As a teenager Robert Onstead delivered groceries for his uncle in Ennis, Texas. In 1954 when he was 24 and recently married, his father-in-law offered him a job at Randalls Super Valu Store in Pasadena. He also offered him important words of advice: "Treat your customers the way you treat your family".
As American CEOs sit in their Ivory Towers, being paid more in one day than many they employ earn in one year, they time and time again prove that they've lost all sense of reality and have not spent even a minute on the ground in attempt to understand what the "Foot Soldiers" deal with on a everyday basis. This is what I hate about some of the "idiots" whom run Corporate America.
This is the story of Troy Schafer a Military Veteran turned produce manager at a grocery store named Randalls at 2051 Gattis School Road in Round Rock, Texas . In an instant Troy Schafer became a hero and at the same time lost his job.
You may ask, well what did Troy do that caused him to loose his job? Well here it is. Troy had the courage to chase down a 15-year old suspect who snatched a woman's purse inside the Randalls store.
After hearing a woman scream about her stolen purse, Schafer said he made a split-second decision to chase the suspect out of the store, through the parking lot and into a nearby field where police arrived to arrest the teenager and recover the purse.
"I felt I did the right thing," said Schafer. "You protect people that need help." Well Troy you did do the right thing. I only hope and pray that I would have the courage to rise to the occasion as you did. You don't have to explain a thing to me or anyone else who know what you did was right.
Now here is where the "Stupidity" begins. In other words, here is where they acted "Stupidly". Randalls suspended Troy July 22nd without pay, and on July 24th, the store manager let him go - citing a company policy against chasing a suspect in the the parking lot. "Policy, Smolicy, this just stinks. I don't blame the store manager because he was forced to do the "dirty work" of the higher ups. But those higher ups should be forced to explain why they couldn't make an exception in this case where the outcome was favorable, the perpetrator was apprehended and the woman got her belongings back?
This is what I hate about some of the "idiots" whom run Corporate America. They could care less about the fact that Troy says that he will loose everything within 6 months if he isn't gainfully employed shorty.I only hope that someone will step up to the plate and offer Troy a job. It's the right thing to do. He had no problem putting his life on the line for our Country and he deserves better.
Here's how Randalls justified their decision. I don't buy it for a minute.
"We regret the events that led to the termination of Mr. Schafer. Our employees are trained on the company’s strict policy to not give pursuit in situations such as this. The policy exists for the safety of our employees, customers and others who may be seriously injured in a chase, which has happened in prior incidents at our stores and other retailers. We recognize Mr. Schafer’s good intentions, but our overriding focus must be the safety of all concerned. To that end, we instruct our employees to resist any impulse to chase and, instead, to focus on getting all relevant information to law enforcement as quickly as possible."
This generic statement by the higher ups at Randalls just stinks. PUT BEING A HUMAN FIRST AND BEING A RANDALLS EMPLOYEE SECOND. It's as simple as that. Nothing more, nothing less.
The woman who had her purse snatched said Schafer did not deserve to be let go from his job. "I've told them if he doesn't get his job back, I will never shop in there again, and I will tell everyone I know about [the situation]," said Ann Welch.
Welch said she went into the Randalls store Monday morning to speak with the store manager about the possibility of Schafer returning to work. "They said it was out of their hands," she said. "It was a policy."
Meanwhile, Schafer said management told him he could reapply for a job with the company in six months. "By then I will have lost everything," he said. "I don't have six months."
So sad. So very sad. Troy deserves better treatment. What is your opinion?
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Comments: 128
"I certainly would never shop here again."
Jeff you are not alone. Many say they will NEVER shop there again.
Company policies are set for a reason, for their safety as well as the safety of others in the store. Let's play the "what if" game. What if the thief had a gun, and shot this young man? What if he had a gun and took this young man hostage and then went back to the store to reek more havoc? What is the thief were on drugs - no rhyme or reason for anything with anything druggies do.
Now, IF they wanted to adhere to their "strict" polocies, they could have suspended him, with or without pay to show how important these regulations are to everyone. That would have been the middle of the road decision.
