In 2013, I had the short pleasure of working for a company that has wonderful products.  The owner uses the excuse that they are a small company, so they micromanage everything and everyone.

My gripe about this company, one that I have stopped working for, is that they have someone based in Ontario booking my demos in Vancouver, and insists on good communication and commitment in advance, which isn't a problem for me cause that is my preference.  But when I can't get a straight answer to anything or a simple reply to my emails about whether or not I am confirmed for the demos they supposedly want me to be available for, then we have a problem.

The agreement before starting with this company is that they are offering me 12 demos per month.  Four of which I can commit to each month and then add more according to my schedule, but I would give advance notice.  I am even asked to recommend a back up person that they can hire.  So I do.  Yet weeks go by, and no word about whether I am confirmed for those demo dates.  So I have to go ahead and book my other demos and I kept these dates available as per our initial agreement.  All the griping about previous demo people being unreliable has no bearing now.  After many attempts and weeks passing, I finally get a response to keep those demo dates available and it will be confirmed soon.  Really?  I finally find out in person, only after I've inquired yet again, that my hours have now been cut in half.  Five demos per month.  So why the hell did they want me to find a back up person to hire?  Basically, they don't know if they are coming or going and what the right and left hand is doing.  They don't communicate with one another or any one else.  But INSIST they must know my every move.

There was one demo where they changed the demo times and cut my hours and only gave me two days advance notice.  No idea why?  I'm flexible, so really not a big deal.  But since I'm still new I kinda wondered did I do something wrong or what?  Then I find out when I arrive at my demo that the owner just magically appeared from Ontario to promote new products before the CHFA.  Then asks me to work the evening with her cause the other employee couldn't make it.  She asked this chick a week ago, yet she only tells her the afternoon of the event that she can't make it.  I'm suppose to bail them out now.  Fuck off!  They are constantly complaining about this chick causing them problems with being unreliable, and being at a hockey game when she said she was demoing.  She sucks up to the owner's husband and gets her job back. This is the same chick that texts during her demos, has her friends visit her for hours at the demos, tells me she finds it so easy to slack off at demos, how bored she is cause she's been working for this company for years, and how great it was for an employee at a health food store to milk the system by being off work for an injury.  Are you kidding me?!

I was having problems getting demo stock for my demo.  I was told initially that the owner was bringing it to me when she was in town.  Nope that didn't happen.  Then THAT chick was suppose to give it to me.  Nope.  Excuse after excuse, and when I do get it delivered to my home.  I'm lucky that it gets put on my patio as requested.  Only once did it get done correctly.  Then I'd have to go to the depot in Burnaby.  Who is paying for that time?!  They also said they wanted me to find a baker in Vancouver.  I still can't get a straight answer and have people waiting in the wings.  The owner says she's thinking about taking over the demo program so that things get done efficiently.  Really?!  She's part of the problem.  I work for smaller companies that don't have this must fuss over the simplest things, and create complications for nothing.  They even wanted me to provide them with the demo report form that I created myself and use for my other vendors cause theirs sucks.  Their system involves counting all the stock for each of their SKU's before a demo. It takes 30 minutes to locate it all, count it, and document everything.  Their demo form is all in tiny print with barely any room to hand write the numbers.  Then I must have a staff member sign my report proving I was there.  And there isn't really any room to provide a good idea of the consumers' feedback.  But perhaps that isn't important as they know they are God's gift to the world!

Life is Good!

I do have the best job regardless of all my gripes!  I get to try new products, talk all day, people watch, schedule my own hours, and not have to deal with the internal politics at the stores.

Outsiders may think I just stand there and look pretty.  But that is just the window dressing.  If you scratch the surface, you'll find me spending time coordinating all the demos a month in advance. If one works for more than one company, then it takes some practice to skillfully plan your month's work efficiently and try to please each vendor by rotating the busier days to suit their promotions.  Then waiting for the emails from various stores to confirm the dates you've requested, and if they aren't available then switch stores and demos.  Then there's storing the demo stock for the various companies.  My home becomes a warehouse at times.  

I used to work for a broker where I was actually making $60 and sometimes $80 per hour.  But that wasn't all gravy because I had to pick the flavours of each product I wanted to demo based on whether the store carried it, order the demo stock from the distributor and then pick it up in Burnaby and Richmond.  Then the usual scheduling of the demos, storage, and frustration of dealing with staff that didn't ensure there was stock at the stores for the demo.  There were times I actually called the stores to ensure there was stock and then relaying the message to the sales rep, but then was asked not to do so cause it wasn't my job.  True, but why couldn't they do theirs when the demo is booked a month in advance?!  They still get a pay cheque, but I don't if a demo is cancelled due to lack of stock.

This particular company fell behind in paying me months at a time, so now I was actually working for free!  They didn't care that I had to borrow money to meet my mortgage payments.  I was finally paid in full, but I often wondered if the accountant was skimming cause I was shorted on every pay cheque.  She was the most anal accountant around, and all of a sudden she was making errors and excuses about misplacing my reports.  I'm not the only person she had to cut a cheque for, so why was it so difficult to organize?  She was also planning to retire, which is when my cheques started getting misplaced or missed entirely.

It seems to be the local companies that fall behind in payments.  I have worked for American and Ontario companies that paid every week.  But the smaller companies, especially based in Vancouver take a month to pay.  It's ludicrous!  One company I work for has only one signing officer - the owner!  He insists that he will continue to be the only one.  It doesn't matter that he travels regularly for long periods of time.  It's a good thing this company isn't my main source of income ;)

Double-Dipping

What's the story on double-dipping?!

One arrogant customer insisted he had the right to double dip since the first dip didn't get him enough oil on his bread.  As far as he was concerned, the problem with Vancouverites is that they are too frail.  He had eaten off the streets in India, so what's a few germs!  He didn't care that there were store rules, food safety or that it was common sense to be concerned for others.

