Written by Jim Osborn, President

With the rebound in the economy, things are changing in the hiring environment. Demand for good, proven, experienced management is strong, while the pool of eligible prospects is decreasing, the beginning of a labor shortage of qualified people.

Prospective candidates are becoming more discerning in making a job change. Now better candidates have more options often resulting in turndowns in offers, not showing up after accepting a position, and leaving a position shortly after starting. This is generally due to a better offer coming through after acceptance or a current employer countering the offer from a new employer.

How does a hiring organization attract and retain highly desirable people to its company? While there is no 100% guarantee, following are some ways to attract and retain good executives:

1. In the hiring process, insure professionalism in the process, i.e., being timely and responsive to interested prospects, as there are too many other options to wait for a slow to respond employer.
2. Make sure the right person is hired, has the experience needed, and fits the culture of your organization.
3. Integrate the new hires into the company, following up with them frequently over the first 6 months where the company has the highest possibility of losing them.
4. Pay fairly, don't try to low ball them as it becomes an incentive to continue to look for a better paying opportunity while on the new job or before reporting to the new position.
5. Treat your employees as you would wish to be treated. Make them feel part of the team.
6. Remember important dates, i.e., birthday, company anniversary and achievements.
7. Meet regularly with your team to promote communication and share concerns, with open 2-way communication, heading off and resolving discontent before it results in losing employees. As an example, I am aware of a company that is losing staff right and left and top management has no idea as to why! They never created the environment where team members would tell them the truth.
8. Competitive benefits are a must to promote longevity and caring about employees. Health care packages and 401k deferred comp plans are key to being competitive.

Clearly, the tide is changing back to a shortage of good talent as business continues to expand and the labor pool shrinks. The competition for sharp people will become more intense, while informed employers will do more to retain their people. To attract good people away from targeted companies, employers will have to become more competitive and attractive to the highly qualified candidates they desire. Employers won't find these people on the Internet!

Sincerely,

Jim Osborn
VP, Dick Wray & Consultants
Jacksonville, FL
(800) 710-WRAY Office
(800) 711-9729 Fax
email: jim.osborn@dickwray.com

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PETER GIBBONS was named by DENNY’S INC. as product development vice president, filling a post formerly held by senior director of product development and executive chef TIM SOUFAN. Gibbons formerly served as senior vice president and innovation director at Chicago-based food marketer Noble & Associates and also held the position of new product manager for Burger King

STEVE SAFIER was named by SUBWAY to the newly created position of senior vice president and chief administrative officer of the SUBWAY FRANCHISEE ADVERTISING FUND TRUST, which develops marketing campaigns to grow the brand.

KATHERINE SCHERPING was named chief financial officer by RED ROBIN GOURMET BURGERS INC., replacing JAMES MCCLOSKY, who will continue to serve as a senior vice president with additional duties beyond finance. Scherping was corporate controller of Policy Studies Inc. and has more than 20 years of finance, accounting and managing experience. In addition, the casual-dining chain hired EMILY RUSNAK as vice president of human resources replacing DOUG GAMMON, who resigned from Red Robin to become a private consultant.

JIM SKINNER, vice chairman and chief executive for MCDONALD’S was elected to the board of directors of Walgreen Co., the Deerfield, Ill.-based 4,805-unit drugstore chain. Skinner becomes Walgreen’s 11th board member.

ENRIQUE N . MAYOR-MORA was named by DENNY’S INC., the 1,584-unit family dining chain, to the newly created position of vice president of planning and analysis. He will be responsible for planning, budgeting, operations finance, and marketing analysis at the corporate and restaurant levels.

JOHN CAMPBELL was named vice president of global development by BLIMPIE INTERNATIONAL INC., a 1,600-unit sandwich-shop. A 30-year veteran of the restaurant franchising business, Campbell most recently worked as vice president of domestic development for North America for Papa John’s and held posts at several other restaurant companies including Arby’s, Dunkin ’Donuts, AFC Enterprises and Yorkshire Restaurant Group.

KATHLEEN WOOD has been hired as president and chief operating officer for the 27-unit RAISING CANE’S CHICKEN FINGERS. Founder TODD GRAVES, who held those titles previously, remains chief executive. The Elliot Leadership Institute, the nonprofit organization aimed at developing foodservice executives’ skills was co-founded by Wood who most recently served as their president.

GERRY LENEWEAVER was named vice president of people services, a newly created position, by RUBIO’S FRESH MEXICAN GRILL, the chain of more than 150 fast-casual restaurants. Leneweaver previously operated AGL Associates, a consulting firm. Prior to that, he was senior vice president of human resources at The Ground Round Inc. The company said, too, that TIM HACKBARDT, who was vice president of marketing, left Rubio’s to pursue other opportunities. During the search for Hackbardt’s replacement, CHRISTY GEILING, director of marketing, will serve as interim department head.

Former chief financial officer ROBERT MERRITT has been retained indefinitely by OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE INC., whose owned and franchised system of 1,215 restaurants includes the 893 namesake chain and 178-unit Carrabba’s Italian Grills. He will receive a $50,000-a month consulting fee until the hiring and orientation of a replacement is completed. The financial community was stunned when Merritt, a highly regarded veteran CFO, announced during a quarterly-earnings conference call that he was retiring, saying it was prompted by his distaste for the current “lunacy” surrounding Congress’ enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and its accounting standards.

KEVIN HALL, a 13-year company veteran and Culinary Institute of America alumnus, has been named brand director, a newly created post by FIRSTWATCH RESTAURANTS INC., operator of 52 breakfast, brunch and lunch units in nine states. He will be responsible for marketing, advertising and guest relations in addition to menu and quality control.

SCOTT NIETSCHMANN was named president of FUDDRUCKERS INC., the 223-unit burger chain. He replaces BRYCE KING, who remains Fuddruckers’ chief executive. Nietschmann most recently was chief operating officer of Chili’s Grill & Bar, a division of Brinker International Inc. in Dallas.

Industry veteran KEITH KINSEY has been hired by NOODLES & COMPANY, the 110-unit fastcasual chain as chief financial officer and replaces MARY BETH LEWIS, who recently resigned as CFO for family reasons. Kinsey was formerly an operations executive at Denver-based Chipotle Mexican Grill. He is the second high-profile executive to leave the McDonald’s-controlled Chipotle for Noodles.

Consultant PATTI VENETUCCI has been hired as executive director by the WOMEN’S FOODSERVICE FORUM. She replaces ELLEN MOORE, who stepped down as the WFF’s leader last month. Venetucci is a former McDonald’s Corp. executive whose firm, PDQ Associates Inc. in Downers Grove, Ill., offers consulting for the construction industry. In addition, the WFF also named former Compass Group executive ANN NICKOLAS as development director. Nickolas was vice president of sales for Compass in its Atlanta office.

MARK F . TORMEY resigned as president of the 33-unit MAGGIANO’S LITTLE ITALY dinnerhouse division and as a corporate senior vice president according to BRINKER INTERNATIONAL INC. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Brinker said Tormey would continue as Maggiano’s president until a successor was named.

MICHAEL NORRIS has been appointed by food and facilities management specialist, SODEXHO USA, as president of its corporate services division. He replaces THOMAS MULLIGAN, a 31-year veteran of the company who announced his retirement last year. Norris will oversee operations for the company’s corporate services and vending divisions. He was most recently president of Loews Cineplex Entertainment U.S.

ANGELA HORNSBY was promoted by CARLSON RESTAURANTS WORLDWIDE to vice president of human resources for its T.G.I.FRIDAY’S USA division. She replaces TOM SOLOMON, who left the chain in February. Hornsby was most recently Carlson’s vice president of learning and development. Hornsby's replacement is BETSY MURPHY, who was the company’s senior director of learning and development.

The franchise organization at DENNY’S INC., the 1,585-unit family-dining chain, has been restructured. New directors were named to head franchise development and franchise real estate, both reporting to STEVE DUNN, franchise development vice president. DOUG WONG, a veteran of Pizza Hut, Arby’s and Church’s Chicken and former operations vice president for CVM Atlanta, will head new-operator recruitment. A 10-year Burger King veteran and a commercial real estate agent, JEFFREY RUSSELL, will focus on franchise sites in Western states.

JAMES W . HOOD was named by NEW WORLD RESTAURANT GROUP INC., to the bagel specialty bakery-cafe company’s board of directors replacing JOHN S. CLARK, who chose not to run for re-election. Hood is co-founder of marketing firm Bray Hood Associates of Essex, Conn.

MATT DURBIN was named by CARLSON RESTAURANTS WORLDWIDE as beverage marketing director for its T.G.I. FRIDAY’S U.S.A. chain. Formerly associate marketing manager for E. & J. Gallo Winery, Durbin, will develop new beverage programs. He also worked at T.G.I. Friday’s for an eight-year stint in a variety of posts including bartender, manager and general manager. The duties of beverage marketing director previously were held by STEWART SLOCUM under the title of director of beverage marketing and research and development who will now serve as director of brand strategy after Carlson decided to restructure the position.

Senior vice president of the NATIONAL RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION for government affairs and public policy, LEE CULPEPPER, has resigned to join WALMART STORES INC. as vice president for federal government affairs. Culpepper served with the NRA for 12 years and joins Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart this month. NRA chief executive STEVEN ANDERSON said planning has begun to find a successor. ROB GREEN, vice president of federal relations, and ALLISON WHITESIDES and BRENDAN FLANAGAN, both directors of legislative affairs, remain as key personnel on the NRA’s lobbying team.

