SCs and their attempts to get you in trouble

[Retail's Bitch]

I had somebody - not a customer technically - get me written up for basically being unable to help them in the time they had decided was appropriate.

I had just started at the portrait studio and had got the permission from both my DM and my assistant DM to be able to move our large signage in front of the studio door while I changed film, photographed clients, etc... Until I got my speed and concentration up I was allowed to do this, especially when I was changing film.

So one day I had the sign pulled across and I was changing film when a woman popped her head into the studio.

"I need my passport picture taken!" she barks at me while I'm up to my armpits in a black light-tight bag. I'm not going anywhere lady. I'm not wasting $100 worth of film just so I can sell you a $14 passport photo. Thanks but no thanks.

"I'm sorry. But I'm a little tied up at the moment. I'm in the middle of changing film. I'll be with you as soon as I can. Possibly in about 20 minutes or so," I reply coolly.

"Well!" And she pulls her head out of the doorway, the sign slams forward and I'm alone again. Or so I think...

Then I hear her bitching to a friend seated just outside the studio telling her that I refused to take her passport photo and all I'm doing is hiding in the studio and refusing to work.

Then she goes off and phones my RM (automatic write-up) and goes and storms off to yell at the store manager who really has nothing to do with me at all other than the fact that we rent space from him.

So then about a week later my DM shows up with the paperwork and proceeds to write me up for something that was completely stupid and out of my control. All because of some self-entitled bitch who couldn't wait 20 minutes and decided to make up stories.

[Rapscallion]

I maintain that if someone wants you to do something outside of the time you are paid, they need to pay you for that time - drinking whatever products they say to avoid is not illegal, and a company would be in deep over here if they tried to sack on those grounds.

Rapscallion

[red hot pegasus]

This happened last year as I was cashering one night. This woman came thru my line,and as I was ringing her up, she took out two small figurines from our home decor dept. She said she had put them in there so she woulndn't drop them. As I was ringing them up, she gave me her permission to look thru her purse to see if there was anything else in thereI should rinng up. While I was doing this(remember,I had her permission), she went crazy,yelling that I was going thru her things w/out her consent,Ishould be fired,managementshould call the cops on me,etc. She didn'tget her own way due to the fact that the CSS person heard and saw the whole thing.


People shouln't give their consent for us to search their belongings if they're going to get uppity about it when we do it!

[LostMyMind]

I maintain that if someone wants you to do something outside of the time you are paid, they need to pay you for that time - drinking whatever products they say to avoid is not illegal, and a company would be in deep over here if they tried to sack on those grounds.

Not really, because Coke require all their employees sign a contract saying they won't drink non-Coke product. Pepsi does the same thing too, and I wouldn't be surprise if beer companies did it too.

You're "sacked" for breaking your contract. I don't know about U.K. laws, but I'm sure they will hold contracts violation seriously.

It's one of those lovely loopholes, even some places are starting to do the same thing to smokers. "You want to work here sign this contract saying you won't smoke while employed here."

P.S. I don't think the action is right, but I can understand the company point of view. If you're a "Beer" truck driver, everyone in your neighborhood knows you're a "beer" delivery man. What image of the beer company would you have, if you see him outside his house drinking a different companies beer?

[Rapscallion]

Heh - I don't care about the contract as such, save for a rewrite. If they want someone to do or not do something, they should be recompensing the employee.

Rapscallion

[LostMyMind]

Oh, I think they're well compensated. Most people would kill to be paid what they're paid.

I understand where you're coming from. You want to be completely off the clock when you clock out. The employer has no say when you're not clocked in. Which is nice, but don't happen.

Employers are modern day slave masters, they have say for 24/7 of your life when you sign a contract. And companies care about protecting their image more. It really is a matter of is the pay enough to put up with it, it must be because you don't see a whole lot of folks leaving these companies.

[Palsgraf]

... This lady is demanding a 500 dollar gift card and that I be fired. If she doesn't get her demands She will "take care of that bitch myself" ....

They should have taken her name, address, etc. and info. for the gift card, but made a police report with it instead!

(Bad customer, bad. No gift card for you.)

[Palsgraf]

It's one of those lovely loopholes, even some places are starting to do the same thing to smokers. "You want to work here sign this contract saying you won't smoke while employed here."

