Wal-Mart Fires Manager Who Called Police On Black Customer

Scairp

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Wed Dec-14-05 11:23 AM
Original message

Wal-Mart Fires Manager Who Called Police On Black Customer

TAMPA, Fla. -- Wal-Mart has fired a Florida store manager who called police about a black businessman mistakenly suspected of trying to pass a bad check.

The store chain said the manager used "poor judgment" that resulted in "poor customer service."

http://www.wjactv.com/money/5533197/detail.html

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napi21

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Wed Dec-14-05 11:26 AM
Response to Original message

1. Well, even the WORST do one thing right every once in a while!

I'm sure their actions had nothing to do with his conspicuous racial bias, but everything to do with the WM loosing all that money to Target!

At least the idiot was fired, even if WM did that right by accident.

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Trillo

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Wed Dec-14-05 06:07 PM
Response to Reply #1

10. But the police haven't arrested the manager for stealing Pitt's company's

Edited on Wed Dec-14-05 06:10 PM by SimpleTrend

check, and only returning it once the cops arrived. I bet shoplifters do the same thing, i.e., return the stolen merchadise to the police. The deck isn't yet level.

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blonndee

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Wed Dec-14-05 12:10 PM
Response to Original message

2. Don't I remember a person on DU posting a similar situation

he went through?

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Rainscents

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Wed Dec-14-05 12:13 PM
Response to Reply #2

3. I believe, that was HomeDepot with pen incident...

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quiet.american

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Wed Dec-14-05 02:23 PM
Response to Original message

4. Glad to hear it, but some of the reporting in this piece is pure crap.

The following from the report is an out-and-out lie:

Pitts was trying to pay for holiday gift cards for his company's employees. It turns out he had a privacy block on his account. But the check couldn't be verified and rather than check with Pitts again, the manager called the law.

Here's what the original reporting said (as posted by CatWoman):
http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/business/article.adp?id=20051202174009990043&cid=1223

Pitts said that when he went to the store last week to pick up the already printed cards, store managers stalled for about two hours after he handed over the check while he stood waiting by the customer service desk. He had handed over his GAF business card, his driver's license and the toll-free numbers to GAF's bank. His accounting supervisor assured them over the phone that GAF was good for the check.

Also:
The company, which had $1.6 billion in revenue last year, had been spending about $50,000 a year on Wal-Mart gift cards and never had a problem when it sent a white employee to pick them up.

WJAC-TV obviously doesn't know jack about the details of this story and their spin of "it's his fault because his account had a privacy block" is reprehensible.

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silverweb

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Wed Dec-14-05 04:29 PM
Response to Reply #4

7. This is very important.

Thank you for pointing out the way the situation really occurred. The spin is, indeed, reprehensible and it's obvious that a coverup is already in full swing. I'm glad GAF has filed a formal complaint.

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quiet.american

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Wed Dec-14-05 05:22 PM
Response to Reply #7

9. 'Preciate your checking out my post.

Edited on Wed Dec-14-05 05:22 PM by quiet.american

And am glad, too, that GAF withdrew their business and filed a formal complaint. I hope they're thoroughly outraged about this.

I will also be contacting WJAC-TV about the discrepancies in their reporting of this story -- mainly what they left out, and that their "explanation" was at best, sloppy journalism, and at worst, complicit in the "bad judgment" of Wal-mart. But given what passes for journalism, we're not surprised, are we?

:grr:

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silverweb

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Thu Dec-15-05 03:49 PM
Response to Reply #9

11. Disgusted, not surprised.

I hope GAF follows up on their complaint and makes a point of publicizing what really happened. Please let us know what kind of response you get from WJAC-TV.

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quiet.american

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Thu Dec-15-05 03:57 PM
Response to Reply #11

12. Will do! n/t

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davidinalameda

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Wed Dec-14-05 04:10 PM
Response to Original message

5. Pitts' company decided to buy its gift cards from Target instead.

hehehe

good for them!

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Judi Lynn

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Wed Dec-14-05 04:18 PM
Response to Original message

6. So glad the man sought justice. I'm sure the people involved at WM

thoroughly expected him to take their public degradation, humiliation, and just go home.

It's WONDERFUL to see some folks are speaking out, even when it looks like the monsters have won.

I hope he will get past this in FINE form, and enjoy his holidays.

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progressivebydesign

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Wed Dec-14-05 04:34 PM
Response to Original message

8. What IS a "privacy block" anyway? Never heard of it.

Ridiculous how they treated that man. Considering all of the verification he provided. I venture to say that he won't be spending 50k there again... how about Costco next time? Much nicer company. (And it's so nice to see an employer buying gifts for his employees).

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AX10

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Sun Dec-18-05 06:10 PM
Response to Original message

13. "Even a broken clock is right twice a day".

...regarding Wal-Mart being right to fire the racist worker.

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