ELECTRONIC HOUSE CALL - November 4, 1997

TALK ABOUT COMMUTING...!
Margene and I got back last night from two weeks in Ireland, Northern Ireland and England. (and now I am in LA on my way to Aspen on my way to Tampa on my way back to Aspen! Good thing I am young and resilient!) To say that it was a great trip does not do it proper justice. Many powerful insights gained, many new friends met and a strong likelihood that I will be back in the spring. I'll share some thoughts over the next few weeks. Meanwhile, here are a few other things on my mind.

IT CAN'T HAPPEN TO ME ... CAN IT?
An east coast restaurant client just had one of his kitchen staff stabbed to death by another kitchen worker. The perpetrator had a prior history of similar offenses ... but the employer never checked into the worker's past and so did not know about it. Can you say major law suit? The doctrine of wrongful hiring says that while you can't ask, you should have known! (Go figure!) In any case, be advised and act appropriately. If you would like to avoid a similar problem in your future, check everyone out. As it happens, Richard Bantel, my former Navy roommate is a former FBI agent who is now seriously in the background investigation business. I have watched him in action and am amazed at the information he can find! The detail and the cost vary depending on the state, but he can do a complete background check for less than $25. He has also said that if you tell him I sent you, he would take an additional 10% off! I am sure there are others out there offering a similar service, but this is at least a person I know you can trust (and who has access to some pretty deep files!) If you are interested, you can call him at (888)795-3952 or send him an e-mail at mailto:invesco@formerfed.com.

HOW GOOD DO YOU WANT TO BE?
One of the things that struck me in Ireland was that operators were typically only as good as they had to be. If they had little or no competition, they did not have to exert themselves much at all. Perhaps I noticed it because it was a different culture, but it caused me to wonder how many operators in this country are doing the same thing. We all do the best we can, but does the striving stop when the guests are satisfied or when we have truly taken it to the highest level we are capable of?

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