DENIS HENNEQUIN has been named by MCDONALD’S CORP. to president of the chain’s struggling European division. Hennequin succeeds RUSS SMYTH who McDonald’s said is leaving the 6,200-restaurant division for personal reasons. A 21-year McDonald’s veteran, Hennequin currently is executive vice president of McDonald’s Europe. Also promoted was GLEN STEEVES. He will take over the newly created position of chief operating officer of McDonald's Europe division, reporting to Hennequin. Steeves is senior vice president of McDonald’s Europe.

BRINKER INTERNATIONAL INC ., based here, named TODD DIENER president of CHILI’S GRILL & BAR for the second time, effective immediately. Diener had been serving as interim president since February, when WILSON CRAFT resigned from the company. During Diener’s time as interim president, he also served as Brinker’s chief operating officer. He previously was Chili’s president from 1998 to 2003. Brinker said it has no plans to fill the COO post vacated by Diener.

KENNETH KEYMER will be installed as chief executive by Popeyes parent AFC ENTERPRISES effective September 1, 2005. He will replace FRANK BELATTI who remains as chairman. Before serving as president of Popeyes, Keymer was co-CEO at Noodles & Co. Belatti, who founded AFC in 1992 said, "Ken is a highly regarded leader with an impressive track record of growing brands through his extensive operational and strategic experiences."

Three new executives have been hired by CATALINA RESTAURANT GROUP, parent of the family-style Coco’s Bakery Restaurant and Carrows Restaurant chains. DEBBIE FRANK was named vice president of risk management. She previously was an account executive at Lockton Insurance Brokers Inc. of Los Angeles. She also worked with Denny’s and the old Prandium Inc., former parent of El Torito. A 24-year Prandium veteran, JAN MILLER, was named Catalina’s vice president of human resources. PETER MEHRBERG was named senior vice president and general counsel. Previously, he served as vice president of business development and general counsel at Peet’s Coffee & Tea Inc.

Burger King’s former senior director of research and development, PETER GIBBONS was hired by DENNY’S CORP. as vice president of product development. Most recently, Gibbons was senior vice president and director of innovation at Noble Associates in Springfield, Mo.

STAN SWORD was appointed to the post of chief people officer by APPLEBEE’S INTERNATIONAL INC., operator or franchisor of more than 1,700 casual-dining restaurants. He will replace LOU KAUCIC, effective Aug. 8. Kaucic is retiring after eight years with the company. Sword will lead the company’s human-resources team in his new role.

BRUCE T. FERY was promoted by THE GRAND AMERICA HOTELS AND RESORTS to executive VP of hotels. The hotel division consists of independently owned properties by Earl Holding including, The Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City, UT; Little America properties in AZ, WY and UT; and The Westgate Hotel in San Diego, CA.

CARLSON HOTELS WORLDWIDE FOR THE AMERICANS appointed YVONNE LA PENOTIERE to president.

TIM TIMOTEO , president and CEO of R. J. GATORS announced that DOUG and JACKWALLACE have signed a deal to open five R. J. Gators restaurants in Broward County, Florida over the next five years. R. J. Gators recently opened its 8 th company restaurant in Stuart, Florida setting record sales. This year, they will add 12 new franchise locations to their current 15. The company currently has development agreements to open over 50 additional new locations over the next five years. R. J. Gators is a casual dining, Everglade-themed seafood grill concept based in Jupiter, Florida.

STARBUCK’s announced that they will sell the Bob Dylan: Live at the Gaslight 1962 CD exclusively and it will not be available anywhere else initially. Referring to other albums that were unavailable elsewhere such as the Grammy-winning album of Ray Charles duets, Genius Loves Company, the president of Starbucks Entertainment, KEN LOMBARD, said “We’re focused on providing our customers unique opportunities. We want the music customer to think of Starbucks as a destination.”

Once again, regulators were told by KRISPY KREME DOUGHNUTS INC., that the company had extended the deadline for negotiating a “success fee” with New York-based turnaround firm KROLL ZOLFO COOPER LLC, which Krispy Kreme had hired in January to help the ailing doughnut store operator and franchisor. Krispy Kreme and KZC agreed to extend the deadline through July 31 according to a filing with the U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION. This is the third extension this year for an agreement on a success fee.

At the end of last month, CEC ENTERTAINMENT INC. opened its 500th CHUCK E. CHEESE’S entertainment center-restaurant. The new unit is owned and operated by the chain’s largest franchisee, MELVIN ENTERTAINMENT, which operates eight other units.

An agreement was reached by JACOBSON PARTNERS, a private equity firm based in New York, to sell TACO BUENO to another New York-based investment company, PALLADIUM EQUITY PARTNERS LLC.

A 220-unit BURGER KING franchisee, HEARTLAND FOOD CORP., purchased seven stores in the central Illinois market from DRURY MANAGEMENT INC. and DRURY-ILLINOIS INC. Heartland’s chief executive, JEFF ROGERS, said in a statement that his company plans to invest more than $1.2 million for remodeling and service-system upgrades.

Moscow-based ROSTIK RESTAURANTS LTD., or RRL, owner of Russia’s largest chicken chain has joined up with YUM! BRANDS INC., parent of KFC and other brands, to develop some 300 co-branded Rostik’s/KFC restaurants over the next five years in Russia and surrounding regions. RRL agreed to invest up to $100 million in the venture and Yum will provide up to $30 million in loans and guarantees. In a statement issued by Yum, it was announced that the Rostik brand would remain prominent while the KFC logo will be added to restaurant signage. The co-branded units will sell menu items from both chains and will be both company- and franchise-owned.

At a recent conference held in Rosemont, Illinois, TECHNOMIC INFORMATION SERVICES’ restaurant industry analysts forecasted the brightest outlook for restaurant sales since 1999. By year-end 2005, Technomic analysts believe restaurant sales will increase 6.2 percent and 5.8 percent in 2006 and credit the rise in sales to the growth in disposable personal income as well as new job creation. JOSEPH PAWLAK, co-presenter, predicted that aggregate sales at limited-service restaurants which include quickservice and fast-casual, would surpass those of full-service operations in 2005. Technomic projects total sales at limited-service restaurants will reach $169 billion this year versus full-service results of $164 billion after evaluating the 500 largest chains in the industry. In addition, Technomic also disclosed that casual-dining restaurants lead the full-service sector and generate 67 percent of total 2005 sales, followed by family dining, which takes up 30 percent.

After a special committee of independent directors decided that they should be discharged, five KRISPY KREME DOUGHNUTS executives resigned and one retired. The company said it plans to fill the positions with existing employees. While Krispy Kreme officials declined to release the identities of those executives they did say that the six former executives included four senior vice presidents who “were in the areas of operations, finance, business development, and manufacturing and distribution.” Shortly after that announcement, a Dow Jones report listed certain names that were removed from the company’s website, possibly indicating that those executives were the half dozen asked to leave. According to the Dow Jones report, those names removed from the site included senior vice presidents L. STEPHEN HENDRIX, who oversaw company store and associate operations; FRANK A. HOOD, chief information officer; FRED W. MITCHELL, head of manufacturing and distribution; SHERRY POLONSKY, finance; JIMMY STRICKLAND, area developer operations; and ROBERT H. VAUGHN JR., business development and chief restructuring officer of KREMEKO INC., Krispy Kreme’s franchisee for the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec, that filed for bankruptcy in April.

Last month, KFC opened its eighth quick-service unit in India and company officials said it expects to debut an additional four restaurants in that country by year-end.

An agreement was signed by ARBY’S LLC and ARBY’S FRANCHISE ASSOCIATION, (AFA), to execute a new management system to align the chain’s “marketing organization with brand leadership.” Chairman of AFA and president and chief executive of DRM, MATT JOHNSON, an Arby’s franchisee that operates 60 units in the Midwest, said every Arby’s franchisee is a member of AFA, and “the new management agreement is designed to optimize Arby’s marketing in order to maximize profitable sales for all Arby’s operators.”

Private aviation in-flight caterer, AIR CHEF, has joined together with J/R CATERING of Oakland, Calif., to provide meals and concierge services for flyers in the San Francisco Bay area and plan to offer online ordering by summer’s end. The newly formed partnership will serve the area’s busiest airports, including Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose, Haward Executive, Concord Buchanan Field and Palo Alto international airports.

A discrimination lawsuit filed in 1998 by a former restaurant manager infected with the HIV virus against MCDONALD’S CORP., is being retried in court. RUSSELL RICH, 41, of Akron, initially won a $5 million judgment in 2001, but the Ohio appeals court overturned the verdict and ordered a retrial because of improper jury instructions. According to published reports, Rich was hired by corporate McDonald’s from a franchise location to turn around a struggling store in Minerva. He alleged that after his supervisors learned he was HIV positive, they created a hostile work environment by forcing him to work long hours, restricting him from handling food and canceling his medical coverage. McDonald’s spokesman, WILLIAM WHITMAN, said the fast-food company does not tolerate any form of discrimination and that the lawsuit is without merit.

In a SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION filing, HIGHFIELDS CAPITAL MANAGEMENT said that it increased its stake in WENDY’S INTERNATIONAL to 7.3 percent. The hedge fund and its affiliates now own 8.4 million shares in the nation’s third-largest burger chain. In April, Highfields disclosed that it had accumulated 6.86 million shares, or 6.1 percent, of Wendy’s stock. Also, two other investment groups have disclosed taking large stakes in Wendy’s International over the last two months. Highfields made its disclosures with forms intended for passive investors, or those not planning to influence company operations.

CAMILLE ’S SIDEWALK CAFÉ has entered a $1.1 million agreement with one of its largest franchisees, VANTAGE POINTS RESTAURANTS LLC, to open at least 100 restaurants in Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas. Operations manager for Vantage Point Restaurants, TIM LIECHTI, is also a Papa John’s franchisee in Oklahoma.

