#542 Union: Now that's hospitality!

[Aaron]

... or not.

Made the trip up to Union last evening to check things out
and wasn't really suprised, honestly. The store wad deader
than mine, which shocked me. Upon my arrival promptly at
4 PM I noticed their doors were the logo, which look rather
fresh, and more welcoming. The foyer had backlit posters
about Fundrai$er$ and Apple Pizza/Cinna Stix. From there
you saw kidcheck, which was finally put back into the right
way. Now when I walked in, no one was at kidcheck. Two
"managers" were sitting there. One was clearly a manager
as he had on the blue long sleeve CEC shirt and an "every
kid's a winner!" pin, pinning down one of his collars. The
other just had on a green shirt without a tie. No one in this
store had on neither a belt nor a lanyard, so telling who
was who was interesting. Upon entering the gameroom, I
say two techs fixing games and avoiding all guests. The
pizza came out beyond over proofed. It was the nastiest
thing ever. The dough didn't even taste fresh, which
immediately turned off all thought of ordering anything else.

Regardless of how the food one, was major turn off was the
hospitality there. If that's what they call it, that is. I'm
talkin' the salad bar that had no lettuce, and what was in
there was brown. I'm talking the overflowing bevbar...
on a dead day. The way they threw the pizza down on the
table, with 12 plates for two people... No check backs, no
need for hospitality- the way they jip parties of cake stands
and arches. It was the worst thing I've ever seen.

The physical appearance of the store, however, was very
clean, and looks much better than the white walls. It's just
too bad the exterior of the restaurant never got done---
the managers were saying it was because of the height.

CM's and management alike were all hanging out at kidcheck
from 8 PM on. oh well, I guess that's just how they roll.

Chuck E. Cheese of NJ

[sungun12]

grrr, that makes me frustrated

[Aaron]

The fact that thier announcement started out...
hey hey hey whats really good made me want to
vomit.. swear that store needs some dicipline.

Chuck E. Cheese of NJ

[CEC Kid Check]

No one in this store had on neither a belt nor a lanyard,
Do coperate stores have a rule about wearing a belt and lanyard???
I know at my coperate store here in AZ, they don't wear belts and they aren't required to wear lanyards...
At franchise stores (like mine), we don't have to wear lanyards, but I know we have to wear a belt.
I stop wearing my lanyard, because I got sick of losing my pins and trying to track THEM ALL ;) done, but don't worry, I found them all!!!:D

[Aaron]

Both a belt and your lanyard are part of your uniform
and must be worn at all time, in a corperate store.

Chuck E. Cheese of NJ

[Shiney Happy Jenn]

Yep...and i like the lanyard look although it is way too reminisent of Disney's Pin Trading and what's many retail stores are doing these days.

Still, it's cooler then having to have to wear a tie, exspecially if you are a girl manager!

[Rapid T Rabbit]

But did you see Chuck E. around at all?

I really miss the good old days, both before my cast days and during. If you were patient enough, or even asked, the mouse would be in the house!

Wish I could fill those shoes again, OR at the very least get the management of that store to have Chuck E. out there regularly again, like he was for 19 years. And a mouse that cares too...

[Shiney Happy Jenn]

Richard, have you seriously thought of maybe re-applying....maybe this time "incognito"?

By this i mean just apply out of the blue and dont let on about your past or your previous experiences. Just apply and see what happens.

I bet you'll hear from them....

[Aaron]

Chuck is nonexistant at that store. And if he does
even bother showing up, its not worth it. He's beat
up-- beyond repair. Like the last time the high volume
store ordered a new Chuck was probably the last time
the franchise ordered-- its the same outfit. No avenger
there, which is actually pretty weird.

Chuck E. Cheese of NJ

[Rapid T Rabbit]

Jenn I don't think it would work, and in fact I think I did re-apply there twice without so much as any response. Besides with my limited availability due to my regular job and handful of other occaisional mascot events I do on weekends, they wouldn't want me, nor keep me in costume exclusively. Plus they probably would think I'm crazy to be coming all the way from NYC to work there.

[Shiney Happy Jenn]

Ah...well okay then Richard i can see what you mean. Yeah, your schedule would conflict with what they would probably want...and more then likely they would have you work other areas and not just do the Rat ( unless Union is a High volume location).

It's sad to hear the suit in Union is in such crappy condition. It really boils my blood when i go to a Store and see a unkept, ratty looking Rat! There is NOT EXCUSE for this....and it seems to even be true at the higher volume stores which is utterly ridiculous! I mean , these stores are pulling down triple numbers weekly and they can't even afford to buy Chuck a new set of $8 teeth! And i won't even get into the cleaning issues that most stores seem to have. It is indeed a rare location that has a clean looking suit, let alone a brushed Chuck with clean clothing and well maintaned parts. It's just that no one cares....that's what it boils down to really. No one gives a hoot...and that's a shame.

