Quality without compromise®

chapter 2 part 2

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“So OK, I get that the company’s perfectionism won’t let them sell the perfectly viable candies we’re eating. What’s wrong with this Orange Cream?” she passed it over.

Shira needed a moment to study as she chewed.


“A little bit of bloom on the bottom.”

“This slightly cloudy part?”

“Yep. Happens to home chocolatiers all the time, i’ve seen in videos. Major no no for a company like this.” She handed the chocolate back.


One aspect of their jobs that neither Eden nor Shira understood was why it mattered which of them ate which chocolates. All Shira knew was that if she just popped that Orange Cream into her mouth when it had been sent down the tubing/piping/etc. into Eden‘s bowl, something bad would happen somewhere to someone.

Remaining utterly flummoxed by the whole situation on her second day, Eden was beyond questioning such things, with so many more pressing, obvious questions unanswered.


* *
“One more time with feeling: I get they can’t or won‘t sell what we‘re eating. Why can’t they give them away to charities, or Make A Wish, or *someone* who’d be delighted to have them?”

“Is there a part of ‘Quality without compromise’ you’re not understanding?” Shira didn’t entirely tease. “Not a spokesperson, just an employee in the same job position as you. I gather than they don’t want **anyone** to have substandard candies associated with them.”

“Fine! Private label these!” Munch, munch. “These could be Trader Joe’s Chocolate Delight Assortment in some totally different box and related packaging, and I’d buy them and love them!”

“Nah.”

“Why not?!”

“Look at the Milk Bordeaux™ in your left hand or the Raspberry Truffle with the out-of-tolerance white lines you just pulled out of the bowl with your right.”

“No time to look; I gotta keep eating these!”

“*Quick* look.”

She did, then pushed the Bordeaux into her mouth.

“Ever seen any other chocolates with exactly these patterns of enrobing and marking?”

“No.”

“*Branding*. Even in a different package, they’re still recognizable as See’s chocolate and related candies. Quality without compromise, hence private label packaging isn’t sufficient to disconnect the brand association.”

“Alright fine; I give up. They’re feeding us a whole bunch of out-of-tolerance chocolates which for 98% of the world would be *perfectly viable*, paying us slightly over minimum wage to trash our health and get fat together.”

Shira shot her a questioning glance as she chewed.

“Fat*ter* together!”

“*That’s* my girl!” she smiled. “Sit back and enjoy the riiiide.”