The owner of 17 Weathervane Seafood Restaurants throughout the Northeast, TERRY GAGNER, has opened a new concept in Kittery, Maine called WEATHER VANE’S ORIGINAL SHACK, a fast-casual seafood outlet.

An area agreement between LENNY’S SUB SHOPS and Houston-based CLM FRANCHISE CONSULTANTS was signedto open 80 restaurants in the Texas counties of Fort Bend, Harris and Montgomery over the next several years. Lenny’s founder, LEN MOORE, and current franchisee TOM CLATTERBUCK, are co-owners of CLM Franchise Consultants.

Venture capital firm, GROTECH CAPITAL GROUP, reportedly is in talks to buy the 7,603-unit DUNKIN’ BRANDS chain pending success of the French distillery giant PERNOD RICARD’s bid to take over Dunkin’s London-based parent ALLIED DOMECQ. Former Yorkshire Global Restaurants chairman and chief executive SIDNEY FELTENSTEIN, 2004 International Franchise Association chairman, is a key consultant and potential player in the Grotech-Dunkin’ deal according to an industry source. However, in a phone interview, he denied being a player in the Dunkin’ acquisition talks but did not rule out future involvement if the purchase is consummated.

Known as the world’s largest winemaker, CONSTELLATION BRANDS INC, and its three partners, BROWN-FORMAN CORP., LION CAPITAL and THE BLACKSTONE GROUP, decided not to offer a bid as a group to purchase DUNKIN’ BRANDS parent ALLIED DOMECQ, Constellation Brands officials announced. According to RICHARD SAND, chairman and chief executive, the company’s “basic premise is always that a transaction must create value for our stakeholders. Simply put, careful consideration and evaluation of the details. . .did not identify sufficient value for submitting an offer.”

Senior vice president and general manager of SCHWAN’S BAKERY INC.’s foodservice division, WILLIAM A. “BILL” COBAN, died June 2 of unknown causes at the age of 47. Coban served in the foodservice industry for 24 years. ANDY JOHNSTON, vice president of foodservice marketing for Schwan’s Bakery Inc., has taken over Coban’s duties until a replacement is named.

Four franchise agreements were signed by LA SALSA FRESH MEXICAN GRILL, a more-than-100-unit subsidiary of CKE RESTAURANTS INC., to open at least 19 restaurants in Texas, Missouri and Florida. The franchisees include SOUTH FLORIDA CAFÉS INC., led by industry veteran STEPHEN MCDOWELL, which plans to launch three units in the Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale, Fla., markets; REF HOLDINGS LLC, owned by ERIC FARR, which plans to open the first of seven units in the Jacksonville, Fla., market this summer; THE WHOLE ENCHILADA LLC, led by MICHAEL KATZ, JOE SIEVE and ED THROOP, which would debut six locations in the St. Louis region, also starting this summer; and CALEB WRIGHT, who previously purchased two existing La Salsa locations in Austin, Texas, and plans to open three additional locations there.

With plans to expand the brand through New York State, QDOBA MEXICAN GRILL and MADALEX LLC have signed a franchise agreement with the first unit opening in September in Queens County. Madalex is run by president SCOTT EDELSTEIN, a New York-based business owner, and vice presidents BOB FELDMAN and ANDREW MORGENSTERN.

YUM! BRANDS INC.'s subsidiary, PIZZA HUT, said it had signed a deal to have its name attached to a new soccer stadium and complex in Fresno, Texas, built for the city’s major league soccer team, FC Dallas. The site, including a 21,000-seat soccer stadium, will be named Pizza Hut Park.

Iraq’s first POPEYES CHICKEN AND BISCUITS restaurant was opened by the ARMY & AIR FORCE EXCHANGE SERVICE, or AAFES. BUTCH FREED, director of food programs for Food and Theater Operations, said the unit is one of four Popeyes outlets that AAFES plans to open this summer.

Last month, KNOTT’S BERRY FARM and the T.G.I. FRIDAY’S division of CARLSON RESTAURANTS WORLDWIDE of Carrollton, Texas, opened a newly designed T.G.I. Friday’s at the theme park in Buena Park, Calif. The restaurant, located in the California Marketplace outside of the park entrance, is 7,200-square feet and includes a 1,600-square-foot dining patio.

CHARTWELLS THOMPSON HOSPITALITY was awarded the foodservice contract for 2005 through 2006 by the Board of Education for the Chicago Public Schools, the nation’s third-largest school district. The two-year pact is valued minimally at $104 million and encompasses 613 schools and 426,812 students. BOB BLOOMER, regional vice president of Herndon, Va.-based Thompson Hospitality, says that the national buying power of Chartwells-Thompson will allow the school system to save more than $3 million a year in food purchases and operational costs.

Chicago based entrepreneurs MARK KINNARE and PATRICK RICCOBENE have agreed to develop 10 franchised DEL TACO units under the name ILLINOIS DEL INC. Its first restaurants would open later this year in Algonquin, Ill., and Orland Park, Ill.

STEVEN SCHUSSLER, Rainforest Cafe founder, and Chicago-based LEVY RESTAURANTS are partnering in Schussler’s latest food and entertainment concept, T-Rex. Opening of the first of the dinosaur-theme “eatertainment” restaurants is scheduled for early 2006 in Kansas City, Mo. All food and retail aspects of the operations will be managed by Levy Restaurants, while Schussler will spearhead design of all special effects, including animatronic dinosaurs, bubbling geysers, an ice cave and a “fossil dig” site.

CHARLIE TROTTER agreed to open a foodservice concession at the new Equinox Fitness center in downtown Chicago this fall. Spokesman MARK SIGNORIO said that TROTTER’S TO GO EXPRESS would be modeled after the existing Trotter’s to Go in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood but would not have a retail component. The new express outlet likely would offer salads, sandwiches and smoothies.

ARBY ’S LLC, the subsidiary of New York-based TRIARC INC., operator or franchisor of the 3,450 Arby’s restaurants, announced that franchisees have signed 14 development agreements to open a total of 28 Arby’s located in Florida, Virginia, Iowa, Wisconsin, California, Ohio, Connecticut, Arizona, Texas, North Carolina, Utah and Illinois. The agreements with Fort Lauderdale-based Arby’s include two new franchisees, GRUNDY COUNTY HERITAGE CENTER LLC, which is planning a unit for Holland, Iowa, and ADAM VELARDE, president of CAVE ENTERPRISES INC., whose market is Cicero, Ill, have joined in on this agreement. Arby’s senior vice president of business development, JORDAN KROLICK, said the chain is looking toward expansion “into new, untapped markets.”

The operator of 43 entertainment-restaurant complexes. DAVE & BUSTERS INC., signed a lease to open a unit in New York City’s Times Square in late 2006. BUSTER CORLEY, chief executive, said the company expects to spend $8 million developing the unit and also plans to open a smaller prototype this month in Omaha, Neb.

Marking the chain’s Tucson debut and second opening in Arizona, BJ’S RESTAURANTS INC. opened its fourth BJ’s RESTAURANT& BREWHOUSE of 2005. JERRY DEITCHLE, president and chief executive, said BJ’s plans to open two restaurants in the Phoenix market during the next 12 months and an additional eight or more in other locations by year-end.

Seattle-based STARBUCKS COFFEE CO., expanded its Southern China operations by increasing its ownership of COFFEE CONCEPTS LTD. from 46 percent to 51 percent. The other 49 percent of Coffee Concepts, a licensee of Starbucks stores in China’s Guandong province, belongs to MEI-XIN INTERNATIONAL LTD., a Hong Kong-based subsidiary of MAXIM’S CATERERS LTD. President of the Asia-Pacific group of Starbucks Coffee International, CHRISTINE DAY, stated “The decision to expand our relationship with Maxim’s is a sign of our confidence and continued commitment to building a great business throughout China”.

In Petoskey, Michigan, the CHINA KING BUFFET, the NEW CHINA BUFFET in Alma and 15 other Chinese restaurants in 12 western and central Michigan counties were raided by state police after suspected tax fraud led police to the restaurants. A number of arrests were made for alleged fraud, tax evasion and use of illegal immigrants as workers against their will. Reports state that police searched 21 homes of suspected undocumented Chinese workers and seized some $400,000 in cash and there is an ongoing investigation looking into a possible scheme to contract for forced illegal labor from China.

The ROSENBERG CENTER FRANCHISE 50 INDEX, developed by the William Rosenberg International Center for Franchising at the University of New Hampshire, ranked PANERA BREAD, operator or franchisor of 773 bakery-cafes, as the top performer for the first quarter of 2005. The index, which tracks the market performance of the 50 largest publicly owned U.S. franchisors, based its ranking on Panera’s strongest monthly performance since May 2002 - a 7.1-percent jump in same-store sales. It was also noted was that Panera’s stock price had risen to $56.53 as of March 31, for a 40.2-percent increase from the end of 2004. Ranked as the worst performer was KRISPY KREME. Also, MCDONALD’S, the index’s largest component, fell 2.9 percent for the quarter.

COLD STONE CREAMERY , is planning to expand its 47-state chain of more than 1,000 ice cream shops to Tokyo. With an opening scheduled for this fall, private equity firm KIACON of Japan will operate the franchised branch. Cold Stone partnered with LAWRENCE MALTZ, chairman of BORDERLESS INVESTMENT GROUP INC., the original chief operating officer of Starbucks Coffee Co., to form COLD STONE CREAMERY JAPAN to facilitate the Japanese expansion. TAKASHI AWADA, Kiacon’s president and chief executive, will serve as chairman and chief executive of Cold Stone Creamery Japan.

