That being established, the reason i'm making this slightly off topic post right now is because there's a dude on YouTube I know that works for Blockbuster and in his latest video, he brought something pretty shocking to my attention. I feel his story, and the story of so many Blockbuster employees, needs to be told. Being that i've seen nothing about this anywhere on the internet, i've decided to tell that story.
His name is Brendan Mitchell aka WetMovie1, he lives in California, works at Blockbuster, and is now in danger of losing his job - if he doesn't sell an exorbitant amount of candy per week. Fast forward to about 3 minutes, 30 seconds into the video below and he'll tell you all the details.
You heard right. Blockbuster, a VIDEO STORE, is so desperate to make money and stay in business that they're threatening to fire their incredibly underpaid employees if they don't sell almost 40 bundles of candy every single week. Take a moment to let that settle in.
I don't know about you, but for me, hearing this is the last straw in my already strained relationship with Blockbuster. These are the kids that schlep into work everyday, for 8 bucks an hour, and keep the goddamn business running and they're being treated like this? Does a guy like Brendan really need the added stress of worrying week to week if he's gonna keep his job or not? Brendan's advice is to not get mad at the guys and girls behind the counter when they offer you candy with your movie rental. Though I know he's just trying to keep his job and take the high road, and while I do agree with this sentiment, I feel that this is the wrong advice. My advice is to boycott the store entirely, both if you're a customer and if you're an employee. If this isn't grounds for an employee strike, then I just don't know what is. I know you need the money, Brendan, and can't really afford to go on strike, but this is about principles and I think you should arrange this shit, with the power of YouTube and your loyal viewers on your side. What Blockbuster is doing here is wrong, very very wrong, and we can't let this kind of corporate behavior slide.
It's been many years since i've been a Blockbuster employee but I now work at a place in the same complex as the store I used to work at and I admit, I go in there once or twice a week on my lunch break and browse around. I'm even guilty of taking advantage of their 5 for $20 used DVD sales from time to time. But no more. I am proud to say that I will never give even so much as a single penny of my money to the company. I will not support this treatment of their loyal employees nor will I help keep such a fucked up business in business and you shouldn't either.
Netflix accounts start at just $4.99 a month and you can rent all the hottest new releases for a single dollar at DVDXpress and Redbox locations around the world. On top of that, most local libraries offer rentals totally free of charge. Even if you're only interested in picking like a turkey vulture through their cheap used DVD's and Blu-rays, you can get them for still cheaper on Amazon. The way I see it, there's really no reason to ever go into Blockbuster again.
Blockbuster, you had your moment in the sun, but your time is over. Please die off with whatever little semblance of dignity you still have - and don't drag your employees down with you.
21 comments:
Interesting look into corporate Blockbuster. Nice find.
As an ex employee myself of Blockbuster, the best story I had was when I worked the register, a couple of low life thugs decided to ransack the cd collection (yup they had one back in the day) and steal a load of cds. These looked like serious mofo's and no way was I gonna risk my life for Blockbuster.
After the incident I got scolded for not keeping an eye out for *gasp* stop them. What am I? A superhero? Yeah right.
THanks Blockcrapper for nothin.
That is so messed up... makes me sick to my stomach. I can recall going through a similar "commandment" at the theatre I worked at in high school where if you didn't upsell enough candy confections you got the pink slip. So lame.
I for one am willing to join in this boycott. Stop the insanity.
Jaded - Funny you mention that, because I have a very similar story. When I worked there, I saw a mean looking dude grab a stack of DVD's and walk right out the store - nobody noticed but me and I didn't say a damn thing. Much like you, I wasn't gonna risk life and limb for my 8 bucks an hour, fuck that!
oh Blockbuster, just because you and Hollywood Video are closing down all your stores doesn't mean selling more candy will get you out of bankruptcy ;]
Back a few years ago my then boyfriend was working there. And while they weren't being threatened with losing their job if they didn't sell the bundles of candy, selling those bundles was their number one priority.
I was already a part of the non-renting strike there, but I too occasionally would go for the 3 or 4/$20 sales, and go nutty for their candy (literally, I'm addicted to the chocolate covered almonds they carry there). But I further revoke my business out of principle.
