Best Buy Employee Fired for Stopping Laptop Thief

[Guest]

if he had injured the thief then the thief could have sued Best Buy, weird the way the corporate world looks at everything else, cheaper in their eyes to call the police and give up the loss on the pc's, this guy simply doesn't think in those terms, to him it is still the Wild West and he is Chuck Norris...

 

[Burodsx]

I disagree with firing people for doing the right thing, however I understand the policy. "The definition of a hero is a person who gets other people killed". If the thief had a gun, who in the store could have been shot because someone was being the hero? Regardless, I probably would have done the same thing.

 

[verbalizer]

another reason I do not buy from BestBuy..

 

[traviskane]

BB makes it VERY clear to their employees that they are never to lay their hands on people, even if they are known to be stealing; this is the policy at most large retail chains. As previous users stated, it can be dangerous, attempting to physically restrain a theif. What if they've got a weapon? What if the theif gets hurt? They can sue...

Yeah, it sucks that the guy got fired, but it's his fault for not following company policy. And really, it's not difficult to follow a theif out into the parking lot, and writing down the plates on their car, calling the cops, etc...

What do the employees have at stake when someone's stealing from the store? It's Best Buy. They're huge. They've got insurance. A couple of stolen laptops? hehe... drop in the bucket for BB.

 

[COLGeek]

[citation][nom]Parrdacc[/nom]Okay, I just gotta ask this. Forget about legalities, hypothetical and dollar amount situations for a moment. How many of us can actually agree, disregarding all else, that what the employee did was morally right?[/citation]
Moral does not equal legal. I agree that the fired employee did the "right" thing stopping the thief, but he also did the "wrong" thing for knowingly violating his employers policy. So, that being the case, the moral vs. legal question is irrelevant.

Still, I would hire a guy like this because he cares about the company/organization he represents. But, only after we came to an understanding of his boundaries and limitations. I would never want to lose a guy/girl over a thing as meaningless as a laptop, a pack of smokes, a big gulp, etc......

 

[aevm]

[citation][nom]SoiledBottom[/nom]Later that same day Mr. Kline was arrested for helping senior citizens cross the street No good deed goes unpunished[/citation]

ROFL

How come the thumbs up buttons are still not working? Does it really take months to fix a bug on this site?

 

[traviskane]

[citation][nom]applegetsmelaid[/nom]That's Best Buy for ya. When I worked there, a guy tried to buy a laptop with a bad check, so according to "store policy" we were supposed to contact the police. The cops were called and arrived in about 3 minutes - This was the end result: The guy bolts as soon as he sees the cops in the building, he gets tazed and knocked down for a moment - he gets back up and pulls a pistol from his waist and everyone dives for cover - runs out the emergency exit in the back as the cops proceed to chase him - he shoots two cops behind the store and carjacks the mall security guard's truck - police continue to chase him in vehicle and shoot out his tires - man goes out the blaze of glory Tony Montana style as the police shoot him dead in the middle of the road.... Whoever said that life in suburbia wasn't exciting? All in the name of Best Buy policy.http/www.realpolice.net/forums/archive/t-20163.html[/citation]

Wow. Really? Man, nothing nearly that exciting happened while I was working at BB. There was this one time... a disgruntled customer, angry that he couldn't return the incredibly expensive television he'd bought months back, decided to show his disappointment with BB's return policy by pooping in front of the customer service desk.

 

[yeungl]

The story tell you, If you need a PS3, just go to bestbuy and grab it. the latest blueray, go to bestbuy and grab it. You will be ok as long as you cover your face. No one from bestbuy is gotta stop you.

 

[Onus]

COLGeek, Oh of course, an individual is innocent until proven guilty. I did not intend my comment to suggest otherwise. The circumstances clearly suggest that, if convicted, summary execution would be appropriate.
I understand your point of view. What if the guy was there to pick up a couple of RMA'd laptops, then was running because he had to catch a plane? We just weren't there. Circumstances must always trump some arbitrary policy. The employee deserves a reprimand, but nothing more; he may also deserve a commendation.

 

[Saxie81]

This policy is pretty much the same across the board in the retail world..... No one under any circumstance, should go after the thief, puts the Store at risk and the Employee at risk.

If he was stealing from the employee it would be different.

