Malfoyish

Hi,

Thought of this story when I came across this board...

I applied for a part time job at my local Blockbuster Video. It was a couple of years ago, somewhere around October or November of 2002, and I was looking for holiday employment. We have three kids, a lot of bills and something had to be done as far as a secondary income.

Ok. So I go in, fill out an application. I met with their assistant manager, who then tells me to come back for an interview. I made an appointment for the following day, then went in, dressed in good clothes, hair brushed, teeth shining, you name it...I was presentable. (I left the baby-puke stained clothes at home!!) The interview went smoothly, and I made it clear to the assistant manager that the only thing I could not do was answer the phones. I shouldn't have any trouble checking out movies, or even putting them back on the shelves.

Days go by. At the time I applied, I was also a faithful customer of theirs. I rented movies frequently, mainly because I never was able to follow them in theaters. So, I start seeing new people behind their counters. People who weren't working there at the time I applied.

I go home, get my TTY out, blow out the dust bunnies and get their manager on the phone. I'm not afraid to say his name because he's a real jerk, and I WANT THE ENTIRE WORLD TO KNOW. His name was Michael Rose. So, once I get him on the phone, I asked what happened with my application and why it was that I haven't been called back regarding my interview.

It's at that time that he tells me that I don't meet the minimum requirements for the job. Gosh, I don't even understand why, but I started crying then. Minimum requirements for working at a video store??? What minimum requirements???? How much do you need to be able to do??? How much is there to alphabetizing some movies and putting them back on shelves? Just how advanced do you have to be to take people's money and ring up a sale at the registers? I was about 23 years old at the time, and here, they had sixteen, seventeen year old high school students working for them. I was insulted. VERY hurt and insulted.

Some background 411 on me - I'm deaf, but I have the cochlear implant and I am oral...have been since I was a child, so my speech is understandable and I had NO trouble at all during the interview...so you can imagine my confusion here. I wanted to scream at Mister Michael Rose over the phone and ask him just WHAT his minimum requirements for the job were...blonde hair, blue eyes, two perfect ears, and a size zero waist???? Was that it??

I should have done something about it back then, but I didn't have the time, energy or desire. I did find another job, one that I still have today. I work at a local Toys R Us. The pay is lousy, but it's still something, right?? And they hired me regardless of my hearing loss and I've made some good friends there.

As for my renting videos...I go to Hollywood Video now. Blockbuster can kiss my arse.

Malfoyish

Deafness

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Deaf258

I really feel your pain, dude. I have been in the same shoes!! It's not easy and that is what I did, find a job elsewhere and take my business with me. Before I read your post, I already love and go to Hollywood Video, and I totally hate BlockBuster.

sethmantooth

Yeah Hollywood is much easier and cheaper than BlockBuster. Hollywood you can hold video up to five days. BlockBuster only hold up to 3 days. Hollywood give you much more time to finish the movies without have to go back again and again to get different videos at each time. I also noticed that employments at Hollywood treat customer better. Nicer employments means nicer managers.

Oddball

I did apply job at Blockbuster years ago, I never had a call for interview at all. Fook Blockbuster!! LOL

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VamPyroX

Hey! Don't say that about Blockbuster! It was probably just your local store. You can call that Blockbuster and ask for the phone number to the district manager. (They should have the phone number listed on the backboard behind the cash registers/computers in the store.) If you still have problems, call headquarters. They're very understanding.

I have friends who work/worked at Blockbuster. One of them has CI and can speak orally. She can't use the phone though. Another one is hard-of-hearing and can understand clearly. She rarely uses the phone and usually lets another employee answer the phone. Another is deaf but can lip-read very well. They all worked at different times and for almost a year each. They quit due to school and other personal issues. However, they all got the job and it was great. Even now, there's a gal working at my local Blockbuster who knows how to sign. She has high respect for deaf customers too.

Now, let's move on to me...

I've been saying "local video store" for about two years here in AllDeaf. I was saying that to avoid revealing too much detail about myself. To tell you the truth, that "local video store" that I worked at... was Blockbuster Video. No, it wasn't just a Blockbuster Video location. I worked at over 10 different locations. I earned a "star" badge for working there for over 2 years. I worked from June 1995 part-time until the end of summer 1995 when I started working full-time. I got promoted to manager by 1996. I continued working until November 1999 and left due to coming to RIT. I did go back to work for them for 3 months during the summer of 2001. While working at my location, I would be called to cover shifts at many other locations. After getting promoted to manager, I was called out more often to cover other shifts because they knew they could depend on me. I was transfered 3 times. I was transfered from one store to another store that was 5 miles south. I was then transfered to another store that was 20 miles north from my second store. I was then transfered back to the second store later. I also covered shifts at over 10 other locations. I even helped with opening 4 stores, including the location at headquarters.

