Kicked out for 'Doing Nothing'

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**RiTides**

MeanGreenStompa wrote:
And just what the feth does his employment status have to do with whether or not this customer received poor customer service?

Seriously, this. Give the employment discussion a rest, guys... it is completely irrelevant to the issue at hand, and is pure speculation / assumption.

The issue is how the person was treated in a gaming shop... their employment or lack thereof has absolutely nothing to do with it!

**Frazzled**

ALEXisAWESOME wrote:
Well, things have moved along a bit. I went into the store this weekend thinking I would simply let it go and never see him again, but then the Store manager asked me for a written letter of complaint. I said I didn't really want to take it that far, given I am unlikely to see him again. He then said that he would like a letter from me because some other people have complained FOR me and he wanted to hear the story from me. I was a little surprised to be honest, I never thought anyone would go so far to write in and complain to the manager about the substitute for me. But I've decided that if some other people took my side, who although he didn't say there names, then I should at least give an account of what happened.

I think I will keep the letter brief and simply explain circumstances without bias (So without adjectives it seems ) so he can get the full picture. Would anyone be up for reviewing my letter when I finish it? I would like someone to point out grammatical errors Word may miss and say if I sound demanding or 'Entitled' which I wouldn't want.

Thanks.

Edit: Sorry I'm late, I was waiting on a PM notification from the Mod, never thought to actually check the Thread (Doh!).

I'm actually terribly saddened by this. it reminds me of the scene in Waiting where a customer gives the waiter a $1 tip. The waiter gives the $1 back to him and then the customer goes and complains to the manager demending free this and free that.

**RiTides**

A completely non-analogous situation.

Note that the manager sought him out and asked for a letter, as he is properly looking into the matter based on complaints from other customers to him about the incident. I don't know how you can see any connection to the scenario you just described...

**Frazzled**

nkelsch wrote:
Bullockist wrote:
I've missed the last 3 pages or so but has anyone apologised to the OP , which they should considering the amount of unwarranted crap that was thrown his way?

Why? We still have no evidence he acted appropriately, even he admitted he got 'angry', and even if you are 'wronged' making a scene or escalating a fight instantly justifies your ejection. Leaving calmly and doing as your told and writing a letter would have been more appropriate.

And being an unsupervised minor magnifies everything as you really have no rights or expectation of rights. Even if something is done unfairly, reacting poorly dismisses everything. Two wrongs don't make a right.

Where are the parents in all of this? REGARDLESS of how the incident turned out with the one employee, there does seem that a responsible parent would use this incident to have a talk with the manager in regards to 'my child will be under your supervision for possibly 6-8 hours a day multiple times in the summer, Please call me if there is an issue with his behavior or a problem involving him and I will come down and see you about it.' I was in my local GW this weekend, and pretty much every kid who was 'left alone' had an agreement with the manager, phone number for parent and a rough idea when the child would be claimed. You would be surprised how 'common' it is for people to do something as simple as ask permission to leave your kid there and give them contact info.

What Nkelsch said but TIMES TEN.

Remember what the immortal Buddha said: never trust anyone under 70.

**RiTides**

Except what the normal manager himself said! Along with other customers. See my post above. This information is in the very text you quoted in your first post

**Frazzled**

RiTides wrote:
A completely non-analogous situation.

Note that the manager sought him out and asked for a letter, as he is properly looking into the matter based on complaints from other customers to him about the incident. I don't know how you can see any connection to the scenario you just described...

Hard working employee screwed by someone who spends minimal money but complains a lot...yep no relationship whatsoever...
On the positive GW pay is crap so its not a big loss for the employee. Now he can concentrate on schooling so he doesn't ever have to work at such again.
Retail sucks. I know.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

RiTides wrote:
Except what the normal manager himself said! Along with other customers. See my post above. This information is in the very text you quoted in your first post

other 14 years olds? The manager is just CYAing at this point because some absentee parent complained.

**Tactical_Genius**

Can people please get some realistic ideas on what children and childhood are like?

**Frazzled**

I know what 14 year olds are like, unfortunately.

**Tactical_Genius**

Frazzled wrote:
I know what 14 year olds are like, unfortunately.

No, you know what a number of 14 year olds are like.

People coming on here saying things like:
"teens are whiners"
"teens should get a job"
"children must have their hands held until their 18th birthday"

is akin to me likening the entire adult male population to murderers, just because some of them are.

**RiTides**

Exactly... at this point many of these comments are discrimination, pure and simple.

I give major props to Kanluwen, who apologized when it became clear that there is something to the OP's complaint. However, other comments are still simply reacting out of some general, stereotypical bias against young people that is disconnected from the facts of this situation.

If you think kids should get a job "in general", that's fine... and I certainly had a job when I was 14. But it really is, again, completely not applicable to whether or not a game store / retail employee acted appropriately towards a customer or not.

So... yeah, hopefully we can get back to talking about that and off of whatever this tangent is that we've been stuck on.

