I was once invited to attend an interview with a supplier I had known and used for many years. With "an enviable reputation" and "professional friendly team." I was looking forward to finally meeting them.
After a two hour drive I arrived at their offices and factory and walked in to reception to be greeted by nobody. I looked around looking for clues as to how to contact somebody, nothing. I tapped on the glass screen, still nothing. Eventually I saw through the glass somebody I recognised. One of the directors who I was meeting. She was hurriedly stuffing as much food into her fat mouth and photocopying whilst pretending I didn't exist. She swallowed, walked past me with various rushed photocopies whilst saying "give me a minute" and eating at the same time. She pointed to where I could sit. It was in a small cramped space, next to a desk under the stairs. I felt like I was a naughty boy sent to the naughty step.
Eventually the Sales Manager arrived and said "lets do this, come with me". It felt like I being marched off by a prison guard to meet the warden for a strip search and arse fuck.
I walked into a cramped, untidy, sweat smelling meeting room. Sitting down was the owner of the business, eating. I said hello and introduced myself. He didn't even acknowledge my existence. He was too busy concentrating on his food. He ignored me. He looked like he had just got out of bed and being there was an annoyance. He hadn't exactly given me a good impression. The Operations Director introduced herself and I sat down. The Sales Manager sat down, opened up his laptop and started typing away. Somebody else was also supposed to be in the meeting, but they were not present. No reason was given for their absence.
Within these first few seconds I had decided that they didn't want to see me. A decision they had made before I had even arrived.
The Operations Director grudgingly broke the silence. She very briefly gave an overview of the company and future plans, whilst looking at the clock. Whilst this was going on the Sales Manager was typing away on his laptop. The owner of the business was looking at his food, chomping away, concentrating to look as uninterested in what was going on as possible.
Eventually I was allowed to talk. I started but was constantly abruptly interrupted by the owner asking irrelevant questions just to undermine my experience. I had over 16 years experience in that industry. Ample and quite frankly over qualified for what was being discussed and far more than the few months the Operations Director and Sales Manager had. Whilst I was talking the owner carried on looking at the table eating. The Operations Director was flicking through her mobile phone, glancing at the clock. The Sales Manager was writing notes in a book or replying to emails on his laptop, also whilst looking at the clock.
I was again interrupted by the owner who then randomly started talking for 5 minutes about a person from their competitor who was great, who was always in the trade press, who everybody likes, who he really liked, how he wanted everyone to be. I made a mental note to email him that persons details. He should have been sitting there, not me.
I looked at the Operations Director who was again flicking through her mobile. The Sales Manager was still typing away on his laptop. The owner stopped talking to continue to eat his food. I no longer had a desire to speak. I waited. Eventually they realised the owner had stopped his fan boy appraisal of someone from a competitor. The Operations Director asked if I had any questions whilst looking at the clock. I had a massive list and started. I got short, sharp, blunt rude answers by the owner. I really wanted to ask so many more, but I had lost interest in wasting my breath. I really wanted to ask do they think their "enviable reputation" and "professional friendly team" on their website is against the trade descriptions act. I didn't.
What a total fuckfest of a company.
The whole experience was rushed, extremely unprofessional and blatantly rude. It highlighted that staff and customers to them are an annoyance, an inconvenience and hugely undervalued. It was so disappointing and a waste of my time. Remember they invited me.
I looked at it as a lucky escape. I never used them ever again as a supplier.
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