SC Ruins It For Everyone

[Ironclad Alibi]

[BG] I belong to a hobby club. Several local hobby stores, part of a national chain, have been giving club members a discount on their purchases for the past 7-8 years. Corporate doesn’t approve of the discounts, but because of the close relationship between the club members and the stores, the discounts quietly happen.

In the past, being a club member meant coming to a meeting and signing the attendance sheet, which qualified someone for the discount. If someone hadn’t been to a meeting in the past year or so, they got dropped from the roster, except for certain legacy members. A couple of months ago, at the request of the local store, the member roster was tightened up to reduce the number of members qualified for the discount, dropping the legacy members and establishing participation guidelines for getting the discount. [/BG]

Someone who first came to a meeting early this year, and never returned, asked for the discount recently and was denied since he was not on the member list provided to the store as he did not meet the current criteria for getting the discount. This person then called corporate to complain about not getting the discount. Corporate informed the store, and the club, that the discount was gone. End of discussion.

Another SC has ruined something good for a lot of people because they couldn’t play nice and check things out with the people running the local club, but had to act like a big entitlement whore.

I don't know who the individual is, and it is probably best I, and other club members, don't find out.

[Rena_Muffin]

Of course. One turd in the punch bowl ruins everything. I'm betting there would be a lynch mob out for the guy if the members ever found out who cost them their discount.

Here's hoping the fallout isn't too bad, and if I could I would give you a cookie for having to deal with all that.

[Bunny the Veggie Slayer]

Given the set-up I give it a fortnight before every member knows who kicked the shit-can. Would not like to be that guy.

[Mytical]

I am not evil in any way shape or form, but I would like to have some popcorn, and a ring side seat if they did find out. Um .. I mean..er .. Look ZOMBIE SUPERMAN.

[Ironclad Alibi]

More information.

The SC who came to the earlier meeting (his only meeting) went into the hobby store and asked for the discount, which would have been about $10. A couple of months ago, I, as keeper of the member list, tightened up the member list at the request of the hobby store, re-establishing the guidelines for getting the discount. This SC was unaware of that, and started ranting and raving about not getting the member discount. Had he been polite, he probably would have gotten the discount. This SC then called the hobby store corporate, bitching and complaining to them to a degree that caused them to forward his call to the general manager, who was on vacation. As a result this jerk got a bunch of free stuff and the discount was cancelled.

However, we now know who he is. Since I am keeper of the member list, he will never be on it.

And the hobby store staff have pointed out other ways we can get a corporate approved discount.

[Ironclad Alibi]

Update.

Apparently partially because of the actions of the SC in the OP, the manager, assistant manager and an employee of that hobby store have been "let go" from the store by the DM. Other factors apparently include not letting people leave their children unattended in the store, per corporate policy. Yep, they were fired for following corporate policy. These people were very good for the store, and had a very good relationship with the adult community associated with the store.

I suspect the DM's managers will be getting an earful from loyal customers about the firings, based on postings in the related Yahoo group. This is a company that has a lot of respect for their adult customers.

I expect to get more details tomorrow at our monthly meeting. I will post further information as I receive it.

[Slayer]

I hope the next update will be a much happier one

This thread has been bad news, then good, then bad, so I hope the next post is good!

I can't believe people were fired for doing their job, following policy and increasing customer loyalty. Makes no sense.

[Bloodsoul]

Yep, they were fired for following corporate policy.

The more I hear about things like this happening, the more I feel like crying and wishing I was the ranger I'm playing as in my friend's Pathfinder game. I'd take fighting fiendish dire weasels over this any day.

[Laund-o-rama Mama]

Although working for a small company has its downsides, situations like this make me glad I don't work for a company with some ivory-tower "corporate" who hand down rules but have zero sense of what the employees actually have to go through and are seemingly removed from reality.

[Pixilated]

Lovely. Just wait till the first time somebody's kid is left unattended and comes to grief, and the resulting lawsuit that follows. (Of course, that will be all the new manager's fault too ...)
Hey, I've got an idea: have the customers drop their kids off at the offices of the idiots who made this decision.

[ArcticChicken]

Y'know, if following corporate policy was actually listed as the reason for firing them, they can totally sue the company. If they want to.

[Ironclad Alibi]

More update.

In addition to the two incidents mentioned above, a third complaint was from a customer who wanted the store to hold his purchase while he shopped around the mall, which is against corporate policy. Apparently the DM thought firing the two managers and an employee would make him look good in corporate eyes. It won't. He is running (or is it ruining?) the store now, and most of the store's employees are quitting. These are veteran employees who know a lot about the hobby and the store.

Many of the hobby club members have said they will shop at other stores which are further away, or at non-corporate stores that sell the products.

Right now I have no feel for how this will turn out. I will post updates when hear them.

PS. I handed out Customers Suck business cards to those involved and other interested parties today. Maybe they'll show up here.

[Kristev]

Slayer, good workers who follow corporate policies to their best are fired constantly. It's all about 'profits'.

[Sandman]

Have all those people call corporate and complain about the DM. Ah hell we all know that nothing will happen....

[XCashier]

Hey, I've got an idea: have the customers drop their kids off at the offices of the idiots who made this decision.

I love it! Give 'em a taste of what it's like!