Where do I start? My name is Don, a 35 yr old male married for over 15 yrs. I was recently terminated from employment at Pettit Machinery in Gainesville Tx. For a number of bogus reasons. I worked at Pettit from Mar. 4,06 to Aug. 22-06. I hired in as a parts salesman for mainly John Deere ag equipment, but we had other lines of parts as well. I was completely "Green" an a tractor parts guy, but had had past experience in auto parts, and my application will reflect this. I also, have some tractor repair experience.
The person that hired me was named Rick R. I worked under Rick for about three months until he was terminated after 6 yrs. Of employment for a number of true reasons. Examples are, terrible inventory managment, being extremely rude to customers as well as other employees. Rick had been in John Deere parts for 36 yrs., and was completely burned out and was totally stagnant. He pretty much refused to train me during the three months I worked for him, and a co-corker named Shelton helped me somewhat, but made it clear to me that he was not getting paid to train me, so I was on my own. Although I was able to call Mitch, parts manager at the Ardmore Oklahoma Pettit location on several occasions for help.
Pettit re-hired an ex employee named Jerrad V. As the new parts manager, Jerrad had worked for Pettit for a number of years in the past as a parts salesman. This is when the trouble really started, from day two, I noticed very quickly that Jerrad could not stand me, everytime I asked for help, he would answer in a very loud, condescending and patronizing manner, and ask me why I could not remember anything, and that I should know this stuff by now, even in front of customers and other employees. I must mention that my co-corker Shelton had been re-hired approx. One year ago by the owner Brody Pettit with the promise of getting the Parts manager position when it came available.
So Shelton was very upset when they re-hired Jerrad as parts manager, and really cut all ties with me, and refused to speak with me, look at me or assist me in any way. I must mention also that Shelton is obsessed with having the highest sales possible, and that in my less than six months with the company, I had ran over $200,000 through my register, (with over 30% profit margin) not including many big sales I had given away to Shelton to try and make him happy. Shelton also had all passwords in violation of company policy and could change salesman #s and delete documents and take sales from me, or falsify my documents. Many occasions Shelton would simply not answer my questions and just look the other way.
They were able to fabricate a few bogus employee performance writeups on me (3) but none cost the company any money, they looked for any little thing to write me up on. I had been special ordering parts for several months without any wrong parts being ordered, until one day I overlooked a serial number break and ordered the wrong parts for a warranty claim, and I was written up the first time I had ordered in the wrong parts!
But during my termination meeting on 8-22-06 (which I captured on a digital voice recorder) with Jerrad and John C. (store manager) I asked why I was the only person in the store that ever got written up, and they had no answer. I pointed out that my sales were two hundred thousand dollars, I asked if I had any customer complaints, there was a long silence. Then Jerrad jumped in and said he had people approach him while on his lunch break and complain about me, but I was never informed of any complaints from anyone.
I informed them that just yesterday, Shelton had ordered the wrong parts for a warranty claim, and nothing was said, and Shelton has worked for Pettit for many years, they had no answer. Jerred made the statement in the meeting that I had regressed since he had came back to work. They just kept telling me that I was not able to grasp what was going on, and that I was not efficient, excuse me! What part of $200,000 dollars and no customer complaints don't you understand?! I have a copy of my sales at 5 months, they are over $188,000 dollars, but John C. Refused to give me a copy of my current YTD sales at the time of termination.
Obviously Jerrad and Shelton and others conspired togther to have me terminated because neither one could stand me on a personal level for whatever reasons. The janitor for our store, Johnny D.informed me of a meeting the service dept had and planned to do everything they could to make me look slow and stupid, and blame all mistakes on me, and that he'd never seen so much deception in a place of business. Almost all the mechanics would make remarks about my abilities as a parts guy, even in front of customers, but it was Shelton that always got them the wrong parts.
I was able to record one mechainc named Melvin Y. Stating that people were talking s& about me, I informed them that I get the right parts, and he said that;s not what he heard. All this coming from a guy who had just came back to work after claiming workers comp for a knee injury he said he suffered while at Pettit.
Interestingly, while this guy was supposed to be off work injured, he was coming to the store buying parts for equipment he was repairing while he was on workmans comp! And the management knew this! Talk about getting terminated! Also, Johnny D.informed me that a mechanic named Gilbert R. Was cought falsifying time cards for other employees, yet he was never written up for this. There is much more to this story, but I need to go pick up my check. I do not do any drugs, never have, do not drink, never have, show up for work everyday, and am polite to everyone even if I'm having a bad day. I got screwed. I hope some attorney reads this and can help.
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