But a few weeks ago, someone complained about his greeting, and the company told him to stop saying "have a blessed day." An angry response from customers eventually convinced Walmart to change its mind.
People protested outside Walmart's headquarters and phoned in complaints after the company told him to stop his customary greeting. Walmart quickly caved and released a statement reversing its decision saying: "We greatly value our associates and appreciate his work of the company.
Mr Phillips interviewed while he was still banned from saying have a blessed day.
YouTube link.
"He is welcome to continue sharing his greeting with our customers." Phillips says he wasn't trying to start a movement, but he appreciates people standing up for him. "I want to just be one of the best greeters I know how to be," he says.
With news video.
10 comments:
I wonder what is the religion of the complainant and what ethnicity.
Health insurance, living wage....
Woa! Wait a minute not allowed to say 'have a blessed day'! Now it's time to protest!
Every action of an ego tripping overzealous assistant manager does not necessarily represent the company & company policy as a whole. It's easy to make an on the spot decision, like what your door greeter can say, and foul it up badly. That doesn't mean big bad evil corporate giant was crushing the little guy.
For the record, wallyworld paid me $14/hr during my time there as a peon nobody. I wasn't rich, but that was certainly a decent living for retail.
They provide decent health insurance, too. Over a 2 year period I had 2 abdominal surgeries & a battery of tests including 2 MRI's and radiological scans and I paid less than $4,000. Not bad.
Yes there are some insufferable bad apples at store management level that can make the job a living nightmare, that doesn't make the entire company bad. Everyone likes to pick on a winner though; you can't believe every negative thing you read.
I don't think it's appropriate for someone representing a company to say that. TBH, if I was greeted with that on my way into a company they'd a) not get my business any more and b) I'd respond with "may the lord Satan devour you".
I'm not a Satanist, but stuff that for a game of marbles.
I agree with Rats. The guy is there as representative of the company and I won't deal with any company that forces its religion on its customers, whatever that religion may be. I suppose, however, that this is what one should expect of a corporation in a nation founded by religious fundamentalists.
Come one, guys. It's a common expression among Southerners. It can't hurt you, you know.
And in England, I hear "Aw...Bless" all the time. Ain't no big thing.
I thought of something else. What if a cashier said, "Bless you" if you sneezed at the checkout counter. Would you stop shopping there then?
Barbwire -- would you feel the same way if the greeter had issued a Muslim "blessing" to every person who shopped there? I kind of doubt it.
Elagie, I hope I would, although I wouldn't recognize it--I'm not familiar with Muslim blessings. As I said, "Have a blessed day," is a very common expression. It's not prosetilizing, or forcing religion on anyone. And as Shak mentioned, would you boycott a store if an employee said, "Bless you" if you sneezed? I just don't think it's a big deal.
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