The scene is a common one these days. Lines of people waiting to pay in a restaurant, retail establishment, or grocery store. Tempers flare. Customers yell at staff and wonder why there’s only one person checking people out. Your staff thinks, “Who needs this?” and they’re not wrong. They feel overworked and underappreciated. Customers are demanding and loud. Customers vow not to return. It makes for a bad situation for everyone.
 
So what can you do to ensure it doesn’t happen in your business?
 
Dealing with angry people during a staffing shortage is not easy, especially since one problem creates the other. People are angry because they have to wait. People have to wait because you are short staffed. No one wants to work in an environment filled with angry people.
 
Here are some things you can do to diffuse the situation.
 
Put People Where They’re NeededAs a manager or owner, when you are short-staffed you will always be assessing what needs to be done and who is around to do it. Make sure you have people in the most critical customer-facing spots and pull them from other areas as needed, even if only for a few minutes.
 
Ensure your employees feel empowered to help one another with overflow. If they are on rack duty, for instance, in your retail establishment make sure they know you appreciate them helping out at the cash register when a line forms. This means you will need to take the time to cross-train everyone and make sure they are comfortable working in all areas of the store/business where appropriate.
 
Stress That Everyone’s a ManagerOften when people are disgruntled, they will demand to see a manager. While there are some decisions that only a manager can make, help your employees feel confident enough to take the reins in these situations and insist that they are decision makers. They can reiterate that the manager issued the protocols they are following.
 
When they call you every time a manager is needed, the customer quickly learns the person they are dealing with is a low person on the staff chart and no longer feels the need to listen to them. You are also rewarding bad behavior done against your staff.
 
Achieving this level of confidence in your employees means you have trained them to make decisions and they know what freedoms they have to assist your customers. Help them understand what rules may be broken or stretched and which ones are absolutes.
 
Explain the SituationWhile you never want to apologize for something that hasn’t happened yet, it is a good idea to remind everyone that you are doing your best. In fact, you may even want to add a “be kind message” to your help wanted posters. Explain that if they want things to be processed quicker, you would love additional help. Using a little humor can go a long way to diffuse difficult situations.
 
Play Good MusicIf you have the right staff and it fits your business, try playing some good tunes; the type of music that gets people moving. Encourage your staff to sing or invite others to burst out into song or dance. This may sound goofy but it’s hard to be in a bad mood when the song “Walking on Sunshine” comes on the radio.
 
Speaking of sounds…
 
Soothe Them with VoiceThe human voice can affect mood. A whiny voice can put customers on edge while a loud voice can make them feel more combative. With a confident, soothing voice you can make people feel understood and less prone to anger.
 
This hiring crisis is a challenging time for managers, staff, and owners. Just when everyone wants to get out and enjoy life again, their favorite businesses are struggling to hire. Some have had to shut down because they don’t have enough employees to operate. These tips will help you calm tempers until things can return to normal employment.
 

Recreation
 PUBLIC SURVEY
This survey is your chance to tell Turner County Recreational Staff what kinds of recreational activities you are interested in.
Your views are important and give us a better understanding of how Turner County residents feel about these issues.
Please keep in mind that we are interested in everyone’s responses, not just frequent participants.
3 ways to complete this survey.
1)Tear this article out and deliver back to: County Annex building   Monday-Friday-9:00am-4:00p.m.
2) Online at turnercountygeorgia.com
3)Pick one up at County Annex building       Monday-Friday-9:00am-4:00p.m.
County Annex building  is located at 208 E. College Ashburn, GA
Thank you for your time and assistance! Please complete no later than February 10, 2017
If you have any questions or comments about this survey please contact me by email, vriggins@turnercountygeorgia.com or (229)5675223
 
What is your Income?
Annual Household Income (please check one)
 Less than 20,000 per year   (  )
20,000 to 50,000 per year    (  )
50,000 to 100,000 per year  (  )      
100,000 and up per year       (  )
 
When were, you born?   19____           
 
Are you
 Male, Female (circle one)
 
How would you describe your Ethnic Background?
White, Non-Hispanic/Latino              (  )
Hispanic/ Latino                                    (  )
Black or African American                   (  )
Native American or Native Alaskan   (  )
Other:________________________
Rather not say                                       (   )
 
Self-Administered                    10 Questions                     5 Minutes
(Please circle one)
What activities would you like to participate in?
1.Travel-how many miles would you want to travel for Recreational services?___________
2.What kinds of services would you like to see at Turner County Recreation?____________
(Example:  Outdoor; walking, Jogging, Athletic:  Indoor; Aerobics, Ceramics, Crafts)
3.Which of the options below will play a role in making your decision?
(Rank 1-7; 1 Very important in my decision making  -  7 Not important in my decision making)
A.Type of service ____
B.Time of service____
C.Distance of service____
D.Price____
E.Cleanliness and condition of facilities____
F.Educational activities_____
G.Recreational activities_____
4.Hobbies you are willing to share ______________________      
Name______________________ Phone_________________
5.How do you think your participation in Recreation will change over the next 5 years?
6.Do anyone in your household currently participate in any of the below activities?
Youth Football (  )        Youth basketball (  )       Youth Soccer (  )        Youth Baseball (  )
7.Do anyone in your household participate in Turner County  yes (   )   No (   )
8.If NO , what county do you participate in ?____________
9.Why did you stop participating in Turner County? _________
10.What will bring you back to Turner County Recreation
Comments: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Thank you for Participating in this survey.
Also like us on Facebook: Turner County Recreation Department 
​

We are so proud to live in a community where the American Legion Post 98, Ashburn Builder's Supply, and Doug Hughes of Doug Hughes Pest Control would be willing to step up and help making coming home an option for this Veteran. Stories like this are what makes Turner County such a special community to call home.


"Ashburn Post 98 member John Henry (Jap) Felton was unable to come home from the nursing home until he had a way to get in and out of his home at 165 Georgia Drive Lot E8. Fellow members of Post 98 Mike Geoghagan and Warren Daniell started investigating how a ramp could be built. Geoghagan, Daniell, & Joe Rowan visited the site where the ramp would need to be built. Mr. Daniell drew a set of plans for the ramp. The idea was brought before the Legion members at their next meeting and it was presented and voted on by the members present. The membership approved the building of the ramp. Legionnaire Doug Hughes took it on to see how the building material could be obtained. Doug went to Ashburn Builders Supply and talked to the management there about helping this veteran come home. Mr. Hughes (Doug & Pegi Hughes) owners of “Hughes Pest Control” along with “Ashburn Builders Supply” split the cost of the material.
On Tuesday September 20, volunteers from Post 98 Joe Rowan along with his son Cameron met with Warren Daniell at the job site and started building the ramp. The finished ramp took two half days to complete. This work by Post 98 members along with the generous donation of material will allow veteran “Jap” Felton to come home and be able to get in and out of his home safely."

Are you as excited as we are? We can't wait to have our pictures taken with Santa in Elrod Park!