Charlie the Custodian

Last week I was at the Scotiabank Tower downtown Toronto for a meeting with my lawyer. A man boarded the elevator with me for the ride to the 48th floor.

I couldn't help but notice that he had a custom-embroidered workman's shirt with the name 'Charlie' over the right breast pocket and 'Scotiabank' in the same position on the other side. Charlie was also wearing a heavy, leather tool belt and carrying a mop. Charlie was clearly a custodian of the Scotiabank Tower.

The elevator stopped at each of the first five floors - all of which housed various departments of Scotiabank: personal banking, business services, international trade, investor relations, etc. etc. Each floor filled with Scotiabank employees, none with their names embroidered on their shirts.

Why does Charlie have to wear his name on his clothing but not other Scotiabank employees? Why doesn't Polly, the personal banking specialist, have to wear her name embroidered on her dress? What about Steve, the "relationship manager*"? Why isn't his name emblazened on his shirt? What about CEO Richard Waugh? I'm going to take a guess that he may have his initials embroidered on his sleeve, but that's not the same thing, is it?

*Don't get me started. After five years banking with Scotiabank, I actually received my first call from my "relationship manager." If you ask me, he wasn't do a very good job managing our relationship if it was his first call in five years, was he?

(c) 2006 Michelle Henderson
aka Empress of the Universe

Visit online at: www.empressgallery.com