work-the real world

  Well,well i am back,its been on my mind to post but there have been situations which made me feel i should not at the time,plus i sometimes want to say too much.so whats been going on?The express lane stores went to once a month,talk about a shock!we almost lost the house due to insufficent money,that was scary but managed to pull it off somehow.honestly dont know about losing house but due to the decrease in money,was not sure about paying mortgage,but did make it.talk about being blindsided,two things of note here,one i had asked the operations manager not three weeks previous to be good enough to give me a heads up if there were going to be any changes in floor care,after tom thumb episode,it seems i am always nervous about work,two,it turns out jim made the decision,not mark,who would have thought.every time i see a problem and tell jim he says,take it to mark,then blam,he decides it s time for him to make one.No conference with me,no discussion,just going to once a month.this at the busiest time of the year,when stores are getting slammmed,not only has it affected me,the psychological and morale impact on store personnel was scary.People are wondering if the company is going in the red financially,whats going to happen with their jobs,if corporate is selling out,all kinds of stuff.Logically,it just dosent make a lot of sense,express lane has always been know as a family run bussiness who takes pride in setting standards,their new stores are superb,however,now the older stores are being neglected,repairs seem to take for ever and the Lewis name,once spoken of with pride by the employees,is now replaced by,who?,Hell,it pisses me off,and me,i am dealing with the reality of the real world,i who had once felt an integral cog in express lanes machinery,am nothing more then a number.Family,i have always and will always feel,a part of the express lane family,it pains you to give 110% and then be treated as almost non existent.My bad,i guess,i know actually.One of the things that bothered me was that jim did not even have enough respect for me to sit down and talk.I  dont know,i wrote him a letter after i was informed of the new policy,to no avail.Now i have tried leaving 3 calls asking for a return call,no luck.i realize i am not the business, business man,i care too much.i dont feel thats a fault though,how many times has a business tried to get a loan,only to have it coming down to the personal rapport between the owner of the business,and the loan officer or bank president.Maybe thats why so many businesses try to separate themselves from their vendors.It is kinda funny,not really,thatwhen i started my floor cleaning business,i had all the work i could handle,D.Ms,store owners, even clerks,recommended my work to everyone,now its all about corporate.the same people who used to recommend me have no say,they still think my work is great its just that no one in corporate listens to them.Now corporate just accepts bids,gives out the work and then if work is sub par,finds someone else.Of course if there is a problem its the stores fault,crazy,huh.Here is something else i find funny,corporate is always screaming keep the stores clean,this is part of your job,how ever corporate has no problem with cutting on services to help in keeping stores looking presentable, landscaping,clean floors,etc,fixing leaking roofs or replacing ceiling tiles where necessary,the list goes on.the point i am trying to make here is if corporate dose not act like they care,what kind of message is that sending employees.Bottom line,i am not goig to stop caring,i will always do my best,no matter how bad it gets,people have told me not to do stores for free,so ihave not,how ever if a store needs extra work or something then i am going to do it,if i have to for go charging extra so be it,you see everyone knows,i lovbe my job,the hell with the money,but i will be damned if i am going to do a bad job.                Clean Floors Ent. Inc.

7215 N. Lagoon Dr.

P.C.B.,Fl. 32408

850-319-8880

Mr. Lewis,

This letter is in reference to a conversation,i had with Mark last week,concerning care of store floors that I currently do. He informed me that all stores were to start being serviced only once a month(every 4 weeks),effective immediately. During the conversation,i told him this was the busiest time of the year. I also reminded him,that during our last meeting,i asked him if he would give me a 30 day notice,of any changes like me losing contract or such. I had informed at that meeting that I felt very insecure about Express Lane continuing to use my services,primarily due to some things I had picked up on previously. At that meeting he stated I had nothing to worry about,as he had been happy with the service for 10 years and saw no need for any changes.

Well,this letter might get me fired,but I love this company,have stated that in writing and am indebted to you for all the things you have made possible in my life. So many times when things have been rough for me you were there. So I will try to keep this brief,i know I talk too much.

Express Lane,family owned and an important part of our community,has strived to set the standards for convenience stores,not only here but in many areas. Last year,or maybe this year,i believe it was chevron,awarded us the cleanest stores in the south east region.i am not sure of the award,but was proud in thinking I had a part in this,of course I could be wrong,but I do really try to do my best for you.That means we beat Tom Thumb and all the rest,irregardless of the money they poured in.

I know that in these economic times we are all trying to to save where we can.In an effort to help,i have done my best to help out you inthis,not only because I know you need to save money,but also as my small way of thanking you for everything you have done for me and my family.

