Ok, so. I'm in this location every morning, getting my first cup of coffee for the day.
I love Speedway coffee so much, that when I travel and can't find a Speedway local to wherever I am, I actually get into a funk.
This location has its ups and downs for sure.
Let's start with employees.
For the most part, all of the employees I've encountered here, are pleasant and willing to start your day off on the right track, by just simply being friendly and conversing with you, etc. Over the years there's been *some* employees that weren't cut out for the gig. Fortunately, those employees didn't last long, each and every time.
Early in the morning (which is the only time I'm in this location), cleanliness is up to par and almost always there's the Holy Grail of Coffee, adorned with 3 rows of full pots of coffee, staring at you when you open the door and walk inside. But let's talk about when there isn't coffee. And the "Holy Grail" looks more like some off named quick shop that leaves you assuming whatever coffee IS there, has more than likely been there for about 6 months.
Twice in two days, there has been a manager in place of my normal faces that I see in the early morning. And twice in two days, I've had to either make my own coffee or take the risk of pouring the coffee that was more than likely made at 10:00 the night before.
When the customer is used to something that is typically always the case, that's what the customer grows to just expect. But what I find disheartening, is that those managers that are clearly slacking when it comes to practicing what they inevitably preach to those working under them, that's a problem.
The employees in this location are "on it" more than the managers at this location. Why is that?
Is there a reason why the manager can't make coffee and fill the cold creamers, like they instruct (and expect) their employees to?
It's insulting to walk in as a customer, make your own coffee and then turn around and pay for the coffee that you just made. At that point, what's the point? I could do that at home.
The managers interpersonal social skills are virtually nonexistent. They are rude and do not even greet you. And if you say something to "break the ice" while standing on the other side of their enclosed bomb shelter they're in, they act as if you've asked them for a million dollars. Just full of irritation and rudeness, because they've been asked "How are you this morning?" From their customer.
Lead by Example. When the employees making minimum wage are more appreciative of your business than they managers making more than minimum wage are, it's time for the corporate office to rattle things up a bit. Promote from within, based on performance. I don't want to go in and start my day off with some undeserving manager griping about how he's pissed off that he had to cover a shift and as a result of such, he shows his frustration when not communicating with the customer and not performing the most basic job function of making coffee and filling the cold creamer.
Perhaps if this continues, I'll start sending an invoice to Soeedway for every pot of coffee I make. Maybe then, they will pay attention to the customer. read more
