Quoted: Title your complaint: "Workplace Violence Complaint". This is a buzzword that would make any half-brained beancounter take notice.

And then sign the letter with your arfcom screen name.

Quoted: Quoted: posting your personal numbers on ARFCOM? Watch out or SgtAR15 might call for phone sex. Good luck on actually dialing those #s. How old are you, BTW?

I turned 24 a couple of days ago.

I will be sending the letter. After reviewing the company handbook, and talking to some people in the company who I trust, I wish I had gotten the ball rolling sooner, as word on the street has it that his actions are taken very seriously by the boys over at corporate, and he would have been out on his ass, rather than what he will most likly recieve now.

Quoted: Kinda like no happy ending for dick. Maybe you should work in a lube shop?

So that next time your relations with "Dick" will be friction free!

If you worked for me that day you would have been given one opportunity to propose a better solution with the resources at hand, and then if you kept disagreeing (ESPECIALLY in front of a manager and other hourly employees) you would have been told that you were not helping the situation at all.  Then, if you persisted, you would have been canned, on the spot.

Your manager may have been wrong, but when there are several pay grades involved, you will not win short of swearing out a warrant.

Trust me on that one, been there, done that, and burned the Wal-Mart t-shirt.

shooter

If you are smart, you will have learned some valuable lessons from all this.

You need to work on your delivery.  Don't say "we tried it, and it don't work" It negative, combative, disrespectful.

Don't persist 3 times!  Jesus Christ, you sound like my 3 year old.

You have to learn to be a lot more political.  Your manager probably had to handle dozens of conflicts that day.  Yours was not a big one, until you challenged him.  If being always right is worth your job, then more power to you.  Most of us need the paycheck more then we need to be right.

If you were really trying to be helpful, you would have just shut up and gotten back to work.  You could send him a helpful suggestion via E-mail, with HR copied in.

If you are just trying to go to war with Dick, your behavior and letter will get the desired result.  I don't treat my guys like Dick, but If I were in his shoes, it would be you or me at this point.  99.99999 percent chance you would get fired.

After 5 years, you probably have the feeling that you are somewhat indispensable.  Take it from someone who has been on both sides of the firing desk, none of us are indispensable.  

After 5 years, it's time to move on to your chosen profession.

Oh, one more thing.  Nobody likes a crybaby complaint writer.  Not even H.R. Since your job may have already been on the line, documenting is understandable, but nothing is ever gained by calling attention to yourself that way.

Quoted: If you are smart, you will have learned some valuable lessons from all this. You need to work on your delivery.  Don't say "we tried it, and it don't work" It negative, combative, disrespectful. Don't persist 3 times!  Jesus Christ, you sound like my 3 year old.

I tried to help find a "solution" to the problem the first time, after that I was refusing to be bullied, and treated as sub-human. Right or wrong, no one should have to be treated that way.

Quoted: Okay, I hope you ran that sucker through a spell-checker after posting it here, because "Madem" is actually spelled "Madam"

+1

Quoted: Quoted: Okay, I hope you ran that sucker through a spell-checker after posting it here, because "Madem" is actually spelled "Madam" +1

Yes, I spell checked it after.

You obviously work at a Sam's Club.  I know because I was a tire tech at one a long time ago.  The solution he provided was tried at our store and was a complete cluster fuck each time also.  Don't worry about it. Your a tire tech.  Any other tire store in town will now readily hire you and will be managed by people who understand the particulars of a shop that services cars, not by some clueless fuckhead that made his way up to mananger by seeing how far he could get his head up the previous managers ass.

Quoted: Quoted: If you are smart, you will have learned some valuable lessons from all this. You need to work on your delivery.  Don't say "we tried it, and it don't work" It negative, combative, disrespectful. Don't persist 3 times!  Jesus Christ, you sound like my 3 year old. I tried to help find a "solution" to the problem the first time, after that I was refusing to be bullied, and treated as sub-human. Right or wrong, no one should have to be treated that way.

Just understand that doesn't necessarily mean you'll get to keep your job. If you refuse to accept the advice given, you shouldn't ask for it in the first place. You will learn it the hard way as long as you keep beating your head against the brick wall of reality.

"I Almost Got Fired"


Yeah, you did.  Chalk it up to good fortune that your boss isn't actually a dick.  Poor little man got his feelings hurt.  Puhlease.  You will never survive corporate warfare if you are that sensitive.   Office politics can be brutal.  You got punked by your supervisor because you deserved it.  Sending the letter may at best get you a concerned ear to talk to; then evryone in the corporate chain will know you are a pussy.  No effect other than you becoming the subject of water cooler snickers.  You sure you want to do this?  Why not grow a pair ..or.. find a new job where they aren't so "insensitive".  If you are about to graduate college I would suggest becoming aware that the world is a cold hard place and it does not suffer fools.

Quoted: Quoted: If you are smart, you will have learned some valuable lessons from all this. You need to work on your delivery.  Don't say "we tried it, and it don't work" It negative, combative, disrespectful. Don't persist 3 times!  Jesus Christ, you sound like my 3 year old. I tried to help find a "solution" to the problem the first time, after that I was refusing to be bullied, and treated as sub-human. Right or wrong, no one should have to be treated that way.

Before you send the letter - that is how you need to start it.  State what DIck did that you feel was inappropriate, then outline what the soecific details in the nest paragraph.  If you want to give backgroiund material then go on to the story about what led up to it.

As it stands now, you don't even get to yout apparent complaint until the 9th LONG paragraph.  You come off as a guy making excuses, not a competent employee concerned about customer service and workplace climate.

