Retail Hell Underground

Monstrous Restaurant Owners Amy and Samy Bouzaglo Reopening Amy's Baking Company

I've never seen such hateful, disgusting business owners in my entire retail career (these people take their server's tips!!!). I'm a big fan of Kitchen Nightmares and Gordon Ramsay in General and he has helped over 100 restaurants. He had to walk a way from these monsters. The hellhole operated by Amy and Samy Bouzaglo was not savable by him because they are selfish, rude, greedy, nasty people that should not be running any kind of service related business. Now they are reopening the restaurant again! I hope it sinks so far into the earth it reaches hell.

Below is the full Kitchen Nightmares episode if you have not seen it. Your jaw will drop - several times...

Huff Po: It looks like Amy's Baking Company, the restaurant at the center of the "Kitchen Nightmares" season finale brouhaha, is going into damage control mode.

Owners Amy and Samy Bouzaglo have hired PR firm Rose + Moser + Allyn Public and Online Relations and closed down their Scottsdale eatery. But like an ironic phoenix rising from the ashes, it will reopen on May 21 for a "Grand Re-Opening," according to a press release posted to the restaurant's Facebook page.

A portion of the proceeds will go to an unnamed charity "organized to bring awareness to cyber bullying," a not-so-subtle reference to Amy's assertion that the restaurant has been unfairly singled out on the internet.

"We are very upset by what has taken place, apologize about the acrimony that has ensued but now must fight back to save our business," Samy Bouzaglo said in the release. "We hope and believe much good can result from what has transpired. We ask the public to keep an open mind as we begin to tell our side of the story."

According to a Twitter page associated with Jason Rose, a principle at Rose + Moser + Allyn Public and Online Relations, the grand reopening event has already sold out.

The Huffington Post reached out to Mike Saucier, a Rose + Moser + Allyn associate handling the reopening, who was unable to offer more information about the event. However, Saucier said more details would be released to the public later today. We will update the post as needed.

Saucier told HuffPost that Rose + Moser + Allyn has experience with crisis PR cases, which, it would seem to an outside observer, aptly sums up what it faces with Amy's Baking Company.

via www.huffingtonpost.com

 

 

 

 

American Apparel CEO Rips Industry's 'Blind Pursuit' Of Low Wages

Huff Po: On the heels of the recent tragedy in Bangladesh, American Apparel CEO Dov Charney has a message for the rest of the retail industry: It's time for change.

"The apparel industry's relentless and blind pursuit of the lowest possible wages cannot be sustained over time, ethically or fiscally," Charney wrote in a recent message. "As labor and transportation costs increase worldwide, exploitation will not only be morally offensive and dated, it will not even be financially viable."

Charney's message accompanied a company email over the weekend urging people to buy American and reminding them that American Apparel is “sweatshop free." (You can scroll down to see the full email.) This is nothing new: American Apparel always has produced clothes in the U.S. and reminded shoppers of its sweatshop-free pledge on tags, in emails and in ads. But the recent Bangladesh factory collapse that killed more than 600 has brought renewed attention to Western retailers’ reliance on cheap clothing producers they can’t closely monitor.

“We emphasize this because it actually makes a difference,” the company email sent over the weekend states. “Thousands of industrial workers making our clothing at our state-of-the-art factory in downtown Los Angeles earn an average of $12/per hour, plus medical and other comprehensive benefits for themselves and their families, wh

via www.huffingtonpost.com

 

Queer Geek's Update on Hell at The Big Fancy

Recently a close friend and coworker of mine e-mailed me about what was going on with her at her retail hell. Now if you’ve been following my posts, you know that me and Freeman Hall are former slaves freed from the oppression of The Big Fancy plantation.  

When the corporate wheel decided to get rid of my department, my friend got caught behind and got transitioned into a ridiculous department that made it impossible to meet company expectations especially in this difficult economy.

Well finally they let her go and she contacted me with concern of what her next strategy would be and all I told her is to file unemployment and try to pound the pavement looking for job.  Face it!  The economy sucks and even fast food places are being extra picky about who they hire in this competitive market.   

