Electronic House Call - October 11, 2002

ELECTRONIC HOUSE CALL - October 11, 2002

I am about to become a moving target for about ten days. Next week it is the Michigan Restaurant Show on Tuesday and the Odd Couple Workshop in Milwaukee and Eau Claire on Wednesday and Thursday, then on to Omaha and Sioux Falls.

THREAT ... OR OPPORTUNITY?
By now you have certainly heard the media coverage of obesity and the role of the US foodservice industry in contributing to it. Under fire are high fat content and large portion sizes. It might be appropriate to cast a critical eye on your menu ... because the public will be doing it as well. Without relinquishing signature items or tampering with your core menu (never a good idea), you might find that a few adjustments could get some free press coverage (and perhaps save you a buck in the process.)

NEW ONLINE JOB SITE
Want a wine steward? Crave a cook? The Restaurant Job Bank is a new partnership between the National Restaurant Association and HCareers Online. Restaurant Job Bank boasts thousands of resumes from the best workers in the industry. Or, post a job listing; 2.4 million job seekers visited last month alone!

TUNE IN BEFORE THEY CHECK OUT
I receive Eric Chester's Whys News, a (free!) electronic magazine for leaders who work with America's emerging workforce of 16 to 24 year olds. This message struck me as a point of awareness that every manager should have. I hope you agree.

My 17-year-old daughter works part time for a national known coffee shop franchise. (It wouldn't be prudent to disclose the actual name of the chain, so instead I'll just refer to it as Barstucks.) This is her fourth part-time job, and one which, until last Friday, she really loved. However, she is now getting ready to begin filling out job applications once again, and the manager at Barstucks probably has no idea that Whitney (one of his proclaimed favorite part-timers) is about to become his latest turnover casualty.

Whitney was scheduled with three others to work the 3 pm to close shift on Friday. However, two of the crew did not show up, leaving the work of four on the shoulders of the remaining two. This particular Barstucks is next to a 12-screen theater, so on Friday and Saturday nights the coffee shop really gets slammed. Needless to say, Whitney came home at midnight completely exhausted, feeling the kind of tired one doesn't soon forget. But that isn't what rocked her. Whitney felt taken advantage of: she'd been expected to work twice as hard for the same pay, and her superiors didn't even give it a second thought. She arrived for her shift the next Tuesday and her manager never uttered a word.

Imagine the turnover-control if Whitney would have received a call on Saturday from her manager expressing his empathy for her difficult shift and giving her kudos for the great job she had done. That's probably all it would have taken. Additionally, he could have guaranteed that this negative situation would have been turned to a positive experience by surprising Whitney on Tuesday with a crisp $20 bill or a couple of theater tickets. After all, his payroll the previous Friday had been reduced by 50%.

The Boomer mentality that screams "you're damn lucky to have a job, so just do what you're told and keep your mouth shut" doesn't register with Generation Why. To keep them on your team you have to prove to them that you want them there, and not take them for granted. When you don't, they're going to quit on you, maybe even while they remain on your payroll.

A NOTE FROM THE DOC:
You cannot build a stable business with an unstable workforce ... and we are the ones that cause the instability. In light of an impending labor shortage of staggering proportions, you would do well to pay attention to your present crew ... while you still have them. You can subscribe Why News at www.generationwhy.com.

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