Week #7

Week 7 was very eventful; I met with four different operations.  On Monday, I was with Chris Kaeser at Book Mark and Starbucks.  I had a lot of fun on this day; we were able to do taste pairings with coffee and pastries, inventory, stocking, etc.  Chris let me put numbers into the computer to figure out how his operations did over the weekend.  We talked about how he manages the different coffee places and the staff that works in each.  Chris also showed me around the Union, and explained all of the operations there.  Tuesday, I was with Windeon McDowell at the Union Market.  The Union Market is a new operation on campus; Windeon has done a remarkable job keeping the place looking great and creating menus for the hot bar.  It was nice getting a tour of the market and having him explain how the store is set up.  I also thought the idea behind The Range was great with the touch screen ordering.  I was even able to build my own sandwich, it was very tasty!  On Wednesday, I met with Donna Dye at Einstein’s for lunch.  I was able to talk to with her about managing small retail operations and how she worked her way up.  I also asked her questions regarding managerial duties and what her daily tasks are.  Thursday I was supposed to give my Employee In-Service presentation during the managers meeting, however I went home early that day because I was sick.  I will be giving it next Thursday.  On Friday I worked with Georgia Leffler in Xcetera, we also went to her other operations- Couch Express and Freshens.   She showed me how she manages each of the three and how she keeps up with Xcetera.  I learned about putting in orders and when they come in.  I also learned how to log transfers and what happens if items were not sent properly.  I was able to see how the convenience store side of things works in housing and food services.

This week was very interactive, which I really enjoyed.  I love doing hands on work and they were all great experiences.  I was excited I had the chance to see more operations.  I also finished more work with my projects, which is exciting!