Thank God Long Branch is different! The Chuckmiester looks fab there....ive seen him from the inside out and he is well cared for. Now if only other locations like Union would get their act together in the costume care department.

Maybe it's a GOOD thing we did'nt see Chuck E. in Wayne that night in Spetember....huh Aaron? Ack..can you JUST IMAGINE ( based on what we experienced at a Store level??!)

Argh!!:x

[Aaron]

Our district has a budget where we all put un $300 each month so each store
in our district can get their new suit on schedule, without blowing their budget.

And God only knows what Chuck looks like in Wayne... thought it does make
one curious. And Union is in fact another high volume store. Suprise? I think not.

--NJ

[Shiney Happy Jenn]

Well that just settles it then..

I'll jsut have to come back and we'll trudge off the Union. Dressed up in our garb, they will think we are from Corporate and we can say we are officially here to officially inspect there costume condition.

Oooo sounds fun already! :b

[Aaron]

Ha! And Jenn I have your long lanyard here with an EKAW pin, and a pendant!

You have a shirt that says, "show me the STANDARD!" I was lucky enough
to sercure myself one of them and I love it. Makes people stand there and shiver.

--NJ

[Rapid T Rabbit]

Gee, what can I wear when I come with you back there?

All I have are a couple of the old red CEC jackets.

Wait a minute...I do have a Chuck E. necktie.

[Shiney Happy Jenn]

Thanks Aaron.....i'm thrilled! Can't wait to get all those goodies you have ferreted away for me....:D

I don't have the "Show me the Standard" shirt, but a lot of other things. All my old uniforms, polos, and my starched official company long sleeve dress shirt. The few rare times i wear that baby....wooee.....the Cm's quake and the Managers sweat thinking i'm from Corporate.

I'll be sure NOT to wear that nice white pressed shirt though next time i am at Long Branch as Aaron swears that next visit if it's busy they are tossing me in the Kitchen to relive my old "Kitchen Rat" days and ways....8o

[Aaron]

Ha! You WILL be my kitchen guru for the day period end of discussion!
What old shirt do you have? I only have blue, white and yellow long sleeves w/ the avenger on them.
That, and a bunch of short sleeves.

--NJ

[Shiney Happy Jenn]

Oh well let's see..here's a list with descriptions and the various nicknames i had for these uniforms:

For dress shirts:

White dress shirt longsleeve
Light Blue dress shirt longsleeve
--- both of these have the old Sport Chuck logo ( yellow/green).

For short sleeve polos:

Several "RedShirts" ( CM uniforms) and ball cap for Kitchen Rat use. I still have my dark blue CM shorts as well...so if ya need a CM sometime...LOL!

"TechStripes" ( black n' white polo with large vertical stripes). I loved this shirt...it predated the current striped GameRoom Stripes by 3 years. My old Tech Douggie used to wear these shirts and got me hooked on them. Those white areas on the shirt though were hard to keep clean..thus the reason for them being discontinued.

"MarcusStripes" I wore this in NJ that day Aaron! For those reading, this is a red/white/dark blue vertiacally striped polo. Perhaps the best example of it's use is in the famous Show Intermission from 2001 featuring none other then Duncan Brennen wearing one in "After Hours..?" I loved that shirt! This shirt was named after my GM at the time Marcus, who first introduced me to this style of polo when he arrived fresh out of training. Up until then i had never seen one..so it made quite an impression! The fact that Marcus had red hair complimented the shirt, as it had a large red stripe that ran straight up your front and back! Talk about being color-coordinated..LOL! This is perhaps my fave of all the shirts i had to regularly wear...but hard to keep clean due to the white areas and constant Kitchen/Game hazards. It survived though!

"TrainingStripes" These are the old Team2 red/white vertically striped polos once sent to brand new locations for trainers' use in 2000/01'. I wore this shirt at CV2...its in many photos from that event and will be seen shortly in the forthcoming CV2 dvd release ( hopefully..soon!) We recieved these in Methuen when i was there to help pre-opening in 2001.

"Standard" shirt--These were various colored polos that were introduced in 2000 for managers to wear as a alternative to the then Standard uniform of dress shirts and ties ( even for girls!). It was a refreshing and comfy change! I have the white/black trim one, dark blue/tan trim one also. These are still used at stores today, but the new versions have the current CEC logo ( Toddler Cheese).

"MethuenStripes"-- This was a short-lived polo from 2001 that i started wearing during my year stint at the Metheun location. It was a unusal design but primarily consisted of a dark blue shirt with this funky side bar of bright blue and white that ran along your right side. The sleeves were two different colors too!
"
GameRoom Stripes"-- the current thin striped game room shirts first intorduced in 2002 or so. I have 2 of these...

