Worst Meeting Ever...

Jim walks into the upper management and shareholder's meeting. “Oh Jim, so glad you could make it. We were just going over tactics and marketing on how to better the grocery chain. Come, sit, sit.” Said the man at the head of the table. Jim quickly takes his seat while unloading his briefcase and pad with all the necessary items to be successful.

               “Alright, let’s get right to it.” The man at the head of the table now sounds louder and bolder. “Our sales have gone down by 5 percent last quarter and quite frankly I don’t blame them. Our products just aren’t selling like they used to, so now we need to…” The man stops himself as Jim is seen raising his hand.

“Yes Jim,” Jim puts his hand back down and looks over at everyone at the table. These men were seasoned in what they did, handling the quality, production and sales of each of the stores all across the country, what could a new hire fresh out of college have to offer?

               “Well I was thinking of this really neat idea for a phone app.”

               “A…phone app, Jim?”

               “Yeah, the grocery store would have an app where you can find items in the store much faster.” Jim says to the board with more confidence now feeling that he is on to something and that the store could be improved dramatically because of him. Aw yes, things were looking up for him that day until,

               “Why would you want to do that?” Another man leans over the table with a disgusted tone.

Jim thinks about it and then goes in for a reply, “That way the customer is not wasting time in the store and its more convenient. They can get in and get out faster.”

               “But then they won’t stick around to buy more things. We might as well put the milk and the eggs up at the front if that’s the case.” The man finishes while the rest of the board join in on the laugh.

               “Screw the customer!” Someone else says.

               “Yes well, good luck with that when there won’t be anymore customers left in your stores to screw.” Jim counters the shouted statement. There is silence in the room until Jim breaks it. “Look guys, there are so many ways to improve your stores. For example, energy costs, think about energy and how it takes energy to make energy and that costs a lot of money. Your shopping carts could be the answer to your problems. If your customers were to push the shopping carts, they would be the ones making the energy - as the wheels of the cart turn, energy could be stored in small batteries underneath the…”

               “STOP STOP STOP, what are you trying to do? How much is that supposed to cost? Huh?” The man at the head of the table has now lost his cool. “What other ideas do you have, genius?” Someone else asks mockingly.

               “Well, for one I thought of having mini scanners on each shopping cart so they can pre-scan their items and get an idea of exactly how much they will cost at the check…” The man at the head of the table interrupts Jim by slamming the table with his hand.

               “I’ve heard quite enough from you.” The man signals to the others. Some from the other end of the table get up and start moving in towards Jim. Jim gets up from his chair in a hurry. “What are you doing?”

               “Jim, its been a pleasure working with you, but unfortunately we are going in different directions.” The men approach him as if about to detain him.

               “These men are going to take you away.”

               “TAKE ME WHERE?”

               “Jim, you know our secrets now and for that we must put you away.” Said the man at the head of the table while smiling darkly. Jim bolts for the door while the others pursue after him. “Don’t let him get away!”

Jim cuts out of the hallway, through the double doors and clears the stairs with the others trailing behind. He leaps through the frozen food aisle and runs past the hardware section. Displays are knocked over and stands are crashed into. The two men in suits are starting to gain on him. Jim swooshes past the closed checkout aisles and breaks through the locked entrance doors – shattering the storefront glass. The man who was at the head of the table’s voice comes on the intercom,

               “THIS IS HOW WE DO BUSINESS JIM, IT’S HOW IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN DONE!” His voice gets louder as a helicopter hovers in over Jim who gets on his sport bike. Now several dark SUVs and a chopper are pursuing him through the night streets. “I should’ve went into business for myself!” Jim shouts to himself while doing 95 on the highway.