Bad news today.I feel like no one has my back.
I wish I could be a lot holier in my response to this... anyway, when they moved our vending machines from a nice area in the front of the building, we were shoved in a corner. Now we are in a small dark room. I have to wait for people on lunch to go back to work before I can open the machines. It's crowded, dingy, dark, and loud with contruction noise. Not to mention the electrical issues.
The building is a large rectangle. Say 20 inches by 10. We have 1 inch by 20, on one side of a wall. That's our assigned/delegated area, the area the other vendor was so smirky about not coming into. We'd stay on our side of the wall, he told me, you stay on yours. The other vendor has the other 9 by 20 inches.
Imagine my horror today when I saw a brand new, freshly painted room - on our side of the wall. It has outlets and a water hookup (necessary for a coffee machine). To make things worse, I saw a note in her (the oother vendor's wife) handwriting directing the placement of THEIR vending machines. Into our area.
It is about 20 feet from our area. It is BETWEEN our area and all the new offices with hundreds of workers, just about to open up. I can't envision any of those office workers passing this bright, clean, area to come into our dark and cramped area, fighting their way in between tables, to put money into my machines.
I am pretty distraught and VERY angry. This is OUR area, delegated to us in the contract. The Post Office and the other vendor are violating our contract. No one seems to care. No one seems to want to defend us or do what's right.
We have vending machines that can go in this area. We have an unplugged food machine, and an unplugged soda machine we cannot use at present due to electical issues. We have an "extra" snack machine. We could put them in this new area. OUR area.
Ron is not interested in filing a protest. I am left without any recourse because he is the licensed vendor.
I am also worried because this looks to be a permanent set up - them in our area, taking our money (this area will probably net between $1.5 to 3K a month and we are only netting about $800 right now).
Oh, and one of our "good" machines is not taking $1 bills right now.
Like I said, angry. Bitter.
I want God to use me in this. I want to be used by Him. I want Him to use this for His glory but I don't see how. I am torn between desires to break down sobbing, or to break something.
They are hypocrites. The other vendors were all about "keeping the contract" until it benefited them to break it. This is only about 10-15% of their business. They are independently wealthy and made sure to tell me all the details years ago. Our consultant allowed this to happen. I don't expect work to understand the dynamics of 2 blind vendors and various assigned areas - I don't blame them.
About the only positive I can find - this new vending room is clearly on another electrical circuit.
It's a good thing I don't drink.
I know God will use this for good, somehow. I just get tired of all the trials when it seems like so many other people just don't have them. Not to this degree.
Edit: I talked to Ron, and he gave me permission to contact his supervisor. This is what I wrote:
[name],
I hope things are going well.
Imagine how we felt when we came in today and found a note, in [the other vendor's wife]'s handwriting, directing the placement of vending machines into the new "satellite" on our side of the wall.
That is a clear violation of our contract, and very ironic, as [other vendor] told me "You stay on your side of the wall, and I'll stay on mine".
Until now.
Just thought you should know: we did not approve this.
At the very least, this had better be a TEMPORARY situation. We have unused vending machines (a snack, soda,the food you took) that could have gone there, had anyone asked what we wanted.
I'm going to end it here.
[signed, me]
I think it's good. It shows we are not happy, without being hysterical or ugly. I am severely pissed, but if I show more than mild irritation, I have found, he and the other vendor will just talk it up to "Crazy Heather, there she goes again. Har-har."
1 comment:
Heather, this a dirty rotten (and perhaps deliberately underhanded though petty move on their part). I don't know what's wrong with these people, who the first to croak if you and Ron simply compromised and succumbed to the path of least resistance and just sat home and collected every benefit under the sun rather than working to support yourselves.
I can't think of much else of which I'm aware to do to help in a more concrete way, but I will join my prayers to yours at the Throne of God for His help for two people who are trying to do the right thing. If there's more that people can do, just let us know.
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