Hirst

I just read a report that a long-time Colorado Springs business has closed its doors. Michelles was one of those locally owned and operated businesses that lasted for four generations. It was a place where those of us who grew up here remember visiting as a child, took dates to as a teenager and treated the kids to a sundae as an adult.

While I reminisce and get all wrapped up in nostalgia Im also frustrated and appalled. In the news report I read the owner of the shop stated When we opened up there were a few restaurants downtown, but now there are hundreds and coping was hard." I have no other response than what a poor excuse.

I can tell you exactly what happened. Poor management. Unfortunately were experiencing this just about everywhere, whether at a local establishment or a chain. Management is just not taking the time to properly train and supervise its staff. What happened to Michelles is a prime example of this problem.

Over the years, the level of service and the customer service at Michelles severely degraded. The past few years it became so bad that my family and I just stopped going. When you have such a large and loyal customer base and they cant even take it any more, theres a big problem. Its an internal problem, not an external one.

I dont know when it started but when did it not become customary to train and supervise front-line staff? These are the people that have direct contact with your customer base. Just because theyre not paid well doesnt mean that their position is not important. In fact, at a restaurant, the positions of host or waitress or bus-person are the most important.

So, whos to blame? You cant blame the staff because theyre usually doing what theyre told. They need leadership, guidance, systems, processes and constant monitoring. If you had a ship you wouldnt just point it toward where you wanted to go and forget about it. You probably wouldnt end up where you wanted and the ship would most likely run aground. You need a good captain to navigate and steer. Unfortunately it seems that Michelles had its very own Joseph Hazelwood.

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Tony Rose, MBA, is the owner/founder of http://www.iswami.com, the user-driven web site that links to the most recommended locally owned and operated businesses throughout the US. Tony has been a successful business owner in the fields of Real Estate, Development and Web Development for over twenty years.