Franchisees, LEE MALOOF and M. MICHAEL CHARNAS, of QDOBA MEXICAN GRILL, the Denver-based chain of more than 220 fast-casual restaurants that is an arm of JACK IN THE BOX INC., have agreed to open an undetermined number of restaurants throughout Iowa, including in the cities of Dubuque and Des Moines.

In Louisville, Ky., a new-design restaurant by PENN STATION EAST COAST SUBS has debuted featuring a reconfigured front counter with the grill facing customers, allowing them to watch their sandwiches being grilled and speeding service times. Also, the restaurant launched an array of new menu items, including an oven-roasted turkey breast and provolone sub.

Based in Rockport, Maine, NEW ENGLAND BARBECUE VENTURES has purchased the right to franchise nine FAMOUS DAVE’S barbecue restaurants over the next six years in Connecticut, Maine, western Massachusetts and Vermont. JOE CLOUTIER, franchise owner, operates 15 Denny’s restaurants in Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Famous Dave’s of America said franchisees have signed agreements for an additional 172 locations.

LANDRY ’S RESTAURANTS INC. is buying the GOLDEN NUGGET HOTEL AND CASINO in Laughlin, Nev., as well its previously reported purchase of the Golden Nugget in

downtown Las Vegas. After the deal between Golden Nugget owner POSTER FINANCIAL GROUP and an earlier bidder, BARRICK GAMING CORP., fell through, Landry’s was able to craft the deal for the Laughlin property. On the second property, Landry’s will assume about $31 million in debt.

Marking the chain’s third opening there in three months, DIEDRICH COFFEE INC. opened another coffeehouse in Orange County, California. Diedrich Coffee plans to open a total of 10 new outlets in Orange County over the next 12 months.

According to company officials, RESTAURANTS UNLIMITED INC., based in Seattle, Wash., is set to open its ninth KINCAID’S FISH, CHOP & STEAK HOUSE restaurant, in Carmel, Ind. In November, marking the start of “an invigorated expansion plan”.

After a seven-year hiatus, ARAMARK CAMPUS DINING SERVICES won back the foodservice contract for the UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, during which CHARTWELLS, a division of Charlotte, N.C.-based COMPASS GROUP PLC, held the contract. The Philadelphia-based company had handled the university’s foodservice for nearly 30 years up until 1998. Aramark would pay the university a 7.5-percent commission on sales during the first year under tentative terms of the new contract.

While targeting other locales in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Minnesota for six new units in 2006 and eight in 2007, GRANITE CITY FOOD & BREWERY LTD. said it expects to open restaurants in Eagan, Minn., this summer, and in Kansas City, Mo., in October.

A settlement was reached between LONE STAR STEAKHOUSE & SALOON and the CALIFORNIA PUBLIC EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM, (CalPERS). The lawsuit was filed by CalPERS in October 2001 against Lone Star chief executive JAMIE COULTER and other Lone Star board members over stock options and “golden parachute” perks that allegedly cost the company and its shareholders more than $100 million since 1995 by CalPERS, the nation’s largest public employee pension fund. WILLIAM GREENE, Lone Star’s chairman, said, “We are pleased to have this lawsuit behind us and are proud of the corporate governance profile that Lone Star has maintained.”

The 181-unit Jacksonville, Fla.-based chain, FIREHOUSE SUBS, sold the rights to develop 65 locations over the next 10 years in the Houston and Beaumont, Texas, markets to Firehouse Subs area representative MIKE MCCOWN, a former Houston-area vice president of Papa John’s,and a group of investors which include Papa John’s Pizza president KEITH SULLINS.

While Department of Health & Environmental Control investigators awaited lab results that could confirm their link to a salmonella outbreak that sickened more than 300 people late last month, OLD SOUTH RESTAURANT in Camden, S.C. remained closed. DHEC spokeswoman MISSY REESE, of the department’s Wateree Public Health District, which is comprised of four counties in South Carolina’s central corridor, said the outbreak was the largest incidence of foodborne illness in the state in at least the past 10 years. The restaurant closed voluntarily on May 24 even though health inspectors did not confirm Old South as the source.

A food court management company based in Westlake Village, Calif., FOODBRAND LLC, has agreed to open three new restaurants at the CINCINNATI/KENTUCKY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT later this year. FoodBrand would operate a total of 11 restaurants under a nine-year contract with the airport and generate estimated annual revenues exceeding $25 million. Qdoba Mexican Grill and The Pub Bar & Grill are among the new eateries scheduled to open.

The operator or franchisor of 773 bakery-cafes, PANERA BREAD CO., has launched a franchise relationship with PANGENERA LLC for 15 bakery-cafes in the Northern California counties of San Mateo, Santa Cruz and Santa Clara. According to JEFF BURRILL, head of Pangenera and a partner in Caliente Holdings of San Jose, Calif., which operates nine Baja Fresh Mexican Grill units, the first unit recently opened in Gilroy.

A number of restaurants were recently listed as “one of the outstanding hot dog places” in the New York metropolitan area. Featured on the list are ARTIE’S DELICATESSEN, BEN’S BEST, BROOKLYN DINER USA, CHEZ LENARD, DOMINICK’S, GRAY’s PAPAYA, HALLO BERLIN, KATZ’S DELICATESSEN, NATHAN’S FAMOUS, OLD TOWN BAR, PAPAYA KING, SECOND AVENUE DELI, SHAKE SHACK, SYD’S, THE PATIO, TOMMY’S ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND HOT DOGS and TOP DOG.

Hourly employees at ROUND ROBIN GOURMET BURGERS must meet certain requirements in order to work there. The CFO of Round Robin, JIM MCCLOSKEY said recently that “When we’re out looking for new team members, we’re not looking at that kind of urban kind of experience”, adding that “We’re not a racist organization. It could be called Christian values. We’re looking for that All-American kid and the vast majority of them are like that.”

Most upscale restaurants today are no longer strictly enforcing dress codes as they would have ten years ago. In today's society, restaurants are faced with the public's desire for dressing down. In San Francisco, only a small group of high-end restaurants require male diners to wear jackets. An increasing number have abandoned a dress code altogether and those that still have dress codes enforce them with a lot of flexibility. More often than not, these restaurants have to walk a fine line between appealing to younger customers, who favor a more casual lifestyle while not alienating their older customers who are traditionally more conservative and formal in their attire when dining. Chef-owner of the 4-star FLEUR DE LYS restaurant, HUBERT KELLER, says he has all but given up enforcing a dress code. He concedes that he rarely turns away diners because of their dress and says, "Unless they show up in T-shirts and shorts, we seat them." ROLAND PASSOT, chef-owner of LA FOLIE, one of San Francisco's premier French restaurants, says, "There is a new generation and you want to capture it. You can't afford to lose them because they are your future customers."

According to recent surveys, customer satisfaction gains that drove strong fast food same store sales growth and stock returns in 2003 and 2004 have begun to slow down.

Executives at CENTERPLATE INC. are optimistic that several new initiatives will turn the management company's fortunes around despite a management shakeup, charges of racial discrimination and the cancellation of the National Hockey League's 2004-05 season.

The SOCIETY FOR FOODSERVICE MANAGEMENT has created a Women's Council in an effort to empower female members as well as promote their leadership opportunities and career development. The council is the innovation of three SFM past presidents, AMY GREENBERG, DEBI BENEDETTI and JULIE FLIK along with its incoming president, SALLY SALTZBART-MINIER.

QUAKER STEAK & LUBE , the casual auto-themed concept's motto is "You have to live it. You have to love it. You have to lube it." After more than two decades running a single unit in Sharon, Pa., GEORGE WARREN and GARY MESZAROS, founders of Quaker Steak & Lube, decided to grow their unique concept in 1997 and launched 13 restaurants over the following eight years. There is an aggressive expansion plan in the works today to open an additional 50 to 60 restaurants by 2008.

A 5-year-old-fast-casual chain, RIO WRAPS, specializing in wrap-style sandwiches and burritos has signed its first outside-of-Michigan development agreement for the Fort Myers and Naples, Florida region. According to TOM STEGEMAN, vice president of SHEENA MANAGEMENT, which operates the chain, they sold the fransiches for 19 planned Florida restaurants without having solicited any buyers.

Multiunit restaurateur FOODFIGHT INC. is vying for an increasingly larger share of the dining segment in southern Wisconsin. They have eight dining operations and a ninth in development. Foodfight's executives PEDER MOREN, chairman, MONTY SCHIRO, president, and PAM GRIMMER, vice president, plan to combine their latest concept, MARKET STREET DINER in Sun Prairie, Wis., with a wholesale bakery and drive-thru service.

BOB MERRITT, CFO for 15 years at OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE's notes that he sees the casual dining segment caught between the desire to increase market value and the desire to control costs. Saying if they are willing to take on partners, Merritt sees great potential for smaller casual dining companies to raise capital.

JEFFREY CHODOROW's 24 restaurants, including his flagship location, CHINA GRILL, are full of his distinctive style, with one restaurant labeling them "show-subinessy." Chodorow sees himself as a foodie trapped in a businessman's body.

A recent mistake at the county's health department in New York's Suffolk County caused thousands of restaurants to operate with expired permits. Health officials did say that despite not having updated forms, they will continue to perform inspections.

The practice of accepting money and freebies from food-industry trade groups and manufacturers has become increasingly more commonplace today among many famous chefs. The chefs, in return, are promoting the products of these groups in their restaurants and TV cooking shows. Chefs, though, say that they only make deals with manufacturers whose products they believe in or that they already use. There are also some chefs that have become such well known celebrities that they are now appearing in commercials. Emeril Lagasse is endorsing Crest toothpaste while Mario Batali is promoting plastic wrap. Interestingly, a few years ago, Chicago chef Rick Bayless accepted $300,000 to appear in a Burger King commercial but was widely criticized by his peers for working with a mass-market food company and eventually donated the money to charity.