Now, you hate all corporations; myself, just the corporatists - the ones the fed govt. supports with mandates and tax money to help eliminate the competition.
I suspect this young man will be better off once someone with a brain and a heart, will see his value, as a human being assisting another human being, and he will end up with a better job. That's what I see happening. EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON. I would be proud to know this young man and support him finding another job. People know people who can help, and I BELIEVE this is what will happen. IF NOT, then then that is iindicative of today's society, and I fear things are going that way much too fast.
That is the decision I believe they should have made. You just can't expect a military veteran to just sit back and not react. They are trained for situations just like this.
So, let me get this straight. It's okay for a company to make rules that protect its employees, but it's not alright for a government to make rules that protect its citizens? Interesting. You have always argued against regulations. Being in the investment business, I and everyone I speak to working in this industry (granted, I haven't been privy to a conversation with Madoff or the CEO of Goldman Sachs) supports regulations as they protect the consumer/client and also protect the market against business people who would profit from bad, unethical and unsafe business dealings to the detriment of the industry as a whole.
Please explain, Linda. Seems you can see the right for a company to protect itself by regulating the behavior of its employees, but you cannot see the same reasoning applied to an industry. Hmmm.....
Regulations for safety are one thing, but to stiffel business and make it more difficult to compete with corporatists, is another thing entirely.
Hope you have a different perspective in your investment business than you do regarding govt. takeover and supporting Corporatists.
I am not mixing apples and oranges, Linda. It seems you are impervious to obvious analogies. There IS not stifling of business with regulations in general. I suppose there can be bad regulations, but I would argue (and I'd be correct) that there are more reviews and input of government regulations than there are of corporations' 'rules'.
And we are doing just fine in our business. Contrary to alot of people such as yourself who have absolutely no idea of what entrepeneurship is all about, playing by the rules actually enhances one's opportunities and bolsters your legitimacy in the eyes of clients. People WANT to know that you are playing by the rules.
Haven't you people learned ANYTHING about real business and the good regulations do for it from Enron and Madoff? Geesh!
And what do you mean by "you people"?
And, what do you think "corporatists" stand with the regulations?
Randall's employs more than 10,000 associates and is the Texas division of Safeway Inc.
The Texas division of Safeway is headquartered at 3663 Briarpark Drive in the Westchase district of Houston. The office served as the headquarters of the independent Randall's company before its takeover.
Monsanto is trying to trademark the pig - yes, meat. IF they are successful, and it looks as though it may, anyone who raises a pig without getting it from them, will be breaking the law. Sounds rediculous, but it is true.
Drive the small guy out of business with new rules, taxes, and other restrictions.
You all could probably add to this small list, from your own experience and knowedge.
(*sarcasm...)
Lloyd, we agree more than you realize, if you can get past the ONLY thing we don't see eye to eye.
Monsanto's bill is being presented today. Did you go to my last two posts to see what YOU can do about it? Or are these issues more important than our health freedom?
While dozens are reading things like these, and figuring out who is "right" and who is "wrong" - the tyrannical govt is yet stealing control of our FOOD. Yes, food! What will you all do then?
Sheryl, not sure how successful your "investment" business, but suggest you don't let your schooling get in the way of your CE (continuing education).
I work for/with a financial planner so am well aware of what is happening. The RIGHT mechanisms must be in place, not just ANY.
Thanks for asking. Now, go back and watch your Fox and read your online blogs and please don't pretend that you know ANYTHING about starting up a business, growing a business and making it a success.
And if you don't agree with that, you really should tell the planner that if in any way you could jeopardize a surprise audit...which I hear they are stepping up on these days. Believe me, your employer will not take kindly to your attitude towards compliance if your attitudes affect their business in any negative way.
And, you only are respectful to those whom you see lining your pockets? For a "professional" you certainly have a lot to learn. Nothing in your posts rings of those of a "professional".
i
I've dealt with and ditched financial planners just like you. I can smell a rat fairly quickly...
