Scene: Mr. Lee's office. Again, slightly cluttered but familiar.
Characters:
Mr. Lee (Owner): 60s, pragmatic, deeply invested in his family's restaurant chain, battling rising costs, skeptical of new ideas that might impact the bottom line.
David (Training Manager): 30s, enthusiastic, sees the potential to improve customer service and employee well-being, but understands he needs to convince Mr. Lee with data and empathy.
(David knocks gently on the door. Mr. Lee, hunched over a spreadsheet, grunts a "Come in.")
David: Thanks for seeing me, Mr. Lee. I know you're busy. I wanted to talk to you about something that I think could really help us improve… not just our customer experience, but also our bottom line in the long run.
Mr. Lee: (Sighs, pushes the spreadsheet aside) "Improve our bottom line"? Always with the long run... David, we need to worry about this quarter's bottom line. Food costs are killing us, energy bills are insane, and minimum wage keeps going up. Every new idea seems to cost more money.
David: I understand those pressures, Mr. Lee, and I wouldn't be coming to you if I didn't genuinely believe this would help. It's about how we're managing our staff during peak hours, especially the dinner rush.
(Layer 1: Unclear on the "Why" - What to change? )
Mr. Lee: What's wrong with our staffing? We run a tight ship. I see those kids working hard every night. They're not standing around gossiping, that's for sure.
David: I agree, they are working hard, Mr. Lee, maybe too hard. That's the problem. I've noticed the stress levels are really high, and I'm starting to see the effects ripple through the whole operation.
Mr. Lee: Stress? They're young. A little hard work never hurt anyone. When I started, I was working 18 hours a day!
David: I know, Mr. Lee, and I respect that work ethic. But it’s showing: increased mistakes in orders, longer wait times, and I've had a few servers tell me they're just too rushed to give customers the personal attention they deserve. This effects tips as well. I saw on yelp some people said the food was bland! But can you blame them? It must be hard when the workload is so extreme!
Mr. Lee: (Frowning) Yikes! That's not good. Our reputation is built on quality and service. Those reviews affect us... I see. So what are you saying? Hire more people? We can't afford it!
(Layer 2: Unclear on the Solution - What to change to? )
David: It's about more people, yes, but not necessarily hiring new staff right away. It's about strategically staffing with 20-25% more capacity than we think we need, especially during those peak dinner rushes. Think of it as "protective capacity."
Mr. Lee: "Protective capacity?" Sounds like a fancy term for being overstaffed and wasteful! I need efficient. Wasteful is the opposite.
David: It might sound that way, but it's based on sound principles and evidence. Have you heard about the formula throughput= inventory flow / cycle time. It helps show throughput with numbers what is happening in the restaurant. By following, we can make the best decision.
Mr. Lee: Okay, what is this magic formula? Numbers don't lie. What number can it show? And what about the cost?
David: I know it sounds too good, but let me explain. There is one scientist names Little that discovered the magic formula, and they also have something called queueing theory.
Mr. Lee: This sounds too theoretical, do you know how much work I did for the restaurant? And you can tell me so that I can change it?
David: Mr. Lee, I have no intention to teach you that stuff. But just keep it in mind. In short, imagine we do not add people to the team. Then everyone will be stressed and we cannot have what we need. We need balance to make the profits balance, so it is fair for everyone.
(Layer 3: Lack of Trust - Will this work? )
Mr. Lee: You know what, I am here now. I am walking. How about that?
David: That is a great point. But if there were more people, there would be more opportunities. With you or me not having to worry about the day to day, more ideas to innovate.
David: Mr. Lee, I know what you mean, It might sound too theoretical so how about we do this: We take your daughter who is now working on the website, and we have her write on one side about how the extra space improved. But you write the other side to share with everyone about how hard it is and why we could not.
Mr. Lee: You would not be mad right?
David: No!
Mr. Lee: Fine, But no complaining!
David: Fine too!
(Layer 4: Fear of the Unknown - What if something goes wrong? )
Mr. Lee: Look, I'm worried. What if we have a slow night? What if the economy tanks again? Then I'm stuck with all these extra people, costing me money.
David: I hear you, Mr. Lee. We wouldn't be adding staff blindly. We'd be closely monitoring sales, customer traffic, and labor costs. And there will also be no waste. I am not suggesting for us to be dumb and add team members.
David: We can:
Take courses
Team Building
Learn to market on Instagram!
Better Food
Mr. Lee: So the money is spent at the end? That is not right.
(Layer 5: Overcoming Obstacles - How do we make this happen? )
David: Not at all. I will teach those other guys on the clock all that I know. I already teach them everything I know. But I can share it with all of you, so everyone can know. That way, not only are we efficient, but we are strong.
Mr. Lee: With this money... so much trouble...
David: We can take it slow. And we start somewhere else so it has less problems. I know you care a lot, but so do I.
Mr. Lee: Well, I guess it depends on you.
(Layer 6: "Egolessness" - Even if successful, how will I personally benefit? )
David: What about you? With more flexibility on the table, what are your thoughts?
Mr. Lee: Well with you guys, I would get to have more rest. I get to relax and not worry about my team. I can leave everything to you guys and relax.
David: Yes!
Mr. Lee: If that happens, that happens.
David: And with your guidance and direction, it is important.
Mr. Lee: Are you trying to butter me up?
David: (Smiles)
Mr. Lee: You, get this done. I'm tired of being a workaholic, but if everything falls down, you are working for free!
David: (Extends hand for handshake) Deal. I'm confident we can make this work, Mr. Lee. And even if we fail the first time, this lesson will help us.
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