Glen Jacobs - “Live Life Well”

Back in March 2008 I wrote some thoughts on strangely enough, my local Waffle House Restaurant.   The business seemed to be heading in the wrong direction.  Here is what I wrote.

“Some of my friends and family think it is strange that I could go into the local Waffle House Restaurant and have the servers and cooks greet me by name.

They think its even stranger that if I were on the phone, or if I got held up a few minutes in the parking lot before I went in, that my order was already being cooked, or sometimes even on the table by the time I sat down to eat.

“Do you want your usual?”, was the always the question of the day. The funny thing was that each of the servers had a slightly different version of “usual”. It didn’t matter, I just ate whatever they served me, as long as the egg whites were cooked and I got two strawberry jellies!

If I knew my order was already cooking, I would usually tell them I wanted something different that day, just for the fun of getting the “look” from cook.

If I were in a thrill-seeking mood, I would sit up at the “high” counter and listen to the cat fights the waitresses would get into. Most of the ladies had developed deep friendships over the years. They would defend each other to the death, and even take up collections during each others’ hardships. But some of the silly arguments they would get into!

There was the standard who had to do what prep-work or cleaning today, tussle. Like it was something new, or that there could possibly be a different resolution? Then there was the standard who was covering which section today argument. “I had that section yesterday!” The whole time they would “secretly” look at you to garner your sympathy and moral support. I guess that’s how they kept it interesting for 10 to 15 years.

Lynn was sure she was the hardest working, and had no problem letting the new waitresses know who the queen bee was. If they made her mad, it was over to the dish sink. Sending the silverware and dishes crashing into the sink, suds and water flying, giving customers at the counter or cash register a little morning shower, she would give those dishes a scrubbing like none other. The whole time she was muttering comments like “I’ll tell you what, … if she thinks she can say that to me, she has another thing coming. Been here a month, I mean barely a month, and thinks she is going to tell me how to do my job! Honey, I don’t think so.”

When Dottie was mad at someone, she would come over and tell me all about it. The problem was that she was hard-of-hearing, and would give you all the details of who was doing what to whom “discretely” in a very loud voice. That would usually just serve to make things worse. And if the cook got dragged into it, it was definitely a show, worth the price of admission.  My four boys would be transfixed, wide-eyed, with jaws sitting on the counter. The ride home was usually a life-lesson on how everyone, including old ladies, should never say bad words to each other at work.

Sometimes if they weren’t busy, one of the ladies would grab a cup of coffee and sit down at the table with me. There were the stories and tears from Lynn when she went through her divorce from her lying, cheating, abusive husband. I had to agree with her, someone really did need to take him out to the woods and teach him a lesson he wouldn’t soon forget.

Then there were the stories from Dottie. There were the tears about her troubled daughter. There were the big smiles while she was showing off pictures and telling the same stories over and over about her grand kids. There was the wonderful son and daughter-in-law in Oklahoma, and her wonderful daughter in Boston. There was excitement about who was coming to visit, or who had just bought her a ticket to go see them. The true highlights of her life!

That is kind of how it is with many places I go, restaurant or otherwise. I usually go to the same places, work with the same employees, and enjoy building some familiarity. I am often privileged to share a smile or a laugh, or even listen to a story or hear about a problem.

But Waffle House hasn’t been the same lately. I think the good old days are gone forever.

For about 10 years it was the same crew. There were the veteran servers Dottie, Lynn, and the two Cathy’s, all with more than 10-years of service. Now all gone. The only good one left is Trisha! Craig is good too, but rarely waits on me. The best cooks were Scottie and John, and the best area manager was Kelly. All gone.

The servers, managers and cooks have all been replaced with a never-ending revolving door of trainees. They have a very short shelf-life.

You used to hear “Morning, sit anywhere you’d like!. Now nothing. They don’t even look up to see who is coming in the door. Some smile when you sit down. Most don’t. Some are dressed appropriately for work, others, not so much. Some have tongue piercings, lip piercings, eye piercings, or tattoos, including initials and words tattooed on their fingers. Body piercings and tattoos tend to make me loose my appetite. Most smell like cigarettes.

Today I went into Waffle House. Not a single familiar face. No one came over to the table when they saw me sit down, and they went on with side work instead of waiting on me. I got up and left. Went to the 4 B’s Dinner instead. Family owned since 1960. This place has possibilities!

I miss that familiarity and the relationships that I have had the privileged to build with some of the folks at the Waffle House. If I see Trisha’s car when I go by, I’ll go back to Waffle House. I get to hear about her three girls, and the grand baby.

It is a valuable lesson learning the importance of relationship building in business, whether face to face, or on the Internet! It is a warning to remember the worth of each individual you come into contact with.

It’s like the Cheers song “We all want to go, where everybody knows your name………”. ”

Fast forward to November 2008.  Well here is what happened.

In October 2008 the Waffle House closed its doors for good!   Not because it was an old store, because it was actually one of the newest I had ever been in, built in the late 1990’s.  Not because of a bad location.  It was right on the interstate next door to a McDonald’s Restaurant that has lines of cars out into the frontage road for the Drive-thru.

The death of the business was the loss of relationships.  No familiarity.  No caring.  No bonds what so ever!

Is your internet business struggling?  Does anyone know your name?  Those who are successful are branding themselves and building relationships with others!

Where do you go where everyone knows your name?

The Best Is Yet To Come!

Glen Jacobs

Business Development Partner and Coach

Managing Member / Live Life Well, LLC

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