So if there had been violence, and someone were shot, this would have turned out much differently. The store would be liable for the injuries or worse. The employee has to understand that when he takes on a position he takes on the rules of that position or he doesn't take it.
On the other hand, if this has happened before, where are security people on duty to monitor and prevent this kind of thing, and to act if necessary? The store should bear responsibility for its customers' safety to a reasonable degree. If this is something about which they needed to make policy then they should have implemented an alternative solution to the possibilities.
You can't expect any normal human with any compassion to standby and do nothing! Position, company policy whatever. I wish we had one here so I could not shop there! Your also right there should be security if they've had things happen before.
I agree with you 100%. They failed their customers in this particular case, thus prompting Troy to take action. He, at that time, was the only responsible person insuring safety for their customers.
He should not be punished for his actions, but hailed as a hero.
I would have invited Troy and the victim to corporate headquarter for a beer. Lol.
This is just as true with being a citizen of a functioning democracy.
I chase some scumbag and he runs out into the street and gets creamed by a car. I'm happy, but his family will sue the company because one of its employees was chasing him. Doesn't matter that he was committing a crime -- I, as an employee of the store scared him and chased him causing him to run in front of a car.
I understand the stance the company took, don't agree with it, but understand why they had to do that. There was a rule; he violated it; he's history. Sucks, but that's the way our country runs today.
And we are all worse off for this. A woman should be able to shop without having her purse snatched. The little s**t need to have someone beat the h**l out of him.
Imagine the many opportunities available to someone of such a young age and this little s**t chooses to start life off as a punk.
Just imagine how successful we would be if we could turn back the pages and be 15 in today's society?
Study hard, get straight A's, get a college scholarship, get your MBA and the world is your oyster.
Good Grief. The answer is so simple.
The "it's not my job" attitude is not helpful. I applaud Troy.
Absolutely not! We are humans first. Probably no one in that entire store was more qualified to assist this woman than Troy. I applaud him also.
Sue that would have been the furthest thing from my mind. I would have expected to just go back to works as produce manager.
That would have been the right thing to do.
Thus, the policies of the company, who took a considerable amount of time thinking of all the scenarios, considering the safety of the public, trained every employee to make sure them are followed.
Having said that, I stated a reasonable compromise above. If there were already other issues with this employee, then the outcome could have been expected. However, due ro privacy considerations, we will never know, at least, not from the company.
ALWAYS REMEMBER, no life is worth giving for "stuff", whether in this or any other manner.
That is what I meant when I wrote the following:
"The higher ups should be forced to explain why they couldn't make an exception in this case where the outcome was favorable, the perpetrator was apprehended and the woman got her belongings back?"
I will say this, however. The results may justify the means but the objectives do not. You will please notice that your statement "the end justifies the means" is talking about objectives, goals, intentions, and not about the actual consequences.
If one says that we must give up our freedoms to fight terrorism they are attempting to justify means on the basis of objectives. I would say that if we give up our freedom to fight terrorism then the terrorism has won. I would say that the consequences, not the objectives, are the only thing which can justify the means.
I hope you appreciate the difference.
Sometimes, just sometimes a little common sense is all that's needed. It was sorely lacking in this particular case.
If I were in a position to hire him I would hire him, pay for his relocation and make him my right hand man. That's how valuable I believe he could be to any company.
Randalls are worse off for what they've done. They will soon see the results of their actions.
Don't get me started on the minimum wage of $7.25 that leaves many categorized as being the "working poor". I've always believed that everyone whom works should at least earn a "living wage".
Maybe they should consider expanding Troy's job description to "produce manager/loss prevention manager". It's a position he is obviously qualified for.
OTOH, he did what his heart and head told him was the right thing..so, if they wanted to hold up the policy, they could have suspended him for a couple of days--but, its a right to work state, no union, no contract and management can do anything they please.
C'mon if the guy can think for himself, he may not be the type of employee they want anyway--they may want the sheeple that are so numerous.
I've very familiar with the Republic Glass case in Illinois. Those brave souls fought a hard fight, got some severance pay and showed why we need reform in the area of worker's rights.
