Posted on 05/06/2011 7:52:15 PM PDT by rawhide
Being a super hero is sometimes a thankless job. Just ask Spiderman and a handful of others who have both fought for and been chased by the law. As it turns out, even being just a regular hero isn't always all that it's cracked up to be. If you require proof, sit down for a chat with Roger Kline, a 51-year-old former Best Buy employee who was shown the door after he tackled a would-be laptop thief making a mad dash with stolen merchandise.
According to a report in the Billings Gazette, Kline was a well-regarded employee and one of the top salesmen during the three years he worked at Best Buy. He had never been in any kind of trouble with the electronics retailer or had any other negative marks on his record.
"I believe I was one of the highest-regarded employees there," Kline said.
Then March 28, 2011 rolled around, That's the day a customer with sticky hands tried to bolt out the door carrying two laptops he didn't pay for. As the man ran by, Kline instinctively grabbed hold of him and tossed the would-be shoplifter to the ground, then held him there until his boss told him to let go. The laptops were valued at $1,600 combined.
For having tried to steal two laptops, the man was arrested and charged with felony theft and misdemeanor drug possession. As for Kline, surely Best Buy recognized his heroics and, at the very least, gave the guy a day off from work, right? Wrong.
Because it's against company policy to interfere with a crime-in-progress, Kline was technically breaking the rules. After a more than three-week investigation, Kline was called into the manager's office and handed an "involuntary separation notice."
"Roger, you admitted that on March 28, 2011, you pursued a shoplifter and engaged in physical force to apprehend this shoplifter," the one-page notice said. "This is a violation of Best Buy's Inappropriate Conduct Policy which states that employees are prohibited from 'pursuing shoplifters under any circumstance or using physical force to detain shoplifters' and ground for termination. Your employment with Best Buy is terminated, effective immediately."
Lootie’s a little busy these days. He’s the new “Opportunity Czar.”
Huh?
“There is a reason we hire police officers.”
Because we’re all sheep like you?
In my neck of the woods, the stores with aggressive anti-shopplifting policies are widely known by the criminals and have very low rates of shoplifting losses.
BTW, about half the people I know will not put a foot inside a Best Buy because of their horrendous, belligerent store management. I'm included in that group.
>I understand Best Buy’s take on this and for that I do not have a problem, my question is why do they ask to see your receipt if they are not allowed to stop you nor detain you? I usually just keep on walking, ignoring the receipt checkers, but the question is why do they even ask, knowing that they cannot stop you?<
That’s what I am asking too! These clowns at the front ask for the receipt but if I run out with an Ipad, will these clowns ask for it? Stupidity. Good thing I go to BB to check out the physical measurements and buy the same item on Amazon.
Fry’s is great when you know what you are looking for. But their service is damn worse.
Sometimes they even cheated me out of the price on the flyer. The clerk needed “permission” from the mgr to make the correction which is $70 LESS.
The manager stayed in her office for 30 minutes...thinking I would just go away. I DIDN’T. Caught her again coming out, gave her the look and she had to make the discount. It was my day off so I had ‘time’.
Dear Best Buy:
Last week was the first time in three years that I bought something from you. Now I learn that my price was padded to make up for your loss to thieves that you do not protect yourselves from.
Bummer. I think that I will shop from stores that actively work to minimize their losses to thieves.
Bye bye Best Buy.
>> Because it’s against company policy to interfere with a crime-in-progress
The stolen laptop is not worth the injury liabilities. Best Buy can still go # itself for terminating the guy.
But then lawyers began aggressive advertising,law schools began cranking out thousands more new lawyers than previously needed each year, and now look at the mess.
As a nation,we produce and laud lots of unscrupulous lawyers,atheletes, and politicians but look down on engineers and blue-collar workers.What a mess.
$40-80 is about typical for little home and small biz fixers here in my area as well like me that are any good.
LOL! Like I said, I only go to BB just to look at the physical measurement of the item, test it out, THEN buy the item online like Amazon.
You echo my thoughts exactly. I may go to Best Buy once a year, when no one else has what I need on an immediate basis, but I avoid it like the plague usually.
I really don’t know how they stay in business.
Oldest daughter at Marshalls.
Best Buy in action:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1379476/posts
This one was idiots all the way down, not just the Best Buy people.
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