Learning the ABC’s of the job

   When you tell your boss you’re having a problem at work, which response do you hate the most? 

   A. “You’re not trying hard enough” and you know darned well he’s never tried it himself.

   B. “I hear what you’re saying” and you know darned well he’s clueless about what you’re having a problem with.

   C. “I’ll look into it” and you know darned well he has no idea what to look into.

   Most of us would have no problem coming up with an answer. But for Waffle House employees, I’d have to add one more choice.

   D. None of the above. 

   The executives at Waffle House, which is headquartered in Norcross, make sure that A, B and C never happens. Their In-Unit program requires everyone in the main office to work a full shift in a restaurant once a year.

   Pat Warner, Vice President and Communications Director, loves that the program puts everyone from the chairman and CEO to the cooks on a first name basis with each other.

   “I always work New Year’s Eve,” Pat said. “It’s kind of fun. From Midnight until 2:00 AM you get folks from church. After 2:00, you get people from the bars.”

   Shelby White, Marketing Director, prefers Christmas.

   “Everyone’s in a good mood. All the regulars like to eat together that day, but it’s also their busiest day. They have four to five times their normal volume.”

   But the In-Unit experience isn’t always fun.

   “One time, the manager assumed I knew what I as doing. I couldn’t cook an omelet and I confused the chopped steak with the hamburger. I was quickly put in the dish pit,” said Pat.

   Purchasing Agent Monty Baldwin said, “I was washing dishes and was told very plainly I couldn’t do it right. There’s a process to it.”

   “Our culture is for everyone, including the chairman and CEO to jump in and help,” said Pat. “One time our president, Bert, attended a Georgia Tech Alumna Association meeting at a Waffle House. He noticed the work crew was short staffed and left the meeting to help out. A bank vice president was amazed. He couldn’t believe a president would do that.”

   Though the In-Unit experiences can be tiring and frustrating, Pat, Shelby and Monty wouldn’t have it any other way.

   “It gives us an understanding. If we call and they don’t call back right away, we know why,” said Monty.

   Shelby, who’s responsible for introducing new menu items, noted that being around customers is valuable to her. “Ninety percent of our ideas come from the field.”

   (Shelby is also unofficial President of Waffle House Records, so if there are any songs you’d like in the jukebox, give her a call at 770-729-5700.)

   What makes Waffle House such a big Gwinnett success story? It’s as simple as figuring out A, B, and C.

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