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ProlificNeeds -> RE: A question about something that troubles me. (9/11/2011 9:13:12 AM)
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Agreeing, it's all in the management. I've spent a fair number of years in customer service and food industries, some places were great, some sucked. The general concept that smaller is more customer oriented is because of the basic formula that a small shop, has fewer staff, and thus can be more easily over seen by the management to ensure quality and presentation to the customers needs. Smaller shops HAVE to focus on these things to compete with a large chain store who can produce greater volume but often lacks the ability to ensure customer satisfaction.
When a small shop loses it's ability to cater to customer needs in customization, they will fail rapidly, when a big franchise can actually be managed to the point of quality customer service and have a business policy that adapts to unique customer needs (custom orders and requests) they excel in leaps and bounds. Unfortunately most large franchise places have strict company policies from their head offices that prohibit them from altering menus or pricing to help meet a customers needs.
One franchise I worked in as part of large chain had to follow a strict code of menu and pricing policies, however the mnager of the store was a very reasonable fellow, and understood the concept of meeting cost and profit needs while still altering menu and pricing for the demands of a customer. We had to 'cheat' the register and the inventories to make it balance out but could offer far more substitutions and custom orders. Sad to say we all would have been fired if head office had ever found out, but we had a huge repeat customer base, who came specifically because we would adapt to their wants as a consumer.
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