The Late, Anti-Climatic Post

I had intended to write a late post, a review on Scottie's Cafe and Tea House. I had it in mind all day, even while I had one of the worst days at work ever. I made myself drag my tired, vegetable-like butt off the couch and head down to Worthington. I made sure I had my review template on my Palm, and realized I could shoot some pretty cool pics with it once I got in the space and saw how neat it was.

Then my friend showed up, and we spent the hour visiting. Ooops.

I'll go back very soon, 'cause this is one of the coolest shops I've been in, period. In the mean time, informal poll time:

In order to atone for dereliction of duty, should the author

1. Be made to post on the weekend
2. Submit to a kick from each reader
3. Write "I Won't Forget to Take Notes" 25 times
4. Just write the dang review ASAP
5. All of the above

Make your selections, choose your druthers!

Rapid Turnover...?

Sorry its a day late...I didn't realize I had only saved the post, not published it!

I'm pondering what to do when you lose two key employees on the same night, a situation my sister is indirectly coping with. It's a simple issue...what are you gonna do when you have to fill slots on the schedule? You can only ask the remaining employees to cover so much, so you gotta hire new people soon as possible.

That often means hiring someone crappy though...someone you don't vette properly because of the time crunch.

This is a two fold issue, since as an owner/operator you sabotage the culture, the efficiency, maybe even the safety and security of your business. As one of the new person's coworkers, you have to directly put up with someone who you have to train, who might have attitude or ability problems.

It's a cycle that means the rest of your key people lose their value as they become demoralized, or even quit. And if you have no key people, you have no culture. If you have no culture (or a culture of "It's just a job") you won't be able to retain employees OR customers.

Death spin! Oh noes.

How do you deal with the issue then? How do you avoid the death spiral of bandaid hiring?

You, as an owner/operator, have to get on line for a few days and fill the spot. Or get buy in from the team, pay out overtime or other perks for people picking up shifts. Bandaid moves...but bandaids that are sterile, and won't infect the wound.

I'm also a big believer in always hiring...so in my shop, I'd have a few people I'd just interviewed not long ago I could call up and get started. Somewhere in all of these options, the shop would weather the storm, with a stronger sense of self. It's more art than science...but I'll try and keep exploring this topic, since good human resource management is hard to find.

Thoughts?

Sorry!

There's been a lack of posting this week, which apparantly I explained on my other blogs but not here. Sorry :-( The short version is: my girlfriend and I have split and the drama of that, coupled with getting things in our apartment squared away, hasn't left me a lot of time or inclination to blog.

But now, we gotta fix that.

I still haven't made it to any coffee shops...sorry. However, I did find a new blog that does some really in-depth reviews...they're working their way through the Columbus specialty coffee scene, and it definitely seems like they know what they're talking about.

Check out Columbus Coffee Review today!

I'm hunting up some other coffee blogs out there, so if you know of one please drop me a line!

A pretty good article on how to grind coffee showed up on my Twitter page courtesty of Coffee Zen. It's on the site Ezine Articles, and you might find it helpful.


I started to add to this post, then realized it would make a lot more sense to have it as it's own post. You'll see what I mean Monday.

Take care and enjoy!

Review? Nah.

So, my plan was to have a review to post today...but, the coffee shop I was going to (Tutts, over near Worthington) is no more. Thanks, Google.

Because of my schedule, any other reviews will have to wait until the weekend...meaning...there isn't much here for you today. Sorry :-(

However, over at Coffee Cup News Jason posted a pretty neat article a few days ago...about how drinking coffee BEFORE excersizing can lessen the pain.

I generally try to avoid coffee before working out because of the dehydration effect...but I DO drink it before work each day, and that's a physical job. I don't usually get the aches and pains a lot of people do either...connection? Mayhaps.

That's all I've got today...tune in again Tuesday, hopefully to hear about my visit to Scottie's Tea and Coffee House.

The Culture

Recently, I took it upon myself to stick around my day job an extra fifteen minutes and show a new guy a couple things. Nothing serious...just where the store-use tools are, how to mark down damaged stuff, whom to pay attention to.

It was enough to remind me of the days when I did orientations for Wendy's. Orientations were probably the best part of my job, with training a close second. When you bring a new person into an organization, the first couple days are the key. It sets the tone for their entire experience. Its when you set the standard a person will measure other input against.

