"Chipmunk Stores Rider's Nuts in a Vise"
On November 8, 2007, Rider received a phone call from June Chipmunk. She wasn't coming in to work. She wasn't feeling well. This sick day "coincidentally" preceded her scheduled three-day weekend.
"Is there any way you can work for just a few hours?" Rider asked. "We have to prepare for [a professional athlete's] appearance here. I need your help promoting it and getting the store ready."
That's when June Chipmunk lost it. Over the next 15 minutes, Rider tried to calm her down, not understanding her anger at a request for help. Her end of the conversation quickly escalated to shouting. It culminated in the phrase, "Oh, that's it! I have had it with you!"
One hour later, according to Rider's Site Meter, his blog was visited by someone in the area who Google-searched it. That was highly unusual, as Rider had only five readers in the state, and they always visited his blog through bookmarks or their own blogroll links. No one ever searched for [his name] and [his blog's title].
The following day, someone using a different computer in a different town searched for his blog again and clicked through the archives.
A fateful letter was mailed to corporate headquarters on Friday or Saturday.
This was all pieced together later, though.
Rider continued working through the weekend, unaware that the job he had grown to love was coming to an end. He prepared for the athlete's promotional appearance by himself. He attended a huge company event in a stretch limo with his happy associates. June Chipmunk did not return his calls.
When she finally returned from her four days off, Rider and June Chipmunk had a conversation where he willingly accepted partial blame for the way their argument had spiraled out of control--and he meant it. They needed to work together if the store was to succeed.
June Chipmunk offered nothing in return. She took no blame and offered no apology. She went back to work in her cubicle in the back of the store, where she preferred to do paperwork and avoid personal interaction with her own team.
The athlete's in-store appearance the next day went well. Carmichael was happy with the crowds and with Rider's efforts in the promotion.
The shit hit the turbine two days later. Rider's blog was visited for over 80 minutes by two different computers at his company's headquarters. Every single month was read. Pages were likely printed out.
Rider knew all this after receiving a chilly phone call from Carmichael asking him to come to corporate on his day off. He suspected it could only mean one thing, but he wasn't sure why. His blog was irreverent and humorous. It featured movie reviews and stories about his life. His career was mentioned at times, but the name of the company was not. And when his job was discussed, it was always in glowing terms.
"We're terminating you," Carmichael told him that Friday morning at 9:00 AM, "because of the content of your blog." A faceless drone from HR looked on, taking notes.
Rider was confused. Why was this happening?
"An anonymous letter was sent to the president. It was from a customer who said you shared your blog's address with them. They found it offensive. Since our whole business model revolves around customer satisfaction, and since you have violated our code of conduct, you are dismissed from the company."
It was November 16, 2007.
June Chipmunk was promoted to store manager of Countrydale a week later.
To be concluded...
On November 8, 2007, Rider received a phone call from June Chipmunk. She wasn't coming in to work. She wasn't feeling well. This sick day "coincidentally" preceded her scheduled three-day weekend.
"Is there any way you can work for just a few hours?" Rider asked. "We have to prepare for [a professional athlete's] appearance here. I need your help promoting it and getting the store ready."
That's when June Chipmunk lost it. Over the next 15 minutes, Rider tried to calm her down, not understanding her anger at a request for help. Her end of the conversation quickly escalated to shouting. It culminated in the phrase, "Oh, that's it! I have had it with you!"
One hour later, according to Rider's Site Meter, his blog was visited by someone in the area who Google-searched it. That was highly unusual, as Rider had only five readers in the state, and they always visited his blog through bookmarks or their own blogroll links. No one ever searched for [his name] and [his blog's title].
The following day, someone using a different computer in a different town searched for his blog again and clicked through the archives.
A fateful letter was mailed to corporate headquarters on Friday or Saturday.
This was all pieced together later, though.
Rider continued working through the weekend, unaware that the job he had grown to love was coming to an end. He prepared for the athlete's promotional appearance by himself. He attended a huge company event in a stretch limo with his happy associates. June Chipmunk did not return his calls.
When she finally returned from her four days off, Rider and June Chipmunk had a conversation where he willingly accepted partial blame for the way their argument had spiraled out of control--and he meant it. They needed to work together if the store was to succeed.
June Chipmunk offered nothing in return. She took no blame and offered no apology. She went back to work in her cubicle in the back of the store, where she preferred to do paperwork and avoid personal interaction with her own team.
The athlete's in-store appearance the next day went well. Carmichael was happy with the crowds and with Rider's efforts in the promotion.
The shit hit the turbine two days later. Rider's blog was visited for over 80 minutes by two different computers at his company's headquarters. Every single month was read. Pages were likely printed out.
Rider knew all this after receiving a chilly phone call from Carmichael asking him to come to corporate on his day off. He suspected it could only mean one thing, but he wasn't sure why. His blog was irreverent and humorous. It featured movie reviews and stories about his life. His career was mentioned at times, but the name of the company was not. And when his job was discussed, it was always in glowing terms.
"We're terminating you," Carmichael told him that Friday morning at 9:00 AM, "because of the content of your blog." A faceless drone from HR looked on, taking notes.
Rider was confused. Why was this happening?
"An anonymous letter was sent to the president. It was from a customer who said you shared your blog's address with them. They found it offensive. Since our whole business model revolves around customer satisfaction, and since you have violated our code of conduct, you are dismissed from the company."
It was November 16, 2007.
June Chipmunk was promoted to store manager of Countrydale a week later.
To be concluded...
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