The Changing Face of Service Shows Up In the Toddling Town, Chicago by Maureen Russakoff

Rich?and I are on a whirlwind travel schedule?for the next couple of weeks, starting by working with one of our wonderful clients this week in Chicago?(and?then off to Montreal for a Forum Retreat this weekend, 1.5 days in the Adirondacks with my daughter and her husband, off to Michigan to work with a fabulous woman-owned business, and a stop in Austin before we return to Baja).

I was looking forward to seeing Chicago again. I took my Improv training here at the?Second City Training Center?before teaching Improv alongside David Shephed for several seasons.?

I've been gone long enough that all those soaring buildings on the Miracle Mile are full of new tenants.?The biggest change is the presence of Mega Brands. These?multinational companies are beyond the reach of many a midwestern tourist. Gucci, Ferragamo, Tesla, a Harry Potter Store, and what looks to be a Starbucks?"Flagship Store" (outside of Seattle, obviously!)?full of branded merchandise.?

I remember my first trip to a Starbucks, accompanied by excitement as there was a line around the block to get in. The brand promise was displayed prominently in huge letters covering the entire store wall:?

"To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time. With our partners, our coffee and our customers at our core, we live these values: Creating a culture of warmth and belonging, where everyone is welcome."?

And I remember thinking, DAMN! I want a government that has that kind of promise!"

The 900 building was a special place when I lived here, with the lure of the luxury shopping experience tempting you inside as you walked by. At the time,?Henri Bendel,?A Ladies' Shopping Paradise,?was one of the first-floor occupants. However, fashion brands change as often as fashion does, and today you see Kate Spade on floor one.?

One thing that stuck out to me like a massive old sore thumb was?this?food court, where the impact on the service industry in the wake of Covid-19 hangs in the air with a chill.?

(Can you feel the chill?)

The suggestion of the advertising on?the?outside of the building is that you will encounter something worthwhile once inside.?ASTER HALL?Food?Court. Once you enter the building, you find an invitation to self-serve using a touchpad screen. Then you look at the name a second time and realize?-?OH, not ASTOR, like those?rich?dudes, but ASTER. Got it!?Food, machines, profit.?Conviviality, not so much.?

Leasing real estate in an area overgrown with multinational corporate branding must drive the prices higher and higher each year.?

Howard Schultz's?yacht payments will continue to be subsidized by one good choice:?he still has people?working in his stores, and at least one of them was ready, willing, and able to provide terrific service with a smile and a genuinely delightful attitude at 8:00 AM.?

(Ms. Arrais Martinez-Bentancourt, beaming a smile)

Pictured here is one Ms. Arrais Martinez-Bentancourt, with a smile as brilliant as the breaking sun, happy to share a warm human touch along with our cups of coffee and cappuccino. After we enjoyed the morning sun on the outdoor patio, I returned inside, thanked her for her service, and asked her permission to share her name and picture with our community.?

As we graduate from a post-pandemic world, I hope the hospitality industry finds a way to return to smiling faces and good service. Nothing about the ASTER Hall tempts a penny from my pocket.?Are you a "people who needs people?"?I am.?

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