Need help please

[njk5298]

I have a question on employees if anyone has had any exprierence with this your input would be greatly appreciated I have an employee that 90%of my customers love and always ask for she is great with customer service but she is not a very honest person i have not caught her stealing or seen anything but i geat that gut feeling. my question is if i would let her go would the customers go with her if not all at least some? What would you do in my case???

Thank you all for your help and time
Nick confused

[JimG17]

If you feel it in your gut, you're probably right. I've had the feeling, and didn't like it at all. It might be easy to say fire her, but then that introduces a whole new set of issues such as, recruiting, training and then living with the new employee, who may not be an improvement over the earlier one.

And yes, if she has a good rapport with "her" customers, many will follow her to a nearby mat.

You may want to try to keep her and "her" customers. Have you tried to introduce additional controls, i.e. numbered WDF tickets, ticket-by-ticket accounting of amount spent doing WDF, and then ticket-by-ticket tracking of orders paid for? It's more "administration" on your part, but the more tightly you control her, the better you feel that her opportunity to beat you is less and less.

[SecretarytoBraveDave]

Every employee is replaceable.

You should always go with your intuition and trust what it tries to tell you. Your customers may be disappointed with your decisions from time to time, but it is your business and ultimitely you must do you what is best for you. You want honest and customer friendly employees not one or the other.

[njk5298]

Thank you what i was afraid to hear i heard i dont have a problem with her stealing wdf but from the various soaps and laundry bags i sell i have a video system but sometimes those are not clear enough to diffrentiate the diffrent type of bills event though for 4 cameras and the recorder i spent over 3500 dollars i am in a real jam dont know what to do.

[petefritz]

If you can't trust the person than it won't work. The fact you are guessing at something that may or may not be happening is a little different. I agree with tighter controls. I have accused before on gut and been wrong, so now I only accept pure proof before guilty.

[scottwasher1]

Nick,
Ask your self...Why the "gut' feeling? Sometimes in management, one can begin to feel "threatened" by a popular employee. Youve already stated that she is well liked and most customers ask for her service. This is a tough call and hopefully I am WAY off the mark, but make sure that she is not "stealing your thunder" when it come s to popularity and recognition at the store (even though you own it). Sometimes internal feelings of "jealousy" can make even the best of us start to look for negatives in our people.

On the other hand, IF, in fact this woman is stealing your money or your product, and you have proven it beyond a shadow of a doubt...she needs to be eliminated right away.

A little psychology, a little reality..read it as you wish.
Good Luck!!-Scott

[WASCO_Mat]

How bout a great Camera system you can watch over the internet? Works great!

[mrclean]

Maybe the reason why customers like her is because she discounts their wash with the money she may be stealing.

[njk5298]

Thank you all for all your help.
I dont think that i am jealous of her i am actually pleased that customers come for her rather than me it gives me freedom. When i first opened in june of 04 i spent alot of time at my mat maybe 16hours a day 7 days a week when i would leave people would ask for me. Now they dont ask for me that much which makes me happy. I am located in a section of queens which has severe competion one on each block for 4 blocks my only hope was customer service (which nobody has the other people are rude and nasty ask them a question and its like to you told them to jump of the bridge). When a customer comes in we greet them help them if they need anything My point is she is excellent at that friendly and extremely energetic. I am still confused so far my business is going well i dont know if it is her or being that the mat is new so i guess ill have to see.
Thank you for your help and sorry about the long post.

P.S the only way i have found from them not to rob on wdf is marked quarters for what they use to do the wdf it takes me an extra 1hour everytime i count change but what the heck if i dont care who will.