RE: Car salesman fired for sporting a Packers tie

[brad kaste]

...I think the car dealership general manager needs a bit of sensitive training...or to stop reacting like a jackass......


http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-01-24/news/ct-talk-green-bay-packers-necktie-01220110124_1_car-salesman-packers-tie-wgn

[hey_moe]

After reading that Brad would ya really want to work for a turkey like that anyway?

[brad kaste]

Even though I'm a loyal Bears fan,....I'd organize all the other car salesmen to sport a Green Bay Packers tie,.....just to show the dumb absurdity of this guy.....

[Daveroo]

sounds to me like hes got a good law suit....this sort of thing may have been "the way it is" in the 50s or 60s...but in todays world...he had better have a more solid reason to fire the guy....a good lawyer will tear the dealership up

[safn1949]

sounds to me like hes got a good law suit....this sort of thing may have been "the way it is" in the 50s or 60s...but in todays world...he had better have a more solid reason to fire the guy....a good lawyer will tear the dealership up
Depends,in most states you don't need any reason to fire someone.They come to work and get told to beat it.If you look at most applications it is "at will" employment,meaning you can quit or be fired at will.

[Trans_23]

sounds to me like hes got a good law suit....this sort of thing may have been "the way it is" in the 50s or 60s...but in todays world...he had better have a more solid reason to fire the guy....a good lawyer will tear the dealership up
Although I don't agree with the firing, I would be interested to hear on what grounds you think he would have to sue. He was told to take the tie off and he didn't. The explanation he gives in the article is a bunch of crap. When have you ever known a car salesman not explain himself. Their business is explaining. I have to believe he left the tie on in defiance and got called on it.
Maybe with the bad press the dealership will cave and give this guy his job back. I have to believe if the guy was a good salesman and made them money it would have been handled differently.

[Astoroth]

He was told to take the tie off twice, and didn't. If he didn't want to lose his job he should have taken it off. Yes, it was a stupid reason to fire someone, but he got one warning, then still refused to comply the second time. His fault.

[CWOJackson]

If you set aside the emotion elements that make this a "news" story, it's quite possible the impetus for his being fired was more a business call for the dealership and a lack of personal judgment on his own part.

Roberts said the dealership had previously done promotions involving the Chicago Bears (http://chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears). "I don't feel that it was appropriate for him to go directly in contrast with an advertising campaign that we spent a lot of money on."

Particularly if the dealership ever intends to purchase a similar promotion package.

[OleBoy]

OT but, a similar situation for me some years back.

I worked for a beer distributor as a sales rep. I had worked there for quite some time and was well liked by both owner and retail handlers of our products. One late evening after work on a Friday I had decided to stop by the VFW lounge for a cocktail or two. I got to the bar and decided to have a cold beer. The bar was packed. Rosie, the proprietor said hello to me and asked what I'd have. I said "Bud Light" please Rosie. She cracked a can open and set it in front of me. I grabbed the beer, tipped it back, and downed about half of it. As I set the can on the bar I noticed the owner of the company I worked for was also there. I nodded his way, lifted up my can to say "cheers" and took a drink. I looked at my boss with a smile and decided to give a cordial hello. I walked up to him and said "Hello Merlin, How are you?" He turned and said, "A lot better than you'll be doing come tomorrow." Confused at his comment I responded, "excuse me?" He said, "you're fired." I said "for what?" He stated sternly, "for drinking the competitors beer in public!...That's why!"

I had thought about what he'd just said for about two seconds when I asked, "Are you serious?" His reply, "You bet your a$$ I'm serious!"

I finished a few more beers and left. The next day I did the normal routine and went to work. Well, about 15 minutes of arriving I was approached by the owners son. He said, "Here Don" I asked...what's this? He responded ..your paycheck. You were fired.

Mind you, I was off work on my own time, out of company uniform that evening I was fired.

[Kiwikat]

He should go work for Donald Driver Motors! :wiggle:

[brad kaste]

....It appears that he's been offered a sales position by another dealership. He said he won't go back to his old job even though it's been offered to him. Many Bear fans called saying it was the right thing in sacking John C. Stone,...while Packer fans demanded that he gets rehired so they can buy a car from him. Ya' gotta' love it......

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/news/local/ct-talk-packer-tie-guy-20110125,0,5893665.story?track=rss

[Trans_23]

Glad to hear he got a job.

[n4gix]

I liked this comment:



Now we know why "The whole town's talkin' about the Webb Boys!"


For the benefit of those who don't live in the Chicagoland area, those are the words to Webb's "theme song" in their radio/television advertising... :bump:

[Trans_23]

Bought my truck from them and was actually one of my better buying experiences. I bought from Packey Webb Ford though. I guess the Webb Boys cover all the car brands.

[Roadburner440]

OT but, a similar situation for me some years back.

I worked for a beer distributor as a sales rep. I had worked there for quite some time and was well liked by both owner and retail handlers of our products. One late evening after work on a Friday I had decided to stop by the VFW lounge for a cocktail or two. I got to the bar and decided to have a cold beer. The bar was packed. Rosie, the proprietor said hello to me and asked what I'd have. I said "Bud Light" please Rosie. She cracked a can open and set it in front of me. I grabbed the beer, tipped it back, and downed about half of it. As I set the can on the bar I noticed the owner of the company I worked for was also there. I nodded his way, lifted up my can to say "cheers" and took a drink. I looked at my boss with a smile and decided to give a cordial hello. I walked up to him and said "Hello Merlin, How are you?" He turned and said, "A lot better than you'll be doing come tomorrow." Confused at his comment I responded, "excuse me?" He said, "you're fired." I said "for what?" He stated sternly, "for drinking the competitors beer in public!...That's why!"

I had thought about what he'd just said for about two seconds when I asked, "Are you serious?" His reply, "You bet your a$$ I'm serious!"

I finished a few more beers and left. The next day I did the normal routine and went to work. Well, about 15 minutes of arriving I was approached by the owners son. He said, "Here Don" I asked...what's this? He responded ..your paycheck. You were fired.

Mind you, I was off work on my own time, out of company uniform that evening I was fired.

This is quite often becoming the norm now. Especially in the military. When I first came in around 2003 you could kind of still get away with doing stuff "off duty" which you techncially never are off duty. Everything now is coming under scrutiny. Even in the private sector. Look at all the people who are in hot water over their Facebook postings, and such.. Now I am not going to defend them as I believe people should be held to some kind of standard. Especially if you are in a high visibility position.. You being fired over drinking a competitors beer in public is stupid though. To me everyone is entitled to their preferences, and if you are good at your sales job. So what if you enjoy someone elses beer? Ah well though.. Is always a slippery slope when things like this start happening, but as with everything else you have to draw the line somewhere.