What this company did was despicable and they should have been punished as opposed to being rewarded for their actions.
Why not? I feel that's it's always best to allow the human equation to be expressed in situation like this. If not, then why do we have a brain? Why do they hire humans to do their work? Why not just modernize and allow everything to be done by machines and robots?
We are humans and our evolution should be treasured and not be allowed to be trumped by generic policies and procedures.
You can't just let anyone come into your place of business and snatch purses from your customers, then out the front door without anyone taking any action. That's where the chaos takes effect.
Maybe Randalls can have their shopping carts equipped with Mace, Pepper Spray and Stun Guns.
Do you understand the hassle it is to have your Driver's license replace and cancel all your credit cards because some punk decided to take your wallet or purse, run out the store, only to have no one go after him.
That SUCKS!
There are so many reasons why chasing someone like this is wrong - for the safety of everyone. Imagine if crooks thought that they might sometimes be chased. They would probably make sure they were more heavily armed.
As I mentioned above, there was a local case where the guy did take chase and got shot. Now, the company is refusing to pay for the injuries through worker's comp and they'll probably win on that. In most companies, you sign a paper saying that you understand the policies when you're hired, and in retail this is one of them.
Most stores have people specifically trained to take care of theft. It could be the store manager, or in larger stores, it can be security personnel. Having other employees try to take matters into their own hands means they're in the way of the people properly trained.
I'm sorry. I feel sorry for the guy. But most likely Randalls has a zero tolerance policy on this and the guy knew that.
I think this would be a better option than allowing people to prey on innocent victims. I believe that it's time that retail chains stop accepting theft as part of the cost of doing business and then passing the costs on to it's honest paying consumers.
When is ENOUGH, ENOUGH?
When I first worked in retail in the late 70s and early 80s, there were a few kleptomaniacs and there bands of theives that went from town to town. But there were few normal, regular folks who stole from stores.
When my son was a teen, he was the only one in our apartment complex (84 units, with about 2/3 with teens) who had never stolen anything. Even in his church youth group there were kids who admitted to stealing.
Today, the numbers are worse, especially amongts the younger generation. And part of that can be attributed to the attitudes of their parents. First, they think their kids can do no wrong. And secondly, they have repeated the mantra about how horrible big business is and the kids figure big business has it coming to them when they decide to steal.
Shoplifting was about 1.7% of annual sales in 2002. Because of the recession, and because people have even less respect for the property of others - especially big business - it's probably much higher today. In 2002, shoplifting or inventory shrinkage was the single largest category of larceny in the United States, more than motor vehicle theft, bank robbery and household burglary combined.
It's almost as if they gave him the "Death Penalty" for committing a "Misdemeanor".
Hmmm, remember seeing members of our Congress sleeping? Wish we could fire them!
"Different Strokes For Different Folks."
Just like members of Congress whom snore their way through hearings, these Corporate CEOs sit in their Ivory Towers not knowing what really goes on within the company that they so-called "Run".
The only way they can do their job is to write a set of rules that apply to every situation without ever giving thought to the uniqueness of each and every situation.
the thieves in texas will be hitting all of these chain stores now that the corporate morons have made public the policy for which they stand behind.
The thieve now know that they have a 50/50 chance of getting away with their crimes or getting caught.
In the world of crime today those are good odds.
Troy Schafer said he'd worked at the Randalls, at 2051 Gattis School Road, as a produce manager for about two months, commuting from his home in Bee Cave, where he lives with his wife, Star, and 20-year-old son, Bret.
He said he's already started looking for another job, but nothing has popped up yet.
"I'm really scared about what's going to happen here," Schafer said. "I'm trying to do everything I can to find something soon."
Welch said she appreciated the help Schafer and the unnamed customer gave her. She offered them money as a reward, she said, but they both refused.
Schafer told her Saturday that he had been fired. Welch said Monday morning she asked the store manager to give Schafer his job back. But the manager told her his hands were tied.
Welch said she hopes Schafer finds work soon.
