R12.00 Cokes at Tokai

[GrumpyOldGuy]

The rest of my comments directed at the south african moron mentality, is just the way South African management think they do employee's a favour by employing them. I have worked for many SA companies and many europian based companies and beleive me I will never again work for a SA comapny.

 

 

Hmm, interesting, I dont know about typical SA companies (speaking big companies now) as I have never worked for anyone but myself, but I can relate to the attitude of entitlement so prevalent in many of the larger companies.

 

I was going to a trade show in Las Vegas one year and the chappie sitting next to me worked for Gillette's - anyway we were discussing this and that over dinner and he told me any employee who travels overseas for Gillettes travels business class - no matter who it is - the theory is that they arrive refreshed and ready to work, whereas the poor fella in economy generally needs a day or two to recover his humour.

 

I did a lot of work for Iscor (okay now Mittal) back then, and no-one traveled business class that I knew, so yeah, maybe theres something in it.

[covie]

Hmm, interesting, I dont know about typical SA companies (speaking big companies now) as I have never worked for anyone but myself, but I can relate to the attitude of entitlement so prevalent in many of the larger companies.

 

I was going to a trade show in Las Vegas one year and the chappie sitting next to me worked for Gillette's - anyway we were discussing this and that over dinner and he told me any employee who travels overseas for Gillettes travels business class - no matter who it is - the theory is that they arrive refreshed and ready to work, whereas the poor fella in economy generally needs a day or two to recover his humour.

 

I did a lot of work for Iscor (okay now Mittal) back then, and no-one traveled business class that I knew, so yeah, maybe theres something in it.

 

Grumpy not to turn this into a business methodology thread allow its 90% there, all the companies i have worked for in Europe have the same phylosophy, A happy employ is a good productive employee. and its simple things they do that count.

 

As for the traveling analogy, name me one person that likes to spend time away from his friends and family, traveling coach, with just barly enough money to eat properly let alone being able to go out and have a beer afterwards? So you as the employ is expected to give up your life, inconveniance yourself work your ass off away from everyone and everything, and not be compensated for any of it since .... your lucky you have a job?

 

Apart from traveling, in our UK offices, there is a international grade gym free, including personal trainers and dieticians. You can gym when you want not just during your lunch hour, the food and beverages is A grade and absolutly free, there are stress therapists, there are even nap rooms that when you feel down and tired you can just go have a nap.

 

Now the gym aside (mental vitalility) is the reasoning behind that, the food for free, increased productivitiy by a massive percentage since nobody leaves the building to go out for lunch, grab your food and go work at your desk, or having a meeting in the caf etc. sleeping rooms, they found increased producitvity by 17% since most people become unproductive after 3-5 hours of concentrating, a 30 minute nap puts you back on the ball. I can go on, the list is endless.

 

Now compare that to most of our companies, hell your lucky if you get shitty coffee for free down here.

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Grumpy not to turn this into a business methodology thread allow its 90% there, all the companies i have worked for in Europe have the same phylosophy, A happy employ is a good productive employee. and its simple things they do that count.

 

 

Yeah, The Japanese have a similar work theory and so do the French. I always chuckle when I visited my French supplier because no matter what they were doing at the time, 1PM everyone downed pens and trooped off to lunch, actually it was even expected of you to do so.

 

But if you think about it, it makes sense, after three / four hour meetings a break and lunch is welcome, and I always returned refreshed - well most times anyway, a lot depended on the wine at lunch.!

 

Actually, I have heard it said the French are one of the most productive work force's in the WESTERN world, so theres gotta be some truth in it.

[TYGA]

What annoys me more than the price is the way the owner of the Jonkershoek shop acts. Maybe I just ran over her puppy, but she is bloody rude.

 

Totally agree and it's a regular occurrence! Sourpuss of note but not even that can spoil my mood when I've been in Jonkies.

[Danger Dassie]

Hmm, interesting, I dont know about typical SA companies (speaking big companies now) as I have never worked for anyone but myself, but I can relate to the attitude of entitlement so prevalent in many of the larger companies.

 

I was going to a trade show in Las Vegas one year and the chappie sitting next to me worked for Gillette's - anyway we were discussing this and that over dinner and he told me any employee who travels overseas for Gillettes travels business class - no matter who it is - the theory is that they arrive refreshed and ready to work, whereas the poor fella in economy generally needs a day or two to recover his humour.

 

I did a lot of work for Iscor (okay now Mittal) back then, and no-one traveled business class that I knew, so yeah, maybe theres something in it.

 

I worked at fairly large local company for nearly 12 years and can identify with much of what Covie says, the same with internationals here that source locals to direct the companies.

May well be a generalisation, and there are good ones out there, but my experience is pretty much the same as Covie's.

One example, after years of keeping dilapidated furniture and equipment the workforce were promised that would change. Unfortunately this started with a top down approach and barely filtered to the mid and lower areas, especially the workshop floor. Which in my opinion on served to entrench the mistrust of management and low moral.

Also, 3 consecutive retrenchments (sorry "right sizing") compounded the problems above not to mention loss of skills.

