How to deal with this? (Tow Notice w/twist)

[Wanderer]

So, I go out to my vehicle and there on the drivers window is a tow notice.  :s

I know that Walmart does this, but to their EMPLOYEES?  :dodgy:

Yes, you read that right I am EMPLOYED by the very store which is threatening to tow
my van which I park here while working and then drive away after I clock out.  :angel:

Needless to say I was a tad more than miffed......

I am SO very tempted to post this on YouTube and watch the fur fly....I mean after all
it's not like Walmart hasn't done stupid things, but this REALLY has me fuming a bit. 

The funny thing is after I clock out and drive away, I stay at ANOTHER Walmart and park in 
the same area that any employee would park in and have NEVER gotten a tow notice.... :-/

I am planning on making a copy, but will keep the original..I am planning on going in and 
letting them know how I feel (Nicely) but also letting them know I am keeping the original 
as a possibility for posting on YouTube.

Any advice?

Any suggestions?

Any ideas?

 

[Reducto]

With your uniform on go into security and let them know they made a mistake. I'm sure it feels personal but it's really not. A directive was passed down from who knows where and some poor guy had to go around putting notices on vehicles that look like they could have someone living in them which I'm sure yours does. You might want to be ready with a story about how you live at X address and use the van for traveling.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

If you embarass the company on Youtube, corporate hq may tell your store to get rid of you.  

 

[karl]

Take a breath, check with security in a calm manner before you do something you may regret.

 

[LeeRevell]

Inform store management and security of their mistake.  It should not matter what vehicle an employee drives to work.  I had something similar happen where I worked, brought it to the attention of the person who left the note on my vehicle, read them the parking policy as stated by my place of employment, and that person agreed I was in the right, and apologized.  I kept my cool, informed them of their error, and all was well.

 

[FALCON]

They made a mistake. Talk to the person who made the mistake. Be nice. Let them know that the van is yours and you park it there while working.

Mistakes are made in all businesses. You shouldn't freak out and try to shame the company. You're a part of the company AND also a part of this problem. I'm not saying the tow notice is your fault. I'm saying that it is YOUR responsibility within the company to help correct this problem. You are the only person who knows that a mistake was made and right now you are the only person who can fix it. So fix it. Don't complain to the entire world. The world wouldn't care anyways. You got a piece of paper on your car. Big deal. They didn't actually tow it. The only inconvenience they've done is cause you to remove a paper from your windshield and talk to someone at work while you are getting paid.

DO NOT share the notice or this story publicly to try to shame them.
DO NOT threaten that you will share the story to try to get them to do something.

 

[Canine]

"Nothing gives one person so much advantage over another as to remain always cool and unruffled under all circumstances." - Thomas Jefferson

Escalating a situation is easy to do especially if you can justify your actions, but try using the least amount of force possible. If I had been the one who had placed that notice on a fellow employees van and that person came up to me and calmly told me it was theirs, I'd laugh. Because that's funny! Not something to get upset about. I'd offer to buy him/her a beer or something.

If the act was done maliciously, then you can go from there, but It likely wasn't done with ill intent.

 

[Wanderer]

Well, I made a copy of the original.

If this does occur again, then going public. Not worried about losing my job, UI is available.

I'll just give management the copy and say "I hope this doesn't occur again"

I think that'll fill the blanks.

Thanks all.

 

[Canine]

I'll just give management the copy and say "I hope this doesn't occur again"

I think that'll fill the blanks.

I'm not sure using indirect comments in a somewhat unkind manner is the best way to go. In short, I perceive that as rude. Normally, I wouldn't say anything, but you asked. Perhaps simply going up to your boss and informing them what happened might work better than using the drama of a vaguely threatening statement. I'm glad you are confronting the situation, though. A lot of people would whine about it and not do anything but complain.

I'm surprised your miffed about this. This problem is so minor and so easily fixed that it almost is a non-issue. Like I said it's kind of funny. Another amusing story to add to your growing list of stories while vandwelling. Or a negative, spiteful story if that is how you choose.

If that's the road you want to take, that is fine. I'm not going to browbeat you or bust your chops. Hope you take the high road.

Wow, I am really into cliches today!

 

[SoulRaven]

I would probably hand it to the supervisor and ask if I were not supposed to park in the parking lot, where should I be parking? At that point, the ball is in their court and they can follow and get an answer. I find making it "short and sweet" works best.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

I am SO very tempted to post this on YouTube and watch the fur fly....I mean after all
it's not like Walmart hasn't done stupid things, but this REALLY has me fuming a bit. 

IMO, if I saw this on YouTube my first reaction would be 'funny'.  If accompanied by a rant I would think 'this guy has issues'.

Unless there are additional issues you haven't included (we don't know why your van was tagged or what the notice said), I would just put it down to one of the petty misunderstandings that we endure living in a large impersonal society.  Probably some worker bee was told to go out and paper vehicles that meet a certain criteria.

I am surprised that that Walmart doesn't have your van's make, model, color, license on file.  The companies that I worked for wanted that info for a number of reasons.

Your choice on whether to make it a confrontation or not.

What I would do is alert your manager so that your van doesn't get towed!

-- Spiff

 

[rvpopeye]

Maybe just find out who put it on your van and let them know which van is yours.
I don't imagine they want to tow employees vehicles cuz then they would have to tow it back and pay both ways !

 

[FALCON]

There is nothing to "go public" about. A guy at work didn't know that your van belonged to an employee and he put a piece of paper on it. No one is going to be anywhere near as offended as you're imagining.

 

[BradKW]

Good advice here..I understand you're upset about it, but you're instincts on how to handle it are off base a bit...

 

[Gideon33w]

I can't help but think that the op is very young. 

Not everything that happens to you in life is some malicious attack. Stuff happens. 

There is a Louis CK skit in which he talks about a waitress spilling a drink on a customer. The customer responds "What is the meaning of this?!" - "Do you know who I am?!" ... ... ... Yeah, you're the guy that was sitting there when that happened.

 

[HarmonicaBruce]

I'm in a walnart parking lot right now, in the Anaheim Plaza.  I can see why they don't like people living in the parking lot.  You have no reason to be upset.  Why not just make a little sign that says you're an employee at work, with you're name and phone number?

 

[Patrick46]

 Why not just make a little sign that says you're an employee at work, with you're name and phone number?

I don't care for that idea, as someone could use this as a method to rip you off. (they'd know where you were and that you were too busy to catch them.)

 

[USExplorer]

I used to work at Walmart. They boast of their Open Door policy, so take it straight to your supervisor. Our Walmart was in the boonies of North Carolina, so not many vandwellers stopped by. I remember a broken down car that sat in a prime parking spot for days before the owners finally got it towed away. Walmart couldn't care less. Too bad you work in such an uptight store.

 

[GotSmart]

I find a clean van repels parking tickets.