'I got fired from Walmart and never worked there.' AITA? + 3 AND 5 YEAR UPDATE
"I got fired from Walmart and never worked there."
About a year ago, I worked selling solar panel systems. This job required me to wear khakis and a blue polo when I was meeting customers. One particular day, after meeting with a homeowner, I had to stop by my local Walmart to get more pens and a notepad for my work bag.
I pretty consistently got asked if I worked there by other customers, and I would help if I knew what they were after, but I always told them that I didnt work there, and they were always kind.
So this fateful day, I grabbed my pens and paper and checked out in the self checkout section. As I was leaving, I heard someone say behind me "And just WHERE do you think you're going?"
Now, a little about me...I try to mind my own business as much as possible, and dont like to get wrapped up in other people's drama. When I hear outbursts like that in public, I assume it's not because of me, I also try to follow the rules as much as possible. In this case, I assume it wasnt me because I paid for everything, so I continue to my car.
Roughly 30 feet from my car I hear again "Hey you! STOP!" I do turn around at that one, because that's typically what you say to a thief. An employee who can only be described as a Karen is marching towards me, 8 different kinds of pissed off.
She starts reaming into me about how I'm abandoning my shift, and I'm not supposed to get off for another 3 hours. I'm standing there bewildered because I genuinely have no clue what shes talking about, and I try to let her know I dont work there, but she wont let me get a word in.
Eventually she says: "forget it, you're fired!" I waited about 5 seconds, and told her: "I dont work here, I've never worked here." She stared at me, and muttered "sorry" and ran back inside.
I'm still not sure what happened, but that's my tale of being fired from a job I never worked at, hope it brought you some joy!
Here were the top rated comments from readers in response to the OP’s initial post:
LOL I would TOTALLY have been a b-word at that point, turned the tables and demanded to speak to HER manager.
If she had the power to “fire” someone (even if they don’t work there) that means she’s some kind of supervisor or manager. How terrible of a manager are you that you don’t even know who your employees are. You’d think she’d at least know their faces, if not their names.
You should have told her you needed the corporate number and the store number, and gotten her name from her name badge. She was going to treat an employee that way, and instead screamed at a customer. I'm sure corporate would love to hear she cost them a customer.
Don't feel bad OP. Before this Coronavirus thing happened I used to call out sick to places I didn't even work at. I've been fired by a dozen retailers I never even worked at. ?
Three years later, the OP returned with an update.
The update: I've been banned from that Walmart. The manager in the story apparently has a memory like an elephant (kind of looks like one too), and is still working there today. I went in to pick up a couple things and return one thing for my wife.
I'm waiting in the return line, and the person in front of me is having some issue with the return, so the employee helping them calls for a manager. It's the same lady - recognized her immediately and as it turns out she recognized me...kind of.
She points at me and tells me I'm not allowed to shop at this Walmart and if I don't leave she'll call the police. I asked why I was banned, she said she didn't remember, but she knew I was. So I left. My wife and I have been cackling over this for a couple days and thought you'd find it funny as well!
Here were the top rated comments from readers in response to the OP’s update:
Contact Walmart Corporate and inform them that she is harassing you and banned you because she was embarrassed for harassing a customer. She has no place being a manager for any company acting like that.
Have her call the cops. Then go straight to corporate. She will then have to answer to corporate.
Go over her head and contact corporate, tell them what happened. You'll probably be doing her employees a favor if they remove her.
Two years later, the OP returned with one more post.
The final update is that recently my family moved to a new neighborhood around the corner from the Walmart. After meeting the new neighbors, I find out one worked at this Walmart.
I told her the story because I still think it's hilarious, and she let me know that manager (let's name her Gertrude) was arrested and fired. Ol' Gerdie apparently had a history of arbitrarily banning people like she did to me, but nobody really ever complained so nothing ever got done, she was just shifted from department to department.
One day late last year she got a little too aggressive with an off duty cop and tried to forcefully remove her from the store, which inevitably led to Gertrude punching the cop. She was arrested and finally fired - my neighbor and most of her coworkers have rejoiced. Karma can be a beautiful thing!
Here were the top rated comments from readers in response to the OP’s final post:
Does that mean you're no longer banned from the store for doing something you didn't do, but it must have been something, because she remembered you even if she couldn't remember what she thought you did?
awetsasquatch (OP)
My neighbor informed me my ban has been lifted lol.
Now this is a story that OP is never ever going to forget and tell them to friends and children.
Walmart man, they are...interesting.
I kind of wish OP went back and asked for severance and the unemployment documentation, that would’ve been hilarious.