Notes from MASC Workshop - dated 26 January 2009

Talk to Reception about either putting names on their uniforms or alternatively a names board of who’s on duty.

Excused themselves: Sacha, Paul, Neil and Cedric.

This is the first meeting of the new year and we haven’t had one for 2 months,I guess people are just struggling to get their life together again after season. However, it’s appears to be a constant issue that people either don’t remember the meeting, or are just too busy. Could be poor planning, could be many things, but it is definitely something that I need to consider. Need to work out how to keep people stimulated and excited or just accept that people in this industry are just that way.

Is this normal fall out in that quite a few people have moved on, left the organization or are just working in another job. There appears to be continuous movement. After one year, 3 people have been lost from the original starting group.

Do I need to consider more relevant and real stuff that they can use every single day?

Are some of them maybe not seeing any benefit? They say they are.

Quite possibly since they are not paying there is no absolute commitment.

They spend plenty of time discussing such problematic issues as the baked potato oven, the so-called worm in the eisbein and at times the conversation gets heated. Maybe I need to become more assertive in controlling the debate, but I’m hoping at the end of the day that they learn through this to talk with each other as opposed to talk over each other. It is about them becoming more collaborative and building a holistic relationship with each other - using the wisdom in the room.

Franchisees appear to be angry and all three of them do not have baked potato ovens at this stage. Why?? Possibly it has to do with past history in that franchisor often introduces new products and then a month or three or a year later removes them, so there’s this distinct lack of trust that’s built up over time. ISSUE for me, it is one for the group.

Some matter that has come and gone:

  • Hot rock
  • Baked potatoes, supposedly developing a quality product
  • Cheese cake
  • Fire grill salad
  • Quality of rolls in that they break up
  • Chicken
  • Ice cream mix
  • Quality of sauces, comments from stores about garlic, monkey gland, peri peri
  • Mushroom, cheese and pepper sauce bland
  • Three different kinds of BBQ sauce, namely sachet, retail bottle and CK’s.

I think at the end of the day, what’s definitely needed is a place where franchisee and franchisor learn to engage and collaborate and talk with each other, not at. They’re bringing issues to the table as the room has different people that they might not agree with, and bring them into the team so that they don’t forget or leave out any pertinent and relevant points. Seems to me, that if a franchisee disagrees he goes into the cold room and others speak badly of him thereafter. For instance in the case of the baked potato oven franchisor could tell themthat it has multiple purposes such as cooking bread, roasting vegetables, chicken, desserts and ribs, however it’s just about a quality issue.

Are we a Kentucky or a Spur?

Do we focus on quality or consistency?

Our franchisees are managers and bookkeepers and not chefs

Do we have a passion for our food, do we care and love what we do enough, do we have passion for our people?

Spur is a casual, friendly place with an energized environment.

It has friendly waitrons that customers can talk to

Quality perception:

  • AAA meat
  • Well aged for 21 days
  • Correct equipment to cook with
  • Cut to specification
  • Handled correctly
  • Cooked by chefs
  • Well presented
  • Does all of this happen??

We need to focus on how we treat people and that it is not just another job. People must have a passion for people and the belief in what they are doing.

They need to care, have pride and a sense of achievement.

Regards

Peter.

T:\HR Folder\MASC\2. NOTES & REMINDERS\NOTES\01-2009 - Notes from MASC Workshop - 26 Jan.doc