**Frazzled**

Tactical_Genius wrote:
Frazzled wrote:
I know what 14 year olds are like, unfortunately.

No, you know what a number of 14 year olds are like.

People coming on here saying things like:
"teens are whiners"
"teens should get a job"
"children must have their hands held until their 18th birthday"

is akin to me likening the entire adult male population to murderers, just because some of them are.

I didn't say that. But now that you mention it...

**Azreal13**

Might it not be an idea to now re-lock this thread until Alex has more info to share?

Those that caused the original lock don't seem to have really learned anything from it.

**Frazzled**

Whats to learn?

**Azreal13**

Frazzled wrote:
Whats to learn?

That posting irrelevant or generalised nonsense isn't really conducive to letting a topic stay active.

**Frazzled**

azreal13 wrote:
Frazzled wrote:
Whats to learn?

That posting irrelevant or generalised nonsense isn't really conducive to letting a topic stay active.

Then you kill the internet.

I've found whenever these threads start, everyone is gung ho. Then you hear the other side and its all

I've not heard the other side so cannot suspend disbelief.

Frankly why is the OP being allowed to hang out in a store for hours anyway, and then complain when he can't? Its not a baby sitting service. Its a store that sells 1/100 what a good McDonalds does. You have no rights to be there. Complaining is just complaining.

**Deadshot**

He's not complaining about being thrown out, as much as he's complaining about the employee being an ass to him specifically, ie, bullying. That's my interpretation at least. The employee didn't chuck other people.

**Alfndrate**

Bullying is repeated targeted offenses...

**RiTides**

The number one hit in google says:

bully
verb
gerund or present participle: bullying
1.
use superior strength or influence to intimidate (someone), typically to force him or her to do what one wants.

But as we've descended into semantics at this point, I'm going to stop posting in this thread again for a bit until there is a real update.

I'm just glad that the manager saw the need to treat this with the same significance he would a complaint by any customer, and investigate it before deciding what action to take regarding the employee (or none). Hopefully it's resolved amicably for all sides, but if the facts are as the OP has laid out I expect he'll at least get an apology from the employee in question for his behavior.

**Frazzled**

Deadshot wrote:
He's not complaining about being thrown out, as much as he's complaining about the employee being an ass to him specifically, ie, bullying. That's my interpretation at least. The employee didn't chuck other people.

No.
Saying "buy something or get out your little germ factory" is not bullying. Thats the policy of pretty much every going concern on the planet.

Unless he specifically called the kid a name or committed assault then I don't see the issue. The kid wasn't a customer at that point, just a loiterer. At that age I was treated far worse by employees of wherever I was at. I was told to "get the

out" of many a place. So?

**Alfndrate**

RiTides wrote:
The number one hit in google says:

bully
verb
gerund or present participle: bullying
1.
use superior strength or influence to intimidate (someone), typically to force him or her to do what one wants.

But as we've descended into semantics at this point, I'm going to stop posting in this thread again for a bit until there is a real update.

I'm just glad that the manager saw the need to treat this with the same significance he would a complaint by any customer, and investigate it before deciding what action to take regarding the employee (or none). Hopefully it's resolved amicably for all sides, but if the facts are as the OP has laid out I expect he'll at least get an apology from the employee in question for his behavior.

Huh, the definition has change somewhat since I was in college... We were taught that it is the repeated targeted actions that are bullying.

PM incoming 'Tides

**Saldiven**

I'm going to repeat a comment I made pages ago because it remains accurate.

The OP's posts in this thread have been consistently far more mature and well thought out than his detractors' have been.

**cincydooley**

It sounds to me like the OP was probably unfairly treated by the sub-manager, and that the full time manager is in fact looking to take action against him, which he probably wouldn't do unless there was a history of bad acts.

With that being said, I still think these teens that have time over the summer to hang out in a business for 5-7 hours should get jobs or get involved with a sport or move their hang out spot to a non-business. But that's just me.

One can think in this instance the kid was inappropriately treated while maintaining he should find a better place to spend his non-school time over the summer.

Automatically Appended Next Post:
Additionally, I really want to touch the "bullying" comment, but I won't. Suffice it to say that I think the phrase is faaaaaaar overused today.

**RiTides**

cincydooley wrote:
It sounds to me like the OP was probably unfairly treated by the sub-manager, and that the full time manager is in fact looking to take action against him, which he probably wouldn't do unless there was a history of bad acts.

Just wanted to post that I greatly appreciate your saying this! I also can agree in principle with some of your other points in a sense, I just thought they were getting a bit overstated here... when the OP has been in some ways the opposite of the broad characterizations of young people that have been posted in this thread (or simply unrelated to them).

**cincydooley**

I actually said it right when Alex mentioned the manager asking for a written complaint. I think it got lost in the shuffle.

**Deadshot**

Frazzled wrote:
Deadshot wrote:
He's not complaining about being thrown out, as much as he's complaining about the employee being an ass to him specifically, ie, bullying. That's my interpretation at least. The employee didn't chuck other people.