1)top scrubs,usually done twice a year,at the beginning or during spring break,and then again after labor day,or seasons end,i was able to keep from doing in most of my stores,by keeping store floors up,maybe doing light scrub,and charging just enough to cover the supplies,or at no charge.

I told Mark of this and that I had planned to scrub the few that needed it in June,in addition,with good maintenance of the floors,top scrubs ordainarily done at the end of season would be almost none.I now do 19 stores for you and told him this was saving the company,somewhere around 2500.00 minimumn.i realize that it may not seem like a lot to you,but I told you previously,that I would do my best for Express Lane and I did this because it was in your best interest. When I asked about filing the B.P. Claim you told me,there are good years and bad ones,you do the best you can and deal with it,this was my way of doing the best for Express Lane,even though this is one of my worst years,i felt that it was only right for me to do what was right for you,especially with these financial times.

2)behind counters,back rooms and bathrooms,you may recollect I suggested that we do these,you agreed,told me to ask Mark and he vetoed the idea,which I informed you of.Imagine my surprise,when shortly after this the D.M. For the Tallahassee stores left word for me that if iwas the same company doing the store on Hwy 20,to get down there and that we were to start doing the bathroom area,effective now.I will state right off Mark had never said for me to do anything of the sort,nervous as I was about losing any work,i started doing behind the counters and bathrooms at some of my stores.Straight up,Mark did not authorize this,i figured if he was upset about it he would say something.i have charged very little for doing this,sometimes nothing at all,i have tried to do it only where customers would notice also.i can only state I did it in Express Lanes best interest,not for money.

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3. I am not sure if you remember this but years ago we had discussed giving me a raise and you said,dont ever ask me for one,it was said in a joking but serious manner.Well I kinda took it to heart,and as a result even though I charged other companies more,i have always felt that I should keep your price down as much as possible,cause you are like family.I am sure you probably have not noticed but I have kept your prices at the same rate for years,at least 5 I believe. The price of gas,costs of labor,when I had help,(hahaha),gas,you know they have all gone up,and even though these things increased,the price of having your floors done have not.I am sure you know that my living expenses have gone up also,but you know what,i dont think thats your problem,i feel that the rate I charge you is fair,and its not right for me to charge you more just cause I am having financial difficulties.

Which brings us back to ground zero,the floor care being done once every 4 weeks,i personally want to state there is not too much I would not do for Express Lane,in particular for the Lewis family.i love having my own business,though I am not a good business man.Neither do I forget things like the time Reid personally brought my check to me at a job,cause I needed it for Christmas. Conversations where I learned a little bit more about the business world through listening to your sage advice,(hehehehe).It has helped me you know,or the strength I have received when I think of how your dad started over again.

I love it when I tell someone I do your floors,not only pride in my work,but also the pride when others talk of your family,Express Lane,the way your family is always keeping an eye on the stores themselves. You,are a success story that is enjoyed and loved by people you dont even know,part of the heritage of this place we call home. I can not stand by idly and see your stores begin to show chinks in their armor.Your new stores even though I dont do their floors are a constant source of pride,not only to mebut you should hear the remarks of people I talk to on the street also. It is my opion,and mine alone that to start servicing the stores only once every 4 weeks would result in the stores looking bad.You have worked hard to get them here and it would be remiss to see that work thrown aside.I am not stating that my work is so important to you,but I tried to inform you that the stores where you have implemented once a month service looked bad,but I never told you it was demoralizing to your work force also. This I had learned in previous conversations with employees who were switched over to cover a shift,or in hearing through the grape vine how other stores were upset because they could not get their ceramic tile floors scrubbed,this is not in reference to the new stores,which look good but the older ceramic tiles,blue and white,etc.

When Mark authorized the cleaning of the floor at Santa Rosa,you would not believe how esctatic the manager or employees were. I had to make 2 trips out there,due to scheduling problem,not my bad this time,(hehehe)and informed Mark I had reduced the price to 250.00,so if needed he could get others done,knowing the price would be less. If the times are such,i will reduce my price for doing the floors,if you need me to do some work for free,i will do it,what ever it takes,lets just do it and I will make it happen. Everybody is always willing to talk a good game,let me walk mine,if times are rough,well we will make it,better times lie ahead. Mark told me he was willing to pay me 105.00to do them once every 4 weeks,you currently pay me 90.00 every two weeks.I will figure out something so we can keep the stores looking good. I just can not see all the work you have put into Express Lane going asunder over a few dollars.I know I am being outspoken and if you feel you have to let me go,thats your decision,Reid has tried and tried to tell me there are no friends in business,i disagree,we are or have been partners in business,and I am willing to show you,its not all about the money,there are times,when life has to mean more then that.

Guess thats it,your foolish floor man