Blenz debacle.

[Matt R.]

I came across this picture reading a Vancouver food blog I like.

Anyone have any more info? I hope these people enjoy their 15 minutes of fame, but it won't pay the rent.

Blenz Picture

-- Matt.

[SBonner]

Wow Scott the owner of this Blend's use to be a coffee merchant in the New Westminster Quay when I was running a wine shop there back in the 80's.I just got off the phone with Scott and he said that he had a mutiny by staff who thought they were running the shop Anyway he said it's been a major headache with staff and a businessman's worse nightmare.

Cheers,

Stephen

Edited February 13, 2006 by SBonner (log)

[3WholeCardamoms]

nice

thankyou.

[mtigges]

I hope these people enjoy their 15 minutes of fame, but it won't pay the rent.

←

I don't believe that it was fame that they were after.

[Matt R.]

I don't believe that it was fame that they were after.

←

No, no, of course not. They appear to be quite brave in standing up for themselves, and they should be applauded for that. Obviously, I don't know the story of their perceived abuses, but people should be taught from a young age not to take too much crap, especially in the service industry where wages are so low.

This, also, will not pay the rent.

-- Matt.

[mamacat]

The labour relations practitioner part of me is itching to hear both sides of the story and explore whether or not there is some chance of a win-win solution for all involved. Meanwhile, what are all the store's customers doing for their caffeine fix?

[BCinBC]

Could it be that they have been forced to find an establishment that brews better coffee than Blenz?

[nwyles]

It took big balls to lock the doors.

It would have been more interesting if they had stayed outside of the store to explain to the customers what it was all about. That would have put even greater pressure on the owner / manager. Not only are your staff staging a mutiny, but your customers as well.

[vandan]

funny enough was by crepe de france on main today and they were closed with similar sign posted although it was by management stating that they didn't have suitable staff to do business and will try to rectify a.s.a.p, interesting considering its not only a retail location but is also they're main kitchen for the 3 other locations

[gerald]

Unfortuntely, staffing in the qsr business is a bitch, when you have good people you have to hang onto them. At the end of the day, scotts comment about the staff thinking they were running the store probably speaks to his staffs discontent.

"Wow Scott the owner of this Blend's use to be a coffee merchant in the New Westminster Quay when I was running a wine shop there back in the 80's.I just got off the phone with Scott and he said that he had a mutiny by staff who thought they were running the shop Anyway he said it's been a major headache with staff and a businessman's worse nightmare. "

Unless he is there 24/7 at some level, the staff are running the store. It is very tough times in the labour pool, minimum wage does not cut it.

[ktbear]

As a person involved in the qsr bus. I shouldn't have but I must admit that chuckled when I saw this. To say that finding good people in this bus. is a bitch is an understatement. Once you find someone you have to treat them like part of the team and not like a tool. They should be running your shop. When I say this I say it with sincerity, your employees are your number one asset. I can't comment on this particular situation but if you treat your employees like shit you get what's coming. That being said no matter how well you treat people often times you can just get assholes for employees. I would love for Scott to reply to this thread because if I saw this in my window I would have just turned around and called it a day. For the record I have to give my staff a pat on the back for their loyalty and this little photo makes me appreciate them even more.

Edited February 14, 2006 by ktbear (log)

[eatbc]

They appear to be quite brave in standing up for themselves, and they should be applauded for that.  Obviously, I don't know the story of their perceived abuses, but people should be taught from a young age not to take too much crap, especially in the service industry where wages are so low.

This, also, will not pay the rent. 

-- Matt.

←

Applauded? you must be joking.

I agree that people should not take too much crap, but they should also be taught to deal with conflict in a constructive and mature way.

True, there was obviously some internal strife here, but this was a childish and unprofessional way to deal with the situation.

If these people had a problem with the owner(s) there are better ways to resolve them.

If they had real employment standard issues they could have gone through the proper channels. It looks like "you should have been a better people person" was their only real reason for abandoning this guys shop and quitting.

What sort of damage was done?

Why not just quit or not show up for work? The "nasty" note on the door is simply juvenile.

What if a restaurant owner posted a sign on the door when he fired someone? The whole city would be up in arms.

Hopefully Jorge Carrillo, Hyun Kim, Paisley McHaffie and Stewart Yu will have better luck at their next places of employment, but it's unlikely.

[Rebecca263]

Applauded? you must be joking.

