Suddenly often in mid-late middle age, many seem to realise that life's not all about the title, the wages and the flash new car. You're up the corporate ladder but 2/3rds down the road to your maker and you hate every single boring thing about your job. That was me especially in the years after good old J Arthur took us over. Redundancies were happening and I actually asked the CEO if he could put on the list. He did and the 6 months notice period allowed me to plan for the career change.
My first job after cramming the Microsoft MCSEi accreditation into 9 months was as an IT contractor at HSBC's underground control hub near Tankersley. I passed my final exam on the Thursday and on the Friday morning my agency contacted me with the job offer, initially 3 for months but in the end I was there for nearly a year. It was scary at first because I was level 3 support. Part of a small team who ended up with the the IT problems that the Helpdesk and level 2 support couldn't fathom but I absolutely loved it. I was offered a permanent position which was tempting because the wages and pension were excellent but I decided I needed wider experience if I was going to start my own business.
I had a few shorter term contracts over the next year. Small companies, medium-large companies, all in different fields. After spending 25 years + in one company it was great to experience all the different types of business. I enjoyed them all except for one. Sheffield Colleges. What an experience that was. Some of the lefty leather elbowed teachers seemed to resent the fact that this middle age man with the nice new car had been thrust upon them. Surely their IT support staff should be 21 tops, scruffy and arrive on the bus? Not in a suit and driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee. Talk about suspicious, it's the only time in my life that I've been reprimanded for coming in too early or staying too late to finish a job. It's also the only time in my life that I've walked out of a job without giving notice but 2 weeks sniping and questioning as to my 'motives' was enough. That was my last contract before starting my business.
So right about realising that it doesn't really matter GB and that there's more important things in life than the life you're living.
Social media changed things in hotels, threats of 'exposing' you on Trip Advisor, often from those who didn't know the difference between a knife and a fork, were rife. The 'I want it all and I want it now' generation not undersatnding even the basics of life. Those wanting a full refund because eg a light bulb wasn't working when they switched it on. Me asking them how, at home, they knew when a bulb was going to blow. " We don't, they just go" and me saying, "Funnily enough it's just the same for us."
The final straw for me was when a major international brand, American based, bought us out and we were all 'associates' and on first name terms. The staff loved it and thought it great that they could call me XXXXX. I asked the Americans how they thought it looked to a guest when the receptionist/porter/waiter said " I'll get XXXX to come and see you". It didn't bother me but the Americans couldn't understand that the guests' perception of a bloke called XXXXX , on 1st name terms with the waiterr coming to see you, was not what a (mainly British) guest would expect in a 4 star plus hotel but of course, the answer was obvious- "It works fine in America".
They also decided that we should not use dynamic pricing ie based on supply and demand but should set a Fair Market Rate and charge that across every night as it would build brand loyalty and guests would come to us because, well, we are us! Again I tried to explain that there is no such brand loyalty in the UK and guests would go to the cheapest they could get at the level they wanted at that time so, on quiet nights , when I would be £20 plus a night above the competition I would be virtually empty and, when I was offering the Fair M/ket Rate when the others were charging, and getting £20 more easily then yes, I would be full but 'losing' approx 4k a night compared to what I could have got. Do that for a year on 3 mights a week and you've lost the best part of 600k.
They scrapped the idea after 6 months but I'd had enough by then so moved to open the new hotel at the Reebok - and that was areal eye opener too as the decisions made by the board and senior executives defied all business logic at every turn.
It will be tragic for the lad and us as a club & fanbase if Jack dunt play again but i do fear for the lad's chances. UTB
UTB
