So, you think you’re the
boss?
es, it’s
something as a young man I always dreamed of — being my
own boss! Imagine, no one can ever tell you what to do, or when
to do it, or even why. Never having to take an order, but to be
in a position to give orders! Now that’s the life.
That’s what I was meant to be.
I can be clever, industrious, easy to
get along with, and people seem to love
what I have to say. They even come to me for my opinions. I
have all the makings to be a leader and to be “my own
Boss!” I can’t wait! Yes, someday I’ll have a
team of happy followers. A group of eager workers, just hanging
on my next words, smiling and ready to do my bidding, while I
rest and take that second cup of coffee, check the sports page
or take a nap, if it pleases me. After all… I’m my
own boss!
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Yes, keep dreaming young man. Keep
dreaming!
I started out in the drycleaning business
at first working for my Dad. In a lot of ways, he was a good
boss (I think he recognized I was creative enough and ambitious
to maybe someday run things) and it soon became apparent I
should be doing most things, or everything, my way.
Well, I was given the opportunity, and for
some strange reason the working day suddenly was extended to 25
hours, the work week changed into seven in place of the five
days that I had been accustomed to.
Strange things happen
Some other strange and oddball phenomena
started taking shape with no particular rhyme or reason. After
an exhausting working day, I found myself still thinking about
and living “the job” at dinner, or when trying to
go sleep! Waking or sleeping, it was “the job.” I
didn’t plan it or endorse it. I just found myself getting
more and more involved.
Let’s assume you have a modest plant
with six to eight employees and, because you are mindful of
continuous quality and the maintaining of production, a
concerned individual. Sounds reasonable. As a boss, my
responsibility had some different overtones. The business had
to be continually profitable. It was supposed to increase in
volume each and every year and have a “ROI” (Return
On Investment), which I was soon to learn!
In order to do that each year, I had to
have quality and production standards.
This meant having a conscientious staff
that concerned themselves with the treatment of various new
fabrics and perfecting their treatment and safe restoration. It
meant maintaining the efficiency of the thousands of dollars of
expensive equipment which had to be controlled by my watchful
eye.
I shouldn’t fail to mention my very
limited mechanical, electrical, chemical experience and
non-existing computer and electronic skills. I only had the
ability to phone and plead to the right people for assistance.
But that’s the mechanical side of
being the boss. How about the human aspect of managing the
economic and emotional lives of your family of employees?
Why was I in the hospital visiting a
worker’s sick parent? And why was I contributing to the
town’s Chowder Marching Band, or some equally worthy
cause, which I couldn’t afford? How do you reprimand a
treasured and seasoned employee who now shows up a half-hour
late or more every morning, and has the interruptions of
several phone calls a day, and the co-workers are now wondering
if they can get away with the same conduct?
You know you’re the Boss, but are
you also Father Confessor for everyone’s troubles and
problems?
Is it not your concern? Is it none of your
business?
That’s the sad part. It is your
concern. It is your business. When you’re the boss,
everyone’s problems become your problems, and if you look
the other way you find, sooner or later, they all wind up on
your doorstep. Maybe if you can get involved early enough, as
the benevolent boss, you might be able to have the solution
solved, since you’re the master “Guru.”
Meeting the real Boss
I soon learned who the real boss was in
my, and just about everyone’s, business.
The real boss is the CUSTOMER!
That’s something I had to learn the
hard way. It seems it’s always the customer who
determines your hours and the overall effort you put into the
business.
If a worker is impolite, or shows
indifference to something that you’re concerned with, you
exercise your prerogative. You recognize
“indifference” and know there is a better way of
treating a customer, how to handle the complaint, apologize,
make an adjustment, and keep the customer satisfied and happy
— all before they look elsewhere.
Now you have met the real boss! It will
always be the customer. Courtesy and patience are as much a
part of quality control as price or production, if you want
maintain growth and profit.
There is such a system as “Final
Inspection” that all successful operators advocate.
It’s supposed to be the control of a standard of
excellence. It’s really the watch dog guarding against
the many things that can creep into a business.
When to change padding (before buttons
break), inadequate vacuuming or drying, proper steam pressure,
and blowing down the boiler, whiter whites and continuous
distillation, in general a scheduled preventive maintenance
program. Would you drive your car and never have your oil
checked or changed?
I once had an enlightening conversation
with the late Stan Golomb (I truly miss him) who asked me to
describe my interpretation of how I defined a customer. It was
Stan’s opinion that a customer was the individual who
came back to your store! And until that time, he or she was
anyone’s customer. In essence, they were fair game until
they came back.
How true! So when we talk about the value
of final inspection, the final inspector is the CUSTOMER! The
customer is of course the BOSS!
Fortunately there is another phenomenon,
and that is that most people are creatures of habit. They
dislike making changes and often will accept faults and be
forgiving of minor discourtesies. But it takes a test of time
and a record of success before it can be relied upon, before
you can get past poor workmanship, not ready as promised, or
dissatisfactions.
Ray Colucci, a consultant to the fabric
care industry, has revised and made available three timely
pamphlets: “Up Front Is Where It Counts” for
counter training; “Pressed for Perfection” for
finishing techniques; the popular “Route to Success To
the Home of Office” for complete route training. The
pamphlets are $20 each or all three for $50. Immediate delivery
with all postage paid is promised. Send requests and payment to
to R. Colucci, 410 Warren Ave., Mamaroneck, NY 10543.
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