 

[Parrdacc]

[citation][nom]COLGeek[/nom]Moral does not equal legal. I agree that the fired employee did the "right" thing stopping the thief, but he also did the "wrong" thing for knowingly violating his employers policy. So, that being the case, the moral vs. legal question is irrelevant.Still, I would hire a guy like this because he cares about the company/organization he represents. But, only after we came to an understanding of his boundaries and limitations. I would never want to lose a guy/girl over a thing as meaningless as a laptop, a pack of smokes, a big gulp, etc......[/citation]


Okay, disregard. I guess most just do not know what "Forget about legalities, hypothetical and dollar amount situations for a moment." means or just are unable to in order to answer a question. There was no hidden agenda or conspiracy behind it, just in case anyone was thinking that, just wanted to know how many, disregarding all else, could agree on whether or not the action of the employee was morally correct.

 

[Guest]

......... logic is kinda off in the comments here, why would a small time thief carry a gun with him for shop lifting, that's the difference of maybe a year in jail vs a possible life sentence, he gets angry and retaliates without a weapon, that's assault and carries a 3 or maybe 5 years sentence, majority of shoplifters when confronted will run, if they cant run they give up, very few will resort to violence

might as well say what if he was a religious extremist with a bomb vest on and detonated the bomb killing everyone in the store because we was tackled to the ground by one of the store personnel

 

[COLGeek]

[citation][nom]Parrdacc[/nom]Okay, disregard. I guess most just do not know what "Forget about legalities, hypothetical and dollar amount situations for a moment." means or just are unable to in order to answer a question. There was no hidden agenda or conspiracy behind it, just in case anyone was thinking that, just wanted to know how many, disregarding all else, could agree on whether or not the action of the employee was morally correct.[/citation]
I did answer your question. The fired employee's actions were both "right" and "wrong". Because a "wrong" was committed, that would make his actions immoral.

Kind of like arguing ethics and philosophy. You asked an absolute question, so any "wrong" would be defined as "immoral".

You are really asking a "shade of gray" question, but then again I think the "wrongness" of the employee's willingness to ignore standing policy opened him to the action that resulted thus bringing the issue of morality into question.

 

[rosen380]

If the issue is about lawsuits if either part is hurt or killed, then what about someone with a medical emergency? Presumably most Best Buy employees are not trained to treat most/many emergency medical issues. If an employee attempts to perform the Heimlich maneuver and the person ends up dieing anyways, then that persons family can sue Best Buy as well. So, for legal reasons, should the employees let a customer choke to death in the store?

Now if the policy truly is about the safety of the employee and other people in the store, and not about the risk of lawsuit, then I buy it-- granted, I think it'd be oftly generous of BB to give the guy a warning or suspension since ultimately it seems no one was hurt [unless he's already gotten one or more warnings for such things, I guess]

 

[fir_ser]

I understand Best Buy’s policy which is conservative, but too bad that this employee got fired especially that he was one of the top-performers in that store.

 

[ArgleBargle]

I guess a written warning or "second chance" policy is out of the question for Best Buy Robot...er, Review Committee. Throw the baby out with the bathwater.

 

[COLGeek]

[citation][nom]rosen380[/nom]If the issue is about lawsuits if either part is hurt or killed, then what about someone with a medical emergency? Presumably most Best Buy employees are not trained to treat most/many emergency medical issues. If an employee attempts to perform the Heimlich maneuver and the person ends up dieing anyways, then that persons family can sue Best Buy as well. So, for legal reasons, should the employees let a customer choke to death in the store?Now if the policy truly is about the safety of the employee and other people in the store, and not about the risk of lawsuit, then I buy it-- granted, I think it'd be oftly generous of BB to give the guy a warning or suspension since ultimately it seems no one was hurt [unless he's already gotten one or more warnings for such things, I guess][/citation]
Saving a life vs. saving a laptop is two different things, wouldn't you agree?

 

[TheKurrgan]

Just shows how retarded we have to be today thanks to Litigation left unchecked and without common sense.

 

[noblerabbit]

Best Steal

 

[Au_equus]

[citation][nom]SoiledBottom[/nom]Later that same day Mr. Kline was arrested for helping senior citizens cross the streetNo good deed goes unpunished[/citation]
lol... they were jaywalking, he was aidding and abetting a criminal.