I agree that people should not take too much crap, but they should also be taught to deal with conflict in a constructive and mature way.

...;this was a childish and unprofessional way to deal with the situation...

If they had real employment standard issues they could have gone through the proper channels.  It looks like "you should have been a better people person" was their only real reason for abandoning this guys shop and quitting.

What sort of damage was done?...

What if a restaurant owner posted a sign on the door when he fired someone?  The whole city would be up in arms.

Hopefully Jorge Carrillo, Hyun Kim, Paisley McHaffie and Stewart Yu will have better luck at their next places of employment, but it's unlikely.

←

I've been a worker and a business owner, and I agree completely with eatbc. I wouldn't want to work with anyone who would actually go to such lengths just for a momentary feeling of revenge. Not that I haven't. But I did the intelligent thing, I found the guy another job, and he left the shop that I was working in. Plus, he was grateful to me, which made me seem like 'his kind', and took me out of his line of fire completely. I say work smart, don't quit stupid.

[*Deborah*]

I am just curious to know exactly what spurred this; I doubt they all woke up one morning and said "hey, let's embarass the hell out of the boss!"

I am assuming that, childish or not, the response was in some measure appropriate to the stimulus.

[eugene]

Applauded? you must be joking.

I agree that people should not take too much crap, but they should also be taught to deal with conflict in a constructive and mature way.

...;this was a childish and unprofessional way to deal with the situation...

If they had real employment standard issues they could have gone through the proper channels.  It looks like "you should have been a better people person" was their only real reason for abandoning this guys shop and quitting.

What sort of damage was done?...

What if a restaurant owner posted a sign on the door when he fired someone?  The whole city would be up in arms.

Hopefully Jorge Carrillo, Hyun Kim, Paisley McHaffie and Stewart Yu will have better luck at their next places of employment, but it's unlikely.

←

I've been a worker and a business owner, and I agree completely with eatbc. I wouldn't want to work with anyone who would actually go to such lengths just for a momentary feeling of revenge. Not that I haven't. But I did the intelligent thing, I found the guy another job, and he left the shop that I was working in. Plus, he was grateful to me, which made me seem like 'his kind', and took me out of his line of fire completely. I say work smart, don't quit stupid.

←

Considering none of us knows what actually transpired, I’m not sure if there’s a point debating this. The owner could have been a complete asshole to all of his employees. It is also fair to assume that ALL of the employees were jus too damn sensitive.

However, I am pretty sure that to have 4 people lose their livelihoods at the same time, something really awful must have occurred. Sure, we all have our differences. And if one of the employees quit, then we could have assumed “it was just one of those days”. But to have 4 people quit, that requires something really monumental. I have worked with asshole employers before, but never seen 4 people leave at the same time.

Maybe they got a really good offer from Starbucks?

Edited February 15, 2006 by eugene (log)

[jtcookie]

It has always amused me that some employees think the walls, and subsequently the business, will collapse because they choose to withdraw their services. Undoubtedly there were issues that Scott may or may not have addressed well during these disaffected's tenure, but walking out sure won't solve them.

Will Scott continue to be in business? Probably, given this town's love affair with caffeine. Will Jorge Carrillo, Hyun Kim, Paisley McHaffie and Stewart Yu find work to replace that which they so recently departed? Probably, but not with most of the employers on this board!

Do Starbucks make "really good offers"?

John

[eugene]

Do Starbucks make "really good offers"?

John

←

A shoeshine with every paycheck?

[sanrensho]

Considering none of us knows what actually transpired, I’m not sure if there’s a point debating this.

You're right, there's no point in debating about this unless someone has some inside information and both sides are represented.

I'd much rather debate the merits (ahem) of Blenz coffee.

[eugene]

Considering none of us knows what actually transpired, I’m not sure if there’s a point debating this.

You're right, there's no point in debating about this unless someone has some inside information and both sides are represented.

I'd much rather debate the merits (ahem) of Blenz coffee.

←

I'm not a coffee snob, unlike some of my friends. But I think they filter their coffee through their cars' oil filters.

[nwyles]

It has always amused me that some employees think the walls, and subsequently the business, will collapse because they choose to withdraw their services. Undoubtedly there were issues that Scott may or may not have addressed well during these disaffected's tenure, but walking out sure won't solve them.

