Why a restaurant can lose its customers!

Any venue that serves food has it tough. Eating is a uniquely personal experience that places special demands on both the cooking and serving staff. Often times a period when no customers come in the door are punctuated by a ‘rush’ when it seems the whole town shows up all at once! During such times, the employees go into ‘max stress mode’ when everything that can go wrong often does. Adding to the on and off again chaos are customers who are oftentimes indifferent and sometimes even surly in their attitudes. Is it any wonder, then, that the employee turnover rate is so high at many venues?   

Today, during what some consider the second Great Depression, it even harder for an owner to hold everything together. Two factors come into sharp focus when bad economic times hit; the cost of food and a customer’s generosity or lack thereof. As food costs climb an owner will oftentimes have no choice but to either raise the menu prices or to cut back on payroll. Sometimes he or she must do both! This puts an added strain on all the staff during times when customers are rushing through the door. Then, adding insult to injury, the customers will sometimes cut back on what they tip to help them make up for what they consider to be unfair price increases in the menu.

The end result of this process over time is that many of the really good professionals will leave such a place in search of better paying jobs. The vacuum that’s left then quickly filled with individuals who are poorly suited for this line of work. You then have a situation where ill mannered, cheap patrons are being served by poorly trained newbie’s who are often just as rude and inconsiderate as the person they are serving. A lose-lose situation for all concerned, not to mention the owner! Over time, some venues can lose so many customers that they are no longer able to stay open and so close their doors. What’s left in their wake are increasing numbers of ‘cut rate and shoddy’ businesses that hire poorly trained part-time workers, serve low quality food and survive by screwing everyone and thing within reach.

Who do we have to thank for this? Obama of course!