Intro

JOE & THE JUICE has always been about doing things our way with a natural approach. Although this ‘natural’ behavior which we promote can sometimes be perceived by the ‘outside world’ as being controversial. Due to this ongoing challenge, we will always face, we need to constantly be aware that our actions can be misinterpreted at any time.

As a Juicer, every day you come to work and step into a scene where your every movement is analyzed by many different surrounding opinions. In addition, being different will always gain further attention in any society… but regardless of these facts, this will never stop us from being true to who we are and proud of it!

Our Juicers have the most influence and power towards representing who we are as a brand but “with great power comes great responsibility”. We need to realize this responsibility and do our best with representing JOE & THE JUICE in any situation. Being a part of our culture obligates you to pursue the best possible representation you can give us. You do not only carry the burning torch of our brand but also our image. Your actions affect all of our reputations in JOE.

In this module, we will go through different tools and mindsets for a Juicer to utilize. Not just to understand the responsibility of having a good attitude but also to learn what you need to keep in mind to be able to perform and progress within the MoneyBall.

If we told you that you should always have a good attitude, would you disagree? No, you wouldn’t. What is also certain to us is that in most situations, the key factor for handling any guest is the attitude of the Juicer. Even the most difficult situations can result in a great experience for the guests involved because it just requires the right attitude to turn the situation around!

The Why

The first thing you need to address is the ominous ‘why’. Ask yourself: “Why am I here and what do I want to achieve?” There are many different answers to that question depending on which Juicer you ask. The reasons could be that it is your “one year off before starting school again” or “a chance to build new social ties”. Your initial answer might be short-sighted or just about getting a job like everyone else. Although, eventually you will most likely want to have a more satisfying reason for why you work for JOE & THE JUICE. That deeper reason is your meaningful ‘why’.

To maximize your own potential, you need a meaningful purpose to give you the direction and the necessary drive towards your goal.

The Common Denominator

As we will cover further in the Brand Behaviour Program, JOE & THE JUICE’s goal is to create a platform where our Juicers are given the chance to “Be the best version of themselves” but the process does not start from that program, it already starts from your first day in JOE. “Be the best version of yourself” is a concept everyone can identify themselves with and promotes you to focus on the individual areas YOU WANT to improve on…nobody else! Regardless of which areas you choose to improve upon, the one aspect of this concept that is indisputable, is your character.

Character = The Common Denominator

The Hierarchy of Why

If you want to reach a specific GOAL you need to first have certain ABILITIES to achieve that goal. Such required abilities can only be gained through a long-repeated PROCESS of hard work. The discipline for upholding the process can only be maintained by your CHARACTER. These features are building blocks laid on top of each other to support you towards your goal. This also entails that the foundation, meaning the first feature to focus on, is to build your character. A lot of people talk about their goals and only focus on the end result but they do not respect the long journey and many steps in between. It requires many decisions and applications to be made along the way to even come close enough to reach the goal.

Another good reason for focusing on the initial building blocks (steps) first is that if you initially fail in reaching your goal, you still have your abilities, experience, and values to fall back on which no one can ever take from you. Whether you reach your goal or not, you will realize that you are happier about your character because you have experienced a lot and gained more abilities than what you originally thought you could achieve. Meaning the purpose becomes your character. So potentially the Triangle has flipped around…

“We want to help build character…
Values, Attitude, Perseverance,

…but you need to respect the process…
Training, Study, Experience,

…which develops your abilities…
Product Making, Leadership, Knowledge,

…that will help you achieve your goal” …
Meaningfulness, Purpose, Direction.

Attitude

Now, what does all this mean?

Whatever your ‘Why’ is, remember that your character is the key component that unlocks the first step on the road towards your goal.

A person’s character is shown by how they act, think, and feel in life. Character isn’t any one thing; it’s the pattern a person demonstrates through how they interact, treat others, and react in different situations. Your character is defined by your values and attitude which are active choices everyone needs to make. This is not something which is simply done occasionally, it is in all situations where you need to make these choices.

Whether it is holding the door for an old lady, addressing a person with respect, helping a friend in need, standing up for a family member or being a positive influence on people around you.

