Family

Good morning... What can I get for you?

I hope you had a good weekend. Let me start this week off with a post about a situation I had with one of my partners... I'll call him... Patchouli Tim. PT had a nasty habit of not showering... and he was an active guy. So, how does one have that conversation about body odor? I approached it as I had in the past... in a sensitive way.

Pat: So, Jim... I mean Tim. I'm gonna need you to either shower every day, use deodorant or both a and b.
Tim: Well, I live at my brother's house and he's kind of anal about water usage... but I'll try.
Pat: OK... I can understand. Either way, I'm gonna need you to smell better and I want to be up front with you. How can we get that done?
Tim: I could use some deodorant.
Pat: For your efforts... I'll get you a stick. But I'd like you to at least give yourself a sponge bath every day.
Tim: OK... Thanks for being honest.
Pat: No problem man... we're a family here and we take care of family.

Now unfortunately Patchouli Tim made some bad choices for the family. He tried to slip a Thristy-Two ouncer half filled with vodka past me while he was closing one night. Being the finely tuned nose that I was, I had him count his till and while his cup lay unattended, poured a little out in a short cup.

Pat: Ummm, Tim... can I see you for a moment?
Tim: Yeah dude... what's up?
Pat: It's not O.K. to drink while you're here. Not even close.
Tim: O.K. man, I'll get rid of it.
Pat: No... I didn't explain it right. You stepped outside of the family man... I'm going to give you 2 choices. I'll either need to let you go actively or you can say your "good-byes" and let everyone know you're leaving Starbucks on your own. What do you want to do?
Tim: Damn...

Needless to say Tim had his issues. Far beyond what I could coach. He still deserved to be treated like a human being. Not sure what happened to him. I told him he was welcome as a customer and friend... he came in a few times after that but then disappeared. You store managers out there may have handled it differently, but I encourage you to remember that every partner you have is a person and needs SOMEONE to help them with their dignity when they can't seem to get a grasp on it themselves. I didn't hire Tim... probably wouldn't have either. I had a duty though to work with what I got. To mold the clay I was given... well, sometimes you gotta toss the clay out when it's not moldable.

The 15-Year Icon of Service is just about sold... Use the link on the right to see the progress. Oh, we'll do the "Exit of Pat Nerr" some other time... the schedule is full this week.

We'll see you tomorrow for your usual...

Pat Nerr...