Since kicking me out of Big Fancy (I’d like to say that I was asked to leave), I found out that my vacant position remains cursed since my departure.  

From what my friend revealed to me, everyone they hired to replace me turned out to be complete flakes.  The first got fired for stealing money from the till, the second for unprofessionalism, and the last person would never show up for work.  Add to that, the constant budget cuts and pretty much every department manager that had been with Big Fancy a long time was let go and replaced with a revolving door of naïve slaves.

Now comes word that the all multiple stores in the region are shutting their corporate offices in my city and moving them up north for budget reasons.  This means that at least 50 some employees are out of job and anyone wanting a position in any of the left over Big Fancy stores are going to have to compete for positions within the area so some poor slave is going to left out in the cold.  Think of it as a lottery where the losers get a one way ticket to the unemployment line while the lucky ones get the opportunity to be exploited slaves in the process.  So much for employee loyalty!

In the end, it’s the company that suffers.  It turns out that the so called family Big Fancy business is no longer owned or controlled by the original Mr. Lou and his descendants.   It’s made up of a pair of shareholders and Board of Directors who dictate these ridiculous changes with the façade of being the company recognized for their outstanding customer service.  So with each stupid Big Fancy shopping bag that I see and their logo playing on commercial ads, I cringe with the knowledge that I know the truth.  Big Fancy sucks and that no one should ever shop with their company!

--Queer Geek

 

From Freddy:

It's so true. With their unforgivable and ridiculous expectations, I watched The Big Fancy ruin the lives of many quality workers. I also wittnessed long-time managers with amazing track records lose their positions to younger, lower paid newbies because Big Fancy felt the old timers were making fifty cents more an hour too much. And now with the adancement of technology, these humanless corporations like The Big Fancy have new excuses and easier ways to replace hard-working people who have given their souls to the company.

To read more hellacious but funny tales about this company I call a Wolf in Designer Clothes, check out my new book "Return To The Big Fancy," and its predessor "Retail Hell."

 

What is the worst thing you have seen your company do to an employee?

 

 

Williams-Sonoma Pulling Pressure Cookers: Good Idea Or Have The Terrorists Won?

From Huff Po: In the wake of the Boston Marathon bombing, some Williams-Sonoma stores in the city have pulled pressure cookers off shelves, the company confirmed to The Huffington Post on Thursday.

The decision to temporarily stop selling the cooking device, which is meant to cook food at a high pressure, was not a corporate-wide decision, Chief Marketing Officer Pat Connolly told HuffPost. Connolly said that some managers of stores near the location of the bombing decided to pull the item.

"Some of them had friends and relatives who were impacted by everything," he added.

Pressure cookers were what Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the bombing suspects, used to construct the bombs that killed three and injured more than 200 others on April 15, according to investigators.

Days after the bombing, Nike decided to stop selling a baseball-themed T-shirt emblazoned with the phrase "Boston Massacre."

Similarly, in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, Walmart pulled the Bushmaster Patrolman's Carbine M4A3 Rifle off of its website. The rifle is similar to the one reportedly used by Adam Lanza to kill 26 people.

via www.huffingtonpost.com

Call To RHU: Share Your Funny Purchase Combos!

Hey RHU, I found this amusing graphic floating around on Facebook and it got me thinking.

Let's hear from you! What are some of the strangest things that have crossed your register... ever? What thoughts spilled through your mind amid the dregs of Retail Droid-ism? Did any combinations spark an inner commentary that had you laughing for the rest of the day?

It can be a story from any level of retail hell, from any category. It can be as obvious as an adult store combo, or as subtle as a child's clothing store. It could be that a prim, uptight looking lady bought "Good Girl's Guide To Bad Girl Sex," which forced you to flee to the back room in order to laugh your ass off. An innocent looking shopper could have bought a number of phallic objects that made you raise an eyebrow and wonder.