[R3SL]

Hmm have to agree here with the price 2 minutes down the road is a garage coke R6:50. So they have just lost on a sale. There is usually 3 of us and after every ride we buy a coke at the garage. and after buying cokes there once never again.Yes they have to pay rent etc but so do lots of other places that sell coke. Why not R8 R10 at a push? Coke cost R4.75 at makro. Menu panning is make some thing more expinsve and other cheaper to get to the same cost at the end of the day. Tea cost nothing but can sell for R10.00 a cup

All they are doing is putting ppl off. That place is a gold mine all they need to know is how to use it.

Why not have a Ice cold water tank outside in summer with free ice water for MTBers? In winter hot coffee? Sometimes it takes alittle money to make money. I have so many ideas for that place. to try draw the guys in. A secure bike park area for when you sit and have a drink, bike wash,free coffee with a muffin. Cold face cloths given to you by a hot babe etc.

Get a little stall that sells a few spares, tubes, links etc not a lot just some things that may have been left behind.

Make a tokai coffee shop loyalty card buy x amount get 1 free etc. Get something going for kids so the wife/hubby could wait there for the better half on the track?

 

Tokai see loads of cyclist every day and yet that place always seems empty. That is without all the oldies that ramble up there.

Sorry

as you say dont buy but its sad seeing a place like that that could be so nice. Could have a hubbers club there

Its because the service is so KAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAK and they are always out of stock, its a real pity as they they are sitting on a potential goldmine , but the news has got around that they always run out of everything etc etc , 6 of us went there for a meal and they only had enough food for 4 of us, R3SL

[YUMEYA]

If the shop was at the mast, with its R12 cokes...we would all be happy to pay that, after all that suffering??

I would pay a crap load for shade. MMMM...now theres an idea.

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Also, 3 consecutive retrenchments (sorry "right sizing") compounded the problems above not to mention loss of skills.

 

Yeah, sure, but I also think big SA companies have a lot of "issues" to deal with that many big international ones dont, and sometimes it clouds their judgement.

[leet22]

Its because the service is so KAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAK and they are always out of stock, its a real pity as they they are sitting on a potential goldmine , but the news has got around that they always run out of everything etc etc , 6 of us went there for a meal and they only had enough food for 4 of us, R3SL

I can tell you why. They have no experiance in running a food outlet. The day I was there they were doing the days cash up on a table right at the door and were discussing the till slip from PnP . Looks like they only buy with waht ever mony is comming in. I may be wrong but thats the way it looks from what i saw.

I also waited for servcie. I walked in and waited while the staff were talking and from the waiters expression looked like it was a bit of a bother helping. Maybe they going through teething problems. the toilets are being fixed up a bit which is quite nice.

[Danger Dassie]

Yeah, sure, but I also think big SA companies have a lot of "issues" to deal with that many big international ones dont, and sometimes it clouds their judgement.

 

Oh absolutely, and employees do take one hell of an advantage. I do feel that overall though, SA companies have a distinctly different approach which is not one of viewing the workforce as assets but rather as overheads.

Which in my own opinion, is a contributing factor the lack of skills in the country.

Thats one of the reasons I opted for a voluntary package.

[vanniri]

Didn't I once read it was the McD's begga? Then again I guess Coke is available in far more countries in the world Fand?

 

McD´s is used due to its ingredients being considered a better reflection of underlying economic activity, i.e. more industries are involved in the value chain than with for eg coke

[aleksandar]

It seems mentality is "Take money and run!". You must ask your self if you are receiving value for money. Very often that is not the case and now I just simply say "no thanks". If business is supporting any of the causes that I'm interested in then I simply pay with a smile regardless of value for money proposition.

On a positive side having vehicle with fridge and awning makes my life much easier these days.

If I take kids out for a ride or to the beach I stock with stuff that we might need which is quite big saving considering all the things that kids want to buy in the shop or restaurant.

[my_intense]

Never did I realise that a menial little musing about the price of a coke could lead to an intense (err..) debate on free market forces, exploitation of consumers and the nutritional value of carbonated sugar water :-)

 

Ok, so briefly:

1. Free market forces. If it's too expensive don't buy it. Easy, I get that. Consumer exploitation still irks me. I don't mind paying 12 bucks+ if I sit down and get served. But a can out of a fridge over the counter.....There's a business opportunity here for someone with a big cooler box full of choccies and coolies on any weekend at Tokai/Jonkershoek/Hillcrest/etc.

2. Coke in general. I used coke as a metaphor. If I buy canned sugarwater, which is very seldom, it would be a green Ice Tea (also R12 in Tokai :-). However, somewhere in the middle of the Malutis on the Freedom Challenge, you arrive at a leetle spaza shop, and you have a choice of coke or carling black label. period. Those cokes we call "the little red ambulance"...man it's heaven after all that luke-warm water that tastes of plastic and old energy drinks. (Hard to resit the Black Label though :-)

 

cheers!

 

 

[Slowbee]

Leet, lets buy the place ....

[pastapouch]

Thats why you get coolerboxes. You put YOUR drinks and snacks in there for after the ride/race. R12/coke, thats like double of the price @ P&P, Spar, checkers...

[my_intense]

@Cervelo: That assumes you arrived in a car and parked. On a long weekend training ride, Tokai is but a stop over along the way. Of course there's a cold Windhoek in the fridge at home though. We call it the Green Ambulance.

 

{I now expect a ton of heat about how bad it is to drink beer }