James Provoost: Employed Bakers Delight 13 years I started with Bakers Delight in 1992 as a baker in several of the first stores in NSW and continued working as a production manager up until 2004. Throughout this time I increased sales in all the stores I managed and won numerous bread competitions. Due to my performance Ross We settled for Jimboomba the owner had it listed for $250,000 however Gail made the deal at $100,000 Bakers Delight informed me that the deal was done and instructed me to move my family to Jimboomba. I raised my concerns to Bakers Delight that relocating would cost me a substantial amount of money. Bakers Delight assured me that they would help by paying for the Registration of my company. Everyday I would receive a call from Gail Butler or the QLD Training manager asking if we had moved. Rental accommodation was scarce and the pressure from B/D forced us into a $250.00pw home with a 12mth lease. I informed Gail Buttler we had moved, we where running the store the next day. While waiting for Bakers Delight to organize our lease we increase the sales from $4000.00 to $6000.00 through a lot of hard work. After months of running the store and questioning when our lease would be ready to sign I was informed that the NOW profitable store was to be sold to another franchisee. I was told my last day would be 3rd Aug 2005 and I was to relocate to Toowoomba by the 1st Sept 05. I could not believe my ears, we had just moved!! We had just signed a 12 month lease and now they wanted us to move and take over Bakers Delight Toowoomba Central on the 1st September 05. I told Gail this was not financially viable for us as we could not possibly afford another move, the expense of another bond and the expense of paying double rent. Gail Buttler said Bakers Delight would cover the cost of this move, we signed a lease on Toowoomba Central and took over on 1st Sept. Bakers Delight reneged on the promise of paying our relocation costs leaving us to pay for everything: The two moves cost us over $16,000 all they paid was $1,000 for registering our company to lease their Store. To cover the the remaining costs I had borrowed money from my elderly mother (money that had been put aside for her funeral) and Toowoomba Centrals takings. Due to this we were behind with our bills from day one and it did not take long for us to be approached by Trevor Haines the state manager for Queensland concerned of the situation. Regardless of having a 30% increase in sales, the highest in Queensland and a turnaround in profits from negative to a positive I was still told I had 7 days to be up to date with all bills. I had secured the money from a good friend in Sydney who was quite happy to be paid back in installments from the profits and assured me he would have the money in my account before the 7 day. It was only 4 days later when I was awoken during the day by my partner with a message from the sales staff that they were locked out of the store. Shortly after I received a call from Bakers Delight stating that they were reopening the shop with their own staff using the bread that I had produced the night before. To add further insult they kept 2 days banking in the safe and all my ingredients leaving my family broke and dependant on Salvation Army emergency accommodation and food vouchers. This has placed a great deal of pressure on my family not only financially but also emotionally and I hope that by telling my story if I save just one person from the same fate it was worth it. In retrospect with all the years working for the company and all that I have heard and witnessed Bakers Delight doing to there franchisees I should have seen it coming. |