©by Patricia Feager 6/22/2016
Continuous Improvements
When I was a student working on my MBA at the University of Dallas in Irving, TX, I was introduced to the concept Kaizen, a "Japanese business philosophy of continuous improvement of working practices, personal efficiency, etc."
I've always been passionate about continuous learning and making improvements. Image meant I was clean, well groomed, polite, respectful, and courteous. As a student in Elementary and High School, I wore uniforms. Even when I started working at 16 years old, I wore a uniform. Then, when I entered the business world, I wore a business suit. It wasn't until I moved to Texas in March, 1997, where the heat can make straight hair curl, I shed my panty hose and high-heels, and stopped wearing business suits. As they say, "When in Rome..." I'm not originally from Texas and quickly noticed, nobody at the company where I worked wore business suits, panty hose and heels, not even the Directors or Executives.
Like many employees, my position, including everyone in the Department lost their jobs. There was a RIF (reduction in force) and thousands of people were let go. The year was 2002. I earned my MBA in December 2002 and got licensed as a Real Estate Agent early in 2003. I dabbled in Commercial and Residential Real Estate; but stayed in Residential consistently. Over the years, I'm cognizant of all the new shops that went out of business - new Real Estate agents too.
Kaizen!
What happened to the American Business Culture? This morning I started out at the Dentist Office. I was there for a very long time. Conversations revolved around money, dental insurance (none), and financing, as opposed to dental talk. As soon as I opened up the door and got into my car, I felt faint, hungry, and nauseous too. I knew I needed food. The hot Texas temperatures are climbing every day. The next day is always hotter than the day before. Folks in Arizona and New Mexico will understand. Traffic was heavy. I was driving at a snail's pace, feeling light-headed. I had to stop! I pulled into where I get my auto serviced. The rear view mirror they installed seven months ago was cracked. I remember it was supposed to be warranted. It took 25 minutes before I could talk to an employee. By the time he came by, before he even introduced himself, he told me he couldn't talk to me for 3 hours.
Kaizen! Working practices! It wasn't practiced in the Automotive Service Department. Customer service was poor, but I used my charm and got the man to get a man to see what my problem is. I was lucky, I got me a man! But.... slam, bam, sorry ma'am, it's not warranted. This problem wasn't caused by the product. Somebody forced this rear view mirror and you're not warranted. So much for customer service...
Food! I Needed Food!
I was attracted to the curb appeal of the building that said, "Coffee - Breakfast - Lunch." I parked my car and stepped inside. Right in front of my eyes was a staircase. It took my breath away. Vividly, I could see Scarlet O'Hara at the top of the stairs and Rhett Butler down below that amazing staircase. Even if he was saying, "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn," I was hungry! I needed food. The voice inside my head, reminded me of the costs associated with dental work and another rear view mirror. But, the restaurant on the first floor looked very casual - a typical coffee shop, nothing special. The kid (I'm sure he's on summer vacation) was eager to take my order. Nobody else was there. I ordered a cup of coffee and asked to see the menu. It was hand written in barely legible hand-writing. Waffles! I ordered waffles from the boy who was just developing facial hair with the stocking cap over his head. Even though it was hot as hell, it didn't seem to bother him as much as me! I wanted to scratch his head and ask him, "What's wrong with you boy?" But I didn't.
Kaizen! What are the working practices here? 1) No uniforms; 2) No hairnets, but old, raggedy stocking caps okay; 3) Clean clothes, not required; 4) Friendly communication, not necessary; staring into the customer's face 12 inches away OKAY! I could barely contain myself. Food! I need food! I did not want to faint on the floor - I couldn't look, was it clean or dirty?
A sane person would have walked out the door - but the kid had already rung up my credit card. How bad could the coffee be or the waffles. The waffles. I wondered who was making the waffles? Nobody took my order. Okay, if the kid forgot, it's okay, get the coffee and run. Pop! And then it dawned on me.
"Are those frozen waffles coming out of the toaster?" Why yes the boy replied with a grin on his face. I could see, he needed dental work too. "Okay, give the waffles and let me get out of this place," I thought to myself."
It wasn't long before I drove away. The first thing I noticed was Agave, the Mexican Restaurant, fairly new, was closed - permanently closed. The sandwhich shop down the street - closed for good. I started thinking about all the new agents that started the same time I did - they are gone! I remembered my first Commercial Lease - that woman went out of business in less than five years. All the way home, I remembered businesses after businesses, gone, out of business, replaced by another and another, and nobody is staying in business for long.
Kaizen! Have we forgotten business etiquette? Are we all more focused on staying alive in business than being the best business owners? What's happening in our own cities and local business venues? Are Managers dressed for success? Oh, I almost forgot to mention, the Manager walked into the restaurant just before I left. He was wearing shorts and a dirty T-Shirt that read Parks & Recreation. His legs were very hairy and his hands were too. I lost my appetite. Suddenly, I wasn't hungry or thirsty. My light-headiness went away. Home - I went directly home in Flower Mound and did not pass go in another city, or another restaurant either.
©Personal Life Story of Patricia Feager 6/22/2016
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