Ask yourself;

“Was I the best version of myself in that situation?
“Did I make the right decision?”

Good character is about being understanding in awkward situations, not losing your temper, being respectful to all people, being honest, taking responsibility, and showing care to your surroundings. You achieve good character from the decisions you make regarding your attitude … So –

“CHOOSE YOUR ATTITUDE”

‘Perception is Reality’

When you have made decisions about your attitude it is time to consider another aspect which is a tool to help you understand how other people can experience you.

This tool is using the following statement as a mind-set; “You are how someone perceives you”. Meaning that no matter how polite you think are, if several different people perceive you as arrogant then you are an arrogant person. Said in another way: “there is no smoke without fire”. An example of this could be that you believe that you are a humble person but one day your friend tells you that they see you as “pretentious” (a show-off). Your friend’s perception of you is their reality and you need to accept it but also remember that you have the power to make a choice about how you want to be perceived.

When we put this into JOE perspective the same rules apply. We experience many incidents where guests perceive the Juicer as being impolite or arrogant. The fact is that it results in an awkward situation for both the Juicer and guest, even worse spreading a terrible reputation for us all. The guests’ ‘perception becomes their reality’ which impacts all of us. This is why we should use their perception as our key marker to evaluate and improve ourselves day-to-day.

If guests or colleagues see you as arrogant or having a bad attitude in any way you need to reflect instead of merely rejecting their opinion. Reflection will ALWAYS develop you as a person and help you to make the changes you know will influence the perception of you … So –

“BE REFLECTIVE”

Care

When you have accepted the concept of ‘Perception is Reality’ you will realize in JOE we invest a lot of care to handle our guests well. Not just care in handling awkward situations but in all day-to-day aspects of the store.

What is care? Care is a combination of being observant and patient at the same time. You need to observe the situation and then you need to have the patience to persistently do it correctly, no matter what it takes. A good example of this is when a Juicer notices dirt on the surface of the bar, they try to remove it with a cloth when knowing they should have used soap and a scotch pad to do it properly. The Juicer shows observance but does not have the patience to use the correct method to clean it, resulting in a lack of care. The same example can be used in many typical situations with guests. One common issue we often experience is when a guest is uncertain about what they should choose from the menu which causes the Juicer to become irritated and slightly rude because they are busy. Again, the Juicer noticed the uncertainty but makes no attempt to provide direction to help the guest decide. The Juicer does not have the patience to do it correctly by helping and therefore the care for the guest is non-existent.

All situations need to be handled with great care because it can turn into a minefield of misunderstandings that all have the same end result = bad attitude. To demonstrate care is having the ability to always reflect on your patience in every situation. Patience to do it correct the first time even though you are in a stressed situation or patience towards a guest who is being difficult … So –

“HAVE PATIENCE”

Cases

We are now going to take a look at some cases to exemplify how your attitude can either help or ruin a situation. The main exercise here is to actively reflect on each case and not just simply read about it because you will most likely experience similar situations yourself.

1) MUSIC

Situation:

It is Saturday and the music has been turned up because the Juicers are excited to be busy. A guest visits the store, orders and then receives their products, and sits down with their friend who they haven’t seen in a long time. After some time, the guest feels that the music continuously interferes with their conversation so asks one of the Juicers to turn down the music. Despite being in a good mood, this is the 3rd time the Juicer has been asked to do so and quickly responds to the guest with; “the music is a part of the JOE & THE JUICE concept, it will not be turned down and if they have a problem with that then they could just leave the store”. This response from the Juicer is dismissive without even attempting to understand or reason with the guest and the tone was too direct.

Reflection:

The music is always the first feature guests recognize when entering our store so will most likely be the issue that will cause them to become irritated and complain. Unfortunately, this is a well-known situation that has been with us from the start and continues to happen. The guest is only there for a short period and just wants to be able to catch up with their friend. Maybe JOE wasn’t the most optimal place to go to but any time a guest approaches, the Juicer should be respectful. The Juicer could have been a lot smoother when handling the situation and the guest doesn’t know that they are the 3rd person with the same request. In the end, the Juicer just comes off as rude and disrespectful. The point here is that the Juicer should be aware of their own patience in that situation and the way they serve a message instead of coming across as rude with snapping remarks.