This is becoming like the Target issue. A deaf person has a bad experience with one store and every other deaf person decides to avoid that store. They should stop blaming the whole thing and focus on that one store.

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kuifje75

I am tired of deaf people trying to find scapegoats to blame for their inablity to find jobs. They need to readjust their attitude and perhaps they would be more cheerful and friendly, and have a better chance to be hired for their attitude readjustment!

VamPyroX

I see it all the time. They have a problem with one, they blame all... jeez!

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sweetgal154

Ok just because they were wrong to discriminate you for not letting you work there doesn't mean you need to judge that other stores would be the same. It's the people who are narrow-minded, or has not exposed to deaf culture. During my sophomore year, it took me two months to find a decent job, yes I've gotten rejected by other places but that didn't stop me from looking at other jobs.

I normally don't have any problems when I come in as a customer to buy something but there was one time when a deaf friend and I went to Subway just a few miles away from Williamsport. We came in and my friend wanted me to interpret for her so we had this lady who was in her mid-50s and she was staring at us, as if she never saw a deaf person before. So when my friend wanted something, I'd voice it over, and she'd be mocking like she couldn't understand me, but the other employee did understand me well. I was a little bit offended, and then later when my friend wanted to pay, it was maybe about 6 bucks total. She handed the lady the 20 bucks, and guess how much my friend got back? FOUR DOLLARS. I said excuse me, you were supposed to give us $10 more back, she gave you the twenty bucks, and she went all off accusing us for stealing, and me and my friend just stared at each other. I asked for the manager, so the manager came out and I was basically telling the manager that I didn't like the way she behaved towards us and that my friend did give the 20 bucks to her but only gave my friend back the 4 bucks and the other customer saw it as well. The manager apoloized to me and gave my friend the 10 bucks. We left, and I decided to go online and report to the district manager about the whole incident, they apoloized. My friend went back again a month later and she wasn't in Subway anymore.

Malfoyish

Hi,

Well...you're right...but that one store is pretty much the closest Blockbuster to where I live, anyway. Not to mention the fact that this man is the manager at both locations!! Sooooo....I just have no desire to go there anymore. Why should I give them business? I was there all the time, renting movies, buying movies, you name it...and th I should have done something, like contact the district manager, but like I said, I didn't have the energy for it. I did find a job elsewhere...

But the truth of the matter is - some people are not hired because the manager in question just doesn't want to take a chance with a deaf person. Most of us have had bad experiences with potential hirers, so...what can we really do? It's happened to me more than once...at more than one location. So...ahh, you'll have to excuse me for being a bit skeptical about this Blockbuster manager's intentions. No one but him knows his reasons for not giving me a chance...but, eh...that was a while back. No hard feelings, right? Really...relax. I'm not gonna go into all of the Blockbusters in the state with an AK-47. Not over a stupid job, anyway. I'm glad that some of you have had better experiences though.

But, yanno what? I'm glad I wasn't hired. Not there, anyway. I am happy with where I am now...and I've got friends there, two years' experience, and I do feel better about my ability to get a job.

Talk to you soon, thanks for your opinions.

Malfoyish

Cheri

Hum... It has nothing to do with Attitude it has something to do with Being Discriminated. Some places do not hire deaf/oral/Ci Because they are scared or think that they cant do the job properly.. I am tired of seeing people blaming deaf for their complain if u walk their walks u'll know the feeling. I feel for u Mayfloyish.. I been there did that done that. *smile*

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Levonian

Every month a new thread of this type pops up on this message board. Not that I’m complaining—it’s one of my favorite topics. But if you go back and reread all of these threads, you’ll see a very clear pattern of responses. The person who starts the thread claims that he or she has been discriminated against by a well known retail or service chain. Others will chime in, backing up the thread starter with similar stories of their own negative experiences with that chain. But an equal number will come to the defense of that chain with glowing reports of positive experiences that they and their friends have had with the very same company. 90% of the time the person who starts the thread presents a well reasoned case, and backs up their argument with enough information to show that there is at least some cause for suspicion. Most of the time I am inclined to agree that they were probably discriminated against because they are deaf. But what about the other half who come to the defense of that company and provide equally sound arguments that they have never experienced any sort of discrimination by them? If the corporation as a whole practiced across the board discrimination against deaf people, then both scenarios can’t possibly be true. The only possible explanation seems to be that it is the individual outlets within that chain that are practicing discrimination. Think about it a second—can you imagine what would happen if a major U.S. corporation maintained an internal policy of not hiring deaf employees? Even if this policy were unwritten and maintained only by oral agreement between the officers of the company? All it would take is for one disgruntled executive to blow the whistle and all hell would break loose.

