Chicago car salesman fired for wearing Packers necktie

[pearljammer10]

Being a packer fan is cause for termination on its own.

Easy now (putting on my cheesehead).   

Haha, oddly enough I have a cheesehead...Dont remember where or when i got it, I certainly dont think I was a Packers fan when I was a toddler...Who knows?!

[jpd985]

Kind of see where the owner was coming from - if your customer base are Bears fans, you don't want to tick them off by seeming to rub the loss in their face.  Firing might be excessive but the guy should've understood that's not a good idea in a customer service position.

You'd think their prices and customer service - not their neckties - would be enough.

Then you apparently know nothing about sales, or at least have never worked in it.

Selling is more about the trust and relationship you have with a customer, than it is anything your pitching.

It's a skill and talent to take two sticks and a rock, and sell someone that their buying fire. The bottom line (i.e. package, pricing, etc...) is only part of the equation.

True - but if a trust/relationship with a customer is compromised by a freaking necktie, the problem is with the customer, not the dealership.

This is truly ridiculous. I understand a passionate fan base. Boston has some of the most passionate fans around - but at the end of the day, it's still just a sport. It is a giant distraction from the larger problems in life.

If any customer is shallow enough to feel "alienated" by a car dealer wearing a necktie of an opposing team, well, that's just too bad.

I'm not disagreeing with you, but that makes absolutely no difference for the argument here. Whether or a customer is justified, you can't take that risk as a business.

You're there to sell product, period. You cater to the customer, you tell them whatever they want to hear, you make them a comfortable as possible. That's just how it works.

Ideologies and "sticking up for what's right" is what failing business do.

Fair enough, I never have worked in sales, but wouldn't the proper action be "hey buddy, lose the tie"?

He was warned a few times to remove and didn't listen.

[angryguy77]

Being a packer fan is cause for termination on its own.

Easy now (putting on my cheesehead).   

If people think this car salesman has it rough, try being a Minn fan in a packer family the last few days

[Sizzlack]

Kind of see where the owner was coming from - if your customer base are Bears fans, you don't want to tick them off by seeming to rub the loss in their face.  Firing might be excessive but the guy should've understood that's not a good idea in a customer service position.

You'd think their prices and customer service - not their neckties - would be enough.

Then you apparently know nothing about sales, or at least have never worked in it.

Selling is more about the trust and relationship you have with a customer, than it is anything your pitching.

It's a skill and talent to take two sticks and a rock, and sell someone that their buying fire. The bottom line (i.e. package, pricing, etc...) is only part of the equation.

True - but if a trust/relationship with a customer is compromised by a freaking necktie, the problem is with the customer, not the dealership.

This is truly ridiculous. I understand a passionate fan base. Boston has some of the most passionate fans around - but at the end of the day, it's still just a sport. It is a giant distraction from the larger problems in life.

If any customer is shallow enough to feel "alienated" by a car dealer wearing a necktie of an opposing team, well, that's just too bad.

I'm not disagreeing with you, but that makes absolutely no difference for the argument here. Whether or a customer is justified, you can't take that risk as a business.

You're there to sell product, period. You cater to the customer, you tell them whatever they want to hear, you make them a comfortable as possible. That's just how it works.

Ideologies and "sticking up for what's right" is what failing business do.

Fair enough, I never have worked in sales, but wouldn't the proper action be "hey buddy, lose the tie"?

You should probably read the article before debating it... They asked him five times to take the tie off and he refused.

[Chris]

Being a packer fan is cause for termination on its own.

Easy now (putting on my cheesehead).   

If people think this car salesman has it rough, try being a Minn fan...

fixed.

[CDawg834]

I have to say that I'm encouraged by the replies on this thread as opposed to the "thoughtful" responses on the ESPN comment page for this story.  There are actually people on that board claiming the firing is an attack on the first amendment, because apparently every American citizen is entitled to a job at a car dealership. 

Glad to see us CBers seem to have more common sense about these things.

It's not like he was asking the guy to put on a Bears tie, just asked him to take his Packers tie off.  Bottom line, your boss asks you do something 5 times, and you say NO 5 times, you're fired.  Goodbye, have a nice life.

