Wal-Mart: YOU'RE FIRED!!!

[gblowfish]

This story was in the KC Star this morning. Wal-Mart fired a brain damaged cashier who worked there for almost 20 years for discounting a jug of sweet tea for a customer by fifty cents. I hope he sues their ass off. Story is here:

Thousands of people are rallying behind a brain-damaged Walmart worker who was fired last week.

Frank Swanson was a cashier at a Walmart in West Plains, Missouri for nearly two decades.

He was well known in the local community as an enthusiastic worker who loved to hug customers.

He was fired just 20 days short of his 20-year anniversary with Walmart.

A Walmart spokesman said he was fired for violating a pricing policy.

"Letting an associate go is never easy," the spokesman said. "For this associate, point-of-sale policies had not been followed in some instances. A recent violation of those policies moved the associate to the final step of our discipline process, resulting in his dismissal."

Swanson's supporters claim he was terminated for giving out hugs, and they are planning a protest at the West Plains Walmart on Saturday to show their support.

More than 1,500 people have committed to attending the rally on a Facebook page called "Hugs for Frank" and another 3,100 said they are interested in attending.

"Walmart has decided to fire Frank, the sweetest employee you'd ever meet, for hugging a costumer," the page reads. "So we're going to gather at Walmart on Saturday April 9th with signs or t-shirts offering free hugs. Let's do this for Frank."

The workers' rights group Making Change at Walmart also released a statement on the matter.

"It appears Walmart fired workers for being decent and kind. So, if you believe in hugs or being nice to customers, don’t apply for a job at Walmart," said Jess Levin, communications director for MCAW.

Swanson's bosses cited his hugs as inappropriate, but that's not why he was fired, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Swanson broke store policy on at least one occasion by discounting a jug of tea by 50 cents, after a customer told him a competitor was selling the tea for 50 cents cheaper,the Post-Dispatch reports. He took the customer at her word, but under store policy, he should have asked her to produce a printed circular proving the competitor's price.

Swanson's sister, Babbi Marsh, confirmed that Swanson was terminated for excessive price matching.

"He never let anyone walk out without paying for their merchandise. What he was told was that he was being let go for excessive price matching," she told the West Plains Daily Quill.

Swanson suffered severe injuries including brain damage following an accident when he was young that left him in a coma for six weeks and temporarily paralyzed, his family told KSPR TV.

Walmart customer Jenn Harper called Swanson a "sign of hope."

"I feel like one of our own has been hurt," she told KSPR. "He's a sign of hope, he made your day better. If you were having a bad day at Walmart, he would light up your whole trip."

http://www.businessinsider.com/walma...0-years-2016-4

[Mr. Plow]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Having read all of this, I have a new theory.

Reviewing the facts, we see that he was keeping tabs of prices at other stores, he was giving out discounts at 20 times the rate of other cashiers, and he wasn't requiring that they provide the competitors' ads. We also know that he was very customer-friendly.

My theory is that he was telling people at the counter that a lower price was available without them asking, and then he was ringing it up at that price for them voluntarily. If so, that's a big no-no.

Exactly my thoughts.

Instead of the customers saying "Hey, XXXXX grocery store has this for $1 cheaper; price match it." He was likely telling the customers that the other store had it cheaper & simply giving them the discount without proof. Simple violation of company policy that resulted in termination.

Sounds like he was nice enough guy, but being a nice guy while violating company policy gets the same result as being a dick & violating company policy....termination.

[SAUTO]

Originally Posted by Mr. Plow

Exactly my thoughts.

Instead of the customers saying "Hey, XXXXX grocery store has this for $1 cheaper; price match it." He was likely telling the customers that the other store had it cheaper & simply giving them the discount without proof. Simple violation of company policy that resulted in termination.

Sounds like he was nice enough guy, but being a nice guy while violating company policy gets the same result as being a dick & violating company policy....termination.

Especially one that works for wal mart and is hugging customers. I can almost guarantee they have a policy against it.

[Mr. Plow]

Originally Posted by BigChiefTablet

I'll protest anything for free hot dogs and hamburgers.

"We will have a protest in support of Frank in the Walmart parking lot on Saturday. Hot dogs, hamburgers, buns, chips and bottles of water purchased from Walmart will be supplied to protesters"

[jspchief]

I'm sure Frank & Beans wasn't an ideal employee. Probably a lawsuit waiting to happen.

I'm also sure that Walmart, like any employer, can find a "legit" reason to fire anyone if they want to bad enough.

[TigeRRUppeRRcut]

Wal-mart should ask Target to hire him to simmer down his cause. Just an easy political move IMO.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by JASONSAUTO

Well if you could sell 49 bottles for half price you come up quick.

I have a firm policy against buying secondhand ketchup.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by Toby Waller

Lol at the,article saying tgat under normal circumstances hugging would be considered sexual harassment.
I'm not defending annoying random hugging but it's not sexual harassment.

It can be if you build your technique right.

[SAUTO]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

I have a firm policy against buying secondhand ketchup.

Discount stores sell it all the time, how about if I told you it was unclaimed freight?

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by JASONSAUTO

Discount stores sell it all the time, how about if I told you it was unclaimed freight?

Unclaimed freight is still new. It's unclaimed. There's not another name on the title.

[SAUTO]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Unclaimed freight is still new. It's unclaimed. There's not another name on the title.

You buy ketchup in store and resell it it's still new. I'm not changing labels either.

Ok would you like this unclaimed ketchup?

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by JASONSAUTO

You buy ketchup in store and resell it it's still new. I'm not changing labels either.

Ok would you like this unclaimed ketchup?

But the stores have ketchup quality control. They've got bar codes and ketchup-sniffing dogs and security. If I'm buying ketchup from an individual how do I know that they're replacing the contents with koolaid or clotted pig blood or something?

On a related note, I always find it weird if I go into a TJ Maxx and see food for sale. TJ Maxx is an outlet clothing store. Where has that food been and how many times has it changed hands before it ends up in a TJ Maxx? Why does TJ Maxx even sell food? I feel like they're picking up surplus stockpiles from 1950s bomb shelters or something.

[SAUTO]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

But the stores have ketchup quality control. They've got bar codes and ketchup-sniffing dogs and security. If I'm buying ketchup from an individual how do I know that they're replacing the contents with koolaid or clotted pig blood or something?

On a related note, I always find it weird if I go into a TJ Maxx and see food for sale. TJ Maxx is an outlet clothing store. Where has that food been and how many times has it changed hands before it ends up in a TJ Maxx? Why does TJ Maxx even sell food? I feel like they're picking up surplus stockpiles from 1950s bomb shelters or something.

It's sealed.

[Dayze]

the tag.

[mdchiefsfan]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Good point. In every movie I've ever seen, brain damage unlocks limitless power for stuff like that.

Well, every movie but Simple Jack, I guess.

You ma-ma-ma-make me happy!

[Demonpenz]

Originally Posted by KCUnited

Great, one less checkout person.

.