Requiem for a SAM

[Ghost of AtlanticVamp]

My name is Ghost, and I am a former employee of Blockbuster. I was terminated today.

I gave three years of service to Blockbuster.

I was consistently one of my store's better sellers for Rewards, passes, bundles, Direct Access, and movie presales. (Game presales...not so much.) I worked every holiday, almost every call-out, pulled doubles for "pink eye" (On Valentine's Day? Are you fucking kidding?) and for "don't have a sitter" (On New Year's Eve?), and worked with injuries and A.M.A (Against Medical Advice). I even worked on my HONEYMOON.

And it ended with me surrendering my keys on Monday.

[Antithesys]

Congratulations. This is the first day of the rest of your life. I can't wait to join you.

[abhorrent scowl]

I don't think I'm going to far out on a limb when I say that there are a lot of people on this board who know exactly what you've been feeling. I am sincerely excited for you. Clearly, you are someone who has her act together and your next employer will be lucky to have you.

Way to go, Blockbuster. You took one of your brightest and best, someone who gave her all to the job...
and you chased her out.

God, what does say about a company that when I hear about someone getting fired... I feel just a little jealous?

Anyway, I'm sorry... and congratulations.

[AfricahereIcome]

I am happy you are free and sad you had to go through all those things. Better things ahead!

[bEZ]

how long was the safe open for??

[zooworker]

Hey Ghost I feel your pain, check your PM's

[zooworker]

A lot of people are getting the ax that have been around awhile, they are hiring cheaper help to take our place.

[wheresmikey]

yeah this really sucks.

but then its also like all that positive spin stuff george clooney said in up in the air.

asking not to file for unemployment aid sounds like the worst most suspicious thing; especially to a mother of 3. i hope you get what you need.

[zooworker]

Congratulations. This is the first day of the rest of your life. I can't wait to join you.
May be sooner than you think:(

[empbal]

I've been around for slightly longer but I don't make much compared to others, so I'm not worried about losing my job for making too much. It's common practice at my store to leave the safe open for hours and we all do it. Even walking to the back room while the safe is open up front with a CSR up there. I guess I've been lucky.

[Air]

Safe open for hours? Hours? Really?

[DoctorDan]

Wendy,
For what it's worth, send what you wrote to Jim Keyes at
jim.keyes@blockbuster.com. He will respond. What he says, I can't say, but he needs to know your story.

[BUYMECAR]

firstly, adorable name. i have this weird thing where i like to imagine people from their names and yours is cute and homey. love it.

secondly, WOW. your SM up and got you fired? didn't even once think of transferring you? and he seriously told you not to file for unemployment? i hate to say this but you should have not posted this thread until you collected more evidence. i would have played around with my SM acting lost and confused, begging for my job back with a voice recorder in my pocket. you still might be able to get something out of him. DON'T QUIT!!

and lastly, good luck =D

[empbal]

Safe open for hours? Hours? Really?
Yeah, I know it's bad and all, but surprisingly nobody has gotten in trouble for it. My SM does it all the time, which is probably where I picked up the habit. I try to remember to close it, but sometimes I don't remember. I completely understand that I/we should be fired for it, though, and am willing to accept that if it happens.

[Ghost of AtlanticVamp]

Wendy,
For what it's worth, send what you wrote to Jim Keyes at
jim.keyes@blockbuster.com. He will respond. What he says, I can't say, but he needs to know your story.

Check your PMs.

[Ghost of AtlanticVamp]

firstly, adorable name. i have this weird thing where i like to imagine people from their names and yours is cute and homey. love it.

secondly, WOW. your SM up and got you fired? didn't even once think of transferring you? and he seriously told you not to file for unemployment? i hate to say this but you should have not posted this thread until you collected more evidence. i would have played around with my SM acting lost and confused, begging for my job back with a voice recorder in my pocket. you still might be able to get something out of him. DON'T QUIT!!

and lastly, good luck =D

Check your PMs.

[ClutztomerControl]

Careful with your real name. I posted mine and became the subject of a conference call. Of course this is America and they can stick it up their ass. First Amendment. :D

[sobedrummer]

Careful with your real name. I posted mine and became the subject of a conference call. Of course this is America and they can stick it up their ass. First Amendment. :D

Yup, you're free to say whatever you want,
and they are free to fire your for it.

[ClutztomerControl]

Yup, you're free to say whatever you want,
and they are free to fire your for it.

I already left the company when I posted my name on here and it was weeks after I left that it was brought up.