"Yellow Trainer"--this was another style of training shirt for new locations. It was bright yellow with a embrodered Coach Chuck E. logo "Opening Team". Some of these turn up on E-bay once in a while.

These striped polos were issued to make the manger more visable..at least that's my therory. When i would see others i worked with wear these same shirts of the time, they stood out from the crowd and it helped locate a Tech or Manager quickly on the busy floor days. A year or so after the striped polo look, the shirts were changed over to the more simple, solid and subdued colors of today.

I also still have a drawer full of ties from my early days as a manager at CEC. Some of these are licensed CEC graphic ties, and a couple of them are original hand-painted ties i did of Classic Chuck. I would often wear my old name badges too...PTT era ones...and those would always go over well with the visiting Managers, Corporate folks, and guests. The DM got a kick out of em' too...

So yeah...whatever you wanted me to do Aaron i could dress for it in full uniform! Ha ha ha!!!

[Aaron]

Ha! Damn, you have a lot. All I have are the following shirts...

black/khaki with old chuck
black/white with avenger chuck
white/black with avenger
blue/khaki with avenger
purple/khaki with old
white/navy stripes "show me the standard" with old

long sleeves:
white, yellow, and blue avengers.

Blahhhh, I have to do laundry, too! Ha!

Deefinetaly- when we go in for our "review" of the store it will be a full standards day for us!

Have a Magical Day

--NJ

[sungun12]

man, when we were still franchise and I was "crew leader" (a position i guess we kind of made up, there was no OC or CC, you were just a crew leader before being a mgr. kind of like lead trainer i guess), anyways i was that and wore the polos. i had a ton cause there were 2 crew leaders above me, i got it when they got promoted and they gave me all their shirts since all mgrs wear button downs with ties <~~~yea the whole dressing like a man thing.

Do you know how many times a day i get called Sir???? Especially if someone comes up behind me since my hair is kind of chopped up in the back. Usually when i stand up, turn around and they actually get a look at me theyll be like, oh, sorry, i mean ma'am. one time this old lady kept calling me sir ALL DAY and i just wanted to flash her and say 'look! i have boobies!! im not a sir!" but yea, i would prob. get fired for that, i dont think indecent exposure is allowed...although i dont remember seeing that listed in the handbook.....

[sungun12]

oh yea but the whole point was that when i got promoted to mgr, i gave all my polo's to the girl who got promoted to crew leader. wish i wouldve kept them

ever notice how the topics usually get off topic? i think half the time im the one who initiates that...:\

[Aaron]

I don't remember those shirts.. really weird!
Ha! It's not just you, Missy. We all diverge I have not reread one of my own posts
that was actually about the topic of the thread. We need a thread for shirts.
There were more than we knew of, I guess. That's the CEC gurus way-- figure it out. :)
What do you wear now, Missy?

--NJ

[sungun12]

nothing!....haha, button down with tie and lanyard with all my super sweet pins

[Aaron]

What pins do you have? 8o

--NJ

[sungun12]

i got...

ekaw, team 2, summer of fun, cm of the month (haha), no guest complaints for the summer pin and a tech pin that is RARE as hell and i guarantee not many people have that one.

what i dont have is a winter wonderland pin, i lost mine and i dug apart the office and we dont have an extra one anywere...anyone got an extra one??

[Aaron]

Hmm... what tech pin is it?
Do you have any snowflakes from Winder1derland? I might have a few of those, and a 1derland pin.

--NJ

[Aaron]

Here's my pins in they're exact order, from top to bottom.

Left Side
3 Year PTT Pin
TEAM2 Certified
Secret Service Snowflake 1
Secret Service Snowflake 2
Winter1derland
Secret Service Snowflake 3

Right Side
Magic Pin
No Guest Complaints Summer 2005
Cast Member of the Month 2005
Secret Service Snowflake 4
Secret Service Snowflake 5
Super Chuck Summer
Secret Service Star (the gold one)

And right in the center is EKAW

--NJ

[CEC3066]

here ya go Missy: cgi.ebay.com/Chuck-E-Cheese-Winder1derland-Pin-Pinback-NEW-NIP_W0QQitemZ6241820539QQcategoryZ50791QQrdZ1QQcmd ZViewItem (http://cgi.ebay.com/Chuck-E-Cheese-Winder1derland-Pin-Pinback-NEW-NIP_W0QQitemZ6241820539QQcategoryZ50791QQrdZ1QQcmd ZViewItem)

GOOD LUCK!

[sungun12]

i dont have a snowflake or winter1derland pin...

the tech pin is a pic of chuck in a black & white gameroom shirt

[Aaron]

Do you want some snowflakes? Shoot me an IM. :hat

--NJ

[CEC3066]

the link I posted is a ebay link for a Winter1derland pin.