Best Buy Employee Fired for Stopping Laptop Thief

I feel sorry for this individual in losing his job.
This is exactly why there are employees and employers.

Every employee has a contractual agreement to fulfill their job description.
If I am hired to sell laptops and not to apprehend thieves stealing laptops, then I have violated my contractual agreement.

That unfortunately is grounds for termination.

For in running a business, everything comes at a cost.
And unfortunately misfortune does arise and also as to why we have INSURANCE.

Unfortunately this incident was over 2 laptops.
Best Buy pays considerably less than we do for all of their merchandise.

This is the nature of wholesale and retail business.


In looking at a Million Dollar operation such as Best Buy, It simply is Not worth it. And what I mean is...

Is a person's life worth the cost of 2 Laptops ?

Are a person's injuries , or worse yet, a customer's, worth 2 Laptops ?

If the Employee were to fall on a Child and injure said Child, in his gallant efforts, Best Buy would pay.

If the employee were to be injured on the premises as a result of his gallant efforts, Best Buy would be liable to pay his medical expenses, which again would exceed the wholesale price of these laptops.

It just isn't worth it.
This is why we have INSURANCE.

This is the legal world in which we live today where everything is based upon MONEY.
We are paid slaves or serfs with no rights.


The employee should have read the Employers contractual agreement carefully before signing.

And done as Most Americans would have ...and said...."Not my Problem".
As good Sheeple Should...

That guy was wrong to, violently, take things into his own hands. It's simply less expensive for a large corporation like best buy to use security camera footage to task the police department with the petty theft and lose $1000 than risk losing millions from having an image as the company who's sales associates may mistakenly tackle a paying customer or subject themselves to possible lawsuits. This isn't outrageous, it's just how a society works.

years ago while getting through college, I worked at an FYE that corporate basically told us leave theives alone and get management, my store basically ignored it, I stopped so many people from walking off with DVDs and CDs, and always got "well none of the other stores stopped me!"

Um company policy end of trend

Originally posted by v1rtu0s0



I think it's sad how the system is designed to protect criminals, both large and small, from the wall street bankers down to the petty shop lifters...

www.tomsguide.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

edit on 5-5-2011 by v1rtu0s0 because: (no reason given)

No, the policy is in place in order to protect their employees! Not to protect criminals.... Think of it this way... How do you know if said thief has a gun or other such weapon? Would you want your employees to risk their life over, two laptops? I would hope not.... If so, then I don't ever want to work for you.

Stores have policies in place in order to protect their employees and their customers. If those policies are violated, they have every right to fire you....

Now, quite frankly, if he was such an outstanding employee, he should have known and respected the stores policies... He put himself and the customers at risk by trying to take the law into his own hands, rather than letting the police handle it, as he should have.

Bottom line, stores have employee policies for a reason, violate them and you pay the consequences... He is just lucky that his job is all he lost.... He could have lost his life.

Sometimes you have to understand what thieves are doing. Its sympathy and empathy by the Best Buy. They steal because they need money to feed their families.

Originally posted by Gren
years ago while getting through college, I worked at an FYE that corporate basically told us leave theives alone and get management, my store basically ignored it, I stopped so many people from walking off with DVDs and CDs, and always got "well none of the other stores stopped me!"

Why did you stop them? Were you really so committed to upholding the sanctity of the golden citadel that is FYE that you cared if someone stole Big Mommas House 2. Have fun for once, break a rule, it's ok.

reply to post by Skewed


laptops 700.00 - 2500.00 (roughly) x2 5000.00

Employee gets hurt, stabbed, shot or even falls chasing the victim.
Customers get hurt in ruckus
Hospital Bills
Workers Comp
Lawyer Fee's
Replacing Employee while recovering...

all FAR FAR more expensive than letting someone steal 2 laptops and just handing over the video evidence to the police. the employee while morally correct was also wrong in the fact that his actions were not worth the price of 2 laptops and showed a distinct lack of fore thought about the consequences of his actions to himself and the safety of the customers around him.

hence he was fired for lack of judgement.

After posting early in this thread and reading it progression I see two side of the coin.

On the one side, the employee broke company policy and therefore by the discression of his manager was let go for this violation. The company is correct.

On the other side, The employee takes pride in his workplace and does what he can to stop loss and expose a thief, at his own risk to do what is right.

Let us put the coin on its edge for a moment and look at what he could have done in that situation that would be acceptable to all.

In the old days, If you were an adulteress you were marked and mocked. In fact anytime you did something wrong you were publicly mocked. So as a plausible course of action within the law and with what is right maybe shouting and pointing "Thief, Thief" and all that hear and see the shoplifter join in and step out of the way, the shoplifter is then recognized by all and mocked publicly.

This gives the police multiple witnesses as to the cloaths and appearance of the shoplifter and creates a deterrent for future shoplifters in any business.

If this is promoted the people, in a non violent way deter illegal action in all walks of life and locations.

Best Buy decision makers need to watch this video.

www.youtube.com...

I've worked in retail when I was younger. Most big companies have rules for their "loss prevention" associates that bar them physically interfering with a theft. The rule seems counter productive for the position, but these companies want to cover their rear ends. Besides, this guy was a sales associate, not a security official. These are very easy jobs with very simple rules to follow. I'm sorry, but I don't feel sorry for this guy. Now someone else can get a job. Really, what kind of idiot would put his/her life in jeopardy for Best Buy anyway? Maybe while he's unemployed he can spend some time reflecting and find something to really live for besides laptops and big corporations. Ah, do I sound grumpy today?

