BURGER CHAIN PAYS EXTRA FOR COURTEOUS EMPLOYEES

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ^ | 15 March 2004 | Bill Poovey

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

Good idea. Now, offer our military/intelligence people $50,000 or some tremendous amount for every terrorist caught and killed through their actions. We could reduce unemployment in the U.S. by offering our citizens large cash stipends for finding and killing terrorist leaders. Smile when you do it. Well?

[goldstategop]

Companies should reward employees for providing good customer service. Its the most important thing in building customer loyalty and recurring sales.

[xrp]

Yea...merit raises, what a concept.

[LetsRok]

How about just firing the ones that don't provide proper customer service. The MAIN JOB of anyone working in a SERVICE JOB is CUSTOMER SERVICE. You shouldn't have to pay someone extra just to do their job.

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

Wholeheartedly agree. I am a big fan of merit pay for performance. Seems we have gotten away from that and now it is seniority or political savvy leading the pack.

[xrp]

You shouldn't have to pay someone extra just to do their job.

For those that go above and beyond the job description and requirement, yes you should, especially if that customer service representative directly reflects customer retention.

Keeping a current customer is cheaper than getting a newer customer.

[goldstategop]

I don't say they should pay you extra for doing your job. They should pay a bonus for EXCEPTIONAL performance or service to customers as well as to the company.

[jigsaw]

This story reminds me of seeing some 'suits' in a McDonalds once, and with their
clip boards and stop watches they were concentrating on the cashiers.

I asked them if they were McDonald's management, which they readily
admitted they were.

They were timing how quickly each server worked and also counting how
many times he/she smiled.

It was one of the friendliest McDonald's I'd ever been in.

And it was obvious the employees were proud of their store also.

[MrB]

My first thought was the scenes from "Funny Farm" (Chevy Chase) where they were paying the town's folk to act like Norman Rockwell paintings in order to sell their house.

Everyone went overboard.

[goldstategop]

Exactly. And don't forget for every satisfied customer, they bring in new sales by word of mouth. Its the most effective advertising around - since your reputation as a place of integrity and follow up literally sells itself.

[Moonman62]

I think employees usually treat customers the way they are treated by management.

[Moonman62]

Betty Moorer stands out from the other employees selling burgers and fries at a Krystal restaurant.

I wonder if the other employees beat her up after the shift.

[SamAdams76]

So are we customers to assume that any employees not wearing the gold shirt are rude and obnoxious?

[RandallFlagg]

How DARE they?!

That's discrimination against the rude and obnixious! Someone oughta file suit. Paging Mister Edwards...

/sarcasm; but you can see it happening, can't ya?

[FrankR]

"...Everyone went overboard...."

Correct me if I'm wrong, but in "Funny Farm" the townsfolk were "paid" [read: bribed] to act a certain way for a specified purpose, or length of time.

But from what I read in the story, it seems that the Krystal employee(s)were being rewarded for being especially friendly to customers.

Either way, while they may not win any awards for being the friendliest place in town, it's better than customers having to deal with frowns, rudeness or the "attitude" every time you go in for a burger.

It's a great gesture - rewarding good work...however, I feel it won't be long before the complaints [read: lawsuits] start and cries of "unfair" permeate the halls of hamburgerland.

[xrp]

It isn't discrimination against the rude and obnoxious, it is RACISM against the rude and obnoxious.

[MississippiMan]

How about just firing the ones that don't provide proper customer service.

That's the perfect common-sense solution that comes to mind, and exactly how I handle it in my own businesses. Unfortunately, given the numbers of employees fast food joints need, they don't have anyone better to replace them with. The Betty Moorer is now RARE, which is why she's being treated as such. If you're in some area of the country where rudeness isn't the rule among such workers, consider yourself fortunate. Around here, I'm SHOCKED when I encounter someone really friendly.

MM

[RandallFlagg]

Yeah..

YEAH! THAT TOO!