Even if it's nothing more than a list of several strange combinations spiced with commentary, I'd love to receive it!

I'll post your laundry list of hilarious combinations so that all of RHU can laugh, and perhaps inspire others to share their own!

--Ilia

RHU Advice: If You've Been Injured At Work

No one wants to be injured at work, and thanks to OSHA, there are laws in place to help reduce the chance of injuries happening. This does not mean to say that injuries can't happen, or that a manager or supervisor will actually make your workplace a safe place to be. However, there are steps you can take if you become injured or ill at your place of work.

Common Work Related Injuries

• Fall (Level) - This is when you fall on a level surface, which can include slipping or tripping on a level floor.
• Fall (Elevated) - A fall from a higher level to a lower level, as from roofs, ladders or stairs.
• Overextension - You are pulling, lifting, pushing, holding, carrying, or throwing and go beyond your body's ability to handle the task, either by handling too much weight or going beyond your energy level.
• Repetitive Motion - long sessions of repetitive motion can lead to muscle and tendon pain, back pain, and vision problems. It also applies to long sessions of standing or lifting.
• Body reaction - when injuries occur because you tripped or slipped but didn't actually fall; muscle, tendon and ligament pain.
• Object (hit by) - something fell off a shelf or was dropped by someone and hit someone else.
• Object (hit against) - crashing into or falling against doors, tables, chairs, walls, and other solid objects.
• Travel accident - automobile accident or other transportation incident while on a business trip.
• Machinery - handling equipment or using equipment can be dangerous or fatal. Extreme temperatures  given off can also play a part as much as the machinery itself.
• Violent Acts - a coworker, boss or crusty may attack retail slaves or former coworkers.

 What To Do

1) Notify your supervisor. Unless you have suffered a severe injury and cannot move, this is always your first step. 

2) Seek medical treatment if necessary. If your injury is severe enough to be an emergency, call (or have someone else call) 9-1-1. If you need to visit your own doctor, be sure to tell him or her that your injury is work related and tell him or her how it happened.

3) Report your injury. Fill out an “Employee’s Claim for Workers’ Compensation Benefits” form and be sure to give details on the parts of your body that have been affected by your injury. KEEP A COPY of this form as your receipt.

4) Go to all of your follow up appointments.  Keep copies of all of your medical notes and recipes, especially those that excuse you from work. Keep a copy of everything from your employer and your insurance. Especially keep track of:

• Days you had to take off of work
• Dates of all medical treatments, checkups and appointments 
• mileage (round trip) racked up for your medical treatment
• Receipts for all of your medical and prescription costs

5) Beware anything you are asked to sign. Don't sign ANYTHING until you are able to calmly read it without distractions. Not every company, supervisor or representative is honest, and may try to get you to sign what turns out to be a waiver, giving up your right to sue the company for any dangerous conditions you were forced to work in when your injury occurred.

6) Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer if the situation calls for it. If your injuries were the result of a direct violation of OSHA law, your lawyer could help you reach a settlement and force the company to properly survey your working conditions. Remember that the owners of a business do NOT want to be held liable for things that should have been taken care of BEFORE you were injured. 

Resources:

• Personal injury claims in the Inland Empire
• Slip and fall accident attornies in San Bernardino
• Personal Injury Lawyers by state and city
• OSHA Law and Regulations

RHU Advice on Getting a DUI: What You Need To Know and How It Could Affect Your Job

Crustys.

We've all had them. Whether it's a shrieking hag demanding her $0.15 off on an expired coupon, or a demanding diva who thinks that she can bully you into breaking the laws of physics, we've all looked longingly at a gleaming bottle of alcohol and thought, "soon."

The problem is the aftermath. Even if no accident occurs, you could suffer from the headache of being caught by the police. Suddenly, you're slapped with a DUI and carted off to the Drunk Tank to sober up. If it's your first offense DUI in California, or any other state, you probably feel like panicking; What do you do next? What happens?