[bEZ]

I already left the company when I posted my name on here and it was weeks after I left that it was brought up.

details?? you got me curious now

[Ghost of AtlanticVamp]

Yup, you're free to say whatever you want,
and they are free to fire your for it.

I'm already fired, and I first posted my name three years ago. Thanks for your concern. :)

[sobedrummer]

I'm already fired, and I first posted my name three years ago. Thanks for your concern. :)

Not really concern, I just don't like it when people tout the First Amendment as carte blanch to say whatever they want and no one could do anything to them.
Since it only applies to government, businesses certainly can do anything they want for speaking your mind.

[ClutztomerControl]

Not really concern, I just don't like it when people tout the First Amendment as carte blanch to say whatever they want and no one could do anything to them.
Since it only applies to government, businesses certainly can do anything they want for speaking your mind.


You're a fucking dick.


Since I already had left the company of my own free will... with ample notice. I am no longer bound by Blockbusters rules. I became a customer, free to speak me mind. like this... Go fuck yourself.

Thats the problem with America we have become a Corporatocracy.

[ClutztomerControl]

details?? you got me curious now

Yeah I left the company( got a job at GameStop) then I posted my real name about a week later on here. I still had close friends at my old store who told me about the conference call the DM had with my store manager about me posting on here. Too funny. Which is proof that corporate reads everything on here.

[Ninja]

So. Good Job Blockbuster for letting a valuable employee go where there's not really any proof to be had. Congrats.

Second. Congrats to you GoAV! My boss knows I post here, they know who I am and we basically know what we'd like happen to our store. haha, I was actually upset last year to hear my store wasn't closing! I want to move on...but I dont want to up and leave where my co workers would get screwed. Yes, I care about my co workers, but I could care less for the actual company.
Then again...I'm a nice person (for the most part) for people who are mostly nice to me and I have a hard time letting a job go to shit when I can just do a job well done. Not to mention I've had a bad experience with someone doing their job wrong...I won't post specifics because I'm still a Ninja. muahaha


Anyway...back to congratulating you! I do hope, however, GOAV that you get what you need and get a better job quickly for you and your family.
PS. Can I just mention that my DM mentioned on a conference call this past week or two that we shouldn't leave our safe or back door open?

[Ghost of AtlanticVamp]

I live in a small town and our store was supposedly the nicest (looking and selection-wise) in town. Now that the Hollywood is closing and the rest are mom-n-pop places that have hardly any selection and survive on their "back room" (PORN), the Blockbuster is now the only game in town if you don't want to rent online or from a machine. (I'm including DirecTV, Comcast, TiVo and other on-demand services in the "machine" reference.)

That being said, I have been running errands all day and...well, I have had to explain my situation to over a dozen customers. Just in mailing my 401k disbursement form and checking on food stamps (yep, sad fact, but I have kids...and they eat!), I was out for a grand total of four and a half hours! They all pretty much said the same thing:

"You mean someone who actually looks like they are working when I come in got fired over the woman who calls me a fucking moron to my face?!?!?!?" Some have promised to raise hell with my SM about it. Can't say I blame them.

But I anticipate having to have this talk with more people in the coming days. After all, we are the only game in town, and I was one of the MVP's. :(...;)

[deathbydanny]

I can't tell you how many former customers I've run into since finding a new job have stated that they miss seeing me there.

Whatever the case may be, if I was still there, I'd have finally hit the snag where I'd demand proof that doing these stupid programs and pushes were helping the company. So far, all we've seen, complying with the rules, is the company falter further and further, and rather than do something about it, they get rid of the people that were good at it to save a few dollars. THEN, after cutting raises and bonuses, have the gall to have a big meeting (which means salaried employees will be getting paid for what's basically a condo pitch), a vacation in Vegas, and even stupider employees.

Yeah, the company's failing. So instead of having a regional conference call, let's go to Vegas! And we can use the money we had originally allocated to raises!

Also, no one should be surprised about being called out for posting here. It's happened to me, too, and I was threatened with possible termination, though I'd had a very pro-BBV stance before BBV and I parted ways. Hmm. I defend the company, and I get threatened with termination for it. Thanks, guys!

[Ghost of AtlanticVamp]

Just go check your PM's. Can't get into it on open forum. I am scared out of my mind right now after what just happened. :eek:

[abhorrent scowl]

Yeah, the company's failing. So instead of having a regional conference call, let's go to Vegas! And we can use the money we had originally allocated to raises!


That would imply that at some point they actually considered giving us raises.

[The Omen]

if you feel threatened, i would call the police

[Woodstock]

Stay safe Ghost.

