Customers of NSO

It interesting to think that new students coming to Rutgers are in fact our customers.  They attend orientation, see the university for the first time and what do they get used to first; the New Student Orientation staff!  We as a staff should come together and work as a team to give our students; our customers the best experience that we can give them during their two-day orientation.  It is our job to make students feel comfortable and treat them as our friends rather than just people coming into the university.  The best way to show this…going to Tastee Sub for a NSO excursion!

Using our awesome tracking skills, the Gold team found the way to Tastee Sub in Edison, New Jersey.  Upon entering, we were greeted by the workers behind the counter as they made sandwiches for their customers.  Already, it seemed like a comfortable and nice environment to have some lunch.  When the owner came out, he politely shook our hands and allowed us to have a discussion at two tables.  At first, it interested me to see that such a tiny shop could make such a large profit.  The shop did not have flashy signs outside promoting it nor were there flyers of any sort posted anywhere about the shop.  With many questions crossing my mind, we began to discuss the success and story behind Tastee Sub.

How do the workers at Tastee Sub communicate with one another to continuously make sandwiches in a swift and smooth manner? Many of us wondered how the system worked.  To our surprise, the owner said, “through the sandwich.”  Communication through food? Listening to this seemed bizarre.  How do people communicate using food?  Through observations, it was clear that the sandwiches were the tools being used in this theory of communication.  Each person worked as a different part of this sandwich “conveyor belt.”  As the sandwich would move along, it would be communicated that another part had to be completed before the sandwich was ultimately complete and given to the customer.  This might be confusing in terms of how we can apply this to orientation.  But looking at it in a more literal perspective, we can communicate with the students through food.  During lunch, we get to know our group of students more and we talk about anything we want.  I feel that lunch is the time to get to know your students and to let them know that you are their friend.

The next question that came up was about the attitudes of the workers.  How did the attitudes of the workers at Tastee Sub demonstrate how workers should act?  When any customer entered the shop, they were kindly greeted with a "hello, how are you?"  Even the owner of the shop knew the names of specific people!  It was as if they were more so friends than just a customer coming into a shop to help the profit of the owner.  Every customer was treated with the same respect from every worker.  This concept should definitely be applied to New Student Orientation because I feel that students will feel that respect and return it.  New Student Orientation is like a small business; it has become popular and has a reputation because of the way its students (customers) have been treated.  The attitudes of the NSO staff impact the way students see the university as well as the people who attend the university.  A positive result has been that NSO continues to grow just like the reputation for Tastee Sub continues to grow.

  

Although the shop may just seem like a place to go get subs, the owner talked about how the purpose of it was for the customers.  He enjoys when customers come in with an empty stomach and leave with a full one.  Likewise, the purpose of NSO is for the students.  It is for the incoming students to become acquainted with the university before they start their first semester.  In both situations, the two business are different, but in fact have the same purpose; make customers/students happy!