A recent study reported last April in The Journal of the American Medical Association suggested that people who are a little fat might live longer than people who are thin. This study found that carrying around some extra weight was far less mortal than a previous study had suggested. That news has many consumers feeling relieved and they are showing less restraint when dining out. No one, though, on either side of the food wars has said the new report is a green light for excess.

According to published reports, BURGER KING CORP.'s chief executive, GREG BRENNEMAN, said the chain could make an IPO as early as next year now that it has returned to growth after years of decline and speculation about a pending initial public offering. Spokeswoman EDNA JOHNSON, said, however, that the nation’s second-largest burger chain has “no specific plans for an IPO.” Burger King is owned by a U.S. investment team led by TEXAS PACIFIC GROUP and includes BAIN CAPITAL and GOLDMAN SACHS CAPITAL PARTNERS, which bought the chain in late 2002 in a $1.5 billion deal.

As sales of new products aided by headline-grabbing marketing initiatives offset rising beef costs, CKE RESTAURANTS INC., operator and franchisor of 3,165 restaurants under the Carl’s Jr., Hardee’s and La Salsa Fresh Mexican Grill brands, reported a 52-percent spike in its first-quarter profits versus the same period a year earlier. Same-store sales for the four weeks ended May 23 at CKE RESTAURANTS INC. fell 1 percent from the previous year at the Hardee’s chain, but rose 1.5 percent at the Carl’s Jr. outlets. Same-store sales rose 11.8 percent at Hardee’s and 9.4 percent at Carl’s Jr. for the same period last year.

With a revenue increase of 22%, NATHAN’S FAMOUS INC., which operates and franchises 361 restaurants, more than doubled its fourth-quarter income from continuing operations. For the quarter ended March 27, Nathan’s Famous reported income from continuing operations of $221,000, or 4 cents per diluted share, compared with $102,000, or 2 cents a share, for the previous fourth quarter.

For the quarter ended March 9, DIEDRICH COFFEE INC., parent of Gloria Jean’s, Diedrich Coffee and Coffee People coffeehouse brands, reported a net income of $15.6 million, or $2.91 per diluted share, compared with a loss of $69,000, or $0.01 per share, for the same period the previous year.

A plan was completed by FAMOUS DAVE’S OF AMERICA to repurchase up to one million shares of its common stock. According to JEFFREY DAHLBERG, board chairman, the company funded the repurchase from its working capital and cash flow. “We are extremely pleased that the company completed the repurchase of an additional one million shares under its second authorization” Dahlberg said. “We remain committed to enhancing value for our shareholders and have not ruled out the possibility of further repurchases.”

For the period ended May 29, DARDEN RESTAURANTS INC., owner and operator of 1,381 casual-dining restaurants, reported a 59-percent increase in fourth-quarter profits on revenues that jumped 2.6 percent. Net earnings for the most recently completed period were $84 million, or 52 cents per diluted share, versus $52.7 million, or 32 cents per share, in the previous fourth quarter.

A second-quarter loss was posted by MAX & ERMA’S RESTAURANTS INC., owner and operator of 78 Max & Erma’s casual dinnerhouses, after booking a $1.45 million asset impairment charge for the planned closure of two restaurants and the write down of assets at four underperforming units.

A 19-percent-higher earnings for the third quarter was posted by SONIC CORP., operator and franchisor of 2,826 drive-in restaurants, while revenues climbed 15 percent. For the quarter ended May 31, Sonic reported net income of $422.7 million, or 35 cents per diluted share, versus $19.1 million, or 31 cents a share, for the previous third quarter.

A sharp plunge in second-quarter earnings was reported by MERITAGE HOSPITALITY GROUP INC., operator of 48 franchised WENDY’S units and three franchised O’CHARLEY’S restaurants, as sales at its Wendy’s units declined and expenses for the opening of additional O’Charley’s restaurants increased.

For the four weeks ended June 24, CBRL GROUP INC. said comparable-restaurant sales at its Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores climbed 3.3 percent, with a 4-percent-higher average check. At CBRL’s Logan’s Roadhouse restaurants, comparable-restaurant sales rose 1.9 percent, while the average check was 2.2 percent higher.

Same-store sales for company-owned restaurants at YUM! BRANDS INC. rose 6 percent in the United States for the four weeks ended June 11, with increases of 7 percent at Taco Bell and 12 percent at KFC, while results were flat at Pizza Hut. Also, according to the company, systemwide sales in its China division were flat for the four-week period, as a result of the discovery earlier this year that an industrial dye linked to cancer had tainted two KFC products, which were pulled from the menu.

A filing of the financial results for its fiscal year 2006 first quarter ended May 1 were delayed last month by KRISPY KREME DOUGHNUTS INC. but it is expected that they will report a loss for the period as sales fell 17 percent from the prior year’s first quarter. This most recent net loss would be the company’s third fiscal period in the red over the last four fiscal quarters.

With an announcement that it had agreed to pay $517,000 in attorney fees and costs related to lawsuits filed June 5, 2003, and August 7, 2003, AFC ENTERPRISES INC., operator or franchisor of 1,818 Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits outlets, came a step closer to resolving two years of consolidated and derivative shareholder litigation that stemmed from AFC’s restatement of earnings for fiscal 2000 and 2001 and the first three quarters of 2002. Saying that it had agreed to pay the attorneys fees and expenses to the plaintiffs’ counsel, the company said that no damages would be paid by the AFC directors or officers who were defendants.

In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, PERSHING SQUARE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, a large investor in WENDY’S INTERNATIONAL INC., disclosed that it had hired private equity firm BLACKSTONE GROUP LP as a financial advisor to help explore strategic alternatives to increase the value of Wendy’s stock. In the April filing, Pershing, a New York-based hedge fund, disclosed that it had purchased 320,500 Wendy’s shares and options for another 10.2 million shares, which if exercised could give it a 9.3-percent stake in the multichain operator and franchisor. Pershing’s April filing had indicated that it might encourage Wendy’s to spin off one or more divisions, sell assets, refranchise or do a restructuring that could include a conversion to a real-estate trust.

WORLDWIDE RESTAURANTS CONCEPTS INC ., whose Sizzler chain has 310 company-operated or franchised units, wrote down the goodwill of the company’s 21-unit PAT & OSCAR’S chain to $0 in conjunction with Worldwide’s previously reported agreement to be acquired by an Australian private equity firm, PACIFIC EQUITY PARTNERS. The writedown, however, will not affect the $208 million proposed purchase according to Worldwide.

Third-quarter earnings increased almost tenfold at LUBY’S INC., operator of 133 cafeterias, primarily in Texas, as samestores sales jumped 6.5 percent and operating costs as a percentage of sales declined.

Same-store sales for the four weeks ended June 1 at BRINKER INTERNATIONAL INC., rose 5.8 percent companywide, with increases of 6.8 percent at Chili’s Grill & Bar, 3.5 percent at Romano’s Macaroni Grill, 6.7 percent at On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina and 2.5 percent at Maggiano’s Little Italy.

The operator/franchisor of more than 200 steak and ribs restaurants, TEXAS ROADHOUSE INC., filed a registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for the secondary offer of 2.5 million shares of common stock. Selling shareholders are to offer 2.1 million shares, and the company would offer 350,000 shares.

Worldwide same-store sales rose 1.8 percent in Mayaccording to MCDONALD’S CORP. For the month, U.S. comparable-restaurant sales jumped 4.2 percent, while McDonald’s Europe division divulged a same-store dip of 1.4 percent for May.

Owner of the 44-unit casual-dining and entertainment chain, DAVE & BUSTER’S INC., posted a nearly 27-percent increase in first-quarter earnings to $4.6 million, or 30 cents per diluted share. In the previous first quarter, the company earned $3.6 million, or 25 cents a share.

Fourth-quarter profit plunged 71 percent at BOB EVANS FARMS INC. as same-store sales fell 3.4 percent at its 591-unit namesake family restaurant chain. The company blamed flagging customer traffic, ineffective service, and value initiatives.

Operator of seven casual-dining restaurants, KONA GRILL INC., filed with federal authorities for an initial public stock offering to raise $29 million. The proceeds are allocated for new-restaurant development, working capital and general corporate purposes. It was not disclosed by Kona how many shares it would offer or at what price. The stock will trade on Nasdaq under the symbol “KONA.”

Same-store sales for the four weeks ended June 1 at RYAN’S RESTAURANT GROUP INC., owner operator of 346 grill-buffet restaurants, fell 2.8 percent. Ryan’s said that total sales rose 1 percent to $67.1 million for the period.

For the four weeks ended May 25, DENNY’S CORP., operator or franchisor of 1,585 restaurant, said same-store sales had risen 6.4 percent at company-owned Denny’s outlets.

Theoperator of 16 upscale restaurants, SMITH & WOLLENSKY RESTAURANT GROUP INC., reported a 4.1-percent decline in same-store sales for the four weeks ended May 30, but said consolidated restaurant sales had risen 2 percent to $10.5 million.

Comparable–store sales for the four weeks ended May 29 at STARBUCKS CORP., operator or licensor of 9,481 coffeehouses, increased 7 percent at company-owned outlets. Consolidated net revenues rose 23 percent to $496 million for the period.

Richmond Heights-based PANERA BREAD reported a 10.3-percent jump in systemwide same-store sales for the four weeks ended May 17.

