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!