Here's some advice:

1) Do you have a legal defense? Think about possibilities, especially if you are a very responsible drinker. You were at a party, asked for a non alcoholic drink, and someone decided it would be funny to spike your drink. What about going to your favorite restaurant? There is a medical condition called Candidiasis which has the side effect of turning carbohydrates (potatoes, pasta etc) into alcohol. If you suspect that this happened to you, get your doctor's diagnosis right away. Or you could have been mistaken about your prescription medication; you thought the initial side effects were over, only to find out that you were still impaired.

2) Challenge the traffic stop. A police officer needs to have “reasonable and articulate basis” to stop you in the first place, and then must give evidence for their belief that you were driving under the influence. This means that he/she has to give evidence that you were driving erratically (more than just weaving back and forth in your own lane, because, hey, potholes happen and lots of people prefer to avoid those). If the officer claims to have a "funny feeling," this is not a good reason for pulling you over. Once the officer has pulled you over, they must give further evidence: smelling alcohol on your breath, hearing slurred speech, and finding that your eyes were bloodshot. Even this is not enough: they need to give you a field sobriety test, which includes a breathalyser or a blood test. Walking a straight line or reciting the alphabet backwards isn't enough. Did the officer fail to do these?

3) Contact an attorney right away and discuss your options. Even though attorneys can be expensive, they could be the best thing for your record. There are two types of DUI charges, and it's always important to know the difference between a misdemeanor vs a felony DUI. Your attorney can help you reduce the charge. Check for attorneys in your area.

4) What about my job? In general, there's no legal requirement for telling your boss about a DUI unless you drive a company vehicle and have a contract saying you need to report them. In this case, companies may request a three-year driving record.

5) Which jobs could be affected by a DUI? Any career that requires you to have a commercial driver's license requires you to notify your employer, usually within 30 days of the conviction. Keep in mind that a DUI can affect a number of job fields. A few of these job fields include:

• Truck Drives
• Chauffeurs
• Bus Drivers
• Taxi Drivers
• Delivery Drivers
• Train Engineers
• Pilots
• Military Personnel
• Jobs Requiring a Security Clearance
• School Teachers
• Military status jobs
• Truckers
• Taxi drivers

6) Will I lose my job if I get a DUI? Unfortunately, there is no guaranteed yes or no answer; it will all depend on your employer. That's why it's always wise to talk to your attorney before you tell your employer. Never assume that you are in the clear simply because you didn't have to tell your boss. 

7) How could getting a DUI affect my job? One of the consequences of getting a DUI is losing your driver's license, or getting restrictions placed upon it, for a predetermined number of days. This can have a big impact on your job. It can also impact your ability to get to work, and having to go to court on a normal workday could be treated as an unexcused absence. 

Depending on your employer, the company may do background checks on its employees on a regular basis. Consent to this would have been signed when you first joined the company. Go over your company handbook to see if this is a risk.

You should also talk to your union or Human Resources department. You may have to admit to pending charges, but also keep in mind that these charges will be a matter of public record, and your company can still find out about them during a background check.

8) What if I'm currently job hunting and get a DUI conviction? Then you will have to check "yes" on any application where it asks if you have been convicted of a crime. Your employer may deny your employment based on this or any background check. Be advised that you should never lie. Honesty and openness can earn trust from a prospective employer, and you may be given the opportunity to prove your value to the company. By also being open about the driving classes you took, and about how you have changed since then, an employer may be more willing to give you a chance.

8) How can I protect myself from being wrongfully terminated? It can be difficult to stave off the stigma that comes with being slapped with a DUI. Your first task is to get yourself in the right mindset: be proactive, show that you're not going to repeat the mistake, and do your best to minimize any damage that came from it. Talk with a DUI attorney, who can give you advice on protecting your job as well as handling the legal repercussions.

Resources To Help You

• First Offense DUI in California
• Misdemeanor vs Felony DUI
• DUI Attorneys By State

Pissy Walmart Sues Over Florida Protests

By Jessica Wohl at Reuters

(Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc has sued a major grocery workers union and others who have protested at its Florida stores, the latest salvo in its legal fight to stop "disruptive" rallies in and around its stores by groups seeking better pay and working conditions.