[Ninja]

Don't fuck with people in this economy unless they deserve is because they stole, otherwise, you'll get fucked. Sheesh.
Obama should just send everyone a bottle of lube instead of a stimulus...seems like we might need it.

[evilviolentj]

this thread is quickly becoming awesome. I really look forward to a follow up.

[abhorrent scowl]

This is starting to sound like that point in the movie where the villain's scemes are startiing to unravel and he begins to panic. I have this vision of your SM throwing things in a suitcase as he prepares to flee the country.

All joking aside, please be careful. More likely than not, this guy is just making hollow threats to cover possible bad behavior on his part. Or maybe he's just freaking out because if LP looks at the tapes, it will show that his reasons for firing you were bullshit. But whatever the case, dot your I's and cross your T's, and most importantly, stay safe.

[katiebell]

Why didn't LP watch the tape before they fired you? Isn't that how it is usually done?

[deathbydanny]

Actually, this SM is digging himself deeper and deeper into the hole. If they're going to check the tapes already, his days are numbered. Termination will more or less be inevitable. So by all means, SM, make threatening phone calls, because being fired isn't enough. Nope, we have to have a criminal record, too. These are the people they keep on staff rather than hard workers who make a little bit more money, hmm?

Good luck, stay safe.

[orbitdvd]

I already left the company when I posted my name on here and it was weeks after I left that it was brought up.


When I left BBV to open my first store, I heard that my name was tossed around for months.

Who's laughing now?

[deathbydanny]

Call HR IMMEDIATELY. This could end up royally fucking you over. If you're still technically employed, and you're scheduled and not showing up, they could tag you for 'no call, no show.'

[Ninja]

I agree with Dan there...call HR. It took my SM WEEEEEEEEKS to fire someone through our DM and HR person...it's a feat firing someone, I tell ya what.

[Ghost of AtlanticVamp]

Call HR IMMEDIATELY. This could end up royally fucking you over. If you're still technically employed, and you're scheduled and not showing up, they could tag you for 'no call, no show.'

Thanks, I sure will.

ETA: Just talked to HR and I am indeed terminated, not just on a writeup, final or suspension.

[empbal]

I'm really confused. Why was the SM threatening you? For posting here? And what was the official reason you were (possibly) fired for?

[Ghost of AtlanticVamp]

I'm really confused. Why was the SM threatening you? For posting here? And what was the official reason you were (possibly) fired for?

Check your PM's.

[Xtreme Rebel]

Wow, sorry to hear about how you were treated. Stories like this just astound me. How are these managers hired in the first place? How does the DM not know/care that things like this are going on? I guess most of all now I'm grateful for my DM, and make sure that as a store manager I do my best not to repeat the mistakes of others that get posted on here.

[Ghost of AtlanticVamp]

So, I got a phone call from HR and they determined that even though my SM was uneven in his enforcement, that since I had a final in my jacket that I hadn't worked off (for FOS list; I missed a game), that the termination was warranted. However, they are investigating my claims about my SM, including the harassing phone calls.

In the meantime, I took the copy of the initial ethicspoint report and a copy of Good Behavior warrant and submitted them to the Labor Department as part of my Unemployment filing.

Now, there's just the decompression.

I added it up, and I spent over $600 in the store, in the past six months, just to maintain my sales average. I bought tons of bundles (not too much of a hardship, I bought soda every day and only ended up spending a dollar more), paid for at least seven Direct Access rentals, and paid for my and my husband's Rewards, as well as a couple of family members's Rewards. I bought my mom Total Access when it was the big push. I would defend the company tooth-n-nail with those asshats who would bitch about going to Netflix or Redbox, and genuinely be upset when they'd say those things. I would take conference calls at home if they coincided with any of my days off, off the clock. I bought decorations for certain holidays/seasons off the clock and from my own money--I'm thinking red/white/blue stuff for Fourth of July; plastic pine boughs, plastic holly, poinsettias, chaser lights and such for Christmas; paper hearts and cupids for Valentines, etc.

I even created a whole crypt for Halloween out of a picnic tent decorated with fake cobwebs, black sheets, fake mummy bandages, orange lights, styrofoam headstones, silk "dead leaves", toy skeletons, etc. My SM took a photo and sent it to my DM, who sent it around to the other stores in the district. Some of those items did double duty when Twilight came out on DVD, and are currently being used in the store for the New Moon promotion. (Before anyone asks, I don't want them back, which is why I didn't take them with me when I got canned.)

