Service Industry Woes

Where do I start? Ever since covid, the entire service industry took an giant hit! Workers did not go back, jobs were cut, some businesses did not survive. The businesses that did survive did so on bare minimum man power and or extremely hard work by a few workers to keep their heads above water.

Every business is short staffed. Go visit a restaurant, the help wanted signs are plastered everywhere. I own a restaurant and we are short staffed! The employees we have do a great job, but were are all spread a bit thin. My father, about to turn 75, is the back bone of this business, he works circles around everyone, including me! Without him, we would struggle to keep open. I am forced to cover shits and cook on the line. Literally no days off! It is very hard to manage and keep up with my own responsibilities all while having to be another employee of the business. This however, is not the reason for this post!

Businesses are short handed and I understand that as well as the next guy! My issue is with the companies who hire people that absolutely can not do their job. For starters, the food industry, has been a nightmare. Out of stock, no stock, or inability to make deliveries has been an ongoing issue ever since the covid outbreak. The food distributors have nothing on the beer distributors though.

The delivery drivers don’t even know what product their companies carry. It’s a constant argument with what kegs are supposed to be returned or not returned, and an even bigger issue with invoices and orders being fulfilled. A $1000 invoice for product ordered, the deliver driver will bring in $600 dollars of product and still charge for the entire order. Seriously, is it that hard to pay attention to what is going on? I can not be there 24/7. Plus, I have a job and many responsibilities to tend to, I can not nor want to do another companies job as well. I get it, we’re all struggling to find employees, but the ones you have, you need to do a better job training them. As an employee, you should want to learn as much as possible about your job. Possible raise or advancement could be a goal, or maybe this new generation of lazy people is the way we all have to start getting used to.

It’s tiring constantly having to do the math, check the invoices, explain what is and isn’t their product. Don’t take the job is you don’t want to be good at it.

Just the other day I brought a large amount of fives and ones from the restaurant to the bank. The teller rolled their eyes and very curtly said, they have to count all that! Why work at a bank if you don’t want to count money? Isn’t that the entire bases of bank tellers?

My advice to anyone out there holding down a job, DO BETTER! BE BETTER! This world is struggling and we don’t need more help making it worse. Sharpen up, learn as much as you can and get the job done….. If you’re going to be anything in live, BE EFFICIENT!!

My Food & Beverage Journey

Back in 1994, after a long 10 hour drive from South Carolina, I found myself cruising into my home town sometime in the early evening. A town I left right after high school. I didn’t know much about the bar scene at the time, but what I saw as I was driving along the main street was a childhood friend standing on the side of the road. Naturally I pulled over due to the large crown and my friend. I was quickly introduced to a guy who just opened up a little pub. When asked, I jumped on the opportunity of a job. At 22 years old, I was pumped to find employment one hour back in town. My job was to be a doorman, which turned into a bouncer/bar back/do anything the owner asked job! This pub taught me how to work and how to deal with every and any issue that would or could arise in a bar. From checking ID’s to kicking people out, I found myself soon getting promoted to cook/dishwasher. Here is where I spent the next couple years. Cooking wings & burgers and a boat load of fries, I realized behind the bar is where the magic happens. On my free time, I put myself through bartending school and eventually approached the owner about the new job opportunity. With some reluctancy he finally accepted and this is where my true colors shined! This owner was my mentor, who became one of my best friends and eventually married into the family and, being from a small town, you know it! Family is everything! “La Famiglia e Tutto” I learned a ton from this man! I learned accountability, I accepted failure, I understood what the job was and to never let the boss do the work of an employee. I was the factotum! This business was eventually sold and I found myself working at a much larger restaurant. This restaurant ran by a childhood friend and his wife, I took the only position that was available and that was to be the morning prep and lunch cook. I worked here for several years before moving on. While working this restaurant, I again became the factotum! Due to a debilitating injury, the owner was unable to perform daily tasks. This is when I stepped up and became the do anything and everything guy for my friend and his business. I understood what it took to make the business successful and what was needed to build this business. While doing my best to help out I quickly realized I’ve made it to a point in life where it’s my turn to be the boss, owner & proprietor. After years, of fighting, carding youngsters, cooking, bartending, changing deep fryers & grease traps and mopping up puke and being a repairman and a call me anytime guy, I wanted my own business. I wanted my own factotum! I know own my own restaurant and I built something fantastic! I’ve taken all that I have learned over the years and put into one place and made it great. The problem is, I don’t have a “me” that works for me. What happened to the hard working, dedicated people? What happened to the work ethic and the caring about the job? Now, 50 years old I again find myself doing the work of the employees! Times, they sure have changed and I honestly don’t think in todays world people exist to be there for you and your business. I hope that I’m wrong and I keep my fingers crossed that one day I will have the employees who, like myself, will understand that job and what is required of them, opposed to leaving early or not caring that the boss or owners are doing their work!!! As always, happy reading and until next time, ciao!

Work Ethic & Accountability

There’s a real challenge in today’s work force. I grew up in time where parents worked their asses off and forced us to get jobs when we hit the age to work. I remember seeing and hearing friends parents complain about not being able to take a vacation or able to attend a party due to having to work. These were times when everyone worked, and everyone helped out. A neighbor a few doors down from where I grew up put in a swimming pool. The entire neighborhood gathered daily with shovels and tools to help dig and install the pool. People were just different back in the day! They worked, they showed up, they helped out, they offered their time to assist in your dilemma… kindness was a staple! If for any reason someone wasn’t able to work or able to help, they were accountable for their actions. There weren’t any terrible excuses or blow offs… Today, we have workers who want all the paychecks but none of the responsibilities! Most workers today don’t even know their job responsibilities. Most workers I’ve had encounters with are lazy, unfamiliar with what their job actually entails and have zero accountability. So many workers in my experience don’t have the desire to do more than they actually need to and won’t offer any help, whether their company needs it or a coworker. We live in sad times and it’s not looking any better moving forward! Is there a solution? Back in the day, companies would fire you, suspend you or demote you and ultimately replace you with someone who wants and can do the job! Today, however, no one is applying for jobs. No one is looking to take on more responsibility at jobs. Companies are seriously handcuffed! How do you short yourself by firing the dead weight, when there is no one to replace them with? This is the new normal, business owners and managers are killing themselves to cover shifts and keep up with their own duties and responsibilities. The future of small business is doomed if small businesses have to continuously depend on others to help out.