I have a pair of clients who are really asshole type as far as I am concerned and I am so pissed with them. Before you start wondering about how I can make such a judgement call on them, please note that I have known them for 12 years and seen through all their nonsense. I met Steven and Winston when I was working for my ex-boss. Steven went to university with him.
When they could not afford my fees, they offered me office space in exchange. They still owe me so much money that I am ahead of them.
They have had various companies over the years that sell sports equipment (fitness equipment for schools and specialty sports flooring) and playgrounds (rubber flooring and the equipment). They will set up a company, tender for jobs, mess around with whatever they do, take the profit out, and when the mess gets too great, they make use of the limited liability thing in companies, cease operations and start another company. They take over all the projects remaining, take the assets and make their staff continue in the new company.
So this is the story of woe of their staff. For many years, they only have one staff - a Malay lady named Gima who has been with them for 10 years. They have had sales people and in their mind, the sales people "cannot make it".
This posting chronicles the events of the last two weeks that have absolutely messed people around till they deserve divine retribution for the shit they have created.
About two Saturdays ago, Winston called HH and told him that we would have to move our office out because the landlord was pissed with them for not paying the outstanding rental. On Monday, I went to my little office to assess the situation and decide about what to take out and what do dump. I didn't say anything to Gima about moving or what else that was bothering them. I just casually informed Gima that she should be looking for another job.
In Gima's usual manner - she said "see how first" and this was the same response I received from her in the last 5 years everytime I told her that her bosses were messing with her and she should quit.
I told Gima to quit many times - I am sure over 100 times - because Winston and Steven really mess with her. They hold back her salary, pay part of the month and drag the rest, tell her to come back on Saturday and all the shit you can imagine. Their excuse for such behaviour was "no money to pay" or "money situation is tight" or "our fund is held up" - you name it, they have given all the crap excuses.
On Saturday, I went to the office to pack more stuff and decided to move on Tuesday 30 September 2008. On Tuesday morning, I went to see the landlord and asked them to hold the mail for me as a favour as I needed to make arrangements to change the office addresses for some of my clients. I also informed him that my movers were on the way, and that I was moving my stuff out. However, the instruction was already given to terminate the electrical supply to the office.
I went upstairs and told HH that the terminate power instruction had been given and it was a matter of time. Then I went next door and told Steven of the termination instruction. He just looked at me expressionless. I walked back to my office to continue packing with HH. Five minutes later, the power supply was cut. My movers had come, but there was no power supply for the lights.
The landlord's manager came to our office to check if I was really moving or I was just messing around. He saw the movers and very kindly turned the power back on for me to move my stuff out. Just before that, Steven walked out of the office and left Gima and the other girl in the office. Steven said he was going to meet Winston to discuss the situation.
In the past two weeks since I received the "move office" instruction from Winston, I have been telling Gima to look for another job because Winston and Steven were planning to move out of the office to Woodlands and would be killing herself to move to there with them. I got the usual reply of "see how first" reply. However I did manage to persuade Gima to go for an interview with a friend of mine. In Gima's mind, she was going to Woodlands with them and she couldn't give my friend an answer on a start date.
So on Tuesday, when the power supply was terminated - she was stunned. All the things I was telling her was coming true in front of her eyes. Those arse idiots abandoned her in the office. They hadn't paid her salary, and the next day would be Hari Raya. She was going to wait in the office for them.
So I called them with a real sandiwara wayang story about the shit they inflicted on Gima. I told them that Gima started crying because she was totally stunned by the turn of events. I was moving my office, the power supply got cut, Steven left her in the office with no further instructions and with all her domestic issues, she was falling apart. Winston told me that he would let her have some money for Raya (they were going to hold her money or renegade on paying) and he said he would have to borrow from me first. So late on Tuesday evening, I handed her $750 from Winston ($250 from his pocket and $500 borrowed from me). The look of relief on Gima's face was unbelievable as I had managed to extract cash from them.
This morning, Gima came to work in my friend's office as he had offered her a job when she came for the interview. However, I decided that I should do another Academy Award acting job with Winston to get cash from them for Gima.
Winston called me on my mobile then switched off the phone, knowing that I would call him back. I told Winston that Gima didn't get the job with my friend because in her mind, she was going to Woodlands so she could not confirm a start date. My friend wanted her to start immediately and could not wait for her. I told Winston that he still had an employee waiting for him. He expressed shock that she didn't start work with her new employee because she had informed him that she was leaving their employment.
I told him that I could only get her an interview but I could not force her to take the job. She could not confirm a start date with my friend, and since he could not wait for her and offered the job to another person. I fibbed that I had hired her son to help me with the office move and sorting of papers, so her son was in the office with me. Gima was still home waiting for either one of them to call her. Her son had said that his mother had sent the youngest brother to school and came home to wait for them to call her. I also knew that they could not get into the office so they didn't call her because they could not figure out what to do. I told Winston that I could not hire her because Gima was still under their employment.
I think Winston was stunned - he tried to get off the phone but he had to listen to me tell him off and about his responsibilities to his staff. Winston and Steven have effectively left their staff (the Malay salesman, a China girl designer and Gima) jobless by virtue of their selfishness.
NOW YOU KNOW WHY I CALL THEM ASSHOLE CLIENTS?? FULL OF SHIT!!!
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