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This happened to my dad, so all this info is coming second hand. For those that don’t know, he’s a manager at a quick lube chain (and a top 10% one at that).
There is this fleet customer with some 20 trucks that does business there. As you can tell, that’s $$$$ for the company (I think upwards of $25K a year). Only problem is, the guy that’s in charge of the fleet is a jerk, to say the least.
When he pulls a truck into the bay, he gets out and walks around the shop. That’s a big NO-NO (Insurance requirements states a customer must remain in the vehicle, for obvious reasons). Also, he starts working on his trucks while in the shop. Another no-no. Also, he has tried to fiddle around with the shop’s equipment, another no-no.
My dad first met this clown a couple of year ago, when he managed a store in a nearby town (that shop has since closed down). He tried to pull that crap mentioned above on my dad’s watch. His assistant politely told him NOT to do that.
Instead of saying okay, the guy retorts with “I’m a big customer, you can’t tell me what to do!”
He then goes to my dad to complain:
SC: You need to tell that peon of yours that I spend too much money here to get bossed around!
Dad: Um, he was telling you that due to insurance regulations. If you get hurt, we could get into a lot of trouble.
SC: Listen here, I’m a big customer. I want that man fired!
Dad: What? There is no way I’m firing my assistant for trying to avoid insurance violations.
SC: If you don’t I’m going to go to the head office on this, just you watch!
That wasn’t the end of it. From what I heard, he tried to pull this on another manager in another store. The head office (surely linguini-spined) sided with the customer on this one and forced the manager to wait in the office while he was there. Apparently, the insurance violations were not a problem as long as it was a big enough customer.
Fast forward to now. My dad’s old shop was only 3 minutes from our house, but the owner doubled the rent so it closed. Now my dad works 25-30 minutes from home. Well, the SC brings his trucks in to this shop to get service. The previous manager caved like a deck of cards when the SC demanded they open at 4AM to service his trucks (shop opens at 8AM). Said SC comes in and this is the important part:
SC: Oh, you again.
Dad: May I help you?
SC: Look, I’n not too happy you’re here. Remember you failed to fire that fatass who tried to boss me around when I was in the shop in [town].
Dad: That was a long time ago and he was clearly in the right, how may I help you today?
SC: Now that you’re here, I need you to open up this place at 4AM to get all 20 of my trucks serviced.
Dad: No, we open at 8.
SC: Did you not understand what I said? I have 20 trucks I need to get done, I cannot and will not come in at 8!
Dad: I live too far away for that, and I will not open at 4. That’s just crazy!
SC: What’s crazy is you talking like this to a big customer like me. Now, I demand you open at 4 or else I’m going to your supervisor!
Dad: How about this, 6AM, but that’s it.
SC: Is English a second language to you, I told you 4AM and that’s what I’m getting!
Dad: Sorry, not while I’m here.
SC: Fucking prick!
He storms off to his truck, and that is seemingly the end of it. My dad turns to his assistant, and says “What an asshole, actually demanding something like that.”
Well the SC heard him! He immediately calls the head office and bypasses the district manager.
After that, a meeting ensues between the customer, my dad and the district manager. Apparently, the guy was hell bent on getting my dad fired:
SC: I want him fired! I didn’t like him a couple of years ago, and I dislike him more now!
DM: At the time you wanted him to terminate his assistant manager for trying to not allow you to violate insurance rules. This time he was enforcing company policy.
SC: That policy will not be good for me, and he refused to accommodate me! Remember I am one of your biggest customers!
DM: You wanted him to open at 4AM. That is not possible for a number of reasons.
SC: Then why did the other manager do it?
DM: And that person is no longer a manager. SLD’s note: he actually is for another shop in the chain, and from what I hear he’s not doing so well.
SC: So, what are you going to do for me?
DM: We can have him take off when you come, or transfer to another store when you come.
SC: Not good enough! I want him fired!
DM: Sir, you wanted him to fire an assistant for following the rules, now you want him to open at an unreasonable time. On top of it you started using derogatory remarks. I’m not going to let go one of my best workers for this, sorry.
SC: I don’t want to see his ugly ass face again, I want him gone!
DM: At this point I made my mind up. You’re free to leave if you want for another company but I’m not firing one of my best managers.
SC: Fuck this, I may just do that!
Yeah he left alright.
He’s still with us, but I think the DM told him “you have to follow the rules or I am giving my workers my blessing to kick you out. Just because of the dollar amount you spend with us, it doesn't give you the right to think you are their boss.”
Oh, and this guy isn’t even the head cheese of the fleet. The actually head is somewhere in the northern part of the state. When the DM called him, he actually said “I don’t have time for this and even if I did, I don’t really care. It’s your problem, not mine."