The no-smoking companies are telling employees that they cannot smoke ever - not even at home. The excuse is that it causes an increase in the cost of their health insurance. I'd say, let the smokers pay the difference - don't tell people what they can or cannot legally do on their own time and in the privacy of their homes! Some states allow employers to do this, while others do not.

As for celebrities, some/most are required to sign some sort of ethics clause for their personal behavior. You don't want (well, might not want) your spokesmodel being arrested for something nasty.

The craziest one I've heard was the C.E.O. of Boeing Aircraft being canned because he was having an 'secret' extra-marital affair - someone found out about it and he was outta there! Again, as long as it wasn't public, and as long as he wasn't getting Lewinskeys in the boardroom ... what business is it of theirs?

[protege]

One of my paper-route customers tried to get me into trouble....simply because his paper was late. Nevermind that we'd had a blizzard and the papers were late getting to my house--the delivery truck not only got stuck, but got into an accident earlier in the afternoon Of the roughly 45 daily customers on my route, he was the only one to call up corporate and bitch...simply because his paper got there at 5:00 instead of 3:30. From what I heard, he went off about how "expensive" the paper was and how "good" a customer he was. First off, $2.50 a week (25 cents a day, $1 for Sunday) isn't expensive, you cheap bastard. Second, he never tipped me. Ever. Keep in mind that many of my customers gave me an extra dollar or two, or even let me step inside for a bit if it was cold. Did he do that? Hell no.

At least my route manager was cool about it, and didn't even bother with it. I had the route from about '86-87 until the paper closed midway through 1994. That complaint, along with that from the stupid woman (who wasn't even a customer!) I flipped off after she nearly hit me with her car...were the only complaints against me during that time.

[LostMyMind]

what business is it of theirs?

Well, I somewhat agree with you. But like I said earlier. Most companies care about their image (what people think of the company), and do as much as they can to protect it.

I look at it just like I look at religion. You expect someone being a pastor of a local church to follow that church's doctrine. And you expect them to "lose" their job if they "break" the "rules".

A company no different, they have a set of "rules" to protect their "image". And in order for it to be legal (no special treatment), everyone has to follow the same rule. So you expect a CEO of Pepsi to never drink Coke, and if they did, you would expect their job to be in jeopardy. So the same rule applies even to the low-man on the pole.

It's really a matter of choices, as long as you're told up front about the "rules" before you're hired for the job. It's your choice to take that job, taking that job means you accepted the conditions to keep the job.

The smoking thing is a smoke screen, it's not about health care costs. In the companies minds, it's about smokers take more breaks to smoke than a non-smoker. They want maximum working hours (which I think is bull).

[ditchdj]

One of my paper-route customers tried to get me into trouble....simply because his paper was late. Nevermind that we'd had a blizzard and the papers were late getting to my house--the delivery truck not only got stuck, but got into an accident earlier in the afternoon Of the roughly 45 daily customers on my route, he was the only one to call up corporate and bitch...simply because his paper got there at 5:00 instead of 3:30. From what I heard, he went off about how "expensive" the paper was and how "good" a customer he was. First off, $2.50 a week (25 cents a day, $1 for Sunday) isn't expensive, you cheap bastard. Second, he never tipped me. Ever. Keep in mind that many of my customers gave me an extra dollar or two, or even let me step inside for a bit if it was cold. Did he do that? Hell no.

At least my route manager was cool about it, and didn't even bother with it. I had the route from about '86-87 until the paper closed midway through 1994. That complaint, along with that from the stupid woman (who wasn't even a customer!) I flipped off after she nearly hit me with her car...were the only complaints against me during that time.

Hey did your newspaper make you go around and collect subscription money from all your customers??? I had that when I was 16 and had a paper route. It was like pulling teeth. I got so fed up with that damn route I gave it away instead of selling it which was better for me because it turned into a money pit for me.

[Dragon_Dreamer]

Yes, and they partially helped to get me fired from the hotel.

I took a call from a woman needing something faxed to her. I was very gracious with her, though she began to loudly complain that the room rates were too expensive. (She was trying to book a wedding.) I remained extremely polite as she continued to rant, since I was unable to hang up on her, but I wanted to throttle her.

Finally, I was able to fax the stuff she needed to her, and a couple hours later went home for the weekend. Found out the next week that I was off the schedule, because she'd called in and complained to corporate that I'd been "huffy" with her.