A lady that was standing there during this assault on me said later she wanted to smack him on the side of the head, and couldn't believe what I had to deal with.  An employee wanted to call the manager.  I later found out he was a regular customer.

Then there was an old lady with her husband that took a bite from the bread and then dipped it into the oil while I was speaking to her husband.  I informed her about food safety and that double-dipping was not permitted.  She said, "But I pulled out."  Are you fricken kidding me?!  Now what the hell does that mean?!  Is that like when people don't use protection during sex, and the guy exclaiming once the positive pregnancy test returns..."But I pulled out!"  

On another day, a new staff member, who was from Ireland, also double-dipped.  He didn't understand what was wrong with it, and didn't mind even if an unwashed street person double-dipped before him.  It was just a crazy concept to him.

The main culprits I find are the seniors.  They just stand there and think they are in my kitchen and get carried away by how good it is and try for more.  One guy suggested I put a sign to say "No Double-Dipping".  Do you think they will fricken read the sign?!  And how many will be offended by the sign.  I can't wait!  I guess if common sense doesn't prevail, I must instruct people, police them, draw pictures, and babysit.  They can't even read the signs for the different flavours or are able to figure out which flavour is which when the package in big bold letters are staring them in the face and the samples are immediately in front of each package in an organized row.  How do people text and drive when they can barely think and walk?!  Or read, chew, and think?!  I expect too much!

A "Little" Blessing!

There are some days that make me feel like I've just won the jackpot!

I was demoing flavoured almonds at the dreaded store where on a slow day I just want to shoot myself because I'm crammed into a tiny space at the only endcap the store wants demos situated.  I am generally surrounded by a floor display on either end of the endcap, so I cannot move.  My butt is practically sitting on top of the products.  Luckily, the packaging is strong and thick because some days I think about letting one rip, and see how that would affect food safety!

It was a steady day with more than the usual amount of happy people.  This made it an already satisfying day.  A little boy stopped at the table with his adult.  I wasn't sure if it was his mom or nanny because of the different ethnicity.  He asked her if he could try a sample and she nodded and suggested he ask me.  "May I please try a sample?" he asked sweetly.  He said, "Thank you!" ever so politely and walked off.  He came back telling me he really enjoyed the nuts, and if he could please try another flavour.  My goodness he was audible, direct, polite, appreciative, and happy!  Most adults I meet can't string a sentence together...simply grunting, nodding, dismissing, rudely commenting, and the list goes on.  I finally asked how old the boy was and he said proudly that he was four years old!!!  "Four?!" I exclaimed.  "My goodness you are very smart.  I also appreciate your politenss.  How did you get so smart? Well done!  Keep it up!" He beamed at the adult that was with him saying thank you to me and off he went.

About 10 minutes later while I was speaking with another customer about the product, he comes right up to the front of the demo table.  "Excuse me."  I figured he simply wanted to try another flavour.  I was happy to see him again cause it was so boring speaking with adults after meeting him.  He spoke in complete sentences, personable, and was present.  He proceeded to ask, "If it's ok with you, may I give you a hug and a kiss?!"  How did this angel know that would make my day?!  Let alone a wonderful beginning to my year!

These are the moments that make my days worthwhile!  A reminder that we all came from that same spirit.  How precious we all were and still are if we allowed ourselves to work on maintaining an open heart and truly allowing that basic beautiful connection with people to shine through instead of shielding it with ego-based fear that has become the norm for Vancouverites.  It was also endearing to know that there are parents out there that have kids for the right reasons, and invest the time to nurture and raise them appropriately.  Perhaps having taken the time to be self-aware in their own journey.  Thank God to this little boy that filled me with such joy, hope, and love at the beginning of a New Year!

Kale Chips Anyone?

Anyone working in customer service at times wonders why they still do it and how they've survived this long.  Every day, when dealing with the public, provides possibilities in bouts of humour and sanity checks. 

Recently, I've been demoing a brand of kale chips that are lightly coated with a blend of cashews and nutritional yeast.  The basics about the product are always presented to the consumer initially, and then the real dialogue begins with those that become interested. 

One lady asked me as she was intently looking at the kale chip as to what part of it was the kale.  I sometimes wonder if this could be a trick question posed by a secret shopper to test my intellect.  I replied, "The green part."  She looked at the chip again, and looked at me in confusion.  Then the light bulb turned on, and her foggy eyes suddenly cleared to reveal that she was indeed holding a green curly leaf.  She scrambled away quickly perhaps realizing other people had looked at her in amazement wondering if the deliciousness of the kale chips would turn them into walking zombies too.

A sweet elderly European lady with very limited English asked to try a sample.  I pointed out that the two middle rows of samples were spicy kale chips, and the outer rows were not spicy.  She picked up one of the spicy samples and said she'd like to try this one, but asked if it it was spicy as she "don't like spicy".  I told her yes it was spicy, and offered her one that wasn't.  "No!" she said. "This one."  Still clinging to that first sample cup she had her eye on.  "Do you want spicy?" I asked.  "No!" she said.  So I repeated my actions again using very few words in hopes this would help.  "Spicy" pointing at the two middle rows and packages. Then "Not spicy" showing her the other options.  "But this one?" she asked.  Seriously?!  Am I in a skit in some European comedy show that I never auditioned for?!  "You try" I even suggested since she was dead set on trying that chip in that one sample cup.  Yes, it was still the spicy one!  She became disppointed and finally gave up and said, "Maybe next time."  I wish I could have had my magic wand there to make her wish come true today.  But I am limited to how many wishes I can grant in one day!  I'm just thankful she didn't try it and then blast me for it being spicy.  How would I explain myself out of that one?