Well, that was nice...

**Sheogorath** · 08-15-2009, 23:50

I wasn't QUITE sure where to go with this particular topic, I really just wanted to get it off my mind since I've been hyper all day from not being able to express my confusion and irritation properly. I trust a mod will move it if this is the wrong forum.

Anyway...

A few months ago I had a shortlived job at a computer repair store. All was good. Unfortunately I was let go after my first week since the store couldn't make payroll. No big deal, I was the newest person, and if you can't pay your employees the rules say the newest person goes.

So, fastforward to the present. My computers motherboard finally gives up the ghost. I'm a bit annoyed, because I don't have a lot of money and gaming is an expensive hobby. Fortunately my parents volunteered $400 to help me get all the new parts (my computer was quite old by computer standards, so I'll need to replace almost everything).

Just wanting to be sure there was nothing that could be done, I took the computer in to that repair shop. The manager declared that it was dead, but offered a quite good deal. She said the store would order and pay for parts equivalent in value to my paycheck which I never got. That works for me, so I accepted the offer.

A week later I called in, to find out that they had yet to order the parts because the vendor they were using wouldn't give them enough credit for their usual weekly order. Alrighty...

Next week the order gets canceled because they didn't pay for it. Understandable. I'm willing to wait two weeks for four hundred dollars of (sort of) free stuff. They said the order would probably go in this week.

This is the end of the third week of waiting, I called in today and asked the status of the order, and was put on hold for a minute or so. That's fine.

Then the receiver picked up, the person on the other end asked for my name and then mumbled something into the phone and hung up. Thinking they hit the 'end call' button by mistake, I called back. After I said my name, the same person promptly responded with 'go (expletive deleted) off' and hung up.

I'm a little shocked here.

I know the manager personally quite well. I was on good terms with the three other people that worked there. Now, suddenly, I'm getting told to (expletive deleted) off.

Now, personally, I don't really care what they say. The thing that's got me irritated is that I've waited three weeks for nothing. I'd rather owe my parents $400 and have had my computer weeks ago than owe them $400 now. Especially since, in anticipation of this particular event, I put my own savings towards a higher end graphics card which requires a new power supply, which they said they would provide.

**Louis VI the Fat** · 08-16-2009, 00:46

Wait...what?

You were hired, layed off after a week AND you never even got paid? And now you are trying to get your pay in spare computer parts, which they - a spare computer parts shop - can't even deliver?

Dude, you need a lawyer. Get these *act performed manually*.

Seriously, I can't believe this nonsense. What the store should've done (quite apart from not hiring before working out if you can actually pay your employers) when they let you off, is to tell you: 'Look, buddy, we ran into some financial difficulties. We can't pay you. Can we strike a deal here? You are a computer hobbyists. Take your pick from the store, help yourself to your wage's worth, we'll give you a great discount, and we are ever so sorry about all of this'.

**Sheogorath** · 08-16-2009, 01:04

The parts they keep on hand in the shop are pretty generic stuff. I don't think they actually even have any processors there. Either way, being paid in parts was actually to my advantage, since they wouldn't be taxed.

I'm pretty forgiving on the subject since, having worked there, I know that their profit margins are razor thin. I consider the manager something approaching a friend. Really, she's known for being WAY too nice to be in the business she's in.

What I suspect is going on is that the employees, who know that she's operating on a razor thin budget, are trying to keep expenditures to a minimum to preserve their own positions.

That's why, come Monday (when I know she'll be in) I'm going to go down there and have a talk. If I take further actions, well...it'll depend on what her response is.

EDIT:
BUt yeah, like I said, right now I'm just kind of in shock. I know that the manager would NEVER tolerate this kind of talk from her employees, especially to the child of a frequent and reliable customer.

**Banquo's Ghost** · 08-16-2009, 09:20

Originally Posted by Sheogorath

BUt yeah, like I said, right now I'm just kind of in shock. I know that the manager would NEVER tolerate this kind of talk from her employees, especially to the child of a frequent and reliable customer.

It will be useful for the manager to find out. It might give her a clue as to why the business is failing.

In her shoes, I'd fire several of the existing staff and employ you as someone who understands customer service.

**Sheogorath** · 08-16-2009, 09:25

Originally Posted by Banquo's Ghost

It will be useful for the manager to find out. It might give her a clue as to why the business is failing.

In her shoes, I'd fire several of the existing staff and employ you as someone who understands customer service.

'Several' would be everybody that works there. Last I checked, it's three people and herself.

But yeah, I imagine there's going to be a reckoning, unless the situation is that she's going out of business.

**caravel** · 08-16-2009, 21:42

Personally I think you might need to simply get your computer parts elsewhere.

**Louis VI the Fat** · 08-16-2009, 22:27

Originally Posted by Sheogorath

I consider the manager something approaching a friend. Really, she's known for being WAY too nice to be in the business she's in.

Ah, okay. So you are more personally connected to the owner. And it is a somewhat small business. I had a more professional store in mind.

Now I feel a bit sorry for the store owner. Is she being taken for a ride by her staff?

**Sheogorath** · 08-16-2009, 23:10

Originally Posted by Caravel

Personally I think you might need to simply get your computer parts elsewhere.

I'm planning to. Got a thread in Hard/Software :P

Originally Posted by Louis VI the Fat

Ah, okay. So you are more personally connected to the owner. And it is a somewhat small business. I had a more professional store in mind.

Now I feel a bit sorry for the store owner. Is she being taken for a ride by her staff?

Yeah, it's part of a franchise.

I don't THINK the staff are taking advantage of her. More like they see that she gives out freebies to dissatisfied customers and is generally willing to bend over backwards to keep people happy, and they worry about their job security as a result, so they try to cut any expense they can behind her back.

That is, of course, pure theory based on what I know about the 'head' employee, or the guy who fancies himself the head employee.

**edyzmedieval** · 08-16-2009, 23:17

If the manager looks pretty decent, I'd suggest you ask something else in return.

On a more serious note, I'd demand in a nice but firm tone either my money back or the parts. Or else I bring the lawyer and ask for more money.

**Sheogorath** · 08-18-2009, 21:34

Alright, so here's what went down.

The guy I'm fairly sure is the one who was rather rude to me was apologetic (although me managed to be so without actually apologizing). By way of actually saying 'sorry' they just gave me $400 worth of stuff. A ~$200 laptop, since my mother's looking for one I figured it'd be a good deal. She only uses the computer to write email and watch Youtube so a computer from 2004 isn't going to hinder her too much.
They also gave me 4gb of RAM and a DVD drive. The RAM is apparently quite good, and better be since it sells for +100 bucks online. They overvalued it a little in the store (Apparently they get it for $170), but I'm just glad to have resolved the damn situation.

The RAM let me whittle the cost of the computer down to ~$300, which is also nice.

**Louis VI the Fat** · 08-18-2009, 23:59

That sounds more like it! Everybody happy.
It's what should've been done in the first place. You get your wages worth, the store and its nice owner isn't bled dry. (Never mix business and personal relationships, always a recipe for disaster)

I'm happy it got resolved, Sheogorath.

**Sheogorath** · 08-19-2009, 00:20

Yup, and I'll be able to sleep tonight :P

Went and order my parts of Newegg so hopefully they'll get here in a few days and I can play ETW again for the first time in a month. This time with HIGH graphics settings