Wal-Mart does not have union-represented workers in its U.S. stores. Nevertheless, it has long faced opposition from various labor groups including the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), and from a small but vocal group of current and former employees backed by the union and known as OUR Walmart.

The lawsuit filed on Friday in Orange County, Florida state court seeks "to help protect our customers and associates from further disruptive tactics associated with their continued, illegal trespassing," Walmart spokesman Dan Fogleman said.

Defendants, however, charged that the world's biggest retailer is trying to muzzle its critics.

"This is another attempt on Wal-Mart's behalf of ... silencing their employees and also the communities that support them," Denise Diaz, executive director of Central Florida Jobs With Justice Corp and a defendant named in the suit, said before reviewing the documents.

"Rather than creating good jobs with steady hours and affordable healthcare, Walmart's pattern is to focus its energies on infringing on our freedom of speech," the Organization United for Respect at Walmart (OUR Walmart), also a defendant, said in a statement.

Other defendants include the 1.3 million-member UFCW and the individuals Angela Williamson, Alex Rivera, and Alan Hanson.

The UFCW was not immediately able to comment on the lawsuit.

Wal-Mart alleged that the defendants violated Florida law through coordinated, statewide acts of trespass in several Walmart stores over the last eight months. It has asked the court for a legal ruling that would prevent future trespassing.

In the lawsuit Wal-Mart cited an example where a group of protesters projected a video promoting OUR Walmart on the side of a store in Orlando and passing out literature inside that store in July, 2012.

It alleged that a group of UFCW demonstrators returned to that same store on October 30, 2012 and "confronted the store manager and handed him a rotten pumpkin painted in support of OUR Walmart. The group left the store only after the manager warned that he had called the police."

Wal-Mart filed an unfair labor practice charge against the UFCW in November, asking the National Labor Relations Board to halt what the retailer said were unlawful attempts to disrupt its business in several states including protests that were planned for Black Friday, the busy shopping day right after Thanksgiving. In January, labor groups said that they would stop much of their picketing against the chain, while still trying to push the company to improve working conditions.

The case is Wal-Mart Stores Inc v. United Food and Commercial Workers International Union et al, 9th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Orange County, No. 2013-CA-004293.

via www.huffingtonpost.com

White House Petition To Make Politicians WEAR THE LOGOS OF THEIR ‘SPONSORS’

From Dangerous Minds: This petition went up on the White House “We The People” website yesterday. They’re looking to get 100,000 signatures by April 19th.

Since most politicians’ campaigns are largely funded by wealthy companies and individuals, it would give voters a better sense of who the candidate they are voting for is actually representing if the company’s logo, or individual’s name, was prominently displayed upon the candidate’s clothing at all public appearances and campaign events. Once elected, the candidate would be required to continue to wear those “sponsor’s” names during all official duties and visits to constituents. The size of a logo or name would vary with the size of a donation. For example, a $1 million dollar contribution would warrant a patch of about 4” by 8” on the chest, while a free meal from a lobbyist would be represented by a quarter-sized button. Individual donations under $1000 are exempt.

Sounds like a plan. Where’s the fault in this logic?

GOOD magazine explored this idea with Democrat Senator Chuck Schumer from New York and Republican Senator Marco Rubio from Florida.

via dangerousminds.net

Coroporate Hell: CVS Requiring Employees To Disclose How Fat They Are To Insurance Provider

From Huff Po: One of the country's largest pharmacy chains is asking its workers to find out how fat they are and then disclose it to their insurance provider.

Not only is that company, CVS Caremark, telling workers who use its health insurance plan to have a doctor determine their height, weight, body fat, blood pressure and other health indicators. It is also asking workers to give permission to the insurer to turn over that information to a firm that provides benefits support to CVS, the Boston Herald reports.

Workers who don’t take part in the voluntary “wellness review,” paid for by CVS, will have to pay an annual $600 penalty.

