Outsourcing gone too far...

Ok...I didn't have the best of days yesterday. My secretary (Hana) had to call in "sick" because she was studying for her exams. And so I had a temp. Well suffice to say that I ended up staying an extra two hours cleaning up her mess! But whatever, things happen right? In any case, from that point on, every little thing got on my nerves. The ultimate though was when Hana and I dropped by a store on our way back from Osgoode Hall. So this store called "Labels" just opened up in Woodbridge. Basically a new age Winners. So we walk in, and there is a greeter. You would think, after having visiting Walmart all these years, that it would be a typical greeter, you know "Hi welcome to Walmart...have a nice day" type of thing. Well since all the other stores in the area were eerily closed, I decided to ask the greeter a question. Mind you it was a little difficult for the layperson, but I thought I'd give it a try.

"How long are you open till?"

I get a puzzled look. I figured perhaps the short form of until had caught her off guard. So I rephrased

"How long are you open until tonight?"

Again, a frazzled look. She opens her mouth to speak and out comes the thickest central american accent I've ever heard. Frig I don't even think it was English. She was looking at me as if I was the foreign one (ok hold back on you FOB insults directed at me for a second). Hana was pulling me away, because she knew I was having a bad day, and knew that I wanted to pursue this pathetic display. I mean, come on! Your only friggin responsibility is to say hi. God forbid you have to answer a question like "what time do you close"? The best I got out of that woman was "yes yes...we're open tonight". I gave in to Hana, because I couldn't take it anymore. What a joke!

Bottom line...these stores have taken cost cutting measures to the max. Not only are all the clothes made in sweatshops Honduras, Venezuela, etc.... but now they're importing those same workers to be the greeters in their stores! I wonder if they have a room in the back where they stitch the clothes too! All probably for a meager $5 and a promise "I won't report you" card.

Frig.

Hash