The simple solution here is we can always turn down the music for 20 minutes to allow such guests time to enjoy catching up with their friends in our surroundings.

2) GUEST ACCIDENTALLY DROPS THEIR SHAKE ONTO THE FLOOR

Situation:

A guest orders a shake and a sandwich which they pick up at the bar. On their way down to the table, the guest drops the shake and spills it all over the floor. It is an embarrassing moment for the guest who then asks the Juicers behind the bar for a napkin to clean up the mess. The Juicer is a bit stressed about the mess in the Customer Area and has a hard time hiding their emotion, making it even more obvious through their despairing body language. The Juicer quickly hands the guest a cloth to clean up the shake on the floor.

Reflection:

Accidents happen all the time, especially in a high tempo place like JOE & THE JUICE. Remember it is just as annoying for the guest to have dropped the shake because not only have they wasted their beverage but they need to clean up the mess. When in fact, the Juicer actually has a great opportunity to make the guest’s day by taking it with a smile, helping out the guest with the cleaning, and afterward making a new shake free of charge. In this situation, the cost of the shake is irrelevant compared to what it means to our guests. After all, it is those good experiences that bring the guest back to us, allowing you to able to serve that shake again!

This is the ultimate sign of a good JOE character to be able to go that extra inch.

3) REQUESTS ON PRODUCTS

Situation:

A guest receives as GAD but after the first sip of the juice, they realize that the taste of ginger is weak compared to the last time they had the same juice.

Guest: “Did you forget to put ginger in my juice?”
Juicer: “No! I did put ginger in your juice”
Guest: “But I can’t really taste it?”
Juicer: “I put in the amount of ginger I am supposed to put in!”

Reflection:

One of the main issues we experience is when a guest complains about a product. The Juicer then takes it as a personal attack and persistently tries to defend their work by referring to how they were taught by JOE to follow specific rules. The Juicer is proud of their work and they should be – but they shouldn’t feel that it is an attack on them. The instant reply from the Juicer will be viewed as an arrogant answer to the guest’s issue. There really isn’t an issue here, just a fact and the reaction to that fact. Why not be the cool person who earnestly says, “Let me put some extra ginger in that juice” with a smile?

4) WAITING TIME

Situation:

It is Saturday and the store is very busy. The Juicers behind the bar have just executed Kill The Queueperforming 2onTill and proceed in making all the orders. A guest enters the store seeing no queue and assumes that he/she will be quickly served once they have placed their order. The Juicer on the till does not inform the guest about the current waiting time because the Juicer ALSO ASSUMES that it should be obvious to the guest how busy they are at that moment. Unaware, the guest ends up waiting 20 minutes, asking several times for their juice, and becomes increasingly frustrated about the ‘slow service’. The Juicer snaps back at the guest, “it’s coming!” feeling the guest is being unreasonable with how busy they are.

Reflection:

It is obvious that the guest does not understand how we work and they never truly will. They can only guess the expected waiting time by the length of the queue. Therefore, the guest’s perception of waiting time is not in line with what it really is.

At the same time, the Juicer assumes it is obvious to this guest that there are many orders to be made before their order will be ready. When the guest continues to ask for their juice, the Juicer becomes irritated and it is here that the situation is ruined by the response. This burst of frustration from the Juicer is what the guest will define as being rude.

The cause of the problem in this situation is that the Juicer ASSUMES but does not inform the guest! What the Juicer at the till station should have done was to inform about the waiting time before the guest pays for their order to match the guest’s expectations to our current waiting time.

Juicer Core

The entire content of this program can be summed up into what we call the Juicer Core. The Juicer Core is a reminder for all of us who want to actively work towards becoming a better person and at the same time always provide our guests’ with a great experience.

Mentality
CHOOSE YOUR ATTITUDE
– The Why
– Character

BE REFLECTIVE
– Perception is Reality

HAVE PATIENCE
– Care
– Observance

When you have fully mastered these traits, you will have personally developed yourself but also the brand of JOE & THE JUICE.

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