But the managers of the individual stores within that company are essentially kings of their own little world. Obviously, your local McDonald’s manager does not report to corporate HQ when he hires a cashier or a fry cook. Corporate has better things to do—that’s the manager’s job. So if he doesn’t want to have to deal with deaf employees within his own little fiefdom, then there’s a pretty good chance that he can get away with it. Obviously, it happens. Deaf people are discriminated against in employment because they are deaf. We all know that. We all know that 50% of all hearing people who meet a Deaf person think that they’ve encountered some sort of drooling space monster from the planet Froonobulax, and that their immediate reaction is to lock the children in the basement and barricade all the doors. And everybody knows that McDonald’s managers are not exactly Darwinian success stories. So the bottom line is that when a deaf person experiences discrimination in employment while working or applying for work in a local franchise of a national corporation, then in all probability they have been singled out only by the management of that particular franchise, and very likely by a single individual.

So my opinion is that the best course of action is to take your grievance to corporate HQ and see what they say. Even if you don’t get a job, there’s a pretty good chance that you can ruffle some feathers in the process. And that’s always fun.

nozobo

yeah I agree with you Cheri... When I was hired two year ago at my old job SuperTarget, I applied for cashier position and was hired and they want me to collect cart baskets or work on the salesfloor not cashier, I ask them why... They simply told me they think I can do the job properly... I told them have you seen me do it unproperly? no so I told them to give me a week so which they did... end of that day they want me to continue cuz I learned how to do the cashier position instantly unlike another cashier learned how to do everything correctly in a day or two... then I left my job to go other states then returned back to Colorado and apply for my same position again either as part time or full time... I did went into interview again and wasn't hired, they told me they were overstaffed for the holidays. Luckily I went home to look at job ads in the newspaper and see "Walmart Supercenter-all postions opening available" so I applied for cashier position at Walmart... the people were so darn nice to me and my head supervisor did ask me to see if I had actual experiences on cashier postion etc... ofc I told the truth and all... After the Walmart grandopening... last week I saw my old supervisor at my job and she want to know if I can go back to Walmart... I told they didn't want to hire me back so I found a same position at different stores with friendly staffs and it pay more better than my old job... they go but I told them sorry their loss for not hiring me back but I still do like SuperTarget anyway... if I see something I like that Walmart doesn't sell then I will buy it anyway...

VamPyroX

Technically, each store can only have one store manager. It's usually the store manager that does the interviews. If there was a specific situation, then maybe... it's possible for two small stores to have the same store manager. The reason why stores have only one store manager is because they have duties and expectations that are to be done at least 5 times a week at one location. It would be odd for a store manager to be working at two locations cuz that would mean twice the amount of work... meaning 80 hours a week of work. Secondly, they are paid by salary... not by wage (salary: one same amount weekly; wage: by the hour). That salary is calculated on a 45-hour basis. That manager would have to be an idiot to be working at two locations.

My other thought is, that manager is probably covering shifts at another store and that's probably why you saw him at both locations. I've covered so many shifts that frequent customers would recognize me thinking that I had transfered to that store. Heh!

Did you try talking to the district manager? If you want, I could give that store a call for you and see what's going on.

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Malfoyish

Nah...no harm, no foul. It's over with and done. I'm pretty sure that they've made it a point to forget all about me...

Just wanted to share this with you all...I was by no means "whining" about it. It was just one of those things that offended me more, and I do believe it was because of my deafness that I wasn't hired there...I mean - come on. What can a sixteen-year-old high school kid do that I can't? This was definitely discrimination and I know a lot of people who frequent these boards have experienced this at one point or another.

Hopefully not too many though.

Catch you soon!

Y

I can feel ya Malfoyish about the
employment discrimination everywhere..
thanks for sharing.. Vamp is also right
that this depend on who is the store manager
at each Blockbuster. However, if a person
plan to file a lawsuit then it should focus
on the Blockbuster itself.

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Liebling:-)))

Malyoisch, I know an exactly how you feeling & also your pain, too. It's terrible to see you being hurt by them.