For the four weeks ended May 22, PAPA JOHN’S INTERNATIONAL INC., operator or franchisor of 2,859 pizza delivery units, reported a 3.7-percent increase in domestic systemwide same-store sales versus year-earlier results for that period. The company said that total systemwide international sales increased 15.8 percent on a constant-U.S.-dollar basis.

By: Bettie Biehn

Put That Resume to Work!

In prior columns, I’ve talked a lot about what to say, how to say it, what format to use, where to place key information, things to keep in mind, who should write it and keeping it error-free. The “it” I’m referring to is your resume, of course. Everyone knows that you have to have a resume. But why? What makes this one document so important in your job search? It might help to list some reasons we need a resume – a current resume – and some of the ways we use it.

The obvious use for having a well-written, attractive resume is in a job search. A resume is the one document that puts you out there, in full view of a prospective employer, and enumerates all your wonderful qualities. Unless you have an inside helper at the company who can pave the way and speak on your behalf, the resume has to open that door, make that employer want to call you for an interview. Thus, all the other advice, like “put the good stuff up front,” “be completely honest,” “craft an easy-to-read, easily understood, to-the-point resume,” feeds into a document that beckons a possible new boss to want to talk with you. In most employment circles, professionals agree that a dynamite resume is a must-have in a job search.

Keeping your resume current is also important. Let’s say you get asked to speak to a group at your child’s school, or to address a gathering at your alma mater. Often the first thing you need to produce is a biography, a shortened and edited version of your resume. If you haven’t updated that resume since you joined the company – ten years ago – there’s a lot unaccounted for on your resume. I know it’s easy to forget that resume when you’re happy in your job, and all is good – but remember, layoffs happen, companies merge, and it’s always good to have a resume that’s close to ready. I’ve had more than one client who has needed a resume – fast - to apply for a job. Keeping your resume current is also good practice in listing all the terrific things you’ve accomplished in your current job – a nice ego boost when the world isn’t looking so good, or you’re feeling unappreciated.

Think of a resume as the historian of your career. Like your career, it is not a static entity, it is continually changing, adapting to newer information, shifting format to keep up with current demands, and it should always reflect you. Computer technology makes it very easy to change your resume quickly.

Reviewing your resume periodically also helps in figuring out what jobs you’ve liked, what you’ve liked about them, the skills you’ve enjoyed using, the environments that work for you, and thus can point the way to that dream career. Putting things down in black and white is, I find, a most useful exercise in sorting things out.

So get that resume up and running, keep it current, and use it. Work that resume!

Bettie Biehn, a career human resources (HR) professional, is founder and president of Career Change Central, LLC, a premier resume writing and career coaching business. Bettie is also a freelance writer, and her published magazine articles address key HR issues. Contact Bettie at bbiehn@careerchangecentral.com, and visit her website, www.careerchangecentral.com .

Dick Wray & Consultants is pleased to report that the demand for our service is strong.

The following list is a sampling of our current engagements.

1. VP & Director of Real Estate, West Coast
2. VP Operations, West Coast
3. COO, Family Dining, Midwest
4. Director of Franchise Operations, West Coast
5. Director of Purchasing, West
6. VP Operations & Development, QSR, West
7. VP Operations, Southeast QSR
8. Director of Franchise Sales, Southeast
9. RVP Operations, Southeast
10. Director of Purchasing, Southeast

Referrals are the lifeblood of our business. If you know of anyone who may be interested in one of these situations, we would be happy to review their credentials.

Actress DORIS ROBERTS, the mother from “Everybody Loves Raymond, was hired by KFC as the promotional spokeswoman for the chain’s “Bring Back Family Dinner” sweepstakes. The new promotion encourages families to eat dinner together by having them log on to a special KFC website and sign a pledge to do so and they are then automatically entered in the sweepstakes. The grand prize is a weekly KFC dinner for a year.

According to CHRIS ARNOLD, company spokesman for CHIPOTLE MEXICAN GRILL, a Denver-based division of MCDONALD’S CORP., they have begun a staggered rollout of entree salads, which are slated to be available chainwide by the end the summer. The salads, served with a chipotle honey vinaigrette, are made fresh daily in the restaurants. Customers can select toppings for the romaine lettuce-based salads from ingredients already available for Chipotle’s burritos and tacos.

San Francisco's SIR FRANCIS DRAKE, the 417-room hotel, built in 1928, has been sold by Sir Francis Drake Hotel Associates, a unit of Kimpton Hotel and Restaurant Group to San Francisco's Oxford Lodging and Advisory Group and Longwing Real Estate Ventures, a company run by former Prudential executives that is part of the Dubai Investment Group. Kimpton will continue to manage the hotel for the new owners' joint venture, SFD Partners. Many changes are planned under the new ownership, including a $20 million, top-to-bottom renovation with possible expansion of the bar in the ground floor Scala's Bistro, however, the doormen in British beefeater costumes will stay at their posts. And, according to Mike Depatie, chief executive officer of Kimpton Real Estate, Harry Denton's Starlight Room will continue to be one of the hotel's star attractions. "The Starlight Room is a San Francisco institution, and Harry Denton is an institution," he said. According to Depatie, Kimpton Hotel and Restaurant Group sold the Sir Francis Drake because the hotel market is coming back strong from post September 11 lows and would fetch a good price. The sale price was undisclosed.

Hotel operator WYNDHAM INTERNATIONAL INC., a public company with 150 upscale hotels, announced that it has agreed to sell to an affiliate of the BLACKSTONE GROUP for $3.24 billion, including $1.8 billion of debt. Even though room occupancy and average rates both rose last year, the Wyndham lost $678 million on revenue of $966 million.

Five minutes before union workers were to be locked out of seven major hotels, union leaders and hotel operators and union leaders in Los Angeles tentatively agreed to a new contract. The agreement will expire November 30, 2006 and was brokered by the city's mayor-elect Antonio Villaraigosa.

FAULKNER USA , a hotel developer, purchased an equity stake in a hotel it will build in San Antonio, Texas. The lead equity investor in the $285 million project is Marathon Real Estate, an arm of Marathon Asset Management. The 1,000-room property will be the largest hotel in San Antonio's history upon its completion, expected in 2008.

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A 108-room RITZ-CARLTON HOTEL is being planned by Vail Resorts Development Co. and will be located in Lions Head Village, Vail, Colorado. The Ritz-Carlton Residences will include condominiums ranging in size from about 1,600 square feet to 2,200 square feet.

Plans are being made by Chelsea Development to tear down a building opposite SBC Park in San Francisco and build a 10-story, $30 million boutique hotel in its place. The developers are striving for a 2007 opening of the hotel in time for the Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

Once-mediocre room service meals are taking on fine dining elegance as hotels push the limits in extravagance. Some hotels offer a full restaurant experience such as the RITZ-CARLTON and PENISULA hotels in Chicago. A spokesman for W HOTELS in Chicago said, "It's a hotel's job to give guests what they want when they want it and to give them a chance to wind down and relax".

City officials in Denver, Colorado tried to persuade a private developer to build a hotel to accommodate convention-goers downtown for several years. Since they were unable to do so after a proposed $55 million subsidy failed, the city made the decision to build a hotel itself. Tax-exempt bonds totaling $354.8 million were issued by the city to finance a new 1,100 room HYATT HOTEL and funds from the hotel’s revenue will be used to repay the bonds. More than a dozen cities across the nation are considering doing a similar project including Baltimore, Washington and San Antonio. Critics of this trend, however, feel that this type of hotel can expose a city to financial risk at a time when the demand for convention space is on the decline. HEYWOOD T. SANDERS, a professor of public administration at the University of Texas in San Antonio believes that struggling convention headquarter hotels threaten to drive down the room rates at competing hotels, harming the market as a whole. Industry specialists, though, believe that a convention city’s ability to attract meetings can depend upon whether or not there is a well-equipped hotel nearby. MICHAEL HUGHES, associate publisher of Tradeshow Week, says “To be successful, you need one with the other.” Also, IRENE E. VAN SANT, project director for Baltimore’s proposed $305 million bond offering for a 750-room headquarters hotel said that meeting planners feel that hotel availability is the No. 1 factor in why a city wins a convention over other cities.

A large number of hotels in Manhattan are disappearing as a result of being fully or partly converted into condominiums. With the reduction in hotel space, scores of hotel investors are searching for properties to buy and developers are scrambling to locate sites to build new hotels or convert existing buildings into hotels. Hotel developer and operator, RICHARD BORN, says, “I’m getting calls on a daily basis from people interested in hotel deals.” And, according to reports published by HUS International, a consulting company, and the Tisch Center for Hospitality and Tourism of New York University, more than 2,000 rooms were lost over the last few years to condo conversions. With fewer available hotel rooms, the rates for a room have been steadily rising and projections are that revenue per available room will increase 17% this year.

In New York, the REGENCY HOTEL, located at 540 Park, is known by many of the city’s rich and famous as the in place for a “power” breakfast meeting. Anyone from senators and political advisors to lawyers and university deans can be seen meeting over $17 omelettes, making deals, raising money and building connections. ANDREW H. TISCH, a director of the Lowe’s Corporation, which owns the hotel, says, “It’s a great place to be seen without being heard.” According to Tish, the Regency’s roots as a power dining spot started during the fiscal crisis of the 1970’s when business and civic leaders began meeting in the back room of 540 Park to work through a solution to the city’s problems. GEORGE ARZT, a veteran of the city’s political scene states that, “You can see people here you can’t get on the phone.”

