"I can't take you for granted"

This is our stockroom right now. 

From the outside, of course. 

No one can get in, not even us.  [snort]  I hope that changes Monday.  It's going to really suck getting the sandwiches without my handcart. 

Here's Ron eating one of our new corndogs:

He said it was very good.  I can't eat a corndog right now, I'm a little queasy on the antibiotic plus all my arsenal of crazy pills.  I also added yogurt to the linuup (Yoplait) today. 

So this week has been a crazy haze of inventory, trips to the warehouse, and manic stocking.  Thank God I am manic.  I said it before: I have never had a better timed mania, except maybe the one post accident right before we left the hospital. 

Between our boss/consultant and the customer I met yesterday (more later), I have been adding more food items to the machine.  I have V8, cup of noodles, vienna sausage, corn dog, and yogurt (all $1 each), fresh fruit or pudding cup (60 cents), premium lunch (turkey and dressing, beef stew) $4.50, sandwiches come Monday, they are $2.25, various drinks, microwave lunch buckets $1.75, and more I'm forgetting. 

I even have sugarfree puddings.  I have a lot of diabetics and "healthy" types - that's why I sold out a whole sack of mandarin oranges in one week.  I also have a lot of people who want to eat better, on a budget. 

I even got a few bananas, they aren't quite ripe yet but when they are I'll put them out with the other fruit.  I see a lot of bananas eaten. 

Ron's been very supportive of my ideas - and as a result, NO ONE can accuse us of having empty vending machines.  Yes, we were guilty before, but like I told Ron, everyone's watching, and many blind vendors want our location.  We can't afford to trip. 

Snacks look great, and the last 2 days were devoted to building up canned and bottled drinks (in addition to food items).  I want to have something for everyone, in pretty much every budget.  If you want premium items I have them.  If you have a dollar I have literally dozens of choices, healthy and not.  If you want ethnicky I have that - a Mexican pastry is my #1 seller right now.  It has an incredibly good food cost too. 

So, they look good.  We have done everything we can. 

It's been a battle, though.  For the last 3 or 4 days, everytime we went to work the pickup driver has just had an impossible time finding us to go home.  We have clear directions.  We have cell phone numbers in the notes.  I stand there and wave my arm, and I'm told you can see me for quite a ways off. 

They just can't find us.  I have to wonder if some of them are playing games.  I wave at them, they slow down for a moment, and then keep driving.  I know they have spotted me.  Then, a couple minutes later, they come back and say "I didn't see you".  Yes, you did. 

My other favorites: "Were you waiting long?"  or "They said it was apartments" - I read the computers when I get in and they all say POST OFFICE, with our accurate pickup notes, and the phone number. 

If you're going to be late, don't talk about it.  Don't make excuses.  Let's get Ron loaded and go, please. 

One woman tried to make Ron feel guilty, going back to work, because he held a case of soda in his lap.  "Oh, you're so heavy pushing up the ramp".  Most of the clients in wheelchairs are well over 200 pounds.  Ron is 150 pounds plus a 20 pound case of soda.  I tried pushing him up the ramp today as he held 4 cases and found it very easy.  Anyway, that woman is just horrible, and very negative. 

Other rides have been very late, necessitating changes in all our other trips because our pickup would arrive before the drop off! 

I guess this is our new trial for now.  Speaking of: yesterday I got literally dragged off by one of the other vendor's angry customers.  She was screaming at me and saying we should be thrown out of the building. 

I listened to her complaints, noted the appropriate points (coffee machine not repaired, not enough sandwiches, items hanging up - that doesn't happen on my side of things).  I explained I am the cafeteria vendor only. 

"Well, you need to tell them..." I told her I HAVE, they don't LISTEN.  She got upset again.  I gave her the boss' number and said "He's the guy who kicks ass".  The boss wants me to do this, by the way.  I explained the other vendors don't listen to me but they have to listen to him. 

She was happy to get the number.  The only thing, I requested, please tell him where it happened, so they can fix it (all the problems were in the other areas, not mine).  She was happy to do that. 

I finished by saying, "I'm do my best to make sure everyone has a good experience with us.  If you're pissed when you walk away, you won't come back!"  She agreed.  "These days," I continued, "We can't afford to take our customers for granted!"  She shouted YES and gave me a hug. 

I guess I did alright!