Two DMs ago, I was calling Wal-Mart, Target, and a couple of competing video stores about whether they were breaking street date on the Weinstein titles we supposedly had "exclusives" on...on Christmas week, 2007. I would walk the neighborhood and count how many RedBoxes we had when they were first installed and call our DM with the total. I even would "secret shop" Hollywood Video and relay their "manager's specials" to my DM and SM.

And now, it's all gone. What the hell was I doing this for? Why did I keep doing this?

Oh, well. I'm going to go watch some TV, now. :)

[BUYMECAR]

i'm confused, you missed a game on fos and that's something you get a final over... why?

if you did not find it on the shelf, you did not find it on the shelf. there's nothing that can be done about it...right?

to be honest, i would have never signed on that. that's a bs reason to get a final and i would not have accepted it.

[Ghost of AtlanticVamp]

i'm confused, you missed a game on fos and that's something you get a final over... why?

if you did not find it on the shelf, you did not find it on the shelf. there's nothing that can be done about it...right?

to be honest, i would have never signed on that. that's a bs reason to get a final and i would not have accepted it.


A game didn't make it into my FOS checkin. It autosold and the list of game autosales made it to my DM. In spite of it being paid for and "PA 1"ed, my SM told my DM about it being FOS anyway, even though we were checked it in and autorefunded the asale amount to the customer, and credited their ADR. It was on my shift. The DM told him to write me up.

[zooworker]

A game didn't make it into my FOS checkin. It autosold and the list of game autosales made it to my DM. In spite of it being paid for and "PA 1"ed, my SM told my DM about it being FOS anyway, even though we were checked it in and autorefunded the asale amount to the customer, and credited their ADR. It was on my shift. The DM told him to write me up.
That's shit, you would need to write up everyone who has done the FOS, we all have missed one before.
Funny about the PA 1 crap. I hadn't had a write up in 9 years but I forgot to PA 1 a game(and it was returned on time) and got a final.

[orbitdvd]

I added it up, and I spent over $600 in the store, in the past six months, just to maintain my sales average.

I'm sorry, but if any of you are doing something this to keep your sales up, STOP!

As a manager I never did this and would not let my employees do it, of course this was the days before the decline.

I'm sorry you felt that you had to give BBV money to keep your job. If you feel the need to do this at your next job, quit.

[The Omen]

So, I got a phone call from HR and they determined that even though my SM was uneven in his enforcement, that since I had a final in my jacket that I hadn't worked off (for FOS list; I missed a game), that the termination was warranted. However, they are investigating my claims about my SM, including the harassing phone calls.


the "final" you got for the FOS write up shouldnt have effected you on this write up and HR is just trying to spin it.

your write ups have to be for the same thing. so if you got a final for not hitting your sales goal, they couldnt fire you for forgetting to do a PA 1, these are two different types of violations. so your FOS write up should not have had anything to do with you supposedly leaving the safe open. that would be a seperate write up. tell that to unemployment when you get your call.

[zooworker]

Omen, you can have different types of write ups that can lead to termination

[Ghost of AtlanticVamp]

Omen, you can have different types of write ups that can lead to termination

When I got my call from HR, they pretty much said the same thing. I know back in the day (circa 2006), you could have write-ups for everything under the sun, and still be employed as long as there weren't too many for any one thing. Last year, they changed it to having more than one final for anything. I remember it distinctly because I was thinking, "Yippee! We'll get rid of a couple of folks!"

You see how THAT turned out. :(

[The Omen]

When I got my call from HR, they pretty much said the same thing. I know back in the day (circa 2006), you could have write-ups for everything under the sun, and still be employed as long as there weren't too many for any one thing. Last year, they changed it to having more than one final for anything. I remember it distinctly because I was thinking, "Yippee! We'll get rid of a couple of folks!"

You see how THAT turned out. :(

i understand that, i am talking about what you can do to get your unemployment, just because the company does it, doesnt make it legally binding

[Ghost of AtlanticVamp]

i understand that, i am talking about what you can do to get your unemployment, just because the company does it, doesnt make it legally binding

Check your PMs.

[buyacombopass]

That really sucks. Plus to top it off, you were a loyal employee who would stand up for the company on a message board like this. You deserve better.

[Ghost of AtlanticVamp]

I just found out my former SM was fired this week. I feel a little guilty about that, to be honest. I keep having to remind myself that he had a lot of write-ups, and that the worst I could have done was be the last straw.

