Why I won’t be shopping at Webb Chevrolet
Sometimes things just piss me off. This story is one of them.
As many of your know, I am a Packer fan. The Bears lost to the Packers on Sunday (and now will be heading to the SuperBowl WOOOHOOOO!) John Stone decided to wear a Green Bay Packers tie he's had for years to honor his late grandmother, a huge Packers fan to work yesterday. Now, John isn't even a Packer fan himself. His boss asked him to remove it or else he'd be fired. Not thinking he could actually be serious, he left the tie on. An hour later, he was fired.
Illinois is an “at will” state which means that you can be fired for any reason. However, because the general manager at this place is an idiot — they won't be getting any of my business. There are plenty of car dealerships on that street who won't fire an employee for wearing a Packer tie. Obviously, Packer fans are not welcome at Webb Chevrolet.
(I do want to add that the dealership had previously done promotions involving the Chicago Bears and the manager did say “I don't feel that it was appropriate for him to go directly in contrast with an advertising campaign that we spent a lot of money on.” However, Stone said the reasons for firing him were never made clear to him, nor did he get a chance to explain the tie's emotional significance.)
15 thoughts on “Why I won’t be shopping at Webb Chevrolet”
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I just read that article online and I swear the people are just plain stupid. There is no legal recourse to fire someone over a tie that you don't like whether your store was promoting something else or not. I'd sue em personally and then go work for someone else.
It just floors me. It just screams "sore loser" to me.
Wow.I'm a die-hard Bears fan, but wrong is just wrong. The dealership should have pulled him aside and stated their reasoning for not wanting him to be wearing the tie. If they had a contract with the Bears they should have sited it then and than given him the option of removing the tie or submitting a resignation.
Taking away a person's livelihood over the wrong tie is unconscionable.
Unreal.
I'm sure that the contract did not specify that the employees couldn't wear the tie. The kicker is that he's a good salesman — he sold 14 cars last month.
This has hit the national media, and I wonder how the dealership is going to deal with it. So far they haven't done anything besides confirm that this is the reason he was fired. I'm hoping another dealer on 95th St hires him.
Heard about this on the radio. It is ridiculous how many people take sports WAY to seriously. I don't care if it is an "at will" state, that man either deserves to have his job back or some sort of apology, monetary or otherwise, from that dealership.
Wow that's terrible! That's ridiculous to fire someone over a tie and just because he didn't cheer for that team.
I'd love to hear the GM's side of the story. I bet he won't say anything to the media though because he won't be able to handle the stupidity of his act.
It is really very absurd to fire someone over a tie. Its not reasonable enough…
That's crazy. So the GM decided that this man should not be able to feed/clothe/provide shelter to his family over a tie? Really a sad testimony to the state of business and morals in the US.
Join the Facebook group "Ban Webb Chevrolet in Oak Grove Illinois".
I am a Packer fan too…..
I just came across this article and I am in shock. I am a Vikings fan…and, well, you know how we get along with the Packers…anyway, I know tons of people who wear Packer's attire. Good for them! Fired for it? Oh please, that manager needs a sense of humor!