HOW TO BECOME A TOTAL FAILURE

There’s been a tremendous amount of discussion about Joe Vento’s cheesesteak joint located in South Philadelphia. Geno’s Steaks sits in a location populated with several thousand immigrants that don’t speak English or speak very little English. Regardless, Joe Vento’s has no shame as he displays a sign telling his customers (in capital letters) “This is America: When Ordering Please ‘Speak English’.” Joe’s “Speak English” sign has upset a lot of people and prompted the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations to file a discrimination complaint against Geno’s Steaks. However, recent news reports that a Philadelphia agency ruled that Joe Vento’s “Speak English” sign is not discrimination. Furthermore, Joe Vento told Fox News that his staff “is glad to help non-native speakers order in English and has never turned someone away because of a language barrier.”

Which of the 10 rules for failure do you think this story fits into? Personally, I would categorize it with two of the rules for failure: Rule #1: Resist learning anything new that could lead to more responsibility and rule #10: The customer is someone you have to put up with. Do you agree with my assessment? And what are your thoughts on this story?

Misti Sandefur, an avid freelance writer, novelist and blogger, enjoys writing articles, short stories, e-books, print books, personal essays and Web copy for regional and national publications, publishers, book producers, businesses, nonprofit organizations and fellow writers who have too much on their plates and need assistance. Furthermore, she’s publisher and editor of the Coffee Break for Writers e-zine, and the author of two books, which are published under Misti Jackson. To find out more about Misti, visit her on the web and at her Life of a Writer blog.