It's re-creating part of the organization. Making what you have better (or ensuring its continued success) simply by taking the time to set someone up properly. I think about a startup, a cafe or restaurant from scratch where one doesn't have to inocculate against staff with the wrong idea or attitude...and it makes me happy.

My sister has worked in a coffee shop off and on for the past few years. She's also worked in a small restaurant, closely with the owner/operators. Her opinion is that I romanticize the start up process, creating that culture. Her opinion is that the initial training wave is great, it goes just as you expect...but, after successive waves of new employees, things get less and less shiny. There's more drama, more disappointment.

I think there's a lot of truth to that. I never said it'd be easy to create a culture of excellence, to maintain it, to get buy in from the employees. If it was easy, we'd never complain about the crap service at McDonalds. We'd never wonder why Starbucks can't get our drink right. We'd never hate our boss. I've come close a few times, but I've always been sabotaged by the company. The GM won't buy in, or the company wouldn't allow enough labor hours for training, or the pay is too low for anyone to give a rat's ass.

Starting from scratch, with a blank slate to draw on? I could do a heck of a lot more than try to make a guy feel valued by showing him where to find a wrench, while warning him that Jimbob is full of shit. The possibility is what excites me, the idea of no outside limits on what I want to accomplish.

Review System

I've been trying to figure out how to better review coffee shops, in a more fair and objective way. While I like writing my impressions on these things and letting you come to your own conclusions, I realize some people may not want to interpret my thoughts. They want them on a platter, ready to digest. And I understand that with no judgement.

There's also the element of trying to keep my thoughts more or less consistent. This isn't talk radio, where I'm going to condemn the first caller for taking a particular action, then praise the last caller for the same thing. The key with most things of this sort? Keeping track of what your stance is, what the rubric is.

So what's the rubric? There's the hard part, friends. That's what I'm going to try and come up with today (in no particular order).

1. Wifi. Is it there? Is it free? How much does it cost? Is there space to use my computer? How long will I be able to sit there without the stink eye? Do they provide equipment to enable internet addiction?
2. Space/Layout. How big is the place (uncomfortably huge, uncomfortably small, or just right)? How is it laid out? Is the furniture "coffee shop appropriate?" Do you have to hunt for the condiment bar? Where are the bathrooms?
3. Menu. Are we looking at something too simple? Too filled with custom (expensive) drinks? Are there helpful explanations on the board? Easy to read in any event? Does it have anything I want to drink/eat?
4. Price. Self explanatory, but...are they delivering a good value for the cost? Especially compared to other shops.
5. Ambience. Does this place feel like a coffee shop? Like an independent shop, or a supermarket Starbucks? Is it a community center...live music, message boards, charity work, whatever? (Those places feel different from the others).

I think five categories is more than I can really keep track of. Thank goodness for the PDA.

Now...how to rate? Using stars is traditional, which is why I shun them without consideration. Coffee mugs...hrm...there's an idea. Partial mugs of coffee makes even more sense than partial stars, as well, and I definitely believe in giving partial credit where due.

By George, I think we have it.

Reset!

Ayuh. That's what we got here, a situation for a reset. In recent weeks, I've quit my second job and had a decided interest in refocusing on writing, specifically blogging. With a little luck, we'll start seeing some more posting action happening around here.

I need to figure out a better review system, something that can keep things more on an even keel. A rating system, perhaps, something that can rate specific things. Or categories. I dunno, and I'm rambling now. If you have any suggestions...please, offer them. I'm open to suggestions, 'cause I know I ain't the smartest clown in the blogosphere.

Right now I'm grappling with the best amount of sugar to put into my coffee. I like darker blends, which are pretty bitter if you take them straight. I also drink Folger's during the week, which is not exactly smooth. 1/2 & 1/2 helps, but it's not foolproof. When I go too light on the sugar, it's hard to keeping drinking it. The taste is lost in the bitterness.

Too much sugar? Not only do I start hearing "Diabetes runs in the family!" but only the first half is really drinkable. Sugar settles on the bottom as sugar is wont to do, and no amount of stirring will get it to dissolve evenly. By the time I'm in the bottom half of the mug, I'm grimacing just as bad as if I didn't put enough in.

Part of my problem is I don't really measure it in. I eyeball it, using a plain scoop. If I started using a measuring system, I'd at least be able to knowing how much is too much, etc and adjust.

But I'm resisting that. It seems too...artificial. Too mechanical. No feel. Am I just being an idiot? I think maybe.