Deaf Anthology # 387: "CWA"

Forget the disclaimer above, I am going to be straightforward about it from a consumer standpoint. Sorenson thinks they are in a "comfort zone" since they are a dominant force in the VRS industry, so why shouldn't they give a damn about their Deaf consumers or even their Deaf employees for that matter. Sorenson's Achilles' heel is keeping the status quo, with its business as usual attitude, while its competitors are chipping away their market share, if there is any doubts , check back to this blog within next decade. If Consumer Report ever take on the VRS industry, you will see black dots across the page instead of red.

Here's the situation, the GM (general manager), a former ASL interpreter, set out to hire employees from the often neglected labor pool, the Deaf which have proven again and again to be reliable in the service industry with its low turnover rates. Today I went to a pancake fundraiser for the Miss Deaf Alabama pageant, there were two Deaf VRS employees, one is from Sorenson, and the other is from CSDVRS, and I indicated to both of them that the GM of this restaurant is considering placing a videophone (VP) in its restaurant for two purposes, for its Deaf employees and also to take orders from Deaf consumers, as they have a significant catering business as well.

I ask both of them to give me their business cards, the one from Sorenson doesn't have a business card, making a negative impression on me, and questioning the professionalism of their workforce in general. The CSDVRS is the one with the business card, with its logo and his contact information. I mentioned that the restaurant will have a silent dinner next Thursday night that are well attended by the Deaf and interpreters of our unique community. The one from Sorenson gave me a scrap piece of paper with the consumer service phone numbers scribbled on it and telling me to have the GM call them. The one from CSDVRS made a commitment to attend the silent dinner to meet with the GM, and perhaps the owner, too, to make a pitch as to why CSDVRS is the best choice from a business standpoint. Sorenson may soon be a white elephant if it doesn't watch its back. The odds is that CSDVRS will score this time around.

I send an e-mail to Sorenson last year that I am interested in joining their team, suggesting that we start up an international division the tap the foreign market, especially the Chinese. I was simply ignored as they just forwarded the e-mail to a Deaf area director that since left the company. I went to the Hilton Birmingham Perimeter to check my e-mails in their business center and note that Sorenson is having a training session at its Summit boardroom from 2 to 7 pm that Sunday, so I decided to show up unannounced that I am ready to take the training to become their cable installers, the Sorenson new area managers took me aside and asked me to not to disrupt the meeting as it is only for its employees, I only saw three Deaf, you meant that's all you have for the whole state of Alabama. I gave the Deaf area director my e-mail address but he never bother to contact me. Of course, he gave me his business card, no logo on it either, perhaps he had it printed up at Kinkos at his own expenses. Many Deaf complained to me that they send in their resumes, but never heard from them. I suspected corruption within the VRS industry as the only way to get your foot in is to know someone, maybe I should try bribing the next time around. Here I am threatening as if I was Micheal Moore to videotape the session and post it on the Deaf Anthology Youtube channel, but I was asked to show them some respect, he's lucky that my cameraman is tied up with a friend learning to use the laptop he just purchased. I remember reading that the former Deaf area director had to fly into Mobile, way down deep south, to catch up with the demands of the Deaf in undeserved areas, now I can understand that stresses on the job and low wages doesn't gain loyalty among their employees, maybe they ought to unionized themselves by arranging a vote under supervision of the federal government, National Labor Relations (NLR). I am sure the Communications Workers of America (CWA) would welcome them to their fold. Don't the Deaf have the guts themselves to unite and tell the bigwigs at top enough is enough, Sorenson can lose millions if the Deaf dare to strike alongside a consumer boycott to demand that they be promoted to managerial jobs, putting the CEO's job security in jeopardy because of his ignorant to even learn to be fluent in ASL, they can't silence us as there is a limit to our patience. Quality control is almost non-existence as profits is the sole motivator, not the morals of its employees, nor the respect of its consumers expecting prompted responses.

Now that I given them a piece of my mind, I'll leave at that and let you all take potshots at the VRS industry. Don't expect the FCC to take actions on your concerns, if you expect changes, there is an advocate in all of us down at the grassroots and it's up to us to go forward.

This is Smokey, stay tuned for the next episode of Deaf Anthology. Good night, Deaf America!