Macy's is a famous retail store with a strong connection to the Christmas holiday. From the "Miracle on 34th Street", the Thanksgiving parade, holiday seasonal workers, long store hours for the customers and all the Christmas dcorations in the store, it's a fun and magical place.
Of course, whenever there is fun, there is always someone who wants to ruin the fun.
The Scrooge I will discuss is Michelle Range, one of the mid-level managers who runs some of the women's clothing departments on the 3rd floor of the store!
(and yes, I am using REAL NAMES HERE! None of this BS "phony names to protect the guilty" crap from me!)
She has a problem with me wearing a (oh my god....... noooooooo!) Santa hat on the job!
Who in their right mind would have a problem with someone wearing a Santa hat at MACY'S ?
This letter was written on 12/18/11 concerning what happened the night before!
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From : Pablo Wegesend (recovery associate)
To: Mimi (my note: this person is the head manager of the store)
Subject : Santa hats
I am writing this letter because it has come to my attention that Michelle (the 3rd floor manager) was telling Patricia Carrera [my direct supervisor] that I wasn’t supposed to be wearing a Santa hat because the dress code for store associates supposedly prohibits the wearing of hats!
When I was working the last holiday season at the Macy’s in Kahala Mall, the Santa hat was never an issue. I wore it the week before Christmas, and I have not heard anyone having a problem with it. Because it was never an issue when I was working at the Kahala Macy’s, it is my gut feeling that this prohibition on Santa hats is not coming from Macy’s headquarters. I am not sure who is the person who decided to prohibit Santa hats, and I am willing to give you the benefit of the doubt, as I am guessing Michelle was just being unflexible in enforcing a “no hats policy”.
Macy’s is known by many as a great place to come during Christmas holiday season. From the “Miracle on 34th Street” to the Thanksgiving parades to the long hours on the week before Christmas, it is very shocking that anyone within the Macy’s organization would have a problem with me wearing a Santa hat!
When I wear the Santa hat on the job, many children and adults smile and greet me! In fact, their reactions lift up my spirits just when I’m about to feel tired. It gives me the energy and motivation to keep going.
It would be a tragedy if Macy’s associates are banned from wearing Santa hats. If that issue was ever to be made public, either through Facebook, Twitter, the local news, CNN, Fox News, YouTube or talk radio, it is guaranteed to be a public relations disaster at a time when Macy’s can least afford one.
I hope that the store associates can continue wearing the Santa hats with pride this holiday season. I am also hoping that you can clarify this issue to all managers and staff, in order to protect us from mid-level managers who enforce rules that defy common sense. And then we can all move on and provide exceptional service with a Christmas spirit for the rest of the holiday season.
Mahalo,
Pablo Wegesend
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I was going to give this letter to Mimi personally on 12/18/11! I was off that day! I saw my direct supervisor that day, and she said she didn't see Mimi that day! (And yes, I walked in with that Santa hat) I left that note, and was hoping that Mimi was going to handle the issue internally!
Well, yesterday Tuesday, Scrooge (aka Michelle Range) saw me on the 3rd floor with the Santa hat!
Though she is normally just the manager of some women's clothing section, she was the substitute manager of the store that night!
She thought she was going to intimidate me into taking off the Santa hat! She tried to tell me repeatedly to take off that hat!
I quietly reminded her of the Christmas spirit that Macy's was known for!
She didn't want to hear it!
I told her I will come and talk to Mimi tomorrow about this! Scrooge( aka Michelle Range) said "you can wear it tomorrow, but I'm the EIC of tonight, so take it off now!" (imagine her saying that with a diva voice)
(also, notice that it sounds like she's making up her own rules! Otherwise, she wouldn't say "you can wear it tomorrow" when she's not scheduled to be the substitute store manager aka EIC)
I also told her that issue can bring bad publicity and I WILL SPREAD IT!
She got interrupted by the company's cell phone! And I walked away with my Santa hat on!
She didn't bother me for the rest of the night! I went on with my Santa hat on, acting like nothing happened!
One of the 3rd floor sales associate saw that happened, and told me that is how Michelle Range operates! I that sales associate "you're a witness, I'll bring it up to Mimi tomorrow". And I wrote down that sales associate's name! (that's right Michelle Range, someone else might finally have the guts to testify against you! Your diva act has its limits)
I didn't talk about the issue with anyone else that night! They saw me smiling as usual! They thought I was just smiling because I can be the lovable fun guy! They didn't realize that Scrooge (aka Michelle Range) tried to get tough with me and LOST THE BATTLE!
I'm not the type of guy who goes the nearest person to whine about my problems! I just don't operate that way! I just operate like nothing happened!
( a good skill for salesperson anyways : angry customer got on your nerves? We still greet the next customer like NOTHING HAPPENED)
But I WILL NOT BE SILENCED!
SANTA WILL NOT BE DISRESPECTED LIKE THAT!
No, I dont whine to my co-workers about it! They got nothing to do with it! I just want to distract myself and enjoy their company!
But I WILL bring this up to Mimi and the higher-ups at Macy's!
And I WILL contact as media outlets as possible!
That's right, Michelle Range, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU WERE MESSING WITH!
I might have a soft personality at times, I might be conflict-avoidant at times, BUT DO NOT LET THAT FOOL YOU!
No, I'm NOT interested in physical threats.
I'm interested in having ALL the fans of Christmas, Santa, and ALL the Macy's shoppers to stand up for me!
But MORE IMPORTANTLY, I want all the fans of Christmas, Santa and Macy's TO STAND UP FOR THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT!
Tell the world how much the Santa hat inspires you! Tell the world how happy it feels to see a Macy's store associate wear a Santa hat! Tell the world that the Christmas tradition shall not be disrespected!
What will happen next, I don't know!
Some would prefer I handle this internally! I understand such concerns!
BUT I WILL NOT BE SILENCED!
Some say "just do what your boss says". I've been honoring my boss's requests 99% of the time! But I am NOT an ass kisser!
The USA was NOT founded by ass kissers!
I'm taking a stand!
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PS: Here is the contact information for Ala Moana Macy's
1450 Moana Boulevard
Honolulu, HI 96814
808/941-2345
I do encourage you to let them know how you feel, but PLEASE KEEP IT CIVIL! I want the store to know how hurt the customers are in hearing this news, NOT voices of loud rage!
