Best Business Ideas for Moms
A dream, not reality.
Mother’s Day memory
Every business wants to succeed. Most business teams use all the strategies and processes available to get the job done. When things go wrong suddenly, the testing of response, resilience and recovery will determine if the right people are in place for the job. Recently, as can be noted with the airline industry, when your systems fall down, you need to be ready with a back-up plan. Failing to act in a timely and fair manner makes all the difference, in a smooth recovery or a ‘catastrophe’, with damage to reputation.
Communication matters most when the unexpected happens. I do think everyone at all levels of service operations should be exposed to some level of public relations ‘reaction training.’ Employees need to understand ‘why’ a ‘good impression’ goes beyond superficial courtesies! How employees respond to a tough situation can be controlled based on situational training and development strategies.
Here’s a scenario taken from my experience on Mother’s Day this year, and how this ‘Rituals Coffee House’ became undone, when the unexpected happened.
My second son invited me to have breakfast for Mother’s Day. I was thrilled. We had a few choices of where to go and eventually choose not to go to ‘Woodford Café or Starbucks, but Rituals, which is our Caribbean version of Starbucks with a local menu included. I’ve visited this location and many others and there was never an experience quite like what unfolded on this special day.
My son paid for the Mother’s Day Special and we made our way ( as directed) to the ‘tented area’, nicely designed with a buffet service and tables enclosed with an air-condition unit for the comfort of patrons. The air-condition unit was placed directly above the buffet. The lights below the food warmers were extinguished from the wind blowing in. Cold ‘hot food’ was now available and this was unappealing. The dishes and cutlery were absent, as one waitress, tried to clear a table and replenish missing items at the serving area.
As we looked for someone for assistance, we were advised to return next door to order our omelets first( this meant going outside and then into the café area). We placed our order and returned to the tent to start selecting items from the buffet, having been advised someone would bring the omelets. As we stood there for a few minutes a waitress came with clean plates in her hands — she wore no gloves, and a glistening of rain-mist appeared on the plates. The last available table was awaiting clearing, and she seemed to be the only one ‘manning the fort’. As she laid the plates on the buffet table the rains were blowing in and she hustled out to get some clean cutlery. My son, by this time was feeling dismayed and started checking the food options laid out. Everything looked sad, tired and was not typical of the standard we’ve experienced on other occasions.
We returned inside diving from the tent into the next door area, to collect our omelets. By this time they were ready — what a welcome smell and sight! We asked the first waitress we saw for cutlery, and if we could sit inside. She smiled, and suggested we sit at any available table and she would serve us whatever we needed - which was some warm toast and ‘local bakes’. My son appeared annoyed but I retrieved a plate from inside making my way once more to the ‘cold hot’ buffet. After dishing out some servings for us from what was on offer, I returned inside and sat ready to eat. The bread was delivered but we were still awaiting cutlery. I asked again, and eventually my son used his fingers to start, while I went to the area with disposable forks (no knives were available) and collected a few to have my meal.
As I ate I glanced up at my son and laughed. He really wanted perfection for me, and it just was nowhere close to what he envisaged as my gift! It started as a giggle and became an infectious laugh leaving him no choice but to join in. He then said, “Mom its not funny, this is horrible. I really wanted to bring my mom out for a special time, not for her to work. Anyway, at least the food tastes good. This is awful!” As I looked at him, I found myself thinking that he reflected a position I would have taken a few years ago. Just for today though, nothing would steal my joy. I was happy to be with him and wanted him to see beyond the craziness, and the ‘memorable’ experience we were having. We spoke about their service, the meal and the entire offering and how a Mother’s Day experience by this generally good place failed. As I sipped my coffee, it was hot, perfectly brewed, I sighed, enjoying its aroma!