"He heard me needing help, and he helped me. And then you fire him in this economy? It's just wrong," she said. "It is absolutely wrong."
I understand the valid points you make. However, stealing someone's wallet or purse is a serious crime in my opinion. It's more than just money. It's starting the process of replacing your driver's license. It's starting the process of canceling and replacing all of your credit cards.
It's starting the process of healing from being part of such a traumatic experience.
It's easy to just say, "let it go". But when you and I are the victim it's not that easy.
When I was in college I worked at a Blockbuster Music store (yes, Blockbuster used to do more than just videos). Blockbuster had a strict policy against chasing thieves because of the risk of lawsuit if the thief was injured as a result of the chase. The employee, after all, is a representative of the company and the company could be held liable for his actions.
We were told over and over again that the policy existed for our safety and the safety of customers and the person guilty of wrongdoing. It didn't just pop up after the fact, but was covered at hiring and at regular intervals during employee performance counseling.
So, he broke the rules. For that there should be consequences, otherwise what's the point of having the rules? That said, I think termination is too severe. Written warning, maybe, or a brief suspension tops, but not termination. There has to be a progression and not a hypothetical "death penalty."
Hi AC.
My sentiments exactly. I feel that Troy was given the "Death Penalty" for committing a misdemeanor. The punishment was too severe.
If Michael Vick gets a second chance, of which I agree, then so should Troy Shaffer.
Something is definitely wrong with what happened to this Military Veteran.
In the spirit of treating customers like family, Troy did exactly what he would have done had the woman been his wife, mother, sister, daughter...
Thanks for posting to Fugitives from Ignorance, Conformity, and Peer Pressure
That's what I like about this guy. He would have come to the rescue of someone in my family without a hesitation.
We need more Troys, not less.
What message does this send. It says we should view crime as the cost of doing business. We should accept being victimized as a way of life here in the United States. We should be pansies and avoid, at all costs, coming to the rescue of a fellow American.
This is the wrong message to send. The criminals win and we loose. Simple as that.
I think the non-pursuit policy is based on liability. If a person commits a crime and is injured while being apprehended, is the pursuer really at fault? I'd say no, unless there was obvious brutality.
Hello Jan.
Sometimes, just sometimes we have to use common sense solutions to deal with the many issues we face on a daily basis.
Was the security guard supposed to know that this thief had asthma? The thief's family sued and won a big settlement, supposedly based on his lifetime income. Since he was uneducated and unemployed, it must have been hard to calculate. What is the average lifetime income of a thief?
No common sense in evidence in that case.
If you are going to snatch a purse, Randalls is the place to do it.
From one of your comments, "Randall's employs more than 10,000 associates and is the Texas division of Safeway Inc." This raises the question of whether Safeway as well as Randall's policy is involved, and whether the protest of boycotting Randall should be expanded to include Safeway and all of it's subsidiaries. Do you happen to know if they have any subsidiaries on the East Coast?
The only subsidiary I know of on the East Coast is a supermarket called Genuardi's Family Markets. I've seen their advertisements on the television, but I've never shopped there.
Still good to know, Thanks for answereing.
I agree with you. Troy got a raw deal. He deserved much better. I truly believe they should have made an exception in this particular case.
The email for VP Brian Dowling is:
brian.dowling@safeway.com
I believe that Randalls has a public relations disaster in the making. Poor Brian Dowling. Wonder what he's thinking about as he gets ready for bed tonight.
He needs to step up and reverse this decision and get back in the good graces of its customers in particular and the majority of American people in general.
From the looks of things this is exactly what many people are doing. Voting with their pocketbooks.
Hi David.
Sometimes we have to think outside of the box and apply common sense solutions to the many issues we face on a daily basis.
I'm thinking that they made a PR mistake by firing him. I think a more appropriate way to handle it would have been to "counsel" the employee privately. The substance should have been something like "Great work. You were lucky you weren't hurt. Don't ever try that again or we'll fire you."
These are all hypothetical situations you bring up. The facts are that the perpetrator was apprehended and arrested.
