Customer gets me fired (from my old job)

[Ironclad Alibi]

In view of all the life scarring events being listed, I see the main two life scarring events for SCs have been missed:

1. Being told NO.

2. Being asked to show their ID.

[Moon]

Saw something else you missed.... Parachute PANTS.

[Rantsylvania 6-5000]

Has anyone mentioned People of Walmart yet?

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Saw something else you missed.... Parachute PANTS.

Zubaz. That is all.

[Anakah]

If you get let go for bullshit reasons can't you sue for wrongful termination or is that just in casinos where i work?

[Jester]

More things to fear/bad things in the world/random negative stuff:

Gambling losses, gambling debts, injuries from vindictive and violent bookies, rusty knives, having the last-minute safety in the Super Bowl cost you money, gout, scoliosis, scleroderma, kidney disease, heart disease, lung disease, liver disease, brackish water, drowning, black ice, frozen pipes, blown fuses, burst water mains, sun burns, skin cancer, bicycle accidents, broken bones, crack whores, coke whores, attention whores, nightmares, "The Jimmy Show," invasion of privacy, stage collapses, being stood up, being left at the altar, cold feet, ripped underwear, dirty underwear, smoke inhalation, faulty wiring, busted coverages (football), fielding errors on simple plays (baseball), own goals (hockey and soccer), flagrant fouls (basketball), "Mad Dog and Glory," dine and dashers, shoplifters, pickpockets, con men, ripoff artists, scams, art forgeries, being the "third wheel," love triangles, "60 Minutes" knocking on your door wanting a "comment," grand jury indictments, questions of your integrity, skiing accidents, torn ACLs, torn MCLs, torn tendons and ligaments with less-famous acronyms, pulled muscles, strains, sprains, pinched nerves, temper tantrums by children, temper tantrums by adults, starvation, sexual frustration, endless road construction, falling off a cliff, being caught in a web of your own deceit, webbed toes, losing fingers, leprosy, pipe bombs, political corruption, political apathy, sexual addiction, sexual inadequacy, bad editing, being convicted of a crime you did not commit, being committed to a mental institution against your will, being left out of the will, having the will challenged, lack of willpower, getting the willies, obstructed view seating, and space debris crashing to earth.

Among other things.

[EricKei]

If you get let go for bullshit reasons can't you sue for wrongful termination or is that just in casinos where i work?

As far as I know, that's applicable more or less anywhere in the US, if you can PROVE that the termination was illegal/discriminatory/etc.

[Primer]

I'd like to add one more thing that will scar the poor kid for life:

Math tests.

(see my title next to my avatar)

[Jester]

Sorry. I was always good at math, so math tests never popped up on my radar. But if we are going to be adding to the list, how about pop quizzes, bomb scares, runaway busses, bad acting, broken air conditioning, broken heaters, having your home burglarized, falling palm trees, falling rocks, broken glass, bounced checks, cheap rum, broken dates, bad interviews, failed health department inspections, lost wallets, stolen wallets, misplaced wallets, chemical burns, and Ron Jeremy, to name a few more.

[downforit2008]

I have a story for all of you here...

On January 21st, I was informed by the evil manager at W-Mart that I was being let go. After nearly 5 years of service and putting up with so much of this store's crap, I was no longer an employee, and here was why:

On January 18th, I was out in the lot collecting carts with another coworker of mine. We were talking in the conversation and I said, "Oh, you're such a GENIUS, aren't ya?"

Some stupid hag of a customer within hearing range stormed up to me with an ugly look on her face and starts yelling at me.
SC: How DARE you use such offensive language in front of me!
Me: Wait, what are you talking about? I didn't say anything!
Coworker: Ma'am, he didn't even say a single offensive word. I've been working with him all day today and I would know!
Me: Yes, what EXACTLY did I say which you thought was offensive?
SC: I would never say that in front of my son! You should be ashamed of yourself! *storms away*

Coworker: What EXACTLY was that about?
Me: I don't know. If she's offended by the word "genius," I feel sorry for her son because she would never be calling him that.

