With a bunch of E-coli breakouts and sanitary problems at their stores where does the blame lie? With the employees? Store management? Corporate? Obviously, there are standards in place but not being adhered to. The issue has become an even bigger problem for Chipotle and is affecting its bottom line, as per the article (below) customers are staying away in droves.
I know I have seen some disgusting things at various locations like:
- Customers leaning over the sneeze guard pointing at the items they want to workers on the other side
- Workers spit talking into their gloves as they consort with other coworkers and personal visitors.
- I’ve also seen employees wipe the food prep area clean with their gloves/hands and then make the following customer’s (in line) food
I give these examples as reasons why I did not back to any of Chipotle’s locations because they are legitimate instances that maybe at one time we would have:
- Downplayed in some manner (just one time or one bad apple employee)
- Ignored as if we “did not see that” (disbelief)
- Or simply did not catch as loyal customers to our favorite lunch spot.
But with all the bad press Chipotle is receiving you add onto these types of experiences and you wonder does it really matter where the blame lies? Obviously, there is a clear need for an examination of the training and hiring practices that are currently in existence. But from an Organization Development (OD) standpoint, there needs to be an implementation of better coaching practices by the Chipotle management at the local and corporate levels. But what else can be done?
One possibility is that there be a lack of mystery shoppers for the organization, something we never hear Chipotle publicly admitting as other fast food chains do. This could be the leading factor to why there is missing data of these issues or why this problem “blew up” into this major catastrophe as it did. This data would have clearly given Chipotle a clear point of view regarding the chain’s hygiene and other assorted practices from the customers at a ground level.
Maybe the issue lies within the typical corporate culture that many organizations are guilty of and Chipotle is simply ignoring or whitewashing the truth about its stores for its investors and the generic public. In either case, how does Chipotle right its ship and gain its faltering customer base back? Free burritos? Chorizo? Maybe the organization needs to do something more drastic either way it would be an incredible challenge for the average OD professional but where would you start?
You can read more about Chipotle’s issues by clicking on this hyperlink:
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