Jan 08' Newsletter

I realize that a lot of our managers have not kept up with this blog, but I am continuing to publish these due to the fact that it will be a good reference source for the future. It's a new year and we have now had our grand opening. All things are beginning to take shape as to how we will be operating for spring break. We have a lot of smaller issues to work out, but overall, we are looking pretty good. I will just share some key points and will be happy to see your comments on anything that you feel needs further info on.


1) Know your rules and guidelines!
As some of have already found, Their are very straight forward rules that we have set for our crew. If we do not adhere to them, how do we expect our crew to. We have all signed the paperwork dealing with the rules governing, Breaks, Smoking, Food discounts, Drinks, Uniform regulations, etc... There should be a firm understanding of the rules and stand by them throughout all shifts. You are Managers and you should act as such.

2) Follow these guidelines when taking cake orders!
Get a cake order form and complete it fully. There should always be a order takers name on the form. This is the person that will be ultimately responsible for incorrect orders or missed deliveries. Be aware of the following information:

• All Special ordered cakes must be made 7 to 10 days in advanced! (a special ordered cake would be anything that cannot be taken directly out of the ice cream case and completed within 10 minutes) We do not have blizzard sheet cakes available except for special circumstances and with the advanced notice time frame.
  
• All Celebration cakes are done in basic white, and can have any color gel layered on top of the boarder icing. This keeps from having a shortage or too much of any one color.
  
• Blizzard cakes are no longer to be written on. That is the reason for the inner circle of toppings and boarder. Only special order blizzard cakes can be written on.
• The pouch on the exterior of the flash freezer is only for completed cakes that are in that freezer. DO NOT PLACE ORDERS IN THIS POUCH. All orders should be placed on the pen board.
• Blizzard Sheet cakes are to be rung as open food with a $5.00 charge added on.
• We do not sell our deco pack toys due to the over cost of shipping and handling that causes us to lose money.
  
• If a Deco Pack is used, be sure to mark it on the box to ensure timely reorders.
• If you have not been trained in making cakes or decorating cakes, do not attempt to make cakes. This also applies to all crew members.
  
• If there is a special order taken, payment in full is due upon order placement. The order taker will be held accountable for any unpaid cancellations, or non pickup orders that were not paid in advanced.

These are rules to make you aware of what you are doing. Cakes can make us money or break us. Do not place orders if you do not know what you are doing. Thank you

3) Use your chain of command
Although Mike has an open door policy, use your proper avenues to deal with issues. If you are not comfortable with coming to Ray, or Tracy, then go to Cara. Only then should you be bothering Mike with issues that Cara, Tracy, or I can handle. By jumping over our heads, you can cause animosity that does not need to be there. In most cases Mike will most likely ask you as a first question is " have you talked to Cara about it" and very well could send you back to her. I truly don't know all the answers, but I will be glad to help you find the answers that you need.

4) SMILE!
I realize that sometimes it is a hard thing to do when you are having a rough day, and I know I am a bad example of that sometimes, But it truly makes all the difference in the world to the customers. If you have a Crew member that has lost a loved one, TAKE THEM OFF FRONT COUNTER! We need happy people up there. Cheryl is a great example of one that has a great attitude all the time, and I know that she has rough days too, but the customer never knows this. She can play the part very well.
We as managers should be mking rounds in the dining room during the busy period and asking simply how is their food and treats. Do not spend a long time with socializing, This is done to verify that there is not a upset customer in the dining room stewing in their seats. If you go to the first table and start a buddy buddy conversation, the booth next to them could be waiting for 30 minutes for their food and all they see is the manager hobknobing the table next to them. This can do more damage than good; Especially if it is someone that knows the owners. Do get the point?

5) What to do if an Owner comes into the store
They are coming into the store tocheck on their investment,which means you should be at their service, and help them in any way that you can. But sometimes they are coming in to eat with their family. Please respect them enough to enjoy their meals in peace. If their are things to share, by all means present yourself, and request some time to go over those things, but do not loomover their table while they are eating. You all have jobs to do, and you should continue to perform those jobs while they are here.
The owners should be offered a pride stride form to use as reference in their walk through. These forms are found in the filing cabinet in the office.
The owners have requested to pay 50% of their meals and orders. Mike will make it clear when he is ordering food for the surgical center, in which case they pay full price.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and continue to check in for more updates.