This has been going on for years, but now it's tipping the scales of insanity...proving Blockbuster has been on the way out, and should keep going that way...
Ya I know they've always pushed those kinds of things, they even did back when I worked there, but to threaten losing your job if you don't sell a certain amount of anything is a whole nother level of fucked up.
Hallelujah and Testify!!!! Kudos to you sir for posting this article and video link. I worked as an assistant manager at Buttbuster for 7 years, and every waking moment of that was filled with bullying and threats from whoever was your superior. Heaven help you if you were a CSR because you would get threatened on a daily basis from Shift Leaders, Am's, Managers, and District Leaders. All over the most trivial, nonsensical, wasteful things such as, yes, selling candy.
I remember when they started Blockbuster Online and how they kept stating it was so great that it was going to put Netflix out of business (and yes that was their goal for every endeavor was to put something out of business). It had sooo many things wrong with it and still does to this day that I knew it would never happen. In the 7 years I worked there something would happen every single day that would make me question just how it was they had maintained their status for so long. It is comforting to me as well to see them going under. It's just a shame that they are STILL not seeing the writing on the wall and are choosing instead to steal all the pennies and nickels they can squeeze out of their dupes and rubes that walk in their stores. If you are a Blockbuster employee and keep thinking to yourself that it will someday get better...it won't. get out NOW
I think I went to school with that guy?? This is the least surprising ploy ever, when I worked at the college bookstore I was forced to sell the stupid laminated "QuickStudy" sheets which were marked up 1000000% of the cost.. I dont blame Blockbuster since they are bloodsuckers that are looking for new and creative ways of going out of business
Eh, I work at Blockbuster and have for the past 4 years. Before candy it was rewards, movie passes, onlines, etc. This is nothing new, I'm used to it. You won't ghet fired, just threatened. I havent met a sales goal in 4 years, but I'm an excellent employee so they don't care. Is Blockbuster bullshit? Yes, only morons would pay $5 a movie. But we're busier now than we have been in any of the 4 years, theyre making it look like they are losing money to not pay creditors. Blockbuster Online is doing better than ever, they,ve been makingg a decent dent in Netflix's subscribers. Theyre making more money than ever, closing stores and ending bullshit policies to save on overhead. And it's working. So hate them all you want, they are doing fine. Are candy sales and threats annoying? yes, but you get the same at any retail job. My friend at Border's is buullied to get donations. Don't like the job? Quit. This is America, all our $10/hr jobs are mundane and bureucratic. I just find it hilarious that people hate Blockbuster so much. Hollywood Video is, was, and always will be the worst video chain on the planet, at least until the final few stores in America close. Blockbuster will be where everyone exchanges their online rentals for free in store rentals, since its faster and cheaper than Netflix. People just hate brands because others do.
Anonymous - I hardly believe that Blockbuster is "doing fine", no matter what they might have told you. A business that is doing fine, and in fact better than ever as you say, does not close down hundreds of locations and resort to these kinds of tactics.
Secondly, nothing you or anyone could ever say would change the fact that what they're doing with this candy thing is wrong. Whether they actually fire or not, to threaten underpaid employees with such a thing if they don't sell candy is unjust and completely wrong.
I have good reason to dislike Blockbuster, and trust me, it has nothing to do with the fact that other people dislike it too. But thanks for the input. I appreciate hearing someones thoughts who's on the other side of the fence.
This isn't a new story. When I worked at Blockbuster and Hollywood Video, they did this. Hollywood was worse, though. They actually cut my hours to ONE day a week once because of my candy sales, but when I confronted, they acted like it was because I was a shitty employee. I walked out on them.
When I was reading that it really hit home for me. I listened to his video and it was like the exact same thing that is happening where I work. I work at Books-A-Million and I have to sell their membership cards. They cost $20!! If I don't make my goal for the week I get written up and after four write-ups I am gonna be fired from my $7.25/hour job. It's really stressful and literally makes me sick. And people hate being asked about it! The card is not a good deal to begin with so trying to convince people to buy it is endlessly frustrating and sometimes I just wanna come right out and say if you don't buy this card I will lose my job! It's awful. But thanks for bringing some awareness to things like this. It's hard enough to find a job right now much less worry about hanging on to these crappy ones.
informative post. I have a similar story though. I worked at the country's largest movie theater chain for 6 years and at one point we realized that the entire game was "upselling" candy and soda...and I didn't even work at the concession stand. This sucked but when we realized that selling candy and soda is what paid us we didn't have a problem with it. So little of the revenue from ticket sales actually go to the theater company. So when you look at it in different ways it makes sense but in this case of Blockbuster...they are going down and it kinda sucks that they are forcing this down their employee's throats.
