Employer policies that remove incentives to perform well aren’t going to work out for the company’s bottom line. Especially if you have a staff member like this one!

Check out how he got back at his employer in a huge way.

No commission? Well, no profit!

Years ago, I used to work at this computer store in NYC near Bryant Park.

The base pay was $300/week, and you make commission. You get 10% of the profit. But you must exceed $300 in commission to get anything.

So this worker was geared up to cash in.

The store had a unique ability where people could haggle with us over pricing.

When we scan an item into the computer, it gave us some info, like how many in stock and so on. There was an “encoded” line that showed us how much the item costs to the store. That’s how commission was calculated.

It was something stupid, like H45S99 means that the company buys this item at $45.99. It was encoded so your customer couldn’t really see it.

I was mostly in the software department, selling computer games and stuff like that. So commission was never a thing there, due to thin margins. One day I was finally transferred “downstairs” where computers, cameras, and other big ticket items were sold.

One week I meticulously documented all my sales. I was supposed to get somewhere around $630 in commissions, so I was expecting a decent check.

A stupid policy foiled his efforts. He made them regret it.

Pay slip comes in, $300, minus taxes. I went to the office to find what gives. They told me that one day I punched in 3 minutes late, and for being late, I forfeited all the commission, per company policy.

I got ticked off and decided a small payback is in order. For the next two weeks, I sold everything at-cost. I had repeat customers, who came straight to me, saying that they wanted to buy something for a friend, but nobody would give them the same deal as I did.

After those two weeks, I get summoned to the office. They have a printout of each one of my sales. Total profit to the company over two weeks from me: $0.32.

I get questioned about it. And that’s when I reminded them of that one time they refused to pay me commissions due to me being late three minutes.

He wasn’t done teaching them a lesson.

I did not get fired. I was asked to make sure that I do not do that ever again. Guess what I did for the next week? Same thing. Sure, I did get fired after that. But I really hated this job and had zero issues leaving it.

Rumor is that people started to do the same thing that I did after I was fired. No commission? Sell everything at-cost. The company later repealed that policy.

A few years later the company did close that location down. They also had one in Long Island, that didn’t last long.

They are still around, as a small hole-in-the-wall store that sells electronics. Nowhere the size that they were before.

I certainly hope that I had some impact on their company fate though. It was run by complete jerks.

Here is what folks are saying.

Yep. No accountability.

Sounds like it.

It’s almost wholesome in a strange way.

Maybe he scored you those deals. LOL

Because getting sued or arrested is not a win. That’s why.

Policies need to make sense for both parties.

If you liked that post, check out this one about an employee that got revenge on HR when they refused to reimburse his travel.