Wow! Best Buy threatening to fire employee over iPhone 4 vs HTC Evo video

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Things that make you go hmmmm...

I'm neither a fan-boy nor a hater but I found this YouTube video highlighted by The iPhone Spot last week to be quite funny. [Warning: the video contains plenty of language that will be offensive to some.]

Imagine my surprise when I see on the local news that not only is the creator local, he's also a Best Buy employee who is at risk of being fired because he won't pull the video down. Nevermind that the video never mentions Best Buy. I don't even think the that the real gist of the video is even about the iPhone as much as it is about the blind adoration that people sometimes direct at tech products, which lead to things like people being camped out in Dallas a week before product launch. People can be just as goofy about gaming systems, games themselves... heck, you name it.

Like I said, I'm neither a fan-boy nor a hater, but I gotta go with young Mr. Maupin, the embattled employee, on this one. Shame on you, Best Buy.
 
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Did they give a reason why BestBuy is threatening to fire him? Did the video share proprietary information that he would only know as a BestBuy employee?
 
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I just watched it, It's a pretty funny video and doesn't mention Bestbuy at all.

I was cracking up, I needed a good laugh.
 
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No. The video was created through some publicly hosted software, and is a fictitious exchange between a generic salesman and a customer looking for an iPhone. The news story only says that when BB realized one of their employees was the creator (probably as a result of some watercooler conversation that got reported up), he was asked to take it down.

Maybe BB's beef is that the video really pokes fun at customers and they don't want to be associated with badmouthing customers. That, of course, is interesting since it is their own efforts to silence their employee that has linked the video with BB in the first place.
 
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Maybe BB's beef is that the video really pokes fun at customers and they don't want to be associated with badmouthing customers. That, of course, is interesting since it is their own efforts to silence their employee that has linked the video with BB in the first place.

In all honesty though, if an employee of any company can be identified with a piece of work which portrays the potential customer of that company in a negative way, any company would react the same way as BestBuy right now. Actually most companies even have written policies prohibiting such things.

So as much as I might feel for the guy, he should have been more careful to not be identified with the video. I'm probably pretty sure BestBuy has some sort of clause against this in their employment contract or policy book.
 
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In all honesty though, if an employee of any company can be identified with a piece of work which portrays the potential customer of that company in a negative way, any company would react the same way as BestBuy right now. Actually most companies even have written policies prohibiting such things.

So as much as I might feel for the guy, he should have been more careful to not be identified with the video. I'm probably pretty sure BestBuy has some sort of clause against this in their employment contract or policy book.


Very true, I work for USPS we have the same policies in effect in regards to what can and cannot say or do in or out of work.
It was still a funny video, I just wish instead of mocking the customer they could make a video of the typical Bestbuy employee, Seriously it's near impossible to get good service there.
 
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I just wish instead of mocking the customer they could make a video of the typical Bestbuy employee, Seriously it's near impossible to get good service there.

So true, that's why I refuse to shop there. If I wanted to deal with 16-year old brats, I'd be a high school teacher. ;)
 
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So true, that's why I refuse to shop there. If I wanted to deal with 16-year old brats, I'd be a high school teacher. ;)

Amen, my sentiments exactly.
 
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Actually he made two videos that bashed both the iPhone and the EVO 4G, or more accurately, bashing the cultish fan boy syndrome that accompanies those who tout for either Apple or Android. I suppose if you work for Best Buy though, your job is to exploit the fan boys to maximize sales as opposed to mocking them.
 
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Over 3 million hits you would think he would of made a donation Paypal even if each person gave .50 cents lmao imagine
 
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Whatever their reasons, I can understand B.B. not wanting an employee to be tied to something even slightly controversial or offensive. They are a huge company with lots of money and there's always some moron out there looking to sue you over anything and everything. Especially if you're a bigger company.
If a teacher can be fired over facebook photos, then this story doesn't seem so outrageous.

Personal opinion: parts of it were humorous, but the gratuitous foul language took a lot away from the humor. Could have done without that altogether.
 
