(no subject)

[nockergeek]

And now, a minor aside.

Apparently, Andy at Pulp Fiction is pissing off his Friday Night Magic players (which are now his only Friday night customers) by not supporting the events actively, not training his Friday night employee(s) on how to run events, and not turning in any results to WotC. WotC has to have proof that FNM is running, or they cancel their support for a store. Furthermore, it seems any attempt to bring this to Andy's attention and ask that he turn the results in ends up with Andy being a total cock to the people involved.

So, he's losing that business, too. And the hits keep on coming! Apparently, he lost his Warmachine crowd, too, as he stopped supporting events for them.

At the rate that he's alienating customers, I give the store 6 months to live, and that's being generous.

Comments

[the-z.livejournal.com]

It's really sad. I liked the store (especially the game room) and the location. I was so excited to have a comic shop in Lee's Summit again.

Everything around it has just soured. I miss the fun times we spent there.

[nockergeek.livejournal.com]

General consensus is, the store itself is great. The person running it, on the other hand, ruins it for everyone.

If someone else bought out the store, I'd go back in a heartbeat. If Andy wasn't involved, it would get my business again.

State of the Store...

[(Anonymous)]

I miss the store the way it was, too. Particularly when a certain daughter-in-law was working there. I'm not much of a gamer, but I liked the atmosphere and the selection of books. Since I had very little contact with Andy, I can't say he did anything to alienate me personally, except the events surrounding the departure of that same daughter-in-law. What a loss!

(frozen) A Response

[kitsuandy.livejournal.com]

Typically, I don't bother to offer up a response when someone throws my name into the mud like this but, with all of the apparent anger at work, I thought I would give it a go... I don't like seeing people post out of anger, bitterness or whatever other emotion that is boiling inside when they don't have all of the facts straight.

First and foremost, the FNM thing. We are indeed reporting the tourneys despite this individual's comments to the contrary. Not sure where he is getting the info from but it is false. I have WotC looking into why "my online submissions or being hung up at the network level" as my Rep put it. So, for those of you reading this, your welcome to show up and play FNM. It is indeed "on" as it were.

As far as Warmachine, well, that is a number of things at fault. Could I have done more/ do more? Probably. Anyone that tells you they have done all they can do in a situation is probably not being honest with themselves. I will say however that having two Press-Gangers flake out on me back to back (one quiting Privateer Press's program alltogether and the other getting exceptionally busy at work and not being able to support the tourneys and whatnotlike they were in the beginning hasn't helped. For that matter, the simple fact that betwee general busy-ness from the players along with the new interest in Confrontation (fan-freekin-tastic game I might add!) and the simple fact that other shops have decided to get into the game have slowed things down a bit. I look forward to seeing Hordes spiking the interest.

Now comes the "fun" part... The emotional end of all of this. You see, I would hazard a guess that most if not all of you reading this were, at one time, my friend. It seems that the fact that I had to let Zee go as an employee go irreprably (sic?) hurt that friendship. I for one would like to throw these few things out there.

For one, despite what you might have assumed, Zee was not let go due to a lack of hours. While I won't go into the reasons why (I don't feel like that is any of your business save for hers), Zee either misunderstood her's and my last conversation or simply didn't want to hear why. I admit, I probably should have been more specific with her but with another person standing there, I didn't feel it was appropriate. As it was in the past so to shall it reamin, my door is always open if any of you want to come talk about this. Just understand that this ultimately is a private matter between her and I so I would ask that you respect that.

Secondly, as corny as this may sound... Shame on all of you. We have been friends for many, many years and - while I can appreciate the loyalty element in supporting Zee (and Rob by default) - NONE of you whom I have known for years and have called friend seemed to want to hear my side of this whole fiasco. It has been one individual whom I have know for the least amount of time who has given me the benefit of the doubt and came and talked to me about this when the shit hit the fan. My hat is off to you Nick! Thank you for being gracious enough to come talk to me about this before making assumptions.

So, I put this as a challenge so-to-speak to any and all of you. My door is open and I am more than willing to discuss this further with Zee, Rob or any of the rest of you (just understand that I won't discuss the "particulars" with anyone save Zee and Rob).

-Andrew

(frozen) Re: A Response

[the-z.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah. I completely misunderstood:

"I haven't had a chance to work out the schedule! Here let me look..."

"Okay."

"You know, maybe it's better if we just end this."

As if it was a bad relationship.

No one at any given time has mistaken your letting me go for a lack of hours. Having hired on two new employees would've pretty much established that you had plenty of hours to go around. You just hadn't thought to notify me that they'd be taking mine.

I didn't misunderstand a thing. How can you call it such when you

Lied
to
my
face.

I hope you manage a family better than your store, for your child's sake. Not to make it personal but everyone to whom I've been speaking has expressed disgust and dismay at the way you're treating your customers and players alike.

Good luck. I have no intention of doing business at your store ever again.

(frozen) Re: A Response

[(Anonymous)]

I think you forgot to say something along the lines of "you asshole" or somesuch.

...as one final aside, you are wrong about being lied to. Jayson was hired before all of this occured and Chris was hired to replace you. Businesses do that when they let employees go. The hours were a problem like I said AND there were other issues that you had created as I also said. I find it unfortunate that you and Rob would rather act this way as opposed to talk about this face to face.

