This is an interesting discussion; there was a perhaps relevant article in 
the Economist (Aug 27th, 60-62) about fast food service. Yum! Brands (KFC, 
Pizza Hut, Taco Bell) has 2,000 more restaurants that McDonalds and earned 
$1b last year on sales of $9b. A recent spin-off from PepsiCo, the company 
is run by David Novak, who is trying to improve turnover and profits by 
morale-boosting. A revolutionary idea!

He rewarded managers with stock options (a stake in company success) who 
were then more likely to treat "crew" members in the kitchen and counter 
well, "whose efficiency and relative cheerfulness was also vital to the 
restaurants' success." So morale-boosting trickled down, but not quite 
enough: the average worker stays only a year, albeit better than the six 
month average in 2000.

This article had caught my eye for possible future use at a Trustee 
meeting, thinking it might be relevant to management of faculty and staff 
at a university like UTC: you cannot measure morale in dollars or count it 
like widgets, but it counts in a business such as ours.  Maybe the food 
service is an appropriate place to start, and maybe some competition would 
help: I understand that at UT Martin students can use their food card at a 
number of participating establishments along their "strip." Would UT Place 
be a more attractive venue (see today's headlines) to students if they 
could walk across a revitalized MLK boulevard to patronize a fast food 
place there? And what would this do to minority-owned businesses in the 
neighborhood? Something to munch on.

Richard


At 12:53 PM 9/21/2005 -0400, Ed Smith wrote:
>This must be a significant problem since I have been on the verge of
>mentioning it as well. Not to mention the inconvenience of them ALWAYS
>being out of something, be it ketchup, forks, chicken, ice, or whatever.
>I am not sure they work from a developed schedule that predicts when
>things are likely to need replacement or refill. It doesn't seem like it
>anyway. I have definitely observed them engaged in routine maintenance
>tasks that could be done anytime during peak hours. That, in my mind, is
>most likely about management, not about the individuals.
>
>However, I have hesitated to complain because, for a significant number
>of the employees, just the opposite is true. They are friendly, helpful
>and pleasant in general. My speculation is that the surly attitude may
>be a reflection of the morale as is so often the case. And morale is too
>often the product of poor working conditions (ie; salary) and management
>style. If the latter is the case, I am concerned that the negative
>feedback will be dealt with by a response that is likely to not
>discriminate between the surly majority and the very friendly minority,
>and that it will represent "more of the same" which will just make the
>problem (morale) worse anyway.
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: UTC Staff E-Mail List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
>Martina Harris
>Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2005 11:27 AM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: [UTCSTAFF] UC dining staff
>
>Hello
>
>It is ironic that someone would mention the ATTITUDE of the dining staff
>here at UTC because this morning I experienced it first hand.
>Being new here at UTC I decided this morning I would stop by the UC and
>have
>coffee (0800).  I proceeded to the area to get coffee to find there was
>no
>coffee (not even decaf) I turned to the lady cooking at the grill to
>inquire
>if there was any coffee she said very nicely " I am the only one behind
>the
>counter go up front and ask them to make more.  I proceeded to the check
>out
>line where two employees were there with NO waiting in line.  When I
>told
>them what I needed both stated "We don't know how to make the coffee,
>sorry".  Still determined to patronize the cafeteria I decided to buy
>bacon
>and hashbrown.  The same person that did not know how to make coffee
>over
>charged me by $1.74.
>I knew enough to question her about by $4.00 total (to her frustration)
>however the students that have gone through her line may have been over
>charged on several occasions and just are too afraid to question the
>person.
>
>Sorry to say that was my last experience in the UC and hopefully someone
>knows how to contact a person over the UC to let them know of this this
>type
>of behavior.
>
>Thanks for listening and I am sorry for such a long email/
>
>Mharris
>Nursing
>-----Original Message-----
>From: UTC Staff E-Mail List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
>THOMAS WARE
>Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2005 11:50 AM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: [UTCSTAFF] A response to the debate on P. R.and The UTC Food
>Center
>
>                                 9/21/5
>
>Greetings:
>
>         Some faculty--and perhaps students as well-- are not so much
>dismayed by clean-up signs or the quality and price of the food or the
>lines
>leading to the check-out cashiers (at least one usually not open at the
>busiest times) as they are by the sometimes impolite and even sullen
>attitudes they encounter from members of the serving staff.  It is on
>such
>bases that I have heard from colleagues their intentions not to go there
>anymore.
>         Pity.
>
>         tcw