There is a former employee of my company who goes to restaurants pretending to represent us, promises outrageous prices for oil, and takes waste oil without paying. He’s a sophisticated veggie pirate, and he’s causing all sorts of problems for Connecticut rendering companies. It is incredibly awkward trying to speak with restauranteurs who have dealt with him, since I am claiming to represent the same company he claimed to represent. It’s not fun telling them that they won’t get paid, and one interaction stands out.
From the get go, dealing with Chinese restaurants is a challenge. There is a language barrier, which breeds trust issues. Many Chinese restaurants seem extremely worried that I’m trying to somehow rip them off. Our company takes every step to try and extend a bridge to these small business owners, and employs a Mandarin speaker, as well as printing “We speak Chinese” in Chinese on our brochures and business cards. It helps a little.
I visited a Chinese restaurant that was hit by said veggie pirate, tasked with explaining the situation. After briefly explaining that he didn’t work for us, I showed them the number to call and confirm what I had told them, which was printed on the business card he left them. Okay, maybe he’s not that sophisticated. He just crossed out the 1-800 number and circled his cell number several times. Still, he easily causes problems, and the owner repeated what I had said several times, not wanting to believe it. “I don’t understand,” she eventually said. “Everyone has been so nice to us since we came here.”