I shook off the insanity of certain SC's these days and got back to my job. Then three days later on the 21st, I was called in by my manager because she said the customer had complained about it over the phone.
Me: I said NOTHING wrong at all! I even have a witness! He comes in at 4 today and he can tell you what happened. The lady heard me say "genius" and assumed that it was something else.
Manager: I'm sure you have a witness, but the customer is ALWAYS right, and we shouldn't be trying to prove them wrong. So we're siding with the customer, and we have to let you go.

I was given a check for my last pay and my remaining unused personal hours, about $900, and had a manager and supervisor escort me to the doors as if I was a criminal. So ended my 5 years with employment at W-Mart. Fired because I was trying to prove a customer wrong in her accusations, and not even given a chance to have my coworker defend me. Because THAT would be proving the customer wrong, and we can't have THAT happen!

In the meantime, I have taken on a new job as a night janitor for a major office building. The starting salary means I have taken a major pay cut, but there are NO whiny customers at this job. The 300 workers I have to clean after have all gone home for the day by the time I clock in, and get this...I have WEEKENDS off!!! So I get to do my job with some peace and quiet and I have no boss breathing down my neck. Life is sweet! I have one boss, but he knows I have 5 years experience in cleaning up stuff, so he allows me to do my job, and he works in one of the other buildings down the street for the company.
Life is sweet sometimes!

[Tama]

That is great, that you have a different job that takes you away from those idiots. Hopefully you'll get a pay raise soon.

[Jester]

First of all, I am glad that you have such a positive attitude about all of this, and that you are enjoying your new job. That being said, as you may have noticed, I started this out with the phrase "first of all." Meaning that I have a second point.

To wit:

Manager: I'm sure you have a witness, but the customer is ALWAYS right, and we shouldn't be trying to prove them wrong. So we're siding with the customer, and we have to let you go.

And THIS, my friends, is the epitome of what is wrong with Korporat Amerika. This idiotic belief that, no matter what the situation is, the customer must be right, must be believed, and must be listened to, no matter how STUPID the complaint may be, or even how FUCKING STUPID the customer themselves may be.

I am tempted to say the manager was a spineless jellyfish that was just avoiding dealing with an ugly situation with an ugly customer. But that is not only an insult to jellyfish, it is assuming that the manager was acting on their own. My guess is that they were blindly following policy, sheeplike, and automatically siding with a customer's (unwarranted and unfounded) complaint over a long-time employee who had done (nothing) wrong.

If the manager was acting on their own, I hope they get run over by a shopping cart with spikes.

If the manager was simply bowing to corporate policy without bothering to see if there was any wiggle room, I hope they get crotch herpes.

If the manager truly had no choice, I hope the people who implemented the policy that forced the manager's hand contract leprosy and watch as various parts of their body fall off in front of them.

Does this seem a bit much? I don't think so. After 5 years as a valued employee, you would THINK that the management would at the very least listen to the employee's side of the story, not to mention their witness's version. But since, for whatever reason, they didn't, and simply let the employee go because some asshatted douchebag overly sensitive fuckwad complained about something that didn't actually happen, I feel they deserve any and all of the above wished for karmic punishments.

Fuck W-Mart. Fuck them with falling meteorites and hordes of meth addicts jonesing for their next fix.

[wolfie]

I am tempted to say the manager was a spineless jellyfish that was just avoiding dealing with an ugly situation with an ugly customer. But that is not only an insult to jellyfish, it is assuming that the manager was acting on their own. My guess is that they were blindly following policy, sheeplike, and automatically siding with a customer's (unwarranted and unfounded) complaint over a long-time employee who had done (nothing) wrong.

You don't want to insult jellyfish, but why is it OK to insult sheep? Baaaaad Jester.

[Jester]

Ewe stop that right now! Mutton's worse than bad puns! So be a good little lamb, and stop shearing with the class, wool you please? Thanks!

[emax4]

Since the customer is always right, I say go back to Wal mart, buy something to make yourself a customer, then have the manager fired.