SHORT SHORTS

Characters: Lucy, Employee at The Sandtrap

Don, Manager of The Sandtrap

Fred, Owner of The Sandtrap

Lucy, a college student, is a waitress at a popular café called The Sandtrap, located on the local beach. This place is known for nightly bands and great entertainment. The usual uniform for waitresses is jeans or similar long trousers and a “Sandtrap” T-shirt.

Business is always good during the spring and summer months while everyone is vacationing, but during the winter months there is a steady decline. In an effort to improve business during the off-season months, Fred, the Sandtrap’s owner, tried a number of new strategies and gimmicks to increase customers. A past plan was to include extended happy hour specials and complimentary foods to customers. His latest successful strategy is to require all waitresses to wear low-cut and tight-fitting shirts and very short shorts.

Sales have improved with the new dress, but there have also been some problems. Many male customers make indecent and abusive remarks to the waitresses, particularly after having several drinks. Lucy is tired of being abused by customers’ physical and verbal actions, so she consults Don, the manager, and tells him that she will no longer wear this outfit.

Now, in view of her complaints, Don has to decide what he is going to do. He is reluctant to allow Lucy to go back to the old uniform since he is convinced that the new, revealing clothing is drawing customers that the restaurant badly needs.

Author: Dr. Marilyn M. Helms, Associate Professor of Management, University of

Tennessee at Chattanooga.

CASE 2

Date: 2015-04-20; view: 797