The partners of Square One Consulting were
having lunch at Peppercorn Dining on the
campus of All-American University. Although
Square One was headquartered nearby, most
of the consultants’ business was conducted in
other cities. The partners were enjoying having
the opportunity to attend a seminar on a campus in their hometown. By chance, Drew
Randall, the manager of Pep-percorn, noticed
the trio and recognized Erica, who had worked
her way through college as a student manager
at the dining unit. Drew pulled up a chair and
started to catch up on the two years that had
transpired since she had graduated. The other
consultants, Roger and Lynn, listened as they
began to reminisce about the “good old days”
at Peppercorn.
Erica recalled the time a swim test coincided
with her first shift at the dining hall. She
called to let the unit know she would be
detained, and she finally arrived about an
hour late. When Erica entered the unit, she
was greeted by a supervisor who took her
downstairs to change into the uniform of blue
pants, blue-and-white-checkered shirt, a hair
net, and a name tag, an outfit similar to what
was being worn by the current employees.
Erica was then taken to the dish room and
informed she was receiving a verbal warning
for being late. As the group laughed, the consultants chided Erica further by commenting
that her sense of timing hadn’t changed. Drew,
however, suggested that times had changed.
DEVELOPING A CONTRACT
The consultants were eager to learn about Peppercorn, and Erica, eager to learn about the
changes Drew had alluded to, asked about
current operations at the unit. Drew, sipping on
his coffee, commented, “Staffing is a nightmare.
We can’t find qualified people anywhere;
recruiting and retention has become a constant
challenge.” Drew went on to explain that the
labor market in the county had become tight
due to the prosperous Reagan years. Garden
County had become a boomtown and, as a
result,...