01-28-2009, 12:15 PM
Before un-jacking the ongoing hijack...
I'm not privy to what BIC pays its workers. (Personally, I would pay bilingual workers with polished customer service skills well above average.) It's a given that BIC employees have chosen to work there, and from where I stand, if their morale is low it doesn't seem to be affecting their customer service. I always walk out of that store satisfied, albeit a bit lighter in the pocket.
For many BIC employees I'm guessing it might be a way to earn a second income. They seem to hire for skill (bilingual, usually Japanese-speaking) to serve one of their key strategic markets. No surprise that many Japanese speaking people on the island happen to be natives of Japan.
As I said, this is a well-run business. (Disclosure: I have no affiliation with BIC.) Their contributions to the community go beyond what they pay their employees. They have local vendors they pay for products and services. As a brand, they pull tourists to Hilo, tourists who shop and eat at other establishments. It's also safe to assume they pay their fair share of taxes. IMHO they add value to Hilo.
A sincere question: why would bringing in foreign money to our island be a bad thing? (Assuming, of course, that most of the money stays in our communities and the business is socially responsible.)
I think that much worse could happen to Hilo than the continuing success of Big Island Candies.
Now...un-jacking this hijack: It's regretful that a local mom-and-pop shop couldn't do the coffee gig at Borders. But I'm rooting for the new franchise to succeed. I don't know how strict the rules are with franchises, but (as someone suggested) perhaps the new proprietor would be open to featuring local Puna coffee brands and finding other ways to create opportunities for, and add value to, the community.
I'm not privy to what BIC pays its workers. (Personally, I would pay bilingual workers with polished customer service skills well above average.) It's a given that BIC employees have chosen to work there, and from where I stand, if their morale is low it doesn't seem to be affecting their customer service. I always walk out of that store satisfied, albeit a bit lighter in the pocket.
For many BIC employees I'm guessing it might be a way to earn a second income. They seem to hire for skill (bilingual, usually Japanese-speaking) to serve one of their key strategic markets. No surprise that many Japanese speaking people on the island happen to be natives of Japan.
As I said, this is a well-run business. (Disclosure: I have no affiliation with BIC.) Their contributions to the community go beyond what they pay their employees. They have local vendors they pay for products and services. As a brand, they pull tourists to Hilo, tourists who shop and eat at other establishments. It's also safe to assume they pay their fair share of taxes. IMHO they add value to Hilo.
A sincere question: why would bringing in foreign money to our island be a bad thing? (Assuming, of course, that most of the money stays in our communities and the business is socially responsible.)
I think that much worse could happen to Hilo than the continuing success of Big Island Candies.
Now...un-jacking this hijack: It's regretful that a local mom-and-pop shop couldn't do the coffee gig at Borders. But I'm rooting for the new franchise to succeed. I don't know how strict the rules are with franchises, but (as someone suggested) perhaps the new proprietor would be open to featuring local Puna coffee brands and finding other ways to create opportunities for, and add value to, the community.
Tim
A superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions--Confucius
A superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions--Confucius