With the increase in competition, a new trend among top hotels is enlisting the assistance of luxury consultants. These consultants are working to reinvent the five star experience. According to LIONEL MEYER, a seminar teacher for LUXURY ATTITUDE, a Paris consulting firm, “Luxury means being recognized”. The HOTEL METROPOLE in Monte Carlo hired Meyer and the firm’s president, ERIK PEREY to examine every aspect of the service it provides and to train its staff accordingly. The DORCHESTER in London engaged the services of ANN STYLES and her firm, GREEN INK to consult with on its approach to service. Styles executes what she calls “service refurbishment”. NIGEL BADMINTON, manager of the Dorchester, characterizes Styles’ approach as “less about finding what’s wrong and more about finding what’s right. Most hotels focus on the hard skills: ‘Serve from the left’. Here, it’s about getting the touch-feely right.” The approach to building a luxury service experience is less formal in Asia. All of the employees at THE ORIENTAL in Bangkok are sent to a Buddhist monastery for a week to absorb the spirit of what service should be, for example, portraying a certain gentleness, never saying no, thinking of others. AMAN RESORTS properties make attention to personal interactions a key element of its service and it incorporates local customs and attitudes at each of its resorts.

Earnings per share at MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL INC. are expected to grow at an annual rate of 17% to 22% through the year 2008 on expanded market share. The forecast, according to Marriott, assumes growth in revenue per available room, known as Revpar, of 8%-10% for 2005 and 4%-8% from 2005-2008. Revpar is an industry method of measuring room rates and occupancy. Marriott also said that it expects to add 75,000 to 90,000 hotel rooms to its worldwide hotel system from 2006 to 2008 while increasing its European presence 15% by 2009 and plans to have 75 hotels in China within 10 years.

DIAMONDROCK HOSPITALITY COMPANY has acquired from a New York based real estate investment fund a 2,330 room portfolio of four full-service hotels.

Luxury hotels are continuing their expansion throughout Asia. The RITZ-CARLTON HOTEL, has opened a 333-room hotel in Jakarta and HYATT INTERNATIONAL opened a 185-room location in Seoul, South Korea. The Ritz-Carlton Jakarta is featuring introductory rates of $158 on weekdays and $138 on weekends, including breakfast, and will be in effect through the end of August. The Park Hyatt is located directly opposite the convention center with opening rates starting at $300 a night.

A fund to invest more than $450 million and expand its holding by more than 25 percent over the next two years and 100 percent by 2010 was launched by KIMPTON GROUP HOLDINGS LLC, parent of boutique hotel and fine-dining restaurant operator KIMPTON HOTEL& RESTAURANT GROUP LLC. Kimpton plans to acquire, develop and redevelop boutique/lifestyle hotel sites in major metropolitan cites and resort areas, including New York; Boston; Washington; Miami; Los Angeles; Napa Valley, Calif.; San Diego; Seattle; and Chicago. They currently operate 39 hotels and restaurants nationwide.

HARRAH'S ENTERTAINMENT INC . has been re-established as the largest gambling company in the world with more than 40 properties in 12 states and three countries with the acquisition of CAESARS ENTERTAINMENT INC. Harrah's bought Caesars for $1.87 billion in cash and $3.27 billion in stock.

Hoping to promote more than just gambling, Las Vegas' new ad campaign is highlighting the extravagant shopping and gourmet dining experiences within the city. This new campaign

elaborates on the "What happens here, stays here" slogan and promotes the decadence available in restaurants from famous chefs like Emeril Lagasse to the high-end fashions available at many resorts.

A report issued by a consulting firm, THEANALYSIS GROUP, states that revenues last year at Indian casinos continue to increase at a rapid rate. With revenues of $19 billion, these casinos are now two-thirds as big as commercial casinos. These results are important given the fact that Indian casinos have become a hotly debated issue in many regions as their revenues have exploded. The Analysis Group emphasized the increasing economic effects of Indian casinos, not only for the tribes' welfare, but also for those communities, business, taxpayers and politicians close at hand. MARK VAN NORMAN, the executive director of the National Indian Gaming Association, said Indian casinos were very likely to keep growing especially in places like Florida where Governor Jeb Bush agreed to allow the Seminoles to install slot machines in their casinos and in the Catskill region near New York City as part of a land-claims pact proposed by Governor George E. Pataki.

TRUMP ENTERTAINMENT RESORTS INC . appointed JAMES B. PERRY to chief executive. Perry is the former chief executive of Argosy Gaming Co., which operates riverboat casinos. According to chairman, DONALD TRUMP, Perry will remain a director of Trump Entertainment, created in May when its predecessor, Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts, emerged from bankruptcy. In the old company, Trump has been both chairman and CEO but he is now concentrating on Manhattan real estate development. The entertainment group's CEO needs to spend a lot of time in Atlantic City, N.J. where the casino is based.

With a scheduled opening for September 12 thHONG KONG DISNEYLAND expects to draw 30,000 visitors. Tickets went on sale July 1 st. They plan to sell only 12,000 tickets for opening day with the majority sold online through the theme park’s Web site. Telephone bookings will only be accepted from guests staying at the two Disney hotels and for groups of 25 or more. The remaining tickets will be sold through travel agents and at the park’s ticketing booths. The theme park is a joint venture between Walt Disney Co. and the Hong Kong government. Officials believe the park will boost employment and tourism.

WHY SERVICE STILL SUCKS

By Richard F. Gerson, Ph.D., CPT

It’s been 20 years since I began lecturing and consulting on the topic of customer service. I’ve worked with companies in over 100 different industries to help them improve their customer service. I’ve trained their front-line staff, their management teams, and their senior executives. Everyone who was trained or in attendance at my speeches and workshops said they understood the importance of customer service, how much customer service would contribute to their business success, and how to manage the service experience for customers. They even saw increases in customer service and customer satisfaction ratings following my work with them.

This trend has continued for the past 15 years. When my book, Beyond Customer Service: Keeping Customers for Life, was first published in 1992, it became a business best seller. It was revised in 1998 because of its continued popularity. It has sold 60,000 copies and has been translated into 8 foreign languages. Companies in countries from China, Italy, England, France, Mexico and Spain are using the book to help them improve their customer service and customer retention. During this same time period, thousands of books and articles have been published on customer service, why it’s important, how to “do it”, and how to create loyal customers.

So, if all these books, articles, lectures, workshops and corporate consulting gigs are available in the area of customer service, the question is, “WHY DOES CUSTOMER SERVICE STILL SUCK?”

MEET T.C. MITS and T.C. WITS

Who are these people? T.C. MITS is The Common Man In The Street, and T.C. WITS is The Common Woman In The Street. Get to know them well. These are your customers. They have a great deal to tell you about customer service, how they feel about the way you treat them, and what you need to do to make them happy.

In fact, I’ll bet that if you asked 100 people in the street to tell you about a customer service story that happened to them, 85-90 of those people would relate a negative story. Ask them about an airline experience, or a restaurant experience, or trying to find a cashier in a department store to pay for an item during the holiday season, or getting lost in “voice-mail hell” because companies are jumping on the automation and technology bandwagons (more on this later). Very few people will tell you about a positive customer service experience.

Now you may run into a Nordstrom loyalist, and they will tell you how great Nordstrom’s customer service really is. And they should, and they deserve the opportunity to tell you about it. But, the truth is that most customer service experiences are less than satisfactory. Just think of your own experiences as a customer. How many would you rate positive, and how many are negative? So you, like me, must be asking yourself, with all the emphasis on customer service, why does it still suck?

I believe I have the answer.

7 REASONS WHY CUSTOMER SERVICE STILL SUCKS

Going Digital

In my Beyond Customer Service book, I gave a list of 50 ways to improve customer service. One of those emphasized High Touch over High Tech. Obviously, not many companies are listening. Today, most companies are enamored with automation and technology. They have determined that High Tech must supercede High Touch. After all, using digital technology can reduce employee costs. Technology is easier to repair or replace than an employee. And, technology can show consumers that the company they are contacting is in step with the times.

The problem is that automation and technology reduce the one thing customers want most from companies, and that is human contact. Business is a contact sport, no matter which way you look at it. People enjoy doing business with people. They don’t enjoy doing business with computers, interactive voice response systems, automated menu systems, etc. They enjoy the social aspects and relationship-building aspects of communicating and interacting with people. Why do you think over 70% of all recent Customer Relationship Management projects have failed to produce the desired return on investment? It’s because they are so technology oriented and not people oriented.

The bottom line is still that customer service is an interactive sport. It involves people working with and helping people. I’m not saying you should discard or disregard technology and how it can help improve customer service. I’m saying focus on the people, the service providers, and then use technology to support their work. Don’t replace them with technology.

So, the first reason customer service still sucks is that companies have replaced human contact with automation and technology. We need a return to High Touch first, supported by High Tech. People want to deal with people in service situations, not with avatars and digitized voices. If you want to improve customer service, satisfaction and loyalty, “people-cize” your service efforts.

Training to be Nice

The next two reasons service still sucks are highly related. Since customer service reps are usually the lowest paid employees in a company (this in itself is an anomaly and part of the reason service is so terrible still), many companies hire just about anyone to fill those positions. It is a well-known fact that if you do not have a proper employee-job fit, performance will suffer. In the case of service providers (front-line employees such as desk clerks and call center agents), this is a recipe for disaster. Why would you hire someone just to fill a position when that person has no idea how to provide great service?

I have always told my clients that you can train customer service skills (we’ll talk about that in a moment), but you can’t train niceness. Nice people have to be in service positions. Nice people who want to serve other people must be your front-line staff. Niceness can’t be trained, but it sure can be seen. These are the people you want to hire for your customer service positions.