Obamacare could make such practices more common. The health care reform law allows employers to levy a higher penalty against workers who don’t participate in company wellness programs. In some cases, workers could also have to pay more if they don’t meet certain health targets like appropriate body mass index.

Michael DeAngelis, a CVS spokesman, wrote in an e-mail statement to The Huffington Post that, compliant with privacy laws, the company won’t have access to the health information. Instead, it will only be reviewed by the firm administering CVS’ benefits.

“Our benefits program is evolving to help our colleagues engage more actively to improve their health and manage health-associated costs,” DeAngelis wrote. “An initial step to accomplish this goal is a health screening and wellness review so that colleagues know their key health metrics in order to take action to improve their overall health, if necessary.”

DeAngelis also argued that the company’s policy is “a common practice.” He cited a survey from the National Business Group on Health -- which describes itself as “the nation's only non-profit organization devoted exclusively to representing large employers' perspective on national health policy issues” -- that found that nearly 80 percent of employers offered a health assessment in 2011. Three-fourths of employers who offered the assessment also provided incentives for completion.

A smaller share of companies pressured workers into actually taking part in a health review. A 2012 Kaiser survey found that 18 percent of employers asked their workers to take part in a health risk assessment, with only a share of those companies levying a financial penalty on employees who didn't complete it.

CVS is rolling out the program as companies across the country are expecting health care costs to rise. More than 60 percent of employers said in an August survey that they expect to pay more for their workers health insurance when President Obama’s health care reform law takes effect in 2014. Fewer unhealthy employees could mean a cost savings for companies.

via www.huffingtonpost.com

Queer Geek: The Consequences of Raising The Minimum Wage

Hey RHU!  Long time, no post. 

I’ve been mostly sharing on our FB page under my moniker QG so feel free to friend request me!  Anyway, I wanted to write something a bit more serious that got a long trend our on FB site.  It concerns minimum wage.  Now if you’re like me, then you know that we slaves who work in the service oriented industry bust our humps for practically very little pay.  That is why in the U.S. , President Obama wants to up the average pay between $7.25-$8.00 to $9.00.  Sounds like good idea, right? 

Well there are some issues concerning this which I'd liked to put my two cents in.

In America, the median wage is between $7.00-$8.00 if you do not work in an industry where a tipping system is incorporated.  Servers earn even less, between $2.00-$3.00, and rely on tips to make a decent wage to survive on.  This is relative to the area and the cost of living in that particular region or state.  In other countries, minimum wage might be more than it is in America but then you have to consider the cost of living in that particular area and it all becomes relative.

Now how does this affect the average slave?  Well, you have to consider the cost of living.  Rent, housing, sales taxes, bills, groceries, utilities, childcare, etc.  That meager income can only cover so much that eventually many people have to turn to other resources like government aid and welfare.  Then you have to consider other important factors like health insurance.  In the U.S., some companies don’t offer health benefits and if they do they’re not always affordable so a slave like me usually takes the chance of skipping out on their health since they can’t afford the expensive costs of medical coverage.  Other countries that do offer good healthcare for their citizens, I salute you.  Here in America, you’re on your own.

Then there are the hours.  Normal full time hours should average 30-40 a week.  Usually, the 40 is reserved for upper management while struggling slaves earn an average 30.  Take into the consideration this troubled economy and companies have to scale back and administer less than 30 hours and if you’re earning minimum, there isn’t much of a paycheck to take home.  Hence, slaves are having to seek out other alternatives or multiple employment to make a decent income.

Call me cynical but Obama’s $9.00 bill won’t really change anything.  Even if wages increase so will prices on goods.  The inflation of products, rents, and even utilities will only put us back to square one.  Companies might even cut hours and benefits just to pay their employees so in the end it’s all relative.  Higher wages doesn’t mean a resolution but simply more problems to come.

So RHU, I post this food for thought for you. 

What do you foresee in the future if they do increase wages?