The manager made some other remarks, and told me to never show my face on the property again. (The full story is long, but it was definately a hostile working enviroment. Especially after management changed, and the new manager, a friend of the owners, found reasons to fire every single woman within 2 weeks. Also, the former friend who had gotten me hired turned VERY hostile when I refused to date him, and was calling be a "psychotic bitch" at the top of his lungs in front of customers.)

The manager was recently fired for driving the hotel into the ground, and other such things, and I got unemployment for a year after the accusations were found to be baseless. (Turns out the camera on the front desk had a mic, which helped my side.) There was also a lawsuit in there and stuff, but I never heard if karma also got the customer.

[0oAmericanGirl]

Isn't it great how you bend over backwards to help a person and they never go to your boss to compliment you? Then if you do one little thing wrong they're rushing to tell on you.

[Misanthropical]

I maintain that if someone wants you to do something outside of the time you are paid, they need to pay you for that time - drinking whatever products they say to avoid is not illegal, and a company would be in deep over here if they tried to sack on those grounds.

Rapscallion

Preach it, Raps! If the company wants to tell me what I can or can not do, what I can or can not eat/drink when I'm not working, they can darn well pay me for it.

I mean what next? Who you can or can not marry? Is my next boss going to tell me he doesn't approve of an age difference and either refuse to hire me or threaten to fire me if I don't divorce and marry someone more my age?

[repsac]

This occured rather recently, and has still had me laughing to tears.

Ok, bit of background here: I'm an owner/manager. I'm also a producer and director. I own a company known as "Majestic Productions." Basically, we make commercials for local companies. Though, we also do some music videos and may work on a feature next year. (key word being may).

I do most of the work in the shop, since well, I'm the only employee at present. (sure, I have some freelance cameramen, but that's on a case by case basis).

Well, Imagine if you will a few weeks ago. Here I am sitting at my desk, poking away on the computer. There's a big glass window out front, and a rather sizable television running with a couch across from it. There's also a reception area, with my "office" area tucked behind it. As I sit there, I hear the jingle of the door open. Looking up I call out "I'll be with you in a second." I don't hear anything, beyond people talking about how the television is nice, and complaining they can't find the remote. Thinking it may be some of my cameramen, I wander up that way. It may have taken me a minute or two to get to the front. At most.

By the time I come up front, it's only to find this funky looking guy and his wife standing by my reception area with a computer plunked down on the counter. WTF?

Asking the guy what's up, (no can I help you here) he starts off about how his kid had put something in the disc drive and now it doesn't work. He needs the thing fixed before Wed, and he can't pay the bench fee right now. He then gives me this look like I'm supposed to say something.

Looking at the guy a moment I shake my head and just say. "Sorry sir. We're not a computer company. I can't help you." This was not what he wanted.

Looking back through the reception area he sees the BANK of computers and drives. "I see them back there. So you gotta know what's going on. You gotta fix it." "No. I don't." I say and then turn around walking back to my office area. Now get this, Idiot decides to follow me. As I sat there he starts yelling and even goes so far as to grab my office chair and yank on it. Looking up at him I said very coldly. "Get the F*ck out before I call the cops and have you escorted out!" This, got his attention, sending him packing.

About a week later, (maybe 4 days ago) I get a call from my new receptionist. It seems someone up at the shop is throwing a fit and wanting to speak to the manager. Well, I'm on location, but since I have to come back to drop off the discs I figure why not. Pulling into the parkinglot, I spot moron. Oh fun. He's back for more.

My Receptionist meets me at the door, as moron does to. Before she can say anything, he points at me and says quote. "I'm going to get you fired." as we go inside. Turning to the girl he says rather triumphantly. "I want to speak to the manager!" I'll give Steph one thing. She's got cahones of brass.

Turning to me she smiles and says. "Boss, he wants to speak to you."

moron blinks a few times, stares and then changes tact. "I wanna talk to the owner. I'm a good friend of him. He'll fire you both." Steph again looks at me and beams. "Boss, he says he's a friend of yours and wants to speak to you."

Moron turned several nice shades of green, blinked some and then mouthed like a fish out of water. Slinking away with his tail tucked between his legs, we never heard from him again.

Ironic Note:

It's worth noting, our front window reads in BIG white letters: Majestic Pictures Productions. Professional Commercial And Video Productions.