Not to hijack this thread, but just another take on "bean counters" running a company. I work at Fuddruckers, a hamburger restaurant, for those of you that don't know. Years before I woked there (I work at a corporate store, there are franchises that still do it all the old way), the burgers used to be made from meat cut and ground from sides of beef. There was a gradual change away from that over the many years. We no longer grind the meat at all, it comes pre-ground, we just toss the meat into the patty machines to make burgers. The fresh ground flavor is gone. Buns that were made from scratch are now made with a pre-mixed "Fuddruckers" bun mix. The fresh made bread flavor is gone. Cookies come frozen, pies come frozen, our lettuce comes pre-packaged and ready to go. It's all about the "bean counters" in control of it all, it's all about profit, less labor, less cost (for the company) but do prices for the guests come down? No! Every change that comes about at Fuddruckers is a notch down from the quality that used to be the difference between us and the other place down the road.
We have a new ad campaign starting next week that, from what I have heard, is supposed to emphasize the fun time you can have at Fuddruckers with associates whooping it up and shouting. The "bean counters" are winning the battle at Fuddruckers and alot of other businesses at the expense of quality.