There is this fleet customer with some 20 trucks that does business there. As you can tell, that’s $$$$ for the company (I think upwards of $25K a year). Only problem is, the guy that’s in charge of the fleet is a jerk, to say the least.
When he pulls a truck into the bay, he gets out and walks around the shop. That’s a big NO-NO (Insurance requirements states a customer must remain in the vehicle, for obvious reasons). Also, he starts working on his trucks while in the shop. Another no-no. Also, he has tried to fiddle around with the shop’s equipment, another no-no.
My dad first met this clown a couple of year ago, when he managed a store in a nearby town (that shop has since closed down). He tried to pull that crap mentioned above on my dad’s watch. His assistant politely told him NOT to do that.
Instead of saying okay, the guy retorts with “I’m a big customer, you can’t tell me what to do!”
He then goes to my dad to complain:
SC: You need to tell that peon of yours that I spend too much money here to get bossed around!
Dad: Um, he was telling you that due to insurance regulations. If you get hurt, we could get into a lot of trouble.
SC: Listen here, I’m a big customer. I want that man fired!
Dad: What? There is no way I’m firing my assistant for trying to avoid insurance violations.
SC: If you don’t I’m going to go to the head office on this, just you watch!
That wasn’t the end of it. From what I heard, he tried to pull this on another manager in another store. The head office (surely linguini-spined) sided with the customer on this one and forced the manager to wait in the office while he was there. Apparently, the insurance violations were not a problem as long as it was a big enough customer.
Fast forward to now. My dad’s old shop was only 3 minutes from our house, but the owner doubled the rent so it closed. Now my dad works 25-30 minutes from home. Well, the SC brings his trucks in to this shop to get service. The previous manager caved like a deck of cards when the SC demanded they open at 4AM to service his trucks (shop opens at 8AM). Said SC comes in and this is the important part:
SC: Oh, you again.
Dad: May I help you?
SC: Look, I’n not too happy you’re here. Remember you failed to fire that fatass who tried to boss me around when I was in the shop in [town].
Dad: That was a long time ago and he was clearly in the right, how may I help you today?
SC: Now that you’re here, I need you to open up this place at 4AM to get all 20 of my trucks serviced.
Dad: No, we open at 8.
SC: Did you not understand what I said? I have 20 trucks I need to get done, I cannot and will not come in at 8!
Dad: I live too far away for that, and I will not open at 4. That’s just crazy!
SC: What’s crazy is you talking like this to a big customer like me. Now, I demand you open at 4 or else I’m going to your supervisor!
Dad: How about this, 6AM, but that’s it.
SC: Is English a second language to you, I told you 4AM and that’s what I’m getting!
Dad: Sorry, not while I’m here.
SC: Fucking prick!
He storms off to his truck, and that is seemingly the end of it. My dad turns to his assistant, and says “What an asshole, actually demanding something like that.”
Well the SC heard him! He immediately calls the head office and bypasses the district manager.
After that, a meeting ensues between the customer, my dad and the district manager. Apparently, the guy was hell bent on getting my dad fired:
SC: I want him fired! I didn’t like him a couple of years ago, and I dislike him more now!
DM: At the time you wanted him to terminate his assistant manager for trying to not allow you to violate insurance rules. This time he was enforcing company policy.
SC: That policy will not be good for me, and he refused to accommodate me! Remember I am one of your biggest customers!
DM: You wanted him to open at 4AM. That is not possible for a number of reasons.
SC: Then why did the other manager do it?
DM: And that person is no longer a manager. SLD’s note: he actually is for another shop in the chain, and from what I hear he’s not doing so well.
SC: So, what are you going to do for me?
DM: We can have him take off when you come, or transfer to another store when you come.
SC: Not good enough! I want him fired!
DM: Sir, you wanted him to fire an assistant for following the rules, now you want him to open at an unreasonable time. On top of it you started using derogatory remarks. I’m not going to let go one of my best workers for this, sorry.
SC: I don’t want to see his ugly ass face again, I want him gone!
DM: At this point I made my mind up. You’re free to leave if you want for another company but I’m not firing one of my best managers.
SC: Fuck this, I may just do that!
Yeah he left alright.
He’s still with us, but I think the DM told him “you have to follow the rules or I am giving my workers my blessing to kick you out. Just because of the dollar amount you spend with us, it doesn't give you the right to think you are their boss.” Oh, and this guy isn’t even the head cheese of the fleet. The actually head is somewhere in the northern part of the state. When the DM called him, he actually said “I don’t have time for this and even if I did, I don’t really care. It’s your problem, not mine."
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