I'm total surprised when I read all of threads over decriminalize for a first time because I always thought America is the best than Europe over disability rights.

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Ziusudra

Hmm, well I've had a bad experience with a store, it was a store with paintings and things like that. Anyway, it was in Sydney, I was buying my dad a nice picture of Sydney, and the guy in the store figured out I was deaf and gave me incorrect change (granted, he was using a calculator) but I felt suspicious and I had a feeling he tried to rip me off because being deaf I wouldn't know... anyway, I'm not too good at maths, but even I could tell that I had been ripped off, I told my friends and a hearing friend who could sign marched in the store and demanded the change. The guy reluctantly handed it over.

I haven't come across any other people like that so far... as for video stores, Video Ezy here (Australia), in one of the local stores where I live, they're pretty pricey but a local store had been revamped and a sign was painted outside (New Friendly Staff management) and I went into the store and it was true, the staff were polite and friendly and didn't charge us for overdue weeklys because it was my boyfriend's birthday! How nice of them... but another woman who was working there clearly didn't know what she was talking about because she said that the Dumb and Dumberer DVD didn't have subtitles because it was in English... I was surprised but I checked and it did have English subtitles but I realised she must have meant it wasn't in another language. I think people who don't know their DVD/video stuff shouldn't be working in a video store.

Liza

Looks like it was definitely discrimination in your case, and you just needed to rant here. Ouch, sorry about that BallBuster in your area!

Liza

Well put! That's funny how you put it - very observant.. but I like it.

Frisky Feline

AMEND TO IT! TRUE

Liza

I think Malfy was talking only about her local BB. Didnt get an idea of it being in general. I do think being discriminated in business that is in a certain area is still a disappointment regardless of how you feel about the corporation. She just needed to get it off her chest, unless I'm mistakened. Her feelings are still valid. Thats cool you had good experiences with BB.

Liza

Hehe... some people will always have their opinions of how things work everywhere, right? There'll be always people who are nervous about trusting deaf peeps because they were raised that way by their parents and grandparents and so on..... sort of sad, but hey, we're here to bust that old system right?

Malfoyish

Oh, no problem. They'll just eventually find and have to clean off the wadded-up gum I left under the "New Releases" shelves. :::snicker:::

Liebling:-)))

Yeah, I know

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Levonian

I’ve got a better idea. First, go rent Dr. Seuss on VHS. Then record over it with hard core porn, starting at a point a few minutes into the movie. Then cap off the end of the porno segment with a brief plug for your favorite ambulance chasing lawyer. Drive around to other stores and do this a few more times. Kick back and watch the results.

Malfoyish

Oh, Levonian! I absolutely love how your primate-brain works!!!! OMG!!! That is definitely worth a shot...costly, but hmmm...I'd make headlines! LOL.

VamPyroX

I was referring to everyone else's posts saying that they were gonna "fuck Blockbuster" because of what Malfoyish said. It's the same thing with Target. One person has a problem with one Target, and everyone decides to boycott all Targets.

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tekkmortal

If you can get those stores closed, can I have those DVDs so I can watch the movies for free?

Angel

It's Easier said than done , for example: Imagine how many deaf people's attitudes is growing thin and being discouraged after going from one employment to another seeking work...knowing fully well the underlying reasons for not being considered or hired simply because of not being able to hear...time again and again, whether they maintain a cheerful and friendly appearance/attitude or doing other things to show that they're more than capable of doing a specific job and fulfilling it's quota of the job description...being turned away constantly is exceedingly a hard thing to deal with such issues as discrimination even if there are 'laws' in this aspect...

Malfoyish has every right to feel however she feels in the situation with Blockbuster...She did NOT say you shouldn't go to blockbuster anymore because of the discrimination she had experience....All She was doing is getting it off her chest!...

I sympathize with Malfoyish for what she gone thru.....I understand how you feels... *hugs*

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PyrollisAhFiros

I worked at a grocery store for 5 years and I had this store manager that managed like 2 or 3 stores at one time. He left to go on to become one of the higher ranks at the coroprate offices, I'm not sure which position he's holding right now, but they promoted him to a higher rank, obviously based on his hard working activities at the two or three stores.

Vampyrox, it is possible to manage more than one store at one time, as I have told you about this guy who was my store manager.

I interviewed this guy, who's the store manager of McDonalds, in Rochester and he told me that he is currently managing 6 different McDonalds at that time. He said it's very hard but once you get the hang of it, it's kinda easy.