I have basically "called" every situation that has occurred in the short period of transition (by no means a meritous claim) but still am always dumbfounded that a business can be so short-sighted.
The first person "hired back", was Jeanne, who had and was working basically every position there, who busted her ass so that you could put your best foot forward, even as the timeframe needed was progressively shortened during the process....working more hours than you are even aware....out of a sense of obligation and honor.....freely offering intimate knowledge, suggestions, insight into prior points of contention, price points, drink recipes etc,,,,,,and as you have found, doing the job of multiple people as if it were the norm.....who was promised by you, that they would make more money than they EVER had working for Casey and would have her choice of shifts, has instead watched as numerous people have been hired, haphazardly trained,even worked overtime when Jeanne clearly stated she was available. Jeanne was approached 3 times and asked about her availability for shifts, yet the more available she made herself, the more she was marginilized, moved from shifts where customers looked forward and made special trips to see her, to daytime weekday shifts then to one day a week....a Monday....probably the worst shift possible. What a slap in the face to a loyal employee and what a disservice to customers, who, from all I have heard, say that service has taken a nosedive and the consensus is,the whole "feel" of the place has changed.
And I know, that can all be written off as "people dont like change", " there needs to be an adjustment period, "..."perceptions always favor the established and comfortable....."
But that is not your greatest loss. Your greatest loss is the bright spot in the room that people looked for when they walked in the door....perhaps the sole reason peope continue to return to a place of business......a sense of belonging.....a friendly face, a genuine smile, and yep Cheers said it best, "A place where everybody knows your name".....only it doesn't take "everybody"....it just takes ONE person......ONE person who greets you, takes the time to ASK your name, pays attention to the story about your sick dog, so that next time they come in they are greeted by name, their beer of choice is poured and they are astonished as they are asked "How is Buster doing on his medication?".......I have watched people tear up in amazement over the fact that not only did someone listen to them, but actually genuinly cared. The grumpy old man who sat alone at a machine in the casino, who no one ever said two words to....the lost cause, who one day gets engaged with, given a smile, congratulated on a small win, who opens up in small ways, perhaps shares a small tragic story, a brief insight into their world, and cracks the hard veneer they have built aouround their hurt and pain and trusted someone enough to allow them in.....if only a bit. These are the people who will champion a business, who see a value beyond a facade or storefront, and feel a sense of belonging and family.
COUNTLESS customers have remained customers ONLY due to the fact that Jeanne decided to remain there, and of late have remarked "Where are you?.....why don't we see you anymore?.....we miss you......and now, well, we won't be going there if you're not going to be there..."
This holds especially true for a bartender. A good bartender is a people person,....a GENUINE person, a NON-JUDGEMENTAL person. This is something that people are instinctively drawn towards, because such a person is a novelty, and a part of your life that make you feel more a part of life in general. They are inclusive and draw you in, not in a pushy or manipulative way, but because that is who they are, at their core......they value the downtrodden and fight for the underdog and see through those who loudly boast and have a way of tactfully taking them down a notch and humbling even the most arrogant while still allowing them to retain their dignity. They can not only hold their ground, but also de-escalate a situation with the right words at the right time. You can't train a person to be this way, you can't pay a person to be this way, and when you run across such a person, you do everything in your power to keep them close, because it is such a rare and precious and generally unappreciated commodity,.....until it is absent.
Yes, businesses will go on......they survive in spite of themselves and bad decisions that get made....well, sometimes they survive.....and sometimes people decide to go where they are recognized, and greeted, and appreciated.....and made to feel at home. It is unfortunate that you have lost that......more unfortunate that it seemed not to matter. read more