The victim got her property back and Randalls was better off for Troy's heroic deed.
I agree with you that they made a PR mistake by giving Troy the "Death Penalty" for committing a misdemeanor.
It could have and should have been handled differently.
"The substance should have been something like "Great work. You were lucky you weren't hurt. Don't ever try that again or we'll fire you."
What a wonderful common-sense solution. You hit the nail on the head.
If not him, then whom? Should we just allow customers to be robbed in broad daylight?
I don't know about plastering the addresses, phone numbers and photos of all the individuals involved in firing Troy, but I do know they acted cowardly when they made the store manager do their dirty work.
I wonder how they now feel about their hastily made decision to fire a real hero. They do need to be held accountable for their decision.
That is what I despise about these cowards. They send out a lowly store manager to do their dirty work. They should be exposed, however providing personal information such as addresses should not be an option. You must remember there are lunatic fringe elements out there. Even these cowards have friends and family.
It's why people in some locals won't help out others in wrecks medically or otherwise. For instance we were warned against that as soldiers, we all have basic and some advance medical skills BUT some had been sued because they hadn't given what was deemed proper care or had been rough in helping out maybe causing further injury.
Since our society does not always protect those trying to help, more and more people/companies won't. Lawyers and the cult of sue, sue, sue....
Hello Charles.
I understand your valid points. However I still believe an exception should have been made in this particular case since Troy's actions resulted in the perpetrator being arrested and the victim getting her property back.
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"This company should be sued for not taking steps to prevent their customers from being attacked in the first place.. but the only security in those stores is there to protect the money .. nobody else!"
Hello Dexter.
My solution is to create a new position and let Troy, our Military Veteran assume the position of Produce Manager/Head of Security.
He obviously qualifies for both positions.
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I helped a guy out of a wreck I witnessed on a highway a couple of years ago. I literally yanked him out of an overturned truck through broken glass and all as the truck was smoking. He was wearing a heavy leather jacket that protected him from the glass luckily or I probably would have needed a lawyer too.
If I owned the store, I wouldn't want to see an employee chase after someone and not because of lawsuits. I wouldn't want to see one of my employees killed or seriously injured.
I was in a supermarket in Boise once when the call over the loudspeaker was "Mr. Chase on Isle 9" or similar words. Every male employee chased out the door after the culprit. Evidently, that was the expectation of the management.
Hi Charles.
If these are concerns of yours, then the logical thing to do would be to hire a security detail.
If I owned the store, I wouldn't want my customers being robbed within my store in broad daylight.
What kind of message does that send? After the victim tells her friends and family about what happened, how many potential customers do you think you will eventually loose?
James we just can't let predators prey on honest Average, Everyday American citizens. It's just night right. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
In principle I agree with you. In practice, I don't expect customers to take a prosecutorial role unless human life is at stake. I still cannot expect my customers to handle the security and risk their lives for my store.
In Idaho we have a "good Samaritan" law protecting those who assist, from lawsuit. It does not extend to doctors, they are expected to know and practice acceptable guidelines and can still be sued if they mess up..
Just to be clear, this has zero to do with "safety" of employees, customers, the thief or anyone else. This has everything to do with liability insurance. If the employee, customer, or even the thief were to be injured, there could be a lawsuit that would potentially cause the company millions (or more accurately, the insurance company).
So the insurance industry requires companies such as Randall's store to put in clauses that effectively protect the insurance carrier.
Unfortunately, thousands of people are killed on the job each year in the U.S., and many of them die because they broke protocols with the best of intentions. Whether it is chasing down a thief or removing a machine guard to get production done faster, too many people get hurt needlessly because they allow emotions to override safety.
While I think firing is extreme, if the store is like most companies it probably has a "step" program (i.e. warning, writing notice, susension, firing).
Our company gets a monthy safety newsletter than chronicles avoidable accidents and injuries on the job. You really have no idea how many people get themselves hurt doing stuff like this.
Sure, if it was my purse I would be delighted if someone got it back for me. But frankly, ITS JUST A PURSE and not worth risking your life over.