[fairweatherfan]

I have to say that I'm encouraged by the replies on this thread as opposed to the "thoughtful" responses on the ESPN comment page for this story.  There are actually people on that board claiming the firing is an attack on the first amendment, because apparently every American citizen is entitled to a job at a car dealership. 

ESPN comments are like one notch above YouTube comments for rational discussion.  That site is a cesspool.  Last time I even glanced at the comments it was a bunch of guys talking about how they could beat up LeBron and citing their deadlift #s to "prove it".


On a semi-related note, just went to the gym for lunch and they were interviewing this guy live on SportsCenter. 

Something tells me this guy won't have much trouble finding a new job, provided he's willing to move closer to Wisconsin.

[CDawg834]

I have to say that I'm encouraged by the replies on this thread as opposed to the "thoughtful" responses on the ESPN comment page for this story.  There are actually people on that board claiming the firing is an attack on the first amendment, because apparently every American citizen is entitled to a job at a car dealership. 

ESPN comments are like one notch above YouTube comments for rational discussion.  That site is a cesspool.  Last time I even glanced at the comments it was a bunch of guys talking about how they could beat up LeBron and citing their deadlift #s to "prove it".


On a semi-related note, just went to the gym for lunch and they were interviewing this guy live on SportsCenter. 

Something tells me this guy won't have much trouble finding a new job, provided he's willing to move closer to Wisconsin.

Yeah I should have known better than to look at the comments section, it's troll central.

[Assassin70]

I will sum up this situation easily.

Don't listen to your boss + refuse to comply to his reasonable repeated requests + at will employment = fired.

End of story.

[BigAlTheFuture]

The employee had it coming. The Bears and Packers are bitter rivals, probably the best rivalry in the NFL. That's equivalent to a Laker fan wearing a Laker tie while working at a Boston car dealership after their team beat us in game 7 of the NBA finals. Yeah.. if I was his boss, I would have fired him, too. (And I'm a Packers fan)

[Finkelskyhook]

The employee had it coming. The Bears and Packers are bitter rivals, probably the best rivalry in the NFL. That's equivalent to a Laker fan wearing a Laker tie while working at a Boston car dealership after their team beat us in game 7 of the NBA finals. Yeah.. if I was his boss, I would have fired him, too. (And I'm a Packers fan)

Well put.  If the guy wants to do his own thing he should buy his own dealership

[BASS_THUMPER]

lol...yall funny...

but on the real tho it shouldnt matter if he wore a packers tie..

now if he went to werk with jus sum packers thongs on?...thats sumthin else...hit the road jack

[Eja117]

Kind of see where the owner was coming from - if your customer base are Bears fans, you don't want to tick them off by seeming to rub the loss in their face.  Firing might be excessive but the guy should've understood that's not a good idea in a customer service position.

You'd think their prices and customer service - not their neckties - would be enough.

Then you apparently know nothing about sales, or at least have never worked in it.

Selling is more about the trust and relationship you have with a customer, than it is anything your pitching.

It's a skill and talent to take two sticks and a rock, and sell someone that their buying fire. The bottom line (i.e. package, pricing, etc...) is only part of the equation.

True - but if a trust/relationship with a customer is compromised by a freaking necktie, the problem is with the customer, not the dealership.

This is truly ridiculous. I understand a passionate fan base. Boston has some of the most passionate fans around - but at the end of the day, it's still just a sport. It is a giant distraction from the larger problems in life.

If any customer is shallow enough to feel "alienated" by a car dealer wearing a necktie of an opposing team, well, that's just too bad.

I'm not disagreeing with you, but that makes absolutely no difference for the argument here. Whether or a customer is justified, you can't take that risk as a business.

You're there to sell product, period. You cater to the customer, you tell them whatever they want to hear, you make them a comfortable as possible. That's just how it works.

Ideologies and "sticking up for what's right" is what failing business do.

Fair enough, I never have worked in sales, but wouldn't the proper action be "hey buddy, lose the tie"?

You should probably read the article before debating it... They asked him five times to take the tie off and he refused.

Well that's what his former boss says.