Chicago car salesman fired for wearing Packers necktie

[nba is the worst]

Funny story here - what do you all think?

Was the car lot's GM correct/justified?

With Illinois being an "at will" state, can the guy win a wrongful termination lawsuit?

http://www.fox11online.com/dpps/news/strange/illinois-man-fired-for-wearing-packer-tie-ob11-jgr_3704207

[StartOrien]

"Wore it to honor his late grandmother"

Ya, OK. More to this story.

[fairweatherfan]

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.

[Roy H.]

Since it's "at will" employment, I don't see him having a leg to stand on.  "Green Bay Packer fan" is not a disadvantaged class that enjoys legal protection.

Pretty stupid move, since he's isolating a portion of the dealership's customer base.  I probably would have fired him, too.

[Chris]

Funny story.

Anyways, if he really was asked to remove the tie, and he refused, he really wouldn't have any case in a wrongful termination suit...well, unless he has a weasely lawyer who decides to claim that he wasn't fired for the tie, and claims it was because he was black or something.  

I do think the car dealership was perfectly justified in firing him though.  That absolutely can affect his ability to make sales, and if he refused to take the tie off, then its an issue.  

[GreenEnvy]

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.

[Fafnir]

Definitely no leg to stand on as far as wrongful termination.

Apparently he already has another job, so he should be fine.

[Roy H.]

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.

Not always.  Bears fans are maybe the most passionate fan base in the NFL.  I can easily see somebody just walking out of the dealership after being greeted by a guy with a Packers tie.  The wound was just a bit too fresh at that point.

Also, of course, there's the insubordination issue.  When your manager asks you "five times" to take off a tie because it's conflicting with an advertising campaign and because you're potentially irritating customers, you should do what your boss says.

[BballTim]

  If he'd shown up for work in a Packers burka, though, people would be lining up to boycott/sue the dealer.

[Chris]

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.

Eh, I think when you are making an investment like that, you want to trust the guy you are buying from.  At the very least, he comes across as a major ass by wearing that tie in Chicago right after that loss.  

I mean, if I were going to buy a car the day after game 7 of the finals, and I walked in to a dealership, and a salesman walked up to me in a Lakers tie, I would have turned right around and walked out.  To me, it is not a good sign of character to try to incite people like that, and I wouldn't want to deal with someone like that.

[Chris]

  If he'd shown up for work in a Packers burka, though, people would be lining up to boycott/sue the dealer.

Lets not go there.

[PosImpos]

  If he'd shown up for work in a Packers burka, though, people would be lining up to boycott/sue the dealer.

I'm not sure why a guy would be wearing a burka.

And it's clearly a different issue, since a burka is tied a religion, whereas being a Packers fan - regardless of what the cheeseheads may tell you - is not a religion.

[Tai]

Yea, I can't say I disagree with the boss. As far as real life trolling goes, that's pretty textbook. I mean, asked five times or so to take off your tie and refusing to? Seriously? Your grandmother being a big Packers fan is one thing, but if you're selling cars to Bears fans, I think it's justifiable to respect your boss's wishes and find an alternative way to honor your grandma.

[fairweatherfan]

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.

Ideally, yeah.  But you've got to cater to the customers you've got, not the customers you'd ideally want, and if the customers you've got include a lot of diehard Bears fans still smarting from a loss to their rivals, it's bad business to be rocking the Packers logo.

[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.