THAT is slimy.
Asking to speak with folks the old fashioned way seems quaint to the point that I genuinely am appalled by your harshness here…
EDIT: I asked my wife, a restaurant manager of some 15 years and former chef… this is exactly how folks both make sales pitches and seek work if they do not have an “in” already. This is not slimy, it’s normal course of business.