Think about it. An item or service you also make??
Screw them!! If they can't buy from where their paycheck comes I personally would fire them.
Your example with the bank is hardly apropos.
You are a Ford employee parking your XYC car in the Ford lot. Your banking affiliation isn't in anyone's face, much less your employer's.
So only some product and service companies should fire their employees for using competitors. Is the determining line the extent that the use of the product is in someones "face"?
If all of those italicized words are mine, please tell me what in what post I said them because I sure as hell can't find them. If not, I resent your implication that they are.
Again, NO ONE is getting fired.
In reality, yeah it does depend on if it's in your face.
It's like cheating on your wife. You can get away with going to a 'competitor' if you aren't in your wife's face with the affair. If you do bring the competitor home with you, your spouse may move your parking place too.
Buying from your competitor is just as stupid, but sometimes you can get away with it. Sometimes you have to walk a bit further to work.