Also, since I'm not constantly stressing about my phone ringing with something BB related, fielding conference calls and voice mails, or trying to figure out how I'm going to completely flip the store for a new MAP, my mind has cleared considerably. I've had time to let the mindfuck wear off a little and began to figure out just how "gone" I was.

It first came to mind when the new DM came to our district and he told us that the average customer spends $200 a year in our stores. I think he low-balled it considerably, considering we had people who would come in once a week and blow at least $35-50 at a time, but I digress. Now that I'm not there anymore, I wonder: how much money did they lose firing me? I already copped to over $600 in bundles in the past six months alone.

My formula was simple: given that my average week was five days as a manager and three as a CSR/4-star, and tossing in the occasional extra day off and vacation time, I came out roughly to 3.5 days a week working on the average. In three years and three months, that came out to about 600 working days.

I normally would buy at least a soda every shift (addicted to Diet Coke), which with my discount would usually run about 1.25 a day. So, 600 x 1.25= $750.

Now toss in a bunch of paid rentals in the store. I know I paid for True Blood when it came out and since I had Rewards on my customer account, I ended up getting one free. I also paid to rent a ton of BSI when it was still a dollar when there were times when my kids were out of school, sometimes coming out to around four or five rentals a week during summer break, which is twelve weeks in our district. With Rewards, that comes out to another, $48 dollars, with True Blood added in, add $20, so $68. (I know I'm low-balling this, as I used to rent more than that, but I'm going by what I'm sure of.)

750 + 68= 818

Add in PRPs. A lot of people come to work there and go, "OMG the prices are so low!" I bought a shitload of 3.99 movies over the years---we'll say at least 20---and at least five ___ for $20 bundles. That comes to $179.80.

818 + 179.80 = 997.80

I also paid for Total Access for at least a year on the 9.99 plan, which comes to...$119.88

997.80+ 119.88 = $1117.68

I also paid for seven Direct Access rentals at 3.99 each...27.93

1117.68 +27.93 = 1145.61

Now add in the 600 I spent on bundles, minus the diet cokes I already allowed for, which comes out to about 400

1145.61+400 = 1545.61

That breaks down to 475.57 per annum when divided over the three and a quarter years I worked there. (1545.61/3.25)

I haven't even allowed for expenses like gas back and forth to work, pants and shoes I bought to wear to work, food on breaks, expenses to go to out of town meetings, my cell phone (which I wrote off on my taxes because I was told I had to have one), time put in off the clock for conference calls I took at home or in the car on the way home, gifts for coworkers at Christmas and birthdays, illnesses related to stress, and so on.

I feel so damn gypped, like I just found out that the guy I was seeing (Blockbuster) was not only cheating on me (sending my job to digital media), but also taking all my money!

FUCK!!!!!!!!

[BUYMECAR]

I feel so damn gypped, like I just found out that the guy I was seeing (Blockbuster) was not only cheating on me (sending my job to digital media), but also taking all my money!

FUCK!!!!!!!!

jeebus!

i've actually recently decided to not spend any money at my store that i would not do in any other scenario. no more bundles (i'd buy at least one a day!), no soda (i don't even like soda!), no headphones/flash drives that i can find better + cheaper at target, no DAs, no game/movie presales for family members/friends. enough!

i'm going to have to learn to be so charming that customers can't help but buy them for me!

[yodavsjason]

Damn, sometimes BBV just sucks.

[The Omen]

I just found out my former SM was fired this week. I feel a little guilty about that, to be honest. I keep having to remind myself that he had a lot of write-ups, and that the worst I could have done was be the last straw.

Also, since I'm not constantly stressing about my phone ringing with something BB related, fielding conference calls and voice mails, or trying to figure out how I'm going to completely flip the store for a new MAP, my mind has cleared considerably. I've had time to let the mindfuck wear off a little and began to figure out just how "gone" I was.

It first came to mind when the new DM came to our district and he told us that the average customer spends $200 a year in our stores. I think he low-balled it considerably, considering we had people who would come in once a week and blow at least $35-50 at a time, but I digress. Now that I'm not there anymore, I wonder: how much money did they lose firing me? I already copped to over $600 in bundles in the past six months alone.

My formula was simple: given that my average week was five days as a manager and three as a CSR/4-star, and tossing in the occasional extra day off and vacation time, I came out roughly to 3.5 days a week working on the average. In three years and three months, that came out to about 600 working days.

I normally would buy at least a soda every shift (addicted to Diet Coke), which with my discount would usually run about 1.25 a day. So, 600 x 1.25= $750.

