Friday, December 2, 2011

Godfather Employee Challenges Cain to Fight

cainresized

This was a “TweetLonger” tweet that is worth posting for the search engines to find.  Heartfelt appeal from a Godfather employee who was about to quit when Herman Cain took over Godfather’s Pizza.

Jeffrey Megown (@jmegown52302)

Posted Friday 2nd December 2011 from TweetCaster

@THEHermanCain
Mr. Cain: December 2, 2011
My name is Keith Lacy. I started with Godfather's Pizza 27 years ago as a crew member. I needed the job to support myself through college. I watched Godfather's Pizza go from its pinnacle of popularity and success then to its downward spiral. Over the years I was challenged repeatedly. I would climb the ranks from employee to shift supervisor then to manager only to have the company sold off. I would return to employee status and start over again. With each attempt to save Godfather’s Pizza by a new ‘parent company’ and the subsequent return to the bottom of the success ladder I questioned why I stayed.
After each demoralizing purchase then sale of our company things ALWAYS changed for the worse. My friends would quit or be eliminated, standards were dropped and it always seemed they put new people in management who knew nothing about Godfather’s Pizza and were there JUST to get a check. I had been taught from the beginning that Godfather’s Pizza was different. When I started we were EXPECTED to be BETTER. We THREW AWAY less than perfect ingredients, we were expected to make great pizza’s, we only elevated THE BEST to management, we strived for good attitudes and a positive customer experience. Most of the managers I worked with in the early years only left to own their own operation or move up in the company. I was bitter that we had been whored out to various profit takers and each time come-back worse as a company. I had my plan and prepared my two week notice. Three days before I had planned on quitting you started with Godfather’s Pizza. I already had another job concurrently as well as attending college so I was not happy to go through ‘deconstruction’ by another ‘executive’.
I wanted to give my notice to Joel Schuff, our regional supervisor. He was the one person I trusted in the company. Through each change in ownership, he too, had been stretched to the limit but kept telling me “how do we know THIS will not be good until we try?” He was an excellent supervisor and a great motivator. I waited until after my shift one day when Joel was at our store. I nervously approached the office clutching my letter of resignation. When I got to the door Joel said “Take this video home and watch it-I think you will like it”. It was your first of many “FLASH REPORT” communication videos to follow. I tucked my notice back in my pocket and took it home. As I watched that tape something was peculiar. You said “It is time for positive change. It is time to do things right. It is time to return to the things that made us great!”
You spoke DIRECTLY to me on that tape. You SAID what I believed we needed! At that moment I knew you would save us. I knew from your passion and your fire and your sincerity that you were serious. From that point on things began to improve at our stores. They did not happen suddenly but each month with every communication and marked improvements RECORDED AND SHOWN TO US by YOU employee faith was restored again. We would come to work inspired and anxious for the next new goal you would set. We would reach that goal and you would come up with another challenge. Things like “QSC” and “Passionately Provide Perfect Product” rang in young employees heads. It was strange and surreal to hear teenagers say those things. But we all did!
Later I got to MEET you at a food show in Des Moines, Iowa. A friend of mine who did not even work for us yet had heard of you and wanted to go with me. We dress in our best clothes and drove over one hundred miles in my old rusty, beat up Nova to hear you speak. You TOOK THE TIME TO SHAKE MY HAND!! You also SHOOK my friends hand and spoke to him at length. Three days later he applied and became an employee. Dave Jones was his name. He is one of my best friends. He came up the ranks and became a manager. He stayed WITH Godfather’s Pizza through his tour in the military, through Afghanistan and until he RETIRED out of the service! Why? I think you know why. You inspired us.
I stayed with Godfather’s Pizza and now own my own stores. Many times I have reflected on those days when you encouraged us. I try to do so to MY crew and managers. I believe in my heart that you are the best choice for this country. We have been put through this president’s version of “whoring us out” and we are all disgusted and embarrassed. We don’t need any more posers! We don’t need catch phrases and lies. We need inspiration and demolition of Washington’s walls. We need to be reminded in a POSITIVE way- “It is time for positive change. It is time to do things right. It is time to return to the things that made us great!”
You ARE STILL THAT MAN! YOU WILL DO THIS! YOU MUST DO THIS! WE ARE RIGHT HERE BEHIND YOU!
Thank you sincerely,
William Keith Lacy
MAKINZAH,INC dba GODFATHER’S PIZZA
THOSE WHO STAND FOR NOTHING WILL FALL FOR ANYTHING... (via Gunnar Lacy-Family)

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