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Whatever their reasons, I can understand B.B. not wanting an employee to be tied to something even slightly controversial or offensive. They are a huge company with lots of money and there's always some moron out there looking to sue you over anything and everything. Especially if you're a bigger company.
If a teacher can be fired over facebook photos, then this story doesn't seem so outrageous.

Personal opinion: parts of it were humorous, but the gratuitous foul language took a lot away from the humor. Could have done without that altogether.

Seriously... Here are Key points
1. He never mentioned BB
2. Its not like hes an executive for the company
3. he doesent even appear on the video
4. I think its just a load of crap to get Youtube Hits thats all LOL
 
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Seriously... Here are Key points
1. He never mentioned BB
2. Its not like hes an executive for the company
3. he doesent even appear on the video
4. I think its just a load of crap to get Youtube Hits thats all LOL

Doesn't matter. It's called being an responsible adult and an representative of the company you work for. The guy wanted attention, and now he's got it. But the problem here is that he's not only putting himself in the public eye, but also the company he works for.

Sure, I personally think it's silly.. but have you even SEEN the stupid media world we've been subjected to in this idiotic 21st century? You can't say or do anything these days, without being the subject of a media circus, and BB don't want that sort of publicity. It's their business, and they can run it anyway they see fit.

If this guy has a big enough mouth to go and tell his BB employee pals about the video, and didn't see forward enough to know that he should have just shut his yapper, then it's all fair game IMO.

Ya live and learn. That's life. And for the record, I laughed my patoot off the first time I saw that animation. For some reason though, no matter how many more times I watch it, it's just never been funny again. Weird.

Doug
 

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Very true, I work for USPS we have the same policies in effect in regards to what can and cannot say or do in or out of work.
Ahh-Ha!!! That explains the "gun" fetish!;)

- Nick
 
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In all honesty though, if an employee of any company can be identified with a piece of work which portrays the potential customer of that company in a negative way, any company would react the same way as BestBuy right now. Actually most companies even have written policies prohibiting such things.

So as much as I might feel for the guy, he should have been more careful to not be identified with the video. I'm probably pretty sure BestBuy has some sort of clause against this in their employment contract or policy book.

What's really ironic is that, despite us living in a "free" country, corporate America is exceptionally fascist in nature, as evidenced by things like this.
 
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What's really ironic is that, despite us living in a "free" country, corporate America is exceptionally fascist in nature, as evidenced by things like this.

Haha touche.
 
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What's really ironic is that, despite us living in a "free" country, corporate America is exceptionally fascist in nature, as evidenced by things like this.

We're only "free" in as much as the government gives us some freedoms. When we choose to enter the private sector business, we play by their rules as they are also "free" to decide what those rules are.

It's no different here at MF. I always love when people claim "I HAVE TEH FREE SPEECHES" when we tell them they're breaking Community Guidelines, but this is a private place with the freedom to set our rules as we see fit.

You as a free citizen have the choice to work for a company...you are "free". He chose to work for BestBuy, therefore he's subject to BestBuy's rules. He's free to not follow them, but BestBuy is all free to pursue action against him. He was also "free" to quit BestBuy before he decided to break their policy.

Freedom is not a one-way street. With freedom comes responsibility from all parties. ;)
 
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We're only "free" in as much as the government gives us some freedoms. When we choose to enter the private sector business, we play by their rules as they are also "free" to decide what those rules are.

It's no different here at MF. I always love when people claim "I HAVE TEH FREE SPEECHES" when we tell them they're breaking Community Guidelines, but this is a private place with the freedom to set our rules as we see fit.

You as a free citizen have the choice to work for a company...you are "free". He chose to work for BestBuy, therefore he's subject to BestBuy's rules. He's free to not follow them, but BestBuy is all free to pursue action against him. He was also "free" to quit BestBuy before he decided to break their policy.

Freedom is not a one-way street. With freedom comes responsibility from all parties. ;)

Oh I don't entirely disagree. Personally I think "freedom" and democracy is way overrated. Too many people today value their personal rights, or what they consider their personal rights to be, over community and the public good. And our government is darned-near dysfunctional.
 

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