FIRST SENTENCE should read:

On the Nth of May, 2004, Manager DICK shouted me down in a highly unprofessional manner in front of customers (only if true) and other employees, all becuase I had tried to explain that current procedures were leading to inadequate customer service during peak demand times.  Right or wrong, I feel no employee should be treated that way. [you can correct the details a bit, but your complain should be completely and succinctly stated here]

[now background]
After a typically busy morning, during which at least one customer had already complained about waiting too long, and I had hardly been able to work on tires due to the number of custoimers at the desk, DICK insisted that the proper procedure then was to call up an associate from the front end to handle the desk.  In my five years here, that solution has never worked - and I tried to explain to DICK that the associate called up inevitably would need to call a tire person constantly to answer customer questions, and thus this did little to speed up turnaround times on vehicles in the bay. In addition, the asociate would then stand around doing nothing and wasting Wal-Marts time,as the actual tire emplyee inevtiably ran the desk.

He insisted that I follow his procedure anyway, and as he was walking away I said, “That’s fine, but I’m just letting you know we’ve tried it several times before, and it doesn’t work. But if that’s what you want me to do, then that’s fine.”.  When I stopped, he whirled around, learned forward, pointed his finger at me and in front of fellow employees, members that were standing at the chain and walking by the shop he said “I’ve given you solution, and I don’t like your cocky attitude. You’ll do as I say, or you won’t work here!” It was at this point that I felt very intimidated and had he been within arms reach of me, I would have been extremely concerned for my physical well being. I replied to his angry threat, “whoa, whoa, whoa. Dick I’m just trying to let you know that we’ve tried this before-“ Dick loudly interrupted me, and angrily said that I had a cocky attitude and that I had better stop talking to him that way. He began to walk away again and I followed him. I asked him to wait a minute and talk to me. We were a few feet into the sales area, but we were still in full view of the previously mentioned employees. However my supervisor, Mr. D, had now clocked in and walked into the conversation.

From here, I told Dick that I did not know what was going on, but that I just wanted to talk to him and work out a solution to the problem, and that I was not trying to be cocky in any way whatsoever. Dick interrupted me again, and said in the most angry and frightening way, “NO! YOU DON’T TALK TO ME! YOU TALK TO YOUR SUPERVISOR! YOU TALK TO YOUR MANAGER! AND IF YOU HAVE TO, YOU TALK TO Manager Z! YOU USE THE CHAIN OF COMMAND, BUT YOU DON’T TALK TO ME!” I was very frightened by this outburst, and I said “I’m sorry, I’ll talk to you later.” After this I walked away.

[close out with one last paragraph, perhaps explaining how you were intimidated and why it too so long to file]

Thank the person you wrote to.

Close


All the rest of the stuff might be good for a sworn affidavit, but it is unnecessary here.  Keep those noted as documentation, though.

BTW - nopbody in Wal-Mart management truly gives a rat's ass about customer service.  The customers will keep coming back for the convenience and low prices, and Wal-Mart management knows it.  If you want to work somewhere where customer service and quality work is important - get a job at a real tire store.

I worked at Lowe's through college - that place is the same way - whenever there would finally be enough emplyess to take care of customers AND to the needed stocking, etc. work, people would be sent home early.

Quoted: ... If you really want to f-ck with him send HR this letter: Warehouse Manager Dick  has damaged me and has resulted in a hostile work environment. I have been placed in a position that has begun to effect my health.  I have tried to reach out to my supervisors for resolution; these efforts have only been met with hostility.    I am prepared to produce documentation to support my position. It will not help your position, but it will cause the HR machine to go into action.

Oooh - You're just Evil... EVIL!  So many corporate buzzwords in so few lines - a masterpiece!

Warehouse Manager Dick has damaged me and has resulted in a hostile
work environment. I have been placed in a position that has begun to effect
my health. I have tried to reach out to my supervisors for resolution;
these efforts have only been met with hostility. I am prepared to
produce documentation to support my position.

That sounds good to me

Look - you're going to school so you don't have to work with "Dicks" like that. Trust me, he's not worth the effort -  just finish school and move on.

Your letter is way too long, and you must take the offensive.  This sounds like large enough company to understand this -

Dear Mr. HR Manager,

On such and such date, Mr. Manager's aggressive and confrontational manner while discussing a customer service complaint made me feel threatened and inimidated, and created a hostile work environment.

Signed,
km123


That last bit is the part they will understand loud and clear.  Save the rest of it for the followup.  If you really want to gain the upper hand, set the guy up for another episode and make sure plenty of employee witnesses are present (although you already have plenty from the first incident).  If they fail to act, take it up the corporate ladder.  The guy deserves at least a week off without pay for his unacceptable behavior in front of customers, let alone other employees.

I would also take the guy aside and read him the riot act about his behavior, but that's just my way of dealing with pindicks like this.

Towards the end of this thread you have lots of good advice. Whatever you do, use your head. And remember you don't have to prove anything to us, we are your friends. Trying to prove a boss or superviser wrong in the workplace is the best way to make your life miserable at "that" work place. So find a new job before sending that letter in. Or better, sit things out and see if a similar situation arises. If it does, maybe you will have a better choice of words.

And if you want to become a master of people read this book, "How to Win Friends and Influence People." Basically, this book will teach you how to win people to your way of thinking, and they won't even realize it. I have read this book 5 times in the past. I used to be a real asshole to work for. I'm a lot better now and I know how to handle people a lot better now. It has also helped me get where I want to be in jobs and in life. Hands down this is the best book I have ever read. Learning this book has made me lots of money over the years. The old saying "MONEY TALKs AND SHIT WALKs" Good luck.....

Don't try to change shit man you aren't the manager. Just do whatever the ass says, if shit don't work it's his fault not yours. You can't let stupid shit bother you just worry about your job and what you are doing.