--Queer Geek 

Study Says Minimum Wage Should Technically Be at $21.72

From Huff Po: President Obama's call to increase the federal minimum wage to $9 an hour was one of the more significant proposals he laid out in his State of the Union address Tuesday night. But $9 an hour is still a far cry from what workers really deserve, a 2012 study finds.

The minimum wage should have reached $21.72 an hour in 2012 if it kept up with increases in worker productivity, according to a March study by the Center for Economic and Policy Research. While advancements in technology have increased the amount of goods and services that can be produced in a set amount of time, wages have remained relatively flat, the study points out.

Even if the minimum wage kept up with inflation since it peaked in real value in the late 1960s, low-wage workers should be earning a minimum of $10.52 an hour, according to the study.

Between the end of World War II and the late 1960s, productivity and wages grew steadily. Since the minimum wage peaked in 1968, increases in productivity have outpaced the minimum wage growth.

The current minimum wage stands at $7.25 an hour. In 2011, more than 66 percent of Americans surveyed by the Public Religion Research Institute supported raising this figure to $10.

The last time the federal minimum wage increased was in 2009. Currently observed in 31 states, the federal minimum wage translates to an annual income of about $15,000 a year for someone working 40 hours per week.

via www.huffingtonpost.com

Aussies weigh in on Applebee's situation

US restaurant Applebee's embarrassing Facebook fiasco has become a case study for how to ruin your reputation on social media.

Last month the restaurant fired one of its waitresses after posting the receipt she received from a pastor on which was written her excuse for failing to tip on Facebook: "I give God 10%," she wrote, "why do you get 18?"

(Remember tipping is "compulsory cultural practice" in the US, and the wages are so low that waitresses depend on them to make rent).

Applebee's claimed that the waitress violated the privacy of a customer and violated one of the terms of her contract.

Naturally, social media users did not take kindly to this and many an hour was spent criticising the company, posting comments on its Facebook page and raging about it on Twitter. One lawyer even offered to represent the waitress pro bono for wrongful dismissal.

One user wrote: "What happens on the internet stays on the internet. This was deleted by Applebee's shortly after this disaster went viral."

Another user wrote: "The internet has already recorded that you have no qualms posting the exact same customer information when it is good feedback and not a snide comment by a horrible person. When a lawyer gets wind of this, I would get ready to grab my ankles."

Had Applebee's been wise and kept its mouth shut that's where this may have ended. Well, probably not, but they might have escaped with their reputation not entirely in ruins.

Because on Saturday night it decided to respond to the continuing outrage by commenting on its own Facebook post at 2.53am: "We wish this situation didn't happen…Our franchisee has apologised to the Guest and has taken disciplinary action with the Team Member for violating their Guest's right to privacy".


Applebee's posted this statement on its Facebook. It didn't help things.

As you can imagine, that comment failed to help anything. The outrage grew to blind anger.

One user wrote: "Wow… PR nightmare, what idiot thought posting this contrite Facebook update was a good idea? I think you should consider firing your social media marketing person, too."

More than 10,000 comments had been recorded on Applebee's Facebook page, according to journalist R.L Stoller who has documented the entire fiasco on his blog.

The comments pointed to the fact that it was more than a little bit hypocritical for Applebee's to fire the waitress who posted the photo of the receipt on her Facebook page, considering that it had itself posted a receipt in which a patron's full name was put on display less than a month earlier.

Let me repeat this: Applebee's fired a waitress for allegedly violating a guests' privacy, less than a month after it had done the same, publicly, on Facebook.


The image to the right that was posted by Applebee's disappeared around the time they fired the waitress. Thankfully, the internet took screenshots for posterity.

After firing the waitress, the company conveniently decided to delete the photo. Clearly, they didn't consider that someone had already taken a screenshot of the image, which you can find below, courtesy of blog, "If You Can't Afford To Tip".

It was also discovered that Applebee's had hidden or deleted negative user comments, but it seemed there were so many it simply couldn't keep up. Users upset at having their criticisms censored continued posting on the Applebee's Facebook page.

