Over the past year I have at times had my violin playing on the forum, what with my shortage of staff particularly drivers, ridiculous wages paid where I am, refigeration breakdowns etc.
After reading Nick’s woes of late - losing a cook, driver, makebench breakdown and a host of other things happening all at once - I am now gladly passing on the TT Violin to Nick.
Unfortunately it only plays tunes of woe so all you tankers who are having a good run you won’t be getting to play it just yet.
Nick ol’ buddy - it’s all yours.
Hope you can get it tuned real quick so you can pass it on.
Thought I might fiddle a tune for you tonight. We have a wonderful new feature added to our downtown tonight . . . a central fountain to amaze and amuse the citizens. It was a surprise addition to the landscape.
No . . . . . . . wait . . . . that was a water main break 40 feet in front of my store on the main road. I saw the water bubbling up about 3" high in THREE spots on one side of the road and TWO more on the other.I called the city manager office to advise, and they dispatched Public works Department. They turned the water off at about 4:30PM when staff arrives for work. No water . . . no hand washing . . . no toilets . . . no dish washing . . . . no responsible business operations.
When we finally called it a night at 6PM waiting for water, they had not actually located the leak, and could not estimate when it would be fixed. We baked off 4 pies for the workers and took them some bottled water (record heat recorded in GA this month). We drove back by at 10-PM to see them finally cut the damaged pipe and put in the repair. Water limited run at 10:30PM.
Caller ID showed about 15 brand new customers calling for 1st time. And about 30 calls between 7 and 9 pm . . . . that’s a lot for us. we have no idea how many before then as the Caller ID only stores 30 calls :shock:
Did I forget to mention that our sh#t hot new glossy post cards hit the mail boxes today? I love circumstances, and pray we can handle the deluge for tomorrow night. I despise losing a Friday night revenue, but little other choice. Just gotta gut it up and push tomorrow and next week for school night. Heck, staff will enjoy a Friday night off for a change anyway.
Wait a minute! I am the virtuoso around here! I have been working my butt off for about a year and a half and have still not made any money. And besides I got you on the postcards too! I sent out 2000 million dollar letters and that is the night my bakers pride deck ovens, with virtually no moving parts, decided to stop working. Phones ringing off the hook to talk to the new owner and oven repair guy trying to fix the ovens. Then my driver got into an accident! Yeah that was a nice night. “we’ll have that pizza to you in 1 1/2 to 2 hours!” That was a wasted marketing blitz!
Hubby and I run the shop, and both have been sick for the past week. He sends me home last nite because I am beat (esp in this heat!) and he comes home looking like crap and saying he can’t breathe.
He’s not lying - face is beet red, veins popping out… I call 911.
He gets taken to the ER. Dx with pneumonia.
So, our manager of 6 months and I run the store today. I have an insurance background, and just quit 4 months ago to help out FT.
I must state that he, along with our crew really pulled it together for tonite. One of the guys even came in on his day off for 8 hours to pitch in.
I would pass the violin deftly and quickly to sweetp except that she had some really serious health issue and isn’t just whining to get attention (like I was to some degree).
I sure hope the pneumonia clears up successfully and uneventfully. Gotta keep looking for a likely candidate . . . . How are things going with you j_r0kk? Any new problems, there, Debbie? Anyone out there have a domino effect catastrophe this weekend.
Everything’s going… slow. I should’ve been open already and it looks like I’m going to blow through my absolute, drop dead, gotten open date for the new store. Here’s my status report link. Got some new vids.:
OK, here’s mine.
Friday night 8:30, 3 drivers all out. I got a little break in the action, so I ask my asst manager to take this delivery because no driver is back and I figure she can take this last one before she gets off at 9. She’s been on the road for 17 minutes the first time the cust. calls looking for the order (very regular customer, but kind of CRANKY at times). I tell her she’ll be there any time. About 15 minutes later the lady calls back and said she has to leave her house, no problem but she has someplace to be (she was taking the food w/her). I apologize and wonder where my driver is, even send another to look for her (no cell). About 10 minutes after that I see on caller ID her home number. She is crying uncontrollably and tells me she got stopped at a license checkpoint, found out her license was suspended last week for some unpaid fines from 4 years ago that she was not aware of, and they impounded her new PT Cruiser that she has had for 3 weeks, along with the food, my delivery sign and delivery bag!
