne Adele helps organisations build a culture of ideas by teaching people at all levels to access their untapped creative thinking skills.
There’s a little cafe near where I live that used to be a great place in which to hang out. Then earlier this year, under new ownership, everything changed. Suddenly it became one of those places where the customer gets in the way … or at least is made to feel distinctly out of place.
The early signs were subtle. The staff all got a little bit younger and the music louder. So far, so good, I felt more crucial as a consequence. Hey, I’m groovy, I’m on Facebook. Kind of.
Sadly though, this was followed by the staff banter getting more raucous with the conversations going on around the customers, not involving the customers.
Before long the café was effectively a private party and the customers — including me — left in droves.
Today it’s a shell of its former self. Scruffy, handwritten signs on the front windows desperately try to attract passers-by, while inside the music pounds and the conversation continues.
It can’t be long before it closes and another despondent business owner is left to work out why.
How do you front up to the world? Easy and willing to engage, or just a bit too cool and cliquey?
More from “Aussie Rules”
Talkback 1 Talkback
Who is passionate about serving customers?
Mike Van Horn
07/17/2008 02:11 PM