It gets worse. For some reason whoever was administrating Applebee's Facebook account decided it would be a good idea to respond to people's complaints. At 3am.

First the administrator tried to defend the company's decision by posting a lengthy explanation for what happened and why it was justified to fire the waitress in question. Then they decided to copy and paste the explanation over, and over and over again in a fervent attempt to reply to every single person who criticised them publicly on Facebook.

Naturally, users started to show off their copy and paste prowess by continually pasting the same complains over and over again on its page.

Then it started to pick fights with people publicly on Facebook.

"People can say a lot but it doesn't mean its true," the Applebee's representative wrote in response to a user's post. "I really do understand why you're upset, Manuel, I'm upset over the situation too. Sometimes it hard to let people know just how much you really care behind a computer screen in a Facebook comment, [sic]. Thanks again for caring so much about Applebee's workers."

"No one's asking me to comment at 5am," Applebee's wrote in response to another post. "I am because I care, we care. I totally understand why you're upset and hate that I can't fix it."

After that Applebee's turned the comment it had posted on its own update into an actual status update, presumably in an attempt to have the final word and hoping in vain that everyone would just shut up and go away.

The hostility by now is at an all time high.

Hundreds of thousands of comments criticising Applebee's followed. At some time between then and 9.00am yesterday Applebee's had deleted its original post, once again ignoring the possibility that somebody might have saved it for posterity.

It then lied about deleting any posts, writing: "no posts have been deleted". It was also still picking fights with users.

As of 10.25pm last night, more than 35,000 comments about the incident have amassed on the page, mostly negative.

One of the latest comments on the page reads: "I for one am enjoying Applebee's PR suicide."

Touche.

Applebee's is humiliated, and hundreds of thousands of people are threatening to boycott the brand. Hundreds of pages have been set up in support of the waitress including "Like us if you pledge to take your business to whoever hires [name omitted]" and "boycott Applebee's".

The worst part about all of this is Applebee's doesn't seem to realise how bad it is making things for itself.

Businesses take heed. Read Applebee's Facebook page and do the exact opposite.

http://www.news.com.au

RHUer Question: Is It Legal To Force Employees Into Getting Flu Shot?

 

My boss was trying to force all of us to get a flu shot (which of course he weren't going to pay for.)

I realize he wants us all to be well so we can work but I'm questioning the legality of this. Also, I hate shots and I would really rather not get one.

What say you?

--No Shots Please

Getting To Know You

I will say first off, that this post is not inherently retailcentric. Rather it's a conversational/comment encouraging post so we can all get to know each other a little better...without revealing any of our retail idenities.

This is just for fun, I'd like to know more about all of you. I won't stalk you, I promise! 

So, without further ado...

THE RHU READERS SURVEY! Whee!

1. What is your RHU alias? (I'm Spritzy...of course)

2. What type of store do you shop at the most? (I shop at craft stores a lot)

3. Name a store from which you would never-ever buy something again? (For me, it'd be Sears Home Appliance, they royally screwed us over)

4. If you could work for any other retail business, what would it be -a specific store or a  general category? (I'd work at Hobby Lobby..I did in college and really liked it...it's nice that they're closed on Sunday and close at 8pm, so you get a weekend day and nights off)

5. What business has the best employees you've met? (At my local Target there's this awesome lady from Frankfurt, Germany...she has a really thick accent and is so friendly and always remembers even semi-regulars)

6. What business has the worst employees you've met? ( I'd go with Sears Home Appliance once again...since they treated us so poorly)

7. If Wolverine, Gandalf, and Chuck Norris waged an epic battle, who would win? (I choose Discord...because ponies)

8. What's your favorite color/food/movie/song? (Olivine, chicken tenders, The Number 23, Bacon Pancakes)

9. What is the best month of the year and why? (I like April, cause it's nice and cool and the flowers are blooming and there's often a lot of sunshine...and Easter)

10.  How many boards would the Mongols hoard if the Mongol horde got bored? (42, because that's THE answer.)