The New Staffing: Survival Tactics That Work

Written by Susan Dunn, MA, The EQ Coach


Continued from page 1

Many consumer these days would trade a "pleasant" experience, to an "efficient" one.

Later when it was time to pay, there was another surprise. A gentleman sat solidly atrepparttar register slowly and carefully counting outrepparttar 149692 money offered him byrepparttar 149693 person in front of me, while being quite gracious. He had trouble telling a quarter from a nickel, but it all got worked out. He must have been over 70 years old. He looked sharp in his uniform shirt. My reactions, as a consumer, and concerned citizen ofrepparttar 149694 US, were these, in no particular order: So many people can't live on social security or busted 401Ks these day, isn't it wonderful they hire seniors? This is going to be slow, so I might as well calm down. I don't want to put pressure on him, it would rattle him, and he'd go even slower."

A person of any age can have this sort of demeanor and aura, but one finds it more in seniors. After all, they've seen a real emergency, they know that most things work out, and they aren't about to fall for your "hurry up" vibes, because they know that "haste makes waste. So who am I going to yell at?

"Yelling at" is a figure of speech here. As a consumer, I expect certain things when I walk into an establishment hoping to spend my money there, and if it doesn't occur, I'm miffed. Sometimes I say something torepparttar 149695 manager. Occasionally I'll writerepparttar 149696 corporate, though not just for a free gift certificate as some do, and I'm more likely to do it with praise than with criticism. Criticism is best addressed atrepparttar 149697 local level.

Most often I do what every business owner dreads. I express my dissatisfaction by never returning. They don't get a second chance. (Savvy managers love to hear customer complaints; that's how you learn what's working and what isn't, and, paradoxically, it's also how you get loyal customers. During my former years in public relations, I knew when I had a protestor onrepparttar 149698 phone, I had at least a 60-40 chance of converting them to a real fan.

THE DINING EXPERIENCE

Fromrepparttar 149699 minute I walked intorepparttar 149700 place,repparttar 149701 atmosphere was different. What do you imagine wasrepparttar 149702 difference in attitude and behavior in a staff consisting totally of people under 20, and people over 65? What would you think would berepparttar 149703 pros and cons to yourself as manager or owner, and torepparttar 149704 consumer? Here are some ofrepparttar 149705 positives:

. Consumer expectations are radically changed. . Two age groups available for peak staffing and short shifts. . Two age groups grateful for work and often willing to work for less. . Two age groups not atrepparttar 149706 peak working years, so less likely to be in a state of current of pending burnout. . No one behindrepparttar 149707 counter is complaining that their feet or back hurt from standing for hours. . No one atrepparttar 149708 register is complaining that it's "confining" and "boring" to have to sit on a stool for hours. . Two age groups which really enjoy socializing and may prefer jobs with opportunities to visit and chat with co-workers and customers. . Two age groups which are generally more focused onrepparttar 149709 moment so, therefore, are less likely to be in a hurry or impatient with customers. . Two age groupsrepparttar 149710 35-50 year old consumer will relate to with nurturing instincts - they see their child or their parent behindrepparttar 149711 counter. . Two age groups not so likely to get "hired away" from you. . Two age groups that don't have small children at home.

Today's business demands require thinking outsiderepparttar 149712 box, and I'll give this manager an A+ for innovation. I think he or she found a plan that will work.

©Susan Dunn, MA, The EQ Coach, http://www.susandunn.cc . Helping individuals and businesses improve their emotional intelligence for more success and wellness. Coaching, business programs, diversity, Internet courses and ebooks. I train and certify EQ coaches. Fast, affordable, comprehensive, no-residency program training coaches worldwide. Mailto:sdunn@susandunn.cc for more information or free ezine.




So You Want to be a Chef?

Written by Adam Fletcher


Continued from page 1

Next you’ll probably move up torepparttar garde manger, (gahrd mahn-ZHAY), i.e., composing appetizers, soups, salads, shrimp cocktails and other cold preparations. How long you remain here depends onrepparttar 149625 restaurant and your skills. Eventually, if all goes well, you will be groomed for workingrepparttar 149626 line, i.e., cookingrepparttar 149627 main items. Some restaurants divvy uprepparttar 149628 line positions byrepparttar 149629 type of cooking, (the sauté cook,repparttar 149630 grill cook, etc.), or byrepparttar 149631 type of food, (the meat cook,repparttar 149632 fish cook, etc.) Even though being a line cook is more prestigious,repparttar 149633 hours remain grueling and you are under even more pressure to getrepparttar 149634 food out. Line cooks can work non-stop for hours duringrepparttar 149635 height of service with no chance for even a bathroom break.

If you’re good you’ll eventually become a sous chef. This isrepparttar 149636 second in command, right underrepparttar 149637 executive chef. The hours are still long, you’ll still sweat your you-know-what off workingrepparttar 149638 line, and now you haverepparttar 149639 added responsibility of policing everyone else inrepparttar 149640 kitchen. Of course this position brings more prestige and money. Performance and Maintenance

A sous chef’s ultimate goal is to become an executive chef. Hard work, better than average ability, and sometimes a little bit of luck are all needed to reach that plateau. Sometimesrepparttar 149641 executive chef is alsorepparttar 149642 owner,repparttar 149643 ultimate goal in chefdom: owning your own restaurant. But always remember, no matter where you are onrepparttar 149644 totem pole inrepparttar 149645 restaurant business, it is never a nine to five proposition. It is your life. Security and Administration

Of course there are other culinary occupations. There are cooking school teachers, food stylists, caterers, and restaurant consultants to name a few. But inevitably, these people have spent years paying their dues in front of hot stoves when everybody else was out having fun or being with their family. Or you could become, HA, a food writer. You probably have a better chance of ending up onrepparttar 149646 Food Network than being able to support yourself, (let alone a family), by food writing alone. Atrepparttar 149647 risk of sounding discouraging,repparttar 149648 stars in people’s eyes are ultimatelyrepparttar 149649 result of being beat overrepparttar 149650 head with reality.

Adam Fletcher is the webmaster of Hardware Software Articles http://www.hardwaresoftwarearticles.com .


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