The manager must be able to solve problems, communicate, and lead teams toward the completion of a task. You are the manager of the northern branch of the Laurel City Bowling Alleys. The owner, Jill Espy, has 4 other bowling alleys around town. The average employee assigned to the concession stand of all the Laurel City Bowling Alleys lasts approximately 3 years. However, in your branch, the average employee lasts only 8 months. Jill is concerned about the lack of retention of concession employees especially since training new employees is costly to the company and this high turnover is costing her money that could be better spent elsewhere.

You have talked with your current concession staff and have learned that pay and scheduling may have some effect on the turnover rate. Employees feel that the pay is low and the scheduling is erratic making it difficult to make plans outside of work. You know that employees do not benefit from pay raises because they tend to leave before being at the alleys for a year.

One worker indicated that many of the workers do not know how to handle difficult customers. It makes them not want to come to work. At the time, the focus seems to be on getting the job done rather on customer service.

• Using the employee’s feedback and other facts from the case scenario, what ideas should you consider motivating or changing employee morale that would encourage employees to stay longer in the job?