Not Protecting Your Employability Assets

(Usually before Halloween the store will start hiring seasonal employees to get through the holidays. The good ones will usually stay on and the bad ones are let go after New Years. The new security guy, who is titled asset protection or AP for short, is the worst the store ever hired.)

Manager: *into a walkie with an open channel that anyone with a walkie can hear* “Hey AP…” *silence* “AP?…” *silence* “AP, do you copy?”

(The manager goes to see if they can see the AP guy, who should be at the front of the store. He is there and has a walkie on his belt and an earpiece in.)

Manager: *turns to me* “Can you go up there and see if his walkie is on?”

Me: *to AP* “Hey, [Manager] is trying to reach you on the walkie.”

AP: “I know, but AP is not my name. I’ll answer when he calls me [AP’s Name].”

Me: “You mind if I tell that to [Manager]?”

AP: “Please do.”

Me: *into walkie* “[AP] says that AP is not his name and he won’t respond until you use his name.”

Manager: *over walkie* “Hey, everyone listening, I’m going radio silent for a while. I got to go beat AP’s head in.”

(The next week AP tried to change the reporting methods we used for stock, since it made more sense to him, and messed up how much stock we ordered. Then he stopped checking people’s bags at the door because he felt everyone should be on an honor system for theft. He was let go shortly thereafter and didn’t understand why. He also asked what he should tell his wife about why an exemplary employee like himself was let go.)