Now toss in a bunch of paid rentals in the store. I know I paid for True Blood when it came out and since I had Rewards on my customer account, I ended up getting one free. I also paid to rent a ton of BSI when it was still a dollar when there were times when my kids were out of school, sometimes coming out to around four or five rentals a week during summer break, which is twelve weeks in our district. With Rewards, that comes out to another, $48 dollars, with True Blood added in, add $20, so $68. (I know I'm low-balling this, as I used to rent more than that, but I'm going by what I'm sure of.)

750 + 68= 818

Add in PRPs. A lot of people come to work there and go, "OMG the prices are so low!" I bought a shitload of 3.99 movies over the years---we'll say at least 20---and at least five ___ for $20 bundles. That comes to $179.80.

818 + 179.80 = 997.80

I also paid for Total Access for at least a year on the 9.99 plan, which comes to...$119.88

997.80+ 119.88 = $1117.68

I also paid for seven Direct Access rentals at 3.99 each...27.93

1117.68 +27.93 = 1145.61

Now add in the 600 I spent on bundles, minus the diet cokes I already allowed for, which comes out to about 400

1145.61+400 = 1545.61

That breaks down to 475.57 per annum when divided over the three and a quarter years I worked there. (1545.61/3.25)

I haven't even allowed for expenses like gas back and forth to work, pants and shoes I bought to wear to work, food on breaks, expenses to go to out of town meetings, my cell phone (which I wrote off on my taxes because I was told I had to have one), time put in off the clock for conference calls I took at home or in the car on the way home, gifts for coworkers at Christmas and birthdays, illnesses related to stress, and so on.

I feel so damn gypped, like I just found out that the guy I was seeing (Blockbuster) was not only cheating on me (sending my job to digital media), but also taking all my money!

FUCK!!!!!!!!

but hey... at least you got fucked!

[Ghost of AtlanticVamp]

but hey... at least you got fucked!

But, but... I didn't get a reach-around!!! :p

[The Omen]

But, but... I didn't get a reach-around!!! :p

um.... i thought you were a girl.... and if so that would be more of a rub around!

[djblade]

So did you even report that "thing" your Sm told you not too?

[yodavsjason]

Do you know why you did all those things for the store?

Because you are a good person and looked out for the store.

Its only the little maggots that fuck it up because they are so scared of being downsized.

Screw your SM may he burn in a very not nice place.

[Ghost of AtlanticVamp]

um.... i thought you were a girl.... and if so that would be more of a rub around!

Yes, and I still didn't get one.

So did you even report that "thing" your Sm told you not too?

Yes.

[Ghost of AtlanticVamp]

Do you know why you did all those things for the store?

Because you are a good person and looked out for the store.

Its only the little maggots that fuck it up because they are so scared of being downsized.



Which is weird. I did the bundles, Total Access and Direct Access to maintain my totals.

The movies I paid to rent and buy were strictly to enhance my own collection, as well as a couple of presents for family.

Screw your SM may he burn in a very not nice place.

Well, the not nice place he's in is pretty much the same one I'm in: The Unemployment Line.

But things are lookin' up. God willing. :)

[Aphrodite]

Good luck.

Keep us updated :)

[Propoxy]

It always bothers me when former or current employees talk about how much they've spent out of their pocket just to meet an arbitrary goal.

It mainly pisses me off that DM or RDOs or SMs - whoever! - put SO much pressure on employees that they feel they need to spend their own money to preserve their jobs.

But it also makes me upset with the spenders themselves. Aren't paychecks low enough without taking out more to give back to the company? Just do your best at your job and let your numbers be what they are. Sometimes I get no after no after no. But I'll be damned if I'm going to fork out any of my hard earned money to avoid an angry DM phone call or email.

[Ghost of AtlanticVamp]

It always bothers me when former or current employees talk about how much they've spent out of their pocket just to meet an arbitrary goal.

It mainly pisses me off that DM or RDOs or SMs - whoever! - put SO much pressure on employees that they feel they need to spend their own money to preserve their jobs.

But it also makes me upset with the spenders themselves. Aren't paychecks low enough without taking out more to give back to the company? Just do your best at your job and let your numbers be what they are. Sometimes I get no after no after no. But I'll be damned if I'm going to fork out any of my hard earned money to avoid an angry DM phone call or email.

Well, in my case, I have three kids to support, and my folks recently became too ill to work. I was trying anything to keep my job going. While I realize pressures run downhill, and our former district manager left in February due to lack of performance, sometimes you start doing the wrong things for the right reasons in order to keep your paycheck coming. I know I did.