- Report: #599353
Complaint Review: BLOCKBUSTER VIDEO - Internet Missouri
Reported By:
gypsyrose -
, Massachusetts, United States of America
Submitted:
Updated:
-
Author Not Confirmed
Why?
BLOCKBUSTER VIDEO
Internet, Missouri, United States of America
Phone:
(214) 854-4800
Web:
blockbuster.com
Categories:
Business Rating:
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BLOCKBUSTER VIDEO Blockbuster terminated me for doing what I was trained to do Internet, Missouri
I was fired from my job because Blockbuster said I refused to let customers rent movies because they wouldn't buy them. Blockbuster has a common practice. Every quarter the movie industry demands that we sell a certain amount of retail copies in order for them to keep suppling Blockbuster with a reasonable amount of rental copies. If they sell the desired amount of copies, the studios supply Blockbuster with extra bumps of movie titles.
Well when this started happened I was informed by my superiors when copies ran out to leave them in our drop box and offer the retail copy to the customer first, only after the customer refused the rental was I allowed to offer them the rental. I had been told to do this since I started working for them, by many mangers and district leaders, including the ones who terminated me.
The week of this particular movie release I was informed to leave them in our box as they came in so we could sell the retail copies by my DM. We were not having that issue because we sold out of ours in three days. I did get calls from six other stores informing me that they used this practice to sell their copies. Not surprising because it is commonly discussed how well it works and is Blockbusters laugh at the studio because since we met the goal (regardless of how we had to do it), they have to give us the extra rental bump. My DM even told us that he didn't care how it happened, as long as it happened, and if he comes into our store when we are doing this. He just turns his back.
I was fired for this, and do not understand why. I did what I was told to do. Then after I was told to do it or else, I was fired for it, and the DM who instructed me to do it, had other stores call me and remind me to do it, I was fired for it. Then he said he never told anyone to do it at all.
As I said though, we sold out of the copies we were required to sell anyway, there was no need for us to do it. On the last day we were selling that copy, I did have a trainee do it. We worked the whole day, and she refused to let the customer know that we even had it to purchase, so the last hour we worked, I told her to stop just giving the customer the rental copy. I told here that I wanted her to at least offer the customer the retail copy, if they didn't want it that was fine, and to check out box to see if we had one in because we had been rented out of it most of the day, but I at least wanted her to let the customer know we had it...not just shove them out the door.
Not one customer EVER left my store with a copy that we had in stock rental or retail of that movie or any other, but yet I was fired. They processed my termination before they even spoke to me. I have five other people that will tell you that Blockbuster tells us to do this all the time, and other practices far worse then that one. With this in mind, why was I fired, and why wasn't anyone else held to the same standard?
I have watched some really disgusting common practices, that is the minor one. I have watched my DL tell managers to find reasons to fire good people, for no other reason then he didn't like them, or he fires them the same type of way I was fired, but he doesn't hold everyone to the same standard. I have heard him tell managers not to do something so they could fire someone else for it and for me to keep my mouth shut or it would cost me my job. I have been in rooms where all the store managers have these discussions together. Someone may be a poor worker, but if they look good, and management likes them...it's ok. I watched them fire managers for working off the clock, but yet I know of 5-6 that still do it, and he sees it as dedication. What's up with that?
What about the person at one store who is always late, and he's fired, but yet they keep another one because...he's liked by management.
What happened to privacy in termination. What gave my DM the right to tell everyone in my district I was fired and for what. Even people who don't work there know why.
What really upsets me is that he terminated me and rewarded my shift lead with my job if she would assist in my termination. She was there for two minutes of my shift, as I was leaving, how would she know how I ran it? They stared training her for my job two months ago, and were not discreet when I was informed she was being moved up (in the store I was in, you do the math). That is so messed up.
All this coming from the DL who wanted me to call up my store manager and tell him not to come into his own store. I told him I wouldn't do that (I didn't feel that was my job). He was angry when I told him one of his managers was stealing money from a store he was suppose to oversee and pissed when I called in loss prevention. I would think he would be thanking me. I just don't get it.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
gypsyrose
Wright City,Missouri,
United States of America
They fired me from my job, now they want my family homeless
#2Author of original report
Mon, May 03, 2010
I was given a final a years ago. Let me be specific, I was given a verbal, written and a final all in one day, on issues that I my store manager should have been handling, but since they fired my manager also, I was running the store understaffed. Even though it is against policy to run the store alone, the only action I could have taken back then would have cost me my job also. Damned if you do, damned if you don't type of issue. Even though I requested assistance from management for other issues I had limited authority over.
They processed with my termination before they even spoke to me, not like it mattered. I wasn't an easy manger for people who didn't do their job anyway, and I had a shift lead being trained and ready for my spot when they fired me. A store manager who did nothing to improve our store (unless he was taking credit for what he didn't do), but was a good yes man.
My unemployment was denied, and since I haven't been able to find another job, my family will end up being homeless within a month. I will file an appeal, but by that point we will no longer have a place to live over this.
They refused to give me a anything to verify I was terminated, for almost 3 weeks, so I can't even get a rental adjustment for my housing, and now I have a rental amount I can not afford because I have no income and I have to have some kind of income to get a reduction. My water will be shut off in 2 weeks at the rate this is going, I am half way through paying off a storage center so we have somewhere to put our belongings that I am going to lose.
I watched my manager get fired for working off the clock, he was the worst about it, but he was not the only one. Had everyone in that district been held to the same standard, they would have no managers. They want things done but do not allow the time to do it.
What I do know is that Blockbuster is doing away with assistant managers. They will only have them in what they consider to be a "high volume store", I was told this 6 months ago. Those assistant managers are only there to take the position of a store manager (and when current managers are replaced, they will save money there to). In an effort to strap down and save money. You can pull their financials off the net. Their EBITDA which is you earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, in English this means this is what they have to offer before any debt is paid is 194 right now. Looks good doesn't it...no it doesn't, because they have a -245.95 normalized income available to common, this means their debt doesn't even come close to their operation costs, their debt doesn't even come close to balancing out what they're making versus spending. They have become a loan risk. No one wants to keep bailing water out of a destined sinking ship, well...I did..lol They may make it 2 more years. Their assets almost balance out their liability, but they're still in the hole. Investors want to see gain, at least something steady, not losses, and shareholder loss to top it off.
I have never worked with so many vindictive people fighting to the top of the manure pile. The honest ones end up fired and the dishonest ones promoted, or they want someone they liked from another district in theirs so they get rid of the least liked person. It's a favorites game. I didn't like the people, but I loved my customers and the job I did.
all2neat
United States of AmericaWow
#3Consumer Comment
Mon, May 03, 2010
Wow, that's an amazing story.. Firstly, were you ever given warning for anything.. Each company is slightely different but typically prior to a termination employees are given a verbal warning, a written warning, followed by at least one more written warning.. A lot of companies have a policy that on the third write up they terminate employees.. Did you ever get anything like this?
The other question is this, are you in a right to work or right to hire state? This is something you'll have to look up online for your self, but depending on what type of state you are in depends on what rights you have. also, your employee status also may grant or eliminate certain rights, such as full time / part time / temporary / contractor / etc..
The other question, is this a store that is closing down? Isn't blockbuster in a bit of trouble and closing stores? I haven't kept up much with them specifically but it doesn't sound like your store was closing right?
