I Finally Quit Rank Aid

[NateTheChops]

Have you ever been in one of those jobs that's like an abusive relationship? You know you should get out, but you're afraid because the job, like an abusive partner, has degraded you and made you feel that you could not survive without it?

That was my career at the Rank Aide, formerly Brooks Drugstore.

Two years of breaking my back for the place and basically all I am is the company punching bag. So I'm out. No two weeks, no nothing. They played mind games with me and now they lost.

Don't give me any lines about "this economy". Some of the biggest careers and fortunes we know of were made in the last depression and dammit, I still have a ways to go to make mine.

[Geek King]

That must have been a tough decision to mull over. I wish you the best of luck on the job hunt.

[AccountingDrone]

Good for you, a sucky job as a punching bag is not worth the pain and stress ... and stress over a long period can contribute to some bad health issues.

Good luck job hunting, and remember we are here to vent at =)

[NateTheChops]

I've got a game plan I'm working on. Right now it involves giving my thirty days notice, arranging a show at this cafe that will land me some dollars and working on my other projects.

I should be fine over all.

[mircea12345]

Former Rank Aid Slave

I worked at Reich Aid years ago when they took over some stores in my region. We lost a very good local store chain that was so beloved by the locals they even had a traditional color that was called *drugstore* purple. Well not long after they took over (well over 12 years ago) they started looking at employees that they were not to fond of at that time. I was a large guy who had long hair and a thick goatee and I guess did not fit the model of "proper"clerk material. As they had taken over the company I also personally believe that they were out to make an example to the other employees of their security department and how serious it was. They ran a 5 dollar scam on me. It went like this.

DS1: Drugstore Security 1
DS2: Drugstore Security 2
Me: Big fuzzy redhead
SM: Store Manager

DS1 enters the store and waits for me to get a line then enters the line wanting to buy assorted items.
DS2 comes up as a line gathers behind DS1 and acts huffy about waiting and wanting to buy a magazine.
DS1 takes there time to create the scenario that the line will take a while.
DS2 decides at this moment to not stay in line and throws a 5 dollar bill at me for the magazine and walks out

Now here was my mistake . I should have done my job and made her wait to
be rung up properly. Instead I was stupid and had 2 other customers besides DS1 and DS2 who were huffing and puffing to be check out as DS1 held up the line, so I took the cash and put it in my drawer with the intention of ringing it up after the line was done and so on camera it would show the cash entering the cash drawer. (a mistake I soon regretted)

I made a mistake, no doubt, but almost to the moment the line ended, DS1 walks up and behind my register (getting a from me) and flashes a *drugstore* securty bag and tells me to step away from my drawer as she gets a manager. She has the manager take the till and count it and of course it is 5 dollars over. I am then told to wait in the employee lounge as she talks to the manager.

DS1 and DS2 come in and close the door, no manager present, and proceed to write me up and tell my that I am a thief and because I had not rung up the money I was being suspended while it was investigated by the Security department. I asked why as I had not taken the money and they proclaimed thaty by not ringing the transaction properly (once again an admitted mistake) I was obviously intent on stealing the money. I was furious, but young and intimidated, so they bullied my into signing the write up as if I did not i would
be arrested or something. I went home 3 days before chirstmas and because the Security Director was on vacation, I was suspended indefinitly for the time.

I sat at home for almost 3 weeks calling and being blown off until the director decided he would come back to talk to me. I remember that smarmy look he had on his face as he told me he basically knew I was a thief just by looking at me and that he wanted me off the property immediately. I worked for that place for 3 years and was treated like this. I was furious and went up to talk to the SM who was hiding in his office and would not even come out to see me. I looked at the clerks and told them to run nd hide from this awful place.

As insult to injury they persued damages legally to demand the money I was going to take. In my state the damages can be 10 times the value of the money that is taken (50 bucks), and after talking to a lawyer, I had to pay it as I had no money to really fight them in any way. I am still haunted by how used and abused I was, and how I felt so powerless to truly stop them. This is my Reich Aid story and I hope anyone who works their realized what this company is really about, and capable of doing.

[bainsidhe]

Damn Mircea. Yours is truly a cautionary tale. If anything, if surely shows why you should never ever sign a write-up you do not agree with 100%.

[NateTheChops]

They probably didn't have this when she was working for them, but the Raid issues this bi-monthly newsletter called the LP files. Basically it involves all of the stories about Loss Prevention agents catching store employees stealing from the company.

After seeing how our Loss Prevention "team" handled my store's massive shrink loss I'm beginning to wonder just how many of these "confessions" were coerced.

Fortunately I never got duped into admitting something I didn't do and neither loss prevention or any of the managers have anything like that over me. I did my job and when I walked out it was purely of my own volition. I told them not to push me again and they clearly thought I was joking.

It just comes to a point when you have to ask yourself if your dignity is really worth what they're paying you.