For example, one company I worked with had a receptionist who was very good with numbers and analysis (which was also part of her job), but was very cold and gruff with people. This woman had 20 years with the company and they certainly did not want to fire her. Yet, they felt they could not keep her as a receptionist because she was upsetting the customers who called or came in.

The first thing they tried to do was to send her to customer service training classes. The company felt that if she understood the skill set involved in providing great customer service, she would change her approach. This did not work because you cannot train “niceness” and a desire to serve into someone. So, they asked me what to do.

My solution was simple. We placed her in a “back office job” where she could do her data analysis without having direct customer contact. The company hired a more outgoing, friendly and “nicer” receptionist. Customers began to comment how much they enjoyed talking with this new receptionist. And this simple change led to an increase in the company’s customer satisfaction ratings.

This story leads right into the third reason customer service still sucks. For people who do not have the motivation to be service providers, you cannot train them to become great customer service reps. On the other hand, people who can become great customer service reps unfortunately do not receive enough training.

Too often, nice people who want to serve are hired and they are told to “go out there and help people”. This is true for retail operations, call centers and professional services. But, it doesn’t work. Everyone needs to be trained in customer service skills and the impact customer service has on a business. The key to successful service provision is hiring the right people for the job and then training them to improve their skills in customer service.

It is very easy for me to identify those who will succeed as service providers and those who will fail. In my training programs and seminars, I share the characteristics of great service providers (such as motivation to serve, nice personality, outgoing, friendly, humble, calm under pressure, etc.) and I watch the reactions of the participants. You can see on their faces and through their body language who believes this is the position for them and who really wants out now. That’s part of the reason Disney is so successful in providing a great guest experience. While they hire more people than they need, many self-select out of the training process for a variety of reasons. One of those reasons is the high level of service they will have to provide.

One thing that is left out of customer service training is stress management, and the ability to cope with and perform under pressure. Customers put pressure on service personnel to perform, and the reps must be able to handle that pressure. The amount of pressure varies with the job and the company (Disney is obsessive about high levels of service, and that is why many “cast members” opt out of working there even before they start- too much pressure from the expectations for great service). Customer service people must be taught how to handle that pressure so they do not burn out. This is in addition to all the customer service skills they are being taught and are expected to exhibit.

Lip Service Means Little or No Service

The slogans have got to blow you away. “Customers mean everything to us”. “Customers are our most important asset”. “Without customers, we have no business”. “The customer is always right”. And the list goes on.

The problem is that management pushes these slogans on their people and expects the front-line staff to charge ahead and provide great customer service because there is a slogan of the week or a service program of the month. It “ain’t gonna happen”. Employees are too smart for that. They know when management is talking out of both sides of their mouths.

Company management must walk the talk of customer service. Saying you want to or will provide great customer service, and then making it hard for customers to do business with you, just won’t cut it. Or, treating your employees poorly and then expecting them to go out and provide great customer service won’t make it either. You can’t give lip service to customer service, yet that is what many companies today are doing.

Companies and their leaders must lead by example. Employees and customers take their cues, not from words, but from actions and behaviors. The way management treats employees and customers is the way employees will treat customers. Just as children learn by watching what adults do, employees learn by watching what management does. Saying one thing and doing another with regards to customer service will eventually result in two things: Lost customers, and lost employees.

The answer is fairly simple. Managers have to say what they mean, mean what they say, and do what they say where customer service is concerned. When behaviors and words match, then we will see an improvement in customer service.

You Can Have It In Any Color As Long As It’s Black

This is an old description of how Henry Ford told buyers they could have their cars. It speaks volumes about what we call a company-centric philosophy. Have you ever encountered a company whose policies and procedures were set up for the benefit and betterment of the company, to the detriment of its customers? Of course you have. We all have.

How many times have you asked a person in a company to do something for you and they told you it was against policy? Or you were told that the company just does not operate that way. How did you feel? Did you get upset, especially knowing that you are paying them for something and they are treating you this way?

Companies that make their customer service policies for their own benefit run the risk of losing customers in droves. The idea is to make every transaction easy for the customer. Take a look at what your customers have to go through to make a purchase or to return an item. Is the process easier on you or your customers? Are there written guidelines for everyone to follow that tell them what they cannot do to serve the customer? Or, are your customer service providers allowed to do whatever it takes to serve and satisfy customers?

It is too easy today for customers to defect to the competition. Whether they leave for price, product or delivery, it is easy for them to leave. The one thing that binds them to you is great customer service. People who receive great customer service will stay loyal, even if they can get the same thing down the street for a few dollars less. People who receive great customer service will stay loyal even if your company makes a mistake where they are concerned. They will give you another chance.

But, people who have to scratch and claw to get any kind of service, who have to deal with a business that thinks life would be great if it weren’t for the customers, will leave you as soon as they find an alternative. And that alternative does not have to be as good, and the price they pay for products can be higher. The alternative only has to have one thing you don’t: a customer-centric focus and friendly customer service policies.

In this day and age, when the Internet allows companies to focus on each individual customer (check out Amazon’s one-click ordering service and product recommendations for returning customers), and people can shop online, it is imperative for all companies to be customer-centric, not company-centric. Customers can leave you too easily whenever they want to. While there may be times you can’t prevent this from happening, you should never push customers away with company-centric policies. Make it easy for the customer to do business with you and you will earn their loyalty and repeat business.

To Know Me Is To Love Me

You’ve heard this phrase before, or something like it in a song. People love to be recognized. They enjoy it when you know their name and when you compliment them on some accomplishment. The number one need of all people is the need to be and feel appreciated. And who should you appreciate more than your customer service reps and your customers?

One of the reasons service still sucks is that the reps do not receive proper feedback on their service performances (if they receive any at all). Or, they only hear negative things from management. Or they only hear customer complaints and never get this balanced with positive feedback from management. There are a few simple things that can be done to motivate reps to provide great service, and they must be done immediately.

The first thing that companies must do is to develop service standards of performance. Once reps know exactly what the company expects of them, and how that performance impacts their customers, then the reps can perform. They must also be given feedback on how well their performances meet company and customer expectations. Without a measurement standard and ongoing feedback, customer service reps will never know how well they are doing, what they must do to improve, and what goals to set to increase performance.

After timely feedback is provided, management must establish a recognition and reward system for superior service performance. This shows the reps that they are appreciated both for what they do and what they accomplish. The two old adages, “what gets measured gets done and improved”, and “what gets rewarded gets repeated”, are very true for customer service delivery. Ask yourself these questions. How much will you enjoy a round of golf if you don’t keep score? How hard will you play in a basketball game if there is no score to tell you how well you’re doing and who is winning? How old would you have had to be before you could truly walk if your parents did not keep encouraging you with positive reinforcement and feedback?

Are these silly questions? Definitely not! Every person wants to continuously improve. They just have to be given the opportunity. You do that through setting performance standards, establishing measurement systems, providing timely feedback, and giving out rewards for superior service performance.

Wait. We’re not done yet with this concept. You now need to transfer the entire approach to your customers. Help customers set service performance expectations. Give them feedback on their behaviors and performances as customers. Reward them for “being a good customer”. When you do these things for your customers, you will increase their satisfaction and earn their loyalty.

You Are The Weakest Link

Companies that provide great customer service make sure that everything they do is focused on the customer and has a benefit for the customer. However, since most companies are focused inward on themselves, service still sucks. And it gets even worse because these companies fail to link their service management and service delivery strategy to their overall business strategy.

If you are in business to make a profit (and who isn’t?), then you know you need to sell to customers and keep selling to them. It’s always cheaper to sell to current and former customers than to try to constantly acquire new customers. But, if you’re business strategy focuses mainly on customer acquisition instead of customer retention and repurchase, you probably will experience minimal customer loyalty and maximum customer churn. That will always eat into your profits.

On the other hand, if your business strategy is customer-centric and focuses on retaining the most loyal and most profitable customers, then you will implement a service delivery system that strives to satisfy and delight your customers. The key here is to link the entire operation of the business to the customer. You must develop your business strategy from the outside in, or backwards as some people have said. First, determine what customers need, want and expect from you. Then, decide how you will deliver that to them. Next, develop customer-friendly service policies and procedures that will make customers loyal. Finally, do whatever it takes to dazzle and delight your customers.

This all sounds so simple, and it really is. However, it is not easy to implement. Service takes time. It pays off in the end, but you first have to make a financial, physical and emotional investment in your corporate service strategies and delivery system, hiring and training your customer service reps, and your customers themselves.

The New Service Era

Everything old is new again. Customer service has come, gone, and come back again. It doesn’t matter what industry you are in or how large or small your business is. Customer service is a critical element to your success, if not THE critical element. Based on what you’ve read in this article, here are 7 ways to make sure customer service in your company never sucks:

1. Remember that service is a people issue. Focus on high touch first, then high tech.
2. Hire nice people and put the right people in customer service jobs.
3. Train the right people in the proper skill sets and personal development skills.
4. Walk the service talk. No slogans, exhortations or cheers. Just actions people can relate to and respond to.
5. Be customer focused and have a bias for customer delight.
6. Measure service performance, provide feedback, and reward superior service performances.
7. Link customer service delivery to your overall business strategy.

It will no longer be enough to have the largest marketing or advertising budget, or to be the biggest company in your industry. Your future success is dependent on making sure service in your company does not suck. You must make sure it SOARS.

Author Bio: Richard Gerson, Ph.D., CPT is the President of Gerson Goodson, Inc., a professional services firm specializing in helping people be their best. The company helps clients develop leaders, optimize talent and achieve more in less time with less stress. Dr. Gerson is the author of 20 books and over 400 articles, and is a much sought-after speaker. He can be reached at getrich@richgerson.com or 727-726-7619.