Look, I have no wish to go round and round with you guys on this as it gets no one anywhere. You obviously still have severe issues with me. Hey, no one likes to be let go from a job I imagine... All of this adds up pretty badly. I was merely trying to make a point of saying that should you guys (or anyone else that has issues with me) decide to actually be civil, the doors open.

-Andrew

(frozen) Re: A Response

[nockergeek.livejournal.com]

Andy, she didn't call you an asshole because she didn't want to insult all the assholes in the world.

The thing is, it's not the fact that you fired Z that get us. People get let go for legitimate reasons all the time. You, on the other hand, never gave Z a legitimate reason for why you let her go. As far as she recalls, you never gave her any explanation of "other issues that [she] had created." By never giving her a list of other issues, you never gave her a chance to refute these issues. Fortunately, I have heard your side of the story from the one person that you didn't declare shame on, and the explanation you gave him - that "a customer" told you that Z left the store unlocked and unattended while she got into a car and drove off to get food - rings of so much untruth that I don't even know where to begin. Nevermind the fact that she wasn't fired until after she called you on the fact that you left the doors unlocked overnight, and in response you offered to cut her hours in half so... I'm really not sure why. Was it so that she wouldn't have to deal with the messes you leave behind on Sunday night? How magnanimous of you.

Honestly, though, at this point it doesn't matter. It's not like she wants the job back - at least, not while you'd be her manager. I've never seen someone so happy to be fired, because it meant she got out of the emotionally toxic environment you'd created. You'd accuse her of things that either she hadn't done, or over which she had no control. Monday sales are bad? It's Z's fault, despite the fact that you gave her no tools with which to increase those sales. Not like she can make people buy things, or suggestive sell a side of fries with their comics. Z wasn't working hard enough, or wasn't doing things the right way, but you never bothered to tell her what more she could do, or how to do things differently. In the end, you'd turned the job from one that she loved and enjoyed to one where she couldn't wait to leave - but she didn't want to give you the satisfaction of getting her to quit.

If there is shame on me for anything, it's the fact that I gave you the benefit of the doubt almost right until the end. Z would come to me and tell me how you would shoot down any suggestions she made, or how you would accuse her of "laziness" and such, and I, thinking that you were some sort of rational human being, would tell her that maybe she just wasn't working with you hard enough, and maybe she could find ways so that you couldn't use that excuse any more. In retrospect, though, I see that she was right all along. I won't make that mistake again - fool me once, shame on me, fool me twice, shame on you.

So really, Andy, you're free to keep believing that you're the innocent small business owner who's done no wrong. The fact that everyone I've talked to about the situation - especially those people who know you personally - doesn't buy that paints an entirely different picture. I'm not being uncivil; I'm just calling it like my friends and I see it.

(frozen) Re: A Response

[kitsuandy.livejournal.com]

You know Rob, I am by far not afraid to admit that I should have been more specific with Zee about the reasons why but, as I said before, I did not feel comfortable with discussing it in front of another person.... and for that, I am sorry. When there were times that I called to question the quality/ efficiency of Zee's work, sure I probably could have put it more succinctly then I had and for that I am sorry.

What I am not sorry for however is the fact that I choose to remain quiet about all of this and simply let Zee go as opposed to dragging a friend (well actually both friends as in you and her) through the mud. I was merely trying to keep friendships intact. One could make a great argument on why she, if things were so toxic as you say, did not come discuss this with me sooner? But I supose it is easier to stand back and look all indignant and p.o'd with me instead of actually discussing this with me personally. Instead the two of you sit here and bash me well after this has all happened. It's a shame is all.

I did the best I could at the time... I am sorry that it wasn't enough to remain friends.

(frozen) Re: A Response

[the-z.livejournal.com]

I have tried to discuss things with you in the past only to be shut out with terse replies or abrupt subject changes. I wanted to discuss why helpful suggestions about closing procedures led you to cut my hours suddenly, but instead, you were going through a drive-thru and didn't 'have time' to discuss it. It seems you didn't have time for much of your business. I hear you've already failed to train the new employees properly, which doesn't surprise me because you pretty much left Dennis and I to fend for ourselves too. Trying to get in contact with you via cellphone was a joke most of the time. Even DJ agreed in frustration that you were largely unavailable.

Stop trying to pass the blame. The fact is, you could have asked me into the back to speak with me if you needed to before you let me go. You could have called me on the phone the moment you heard the news. You could have discussed any of this with me, but either I wasn't important enough or you just couldn't muster the gumption to do it.

I see why so many friendships with you just wither on the vine. You're careless, inconsiderate, lazy, and a slob. You're passive aggressive and always seem to fool yourself into believing you're on the moral high ground.

Maybe this was just like a nasty romantic relationship. And I'm done with you and your lame excuses and rationalizations.

[yukimi.livejournal.com]

I'm laughing so much right now.

I did find it interesting when you brought up the fact that Z CAN'T DRIVE and he baldfaced lied to Nick about her getting in a car and DRIVING away he still didn't respond to it.

Z's better off not being forced to work with someone who expects her to put up with passive aggressive behavior and thinks he's not acocuntable for it because he's the boss. I've never seen someone squirm out of repsonsibility for something more in my life.