Originally posted by v1rtu0s0

Best Buy Employee Fired for Stopping Laptop Thief

www.tomsguide.com

Roger Kline, 51, was a computer department sales associate at a Best Buy in Billings, Montana for three years. He was among the top-performers at the store.

"I believe I was one of the highest-regarded employees there," he said.

Best Buy management, however, saw fit to terminate Kline's employment after he tackled a thief who was trying to run out of the electronics store with two unpaid laptops.

(visit the link for the full news article)

When I read the reactions here I am once again reminded just how void of common sense this generation is and while information has never been more available to the general public, it is apparent that the information many are absorbing is not based upon the real world. While I have no doubt that I will not get a pleasant response to these comments, I will sleep better knowing that I have called "Dumber then Dirt" where I see it.

Now imagine you are a Billion Dollar Corporation with thousands of employees, to say nothing of being in the public eye. Is it worth a couple of laptops with a wholesale cost of less than $1,000.00 worth a lawsuit from the would-be thief; is it worth the cost of just paying attorneys to defend; is it worth it to Best Buys to have a standard set to other employees to use physical force when dealing with shop lifters and the potential of an employee or employees getting hurt trying to play macho? Wake Up! This is the world you and your parents allowed to be created! Wake Up, John Wayne's Dead and we now live in a time where the rules are rigged to punish all and anyone to personally stops the BUCK, takes personal responsibility and does not leave it to the COPS to deal with. I too would make an example of this employee; I too would let everyone know that it is not their job to play macho and put everyone at risk. The man should have had another employee call the police and followed the man at a safe distance.

However, if this is not the world you want to live in, it's too late; you all should have stood up and been counted a long time ago. Welcome to America!

Originally posted by v1rtu0s0

Obviously Best Buy has certain rules in place to protect them from a lawsuit. At the same time, the theif was caught red handed, and I'm sure they have video footage to back it up.

I think it's sad how the system is designed to protect criminals, both large and small, from the wall street bankers down to the petty shop lifters...

www.tomsguide.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

edit on 5-5-2011 by v1rtu0s0 because: (no reason given)

It's actually not such a poor rule. My buddy used to work at circuit city, and the manager and him chased a theif out of the CC, down the street, he jumps out into traffic and tried to commandeer a vehicle, they forced him to the ground before hand.... but they later found he had a gun....

Just because this guy chose to think and NOT use his weapon is the only reason that situation ended the way it did.

They had him on surveilence full face and all, and he would have been scooped up by local five-0 in the remaining half of the day.... meaning they put a lot of people at risk, including themselves and all the people shopping at the store for an iPod.

I'd fire those guy if I was corporate... it's better to take a loss of merchandise, rather than a loss of life, considering it's all insured anyway....

Not only that, but usually they get caught.

So, by NOT tackling theives are we protecting criminals or the rest of the people shopping?

I say, the rest of the people shopping.

Can't see the logic to how this protects criminals... If a store loses even 5k in stock, is that more important than an innocent (or even the theif's) life?

IMO, it's not.

"Good" is the path of building and repair, "Evil" is the path of Destruction..... So Destruction in the name of villifying evil, is evil in and of itself....

I.E.

Life is more important than insured consumer goods....

No?


P.S.

I take personal offense to the post above mine, even though we agree on everything with the exception

I am once again reminded just how void of common sense this generation is

See, what you fail to realize, is -- the current generation didn't make the country this way... the previous generations did. I'm almost 25, meaning I've only been legal to drink alcohol for nearly 4 years, and capable of voting for around 6.

How did I build this? I didn't, the generations before me handed me this world. Furthermore, I find it painfully blind, that you blanket your argument to all people of the "current" generation. I'm not stupid, and I don't like how you called me stupid, stupidly.

Ironic right?

Was the thief an African American Individual?

I

Originally posted by Skewed


I bet the real truth is, the loss prevention agents are union and that employee stepped over the union line and did their job for them while the agent was sitting on their ass in the back room. Union workers from my experience tend to have the attitude that they will work when they get around to it or when it fits their schedule.

Yeah, nice theory. Those darn lazy union loss prevention agents.

Of course, the REALITY is it has to do with insurance and liability. The very same reason bank tellers are told to comply with any bank robber, regardless of any visible weapon or not.[

reply to post by Pepeluacho


Are you Italian?
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Don't a lot of these major retailers also have insurance out on their products, in case of damage or theft? I was told that you get back, about the base cost for the item but no profit made from it. I could be wrong... I have heard a lot of things.

I can't wait to go steal from Best Buy. What should I steal? HDTV, laptop? Oh, wait, might as well get a ps3 and some new games!

But seriously? This is pretty messed up. It's a lose-lose situation. If he stops him he gets fired, if he leaves him alone he would probably be fired.

Wow. None of you have ever worked in retail. And apparently didnt read much past the headline.

This is standard procedure, as most businesses insurance companies dont allow employees to put themselves at risk.

They DO have loss prevention folks who ARE allowed to get you. So, as much as I used to enjoy shoplifting from major corporations, i wouldnt suggest it.

reply to post by incrediblelousminds


But wouldn't loss prevention folks get killed in the process if they stop a desperate thief? They are usual unarmed.