Will Scott continue to be in business? Probably, given this town's love affair with caffeine. Will Jorge Carrillo, Hyun Kim, Paisley McHaffie and Stewart Yu find work to replace that which they so recently departed? Probably, but not with most of the employers on this board!

Do Starbucks make "really good offers"?

John

←

Funny, I always tell staff that the doors will always open the next day, either with them or without them. In this case, they did not open.

Mark is correct, this was a childish way for this to be dealt with.

Whether the inmates were running the asylum, or Scott was a tyrant does not really matter. This is not pre-school, it is a place of business and should be treated as such.

Yes, Scott will continue to be in business and the four staff will have jobs fairly soon, without this event hanging over them because of the rare instance of a new employer doing a reference check.

[3WholeCardamoms]

Mark is correct, this was a childish way for this to be dealt with.

Whether the inmates were running the asylum, or Scott was a tyrant does not really matter. This is not pre-school, it is a place of business and should be treated as such.

←

Wow. We admit that we do not know the circumstances, yet we speak of childishness and unprofessionalism. How many people making $8-9 /hr. with a couple dollars in tips are feeling that this was childish and unprofessional? Throw in a uniform and product that they know is shit. I won't blindly support their action but i won't blindly condemn it either.

The low wage essentially is the employers way of saying, there are a million more where you came from, or rather "the doors will open tomorrow with or without you".

I won't champion these employees as champions of collective action, though I admit I kinda want to at every opportunity. I have yet to experience a boss in this type of retail or low wage workplace that professionally and maturely cultivates an environment where the employees feel they can address complaints (with the support of their coworkers) without danger of somehow being singled out and ostracized or trivialized. A staff meeting does not necessarily denote a democratic, equitable workplace.

Blah blah blah. I'll leave this alone...shit drives me bonkers.

Anyway, it would be interesting to canvass the opinions of low-wage workers on egullet and compare em to managers and owners to see where and if our sentiments follow our positions.

ps. Alistair, if you are reading this, i'll be in at 3pm.

3WC

[nwyles]

The low wage essentially is the employers way of saying, there are a million more where you came from, or rather "the doors will open tomorrow with or without you".

It means the show will go on, in some capicity or another. On the same note, the doors ( I trust ) will open if I am not there either. In order for the business to run, make money and pay wages, the doors have to be open to serve the guest.

It is a place of business, which in some form or another supports the staff and the owners. I am assuming that there are more than four staff that run the entire store and is it fair to put them and their livelihoods at risk ? Each individual had the abiltiy to leave the job at any time, whether with proper notice or not.

I find the actions childish and unprofessional but I also think that me thinking about this and having a chuckle was childish and unprofessional as well.

[ktbear]

The low wage essentially is the employers way of saying, there are a million more where you came from, or rather "the doors will open tomorrow with or without you".

I find the actions childish and unprofessional but I also think that me thinking about this and having a chuckle was childish and unprofessional as well.

Don't be too hard on yourself Neil I'm sure there were others (myself included)

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[3WholeCardamoms]

It means the show will go on, in some capicity or another. On the same note, the doors ( I trust ) will open if I am not there either. In order for the business to run, make money and pay wages, the doors have to be open to serve the guest.

I find the actions childish and unprofessional but I also think that me thinking about this and having a chuckle was childish and unprofessional as well.

←

You are not running a Blendz. While i did praphrase your words i did not necessarily mean that it applied to you as directly - sorry for the confusion. The tips of FOH workers are substantially higher in your spot, even if their hourly remains low. Different beast.

I think what i said still applies to most low wage earners in this type of employment (Blenz et al.). There is a vast pool of unemployed who can step into your spot when you make 8$.

Come on Neil, be childish and unprofessional. Live a little. Have a chuckle.

[Sam Salmon]

I applaud the actions of the employees and support them unreservedly.

Affixing their names publicly as they did shows guts and solidarity, the attention their action has generated has no doubt made other sweat shop employers think twice-as planned.

The smug/haughty attitudes as shown by some of the less experienced by still opinionated respondents to this thread are IMO regrettable.

Their callous and uncaring attitudes are the grit that breaks down successful operations and reduces business to nothing more than marks in a ledger with humans relegated to the trash heap-thus accelerating the rate of social decay.

(BTW-if you think that's a mouthful you should see me when I'm angry)

Edited February 16, 2006 by Sam Salmon (log)