Caught in the Wrong Uniform

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

What's funny is when you actually get fired from a store that you don't even work for.

I'm wandering through a Circuit City and I'm helping a friend pick out a laptop. As bad luck would have it I'm wearing the same polo shirt color as the rest of the poor wage slaves there.

So I'm in the middle of geting my friend setup with a laptop and the accessories and I'm accosted by some one trying to find a keyboard and mouse wireless combo. Being polite and moderatly helpful I point to the shelves two aisles over and go back to my friend.

Manager comes over to me yelling and cursing that I should be more helpful, that I should have taken the person over to the display and talked with them about the keyboards...blah blah blah. I tell him to @#$% off and he then informs me that I'm fired and that I'm to leave the store. I tell him that he has no authority to fire me and that I want to know on what grounds is he demanding me to leave the store. He says that it's because he fired me. I say (again) tht he can't fire me.

He leaves me alone at that point and I go back to helping my friend get the last of the things he needs.

Manager guy calls his District manager who tells him to call the cops. They show up and they confront me. I politely tell them that he can't fire me since I don't work there (nice job Mr. Manager dude for not knowing who the hell your staff is), that I was helping a friend buy his stuff here, and that the reason I was being 'fired' was because I didn't act like a store associate and actually assist someone who asked me a question which I answered. Cops take my side, give the manager a stern talking to then suggest that I leave to let tempers cool down.

I informed the police that unless they order me to leave that I'm staying long enough for my friend to go through checkout, pickup his laptop and leave...approx 10 minutes. They agreed, stated that it was a suggestion and not an order and they went back to talking to the manager. We paid and left...never to return

M

[MadMike]

OMG, it's one thing for a customer not to know who does and doesn't work there, but the manager???

I probably would have just left, and pointed out to the manager that I had intended to make a fairly large purchase (I know laptops aren't exactly cheap), but that now we were going to take our business elsewhere.

I know the whole "I'm taking my business elsewhere" comment usually indicates a sucky customer, but I think it would have been justified in this case.

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

I know the whole "I'm taking my business elsewhere" comment usually indicates a sucky customer, but I think it would have been justified in this case.

Part of the reason we stayed was they were the cheapest buy in town for that laptop. The main reason is I'm a stubborn jackass who won't be run off by some twit with a napoleon complex. If I go into a store and I'm met by a moron who is being too lazy to stop talking with their friend/co-worker to do their job and assist me I don't leave until someone in that store helps me find what I'm looking for. There are unfortunatly times where being a sucky customer is your only recourse to deal with a twit behind the counter.

We really need a sister site for Sucky Retailers. I'd do it myself but I couldn't HTML my way out of a wet paper javascript

M

[Becks]

Mongo, you should've explained to that manager exactly WHY he couldn't fire you. I would pay to see his face after that.

[Auto]

Manager guy calls his District manager who tells him to call the cops. They show up and they confront me. I politely tell them that he can't fire me since I don't work there (nice job Mr. Manager dude for not knowing who the hell your staff is), that I was helping a friend buy his stuff here, and that the reason I was being 'fired' was because I didn't act like a store associate and actually assist someone who asked me a question which I answered. Cops take my side, give the manager a stern talking to then suggest that I leave to let tempers cool down.

That's when you complain to corporate HQ. If their manager is that much of a dumbass that he's firing customers, HQ needs to know.

Who knows -- they might even give you something by way of apology so you don't consult a lawyer. Because it sounds to me like there could be a lawsuit pending. If you were so inclined.

[Worker-Intellectual]

Mongo, you should have asked for your last paycheck...

[Rapatwork]

We really need a sister site for Sucky Retailers. I'd do it myself but I couldn't HTML my way out of a wet paper javascript

M

Heh - there's always PFB, but you've got the additional problems of knowing that so many tales there are bogus...

Rapscallion

[Crow The Robot]

I love the happy endings. Both of them rock!

[Gurndigarn]

OMG, it's one thing for a customer not to know who does and doesn't work there, but the manager???

Keep in mind the location: Circuit City. From what I've seen of the place, I'ld expect turnover to be high enough that it could happen.

But yeah, if you were in a final paycheck state, you should have asked for it.

[LdyJedi]

At least you had on some sort of uniform

What I don't get are the people who ask me for help, when I'm in jeans and t-shirt and carrying my handbag! 'Cause, you know, I'm sure employees work all the time carrying their belongings on their shoulder.

[hecubus]

Mongo, you should've explained to that manager exactly WHY he couldn't fire you. I would pay to see his face after that.

I think you handled it exactly right. Let the manager call Corporate, and/or the cops, THEN explain why he can't fire you. Maximizes his embarrassement.

[ShockQueen]

That's when you complain to corporate HQ. If their manager is that much of a dumbass that he's firing customers, HQ needs to know.

OH that's priceless! You'd just love to be able to see the other side of THAT call! They'd be doing the thing too!

[LdyJedi]

The manager fired a CUSTOMER? Wow. That's really really bad. Have you contacted their main office about this idiot?

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

The manager fired a CUSTOMER? Wow. That's really really bad. Have you contacted their main office about this idiot?

For a starter, this was a few years back when I was living in new Jersey. Combine that with the fact that calling any corporate office involves hold times in excess of the average ice-age cycle...I wasn't willing to let these people steal anymore of my precious lifespan than they already have done.

Besides...watching the cops verbally administering a serious smack-down for filing a false claim was priceless enough for little old me

M

[Jester]

"You're fired!"
"You can't fire me!"
"Why not?"
"Because I don't work here!"

I love it! Reminds me of the old joke:

"Waiter, come here."
"Sir, what is wrong?"
"Taste my soup."
"Is your soup not to your liking?"
"Just taste my soup."
"Is it not hot enough for you?"
"Will you please just taste my soup?"
"Okay, okay, I'll taste your soup. Um...where's the spoon?"
"A-ha!"