No.
Saying "buy something or get out your little germ factory" is not bullying. Thats the policy of pretty much every going concern on the planet.

Unless he specifically called the kid a name or committed assault then I don't see the issue. The kid wasn't a customer at that point, just a loiterer. At that age I was treated far worse by employees of wherever I was at. I was told to "get the out" of many a place. So?

So why not say that to everyone? 24/7? Literally a case of buy something, then leave. Not only that, he was buying, just they didn't have it in stock.

He specifically picked out the OP as the recipient of a negative comment, hence, bullying.

**Noir**

Frazzled wrote:
Deadshot wrote:
He's not complaining about being thrown out, as much as he's complaining about the employee being an ass to him specifically, ie, bullying. That's my interpretation at least. The employee didn't chuck other people.

No.
Saying "buy something or get out your little germ factory" is not bullying. Thats the policy of pretty much every going concern on the planet.

Unless he specifically called the kid a name or committed assault then I don't see the issue. The kid wasn't a customer at that point, just a loiterer. At that age I was treated far worse by employees of wherever I was at. I was told to "get the out" of many a place. So?

So becouse you were treated like gak as a kid, we should continue the cycle and still treat kids like less then a person, got it.

**Frazzled**

Noir wrote:
Frazzled wrote:
Deadshot wrote:
He's not complaining about being thrown out, as much as he's complaining about the employee being an ass to him specifically, ie, bullying. That's my interpretation at least. The employee didn't chuck other people.

No.
Saying "buy something or get out your little germ factory" is not bullying. Thats the policy of pretty much every going concern on the planet.

Unless he specifically called the kid a name or committed assault then I don't see the issue. The kid wasn't a customer at that point, just a loiterer. At that age I was treated far worse by employees of wherever I was at. I was told to "get the out" of many a place. So?

So becouse you were treated like gak as a kid, we should continue the cycle and still treat kids like less then a person, got it.

Well...yea.
And the OP didn't actually try to order anything.

Did the employee probably have a bad commentary. Probably.
And?

**Deadshot**

Frazzled wrote:
Noir wrote:
Frazzled wrote:
Deadshot wrote:
He's not complaining about being thrown out, as much as he's complaining about the employee being an ass to him specifically, ie, bullying. That's my interpretation at least. The employee didn't chuck other people.

No.
Saying "buy something or get out your little germ factory" is not bullying. Thats the policy of pretty much every going concern on the planet.

Unless he specifically called the kid a name or committed assault then I don't see the issue. The kid wasn't a customer at that point, just a loiterer. At that age I was treated far worse by employees of wherever I was at. I was told to "get the out" of many a place. So?

So becouse you were treated like gak as a kid, we should continue the cycle and still treat kids like less then a person, got it.

And the OP didn't actually try to order anything

Yes he did! He went in with the specific intent of purchasing a large figure case! It was out of stock.

**cincydooley**

Deadshot wrote:
Frazzled wrote:
Noir wrote:
Frazzled wrote:
Deadshot wrote:
He's not complaining about being thrown out, as much as he's complaining about the employee being an ass to him specifically, ie, bullying. That's my interpretation at least. The employee didn't chuck other people.

No.
Saying "buy something or get out your little germ factory" is not bullying. Thats the policy of pretty much every going concern on the planet.

Unless he specifically called the kid a name or committed assault then I don't see the issue. The kid wasn't a customer at that point, just a loiterer. At that age I was treated far worse by employees of wherever I was at. I was told to "get the out" of many a place. So?

So becouse you were treated like gak as a kid, we should continue the cycle and still treat kids like less then a person, got it.

And the OP didn't actually try to order anything

Yes he did! He went in with the specific intent of purchasing a large figure case! It was out of stock.

It's been a while since I read the OP, but I'm pretty sure as part of the story he was asked if he'd like to order said case and then declined.

**Stoupe**

Frazzled wrote:
Noir wrote:
Frazzled wrote:
Deadshot wrote:
He's not complaining about being thrown out, as much as he's complaining about the employee being an ass to him specifically, ie, bullying. That's my interpretation at least. The employee didn't chuck other people.

No.
Saying "buy something or get out your little germ factory" is not bullying. Thats the policy of pretty much every going concern on the planet.

Unless he specifically called the kid a name or committed assault then I don't see the issue. The kid wasn't a customer at that point, just a loiterer. At that age I was treated far worse by employees of wherever I was at. I was told to "get the out" of many a place. So?

So becouse you were treated like gak as a kid, we should continue the cycle and still treat kids like less then a person, got it.

Well...yea.
And the OP didn't actually try to order anything.

Did the employee probably have a bad commentary. Probably.
And?

Your coming across very bitter. A 14 year old likely is unable to order due to a lack of a line of credit (usually ordering they need a CC of some type). He has my benefit of the doubt with that one.