I know companies always try to get their employees to get people to sign up for their cards and all those sorts of things, but I didn't realize that so many places seem to threaten firing over it. I'm pretty surprised and sickened by this. Thank you to all who have commented so far and told your similar stories.
That lit a major fire under my ass. You just reminded me to cancel my subscription with them...good thing too as I only had 15 mins left to do so for the month.
I had a lot of friends who worked at BB too that would share their horror stories with me, but this candy thing easily ranks them as one of the most evil f'n corporations in the galaxy.
I have been working at Blockbuster for over a year now. I have never had any of these problems. The threat of selling candy is on one hand, RIDICULOUS, but on the other it is what the employees were hired to do. I have seen many an employee just check out movies and run them. Thats it. When you're hired you receive a pamphlet that tells you what your job entails, and had those employees read it they might have discovered that Blockbuster isn't just about sitting behind the counter and saying hi and bye to customers.
This threat of selling candy really got some employees to wake up and realize that they have a purpose and duty. Blockbuster is a job like any other, you're supposed to do the best you can. If your to lazy to ask someone for a drink, candy, and popcorn, then how will you ever acquire a more demanding job.
Personally I would rather have someone that I could talk to if a transaction is messed up. Redbox takes your card. What happens if they screw up. You cant go talk to a box. that is red. Employees are the focus of Blockbuster and they should be paid more. That is the only thing I agree with.
I don't want 10 movies a week. I want a raise. I do my job. Why can't others.
I am so glad I only have three days left working for this shit company. Much like the guy in the video, my store has been hit with the same threats, "Hit your goals or get written up." It's absolutely absurd. I've worked for the company twice now, and I should have learned from the first time around. Corporate doesn't give a good Goddamn about their employees. They are still telling us to ignore the blurbs online about our ultimate demise, and that it's all "sensationalism." Sorry, but I will believe CNN over some corporate d-bag any day. It's ironic that they bumped our free rentals up to 10 a week, and yet we get jack shit for prestreets anymore. They tried to convince me to stay when I was offered my new job right out of college, (which pays much more for less bullshit, mind you.) I laughed. I laughed so hard I cried. Oh yeah...I do plan on getting Netflix as soon as my time is up with the Block. I love my co-workers dearly, but Blockbuster has nothing to offer me anymore as a consumer. Nada!
Quite frankly, that's bullshit. I work at a Blockbuster on the East Coast, and yes they want us to push certain things, what company doesn't? And yes, they want you to try and sell, but if you don't reach your goals we're not getting fired. If you never meet your goal you might get a talking to, but just try harder. I make less than this guy, and have never gotten a raise. I'm easily the best salesperson at the store, but I don't care. I want to keep my job, so I'll sell. Blockbuster does care about the employees enough to give you so much extra shit a week and to give you tons of things over Christmas, more than any other store I've worked in. I love my co-workers, and this is the easiest, best job I've ever had.
If you want to fuck with a company, fuck with Toys R Us, because they are assholes who shouldn't still be in business. Blockbuster is easily the best job I've ever had.
wow... you get paid $8/hr? I want a raise.
Its amazing how one minute you go to being praised on how much you sell, then the next week your threatened.
I am facing this problem still. I love my job, i really do. But with this in my face it becomes increasinly difficult to continue to do so. All i want to interact and help the customers. I do not want to be pushy because I am forced to.
I just wish that they would realize that if we lower the prices a little...act more friendly and stop promoting effing candy....still give out free trails of total access....we might have more of a chance to still be here and not get any more threats about sales.
...that felt good to vent.
if you boycott the stores... that juts gets all the employees fired. why not just go and be cheerful and get a movie and some candies? .. :)
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