Well, pass the hot potato around bcause here’s my new tale of woe.
Friday night last driver on until close and goes out on a delivery.
Drives up driveway of house, gets out of his car leaving keys in ignition and engine running and rings doorbell. Customer is paying for pizza when driver hears his doors slamming shut and see some lowlifes backing his car out. He and customer chase out after them only for the thief to drive at my driver - luckily not hitting him.
Driver calls in to tell me tale of woe. No driver for the rest of the night.
Poor driver not only losing his car but now restricted in his job. He is a university student (19 yo) and is going away interstate to represent his Uni in soccer at the Australian University games in September. Is using his wages to pay his way.
Sweetp1265 I truly hope your other half is OK and on the mend. Best wishes for him from the land down under.
Here pass it to me Im reading all your info in this thread and Im like wow glad this stuff hasnt happened to me…
Anyway yesterday send out big pie sale expected to make alot, have my wifes nephew(22) making pies he screws up 4 pies. So i tell him to move over to saucing and cheesing Ill stretch pies. He gets mad and tells me Im making his job harder by stretching dough and that I should just put pies in and take out. Mind you he just learned how to make pies last month :?
I ask him when has he became the boss. He tells me " what Im supposed to shut my mouth and ride your -----?" I kicked him out and had to wind up finishing the day by myself. Wow alot of pies 45min. - 1hr wait.
omg, here I was complaing that I am working 15 hours a day to get my second store open, I geuss I should count my blessings…I am not being an a$$ but sales have been up at our first store about 25 percent a huge jump with the maarketing and a few changes, so it has required more time at the store and taken me away from working on the second store. I am trying to fire new people as we speak. I definatly dont want to burn out my girl at store one as she will help me with training and people at store 2,
I hope things get going better for you nick
PizzaGuys, I proudly present to you the Think Tank Violin of Woe (newly named) as it was duly passed to me from WA Dave. It confers to you all rights and responsibilities appertaining to such an honor until such time as you schlep . . . I mean pass . . . it to the next deserving recipient.
I appreciate the “violin” stories,
maybe I can learn some things from them amd will help me to play the “violin” less.
I have had violin experience getting this business going, I am re-opening for the season again soon, so I know it is not a matter of if, but when I get the violin !
Well it’s done the full circle an back to me again.
As told a few weeks ago we lost adriver when his car was stolen during a delivery. He got it bak a week later but it was an insurance write off. :x
Anyway, this driver has had enough and has left.
On Sunday night I got a call from one of my drivers telling mehe finally got accepted to a job in the resources industry where the boom is on at the moment and had to immediately commence his safety course etc in readiness for the job. Because it is on an island (gas drlling) off shore and may have some gas rig deep ocean work he ahd to do the helicopter crash escape course etc. This meant he left that night.
Now we have lost both Monday drivers, with one also did Fridays and the one just leaving also did Tuesday and Thursday.
We are now down to 2 drivers on Fridays for $3200 nights, none for Tuesday and Thursday. Luckily one driver was able to take on Mondays.
The one leaving for the resources boom is 19, totally unskilled and will be getting $39.50 an hour working 14 days straight / 12 hour days = $6600 per 2 weeks. All accommodation and food supplied. He will working as a labourer / trades assistant.
I knew he was going to leave but not knowing when so we have been aggressively advertising for 5 weeks and have not got one response.
In a couple of weeks we are losing a customer service girl for 5 weeks as their family goes on an extended holiday tour to New Zealand and another junior kitchen hand (only works Fridays) leaves for 2 weeks holiday to Hawaii next week.
Luckily we have recently recruited another customer service girl so some shifts can be covered.
It is such a joy to be in business where unskilled lazy people can make more in 2 weeks that a hardworking pizzeria owner does in the first year of business.
I had 3 days last week where my labor costs were 0% of sales (not including me).
