Our ASDA in Ashford which is owned by Walmart
Posted on 12/24/2007 3:28:46 PM PST by sionnsar
Yesterday, Anne Kennedy, wife of Stand Firm [Anglican website] staffer Matt Kennedy, got in trouble at her part-time job:
This Thursday Anne was reprimanded at work. She works part-time as a cashier at a newly opened store here in Binghamton. After one of her transactions, a customer wished her a Merry Christmas. Anne responded in kind, "Merry Christmas."
One of her managers was standing nearby and overheard Anne. She stepped into Anne’s cashier booth and whispered, “We don’t say that here.”
“Say what?” Anne asked.
“We don’t say Merry Christmas. We don’t want to be offensive. You need to say ‘Happy Holidays’”.
“I’m sorry, I don’t say that.”
“Well, you can’t say Merry Christmas.”
“I just won’t say anything then.”
“The management doesn’t want anyone saying Merry Christmas but you can greet customers in other ways. ‘Happy Holidays’ is the greeting we’d like to hear.”
"No thank you. I’ll just say ’hello’ or ’good-bye’ and if someone wishes me Merry Christmas, I’ll just say ’thank you. You too.’"
"I just don’t want to hear you say the word ’Christmas’ again."
And now for the punchline.
Now, in order to truly appreciate Anne’s experience, you need to know that the name of the place where Anne works is the “The Christmas Tree Shop."
I wonder how those folks answer the phone. "Hello, Tree of No Particular Significance Whatsoever Shop, how may I help you?"
Sickos everywhere aren’t there.
she should have said, “happy kwanzaa.” i’m guessing she would have had no problem there. :(
I just visited their website. Apparently it’s a whole chain.
Their motto isn’t “Merry Christmas,” as you might expect, but “Don’t you just love a bargain?”
Stuff like this can’t just be made up. Funny as heck, and I’d love to be a fly on the wall to learn what the fallout turns out to be.
It is funny, however, it’s symptomatic of our more widespread willingness to commit cultural suicide. And why can’t Santa Claus have three ho’s (”Ho,Ho,Ho”) as long as it doesn’t interfere with his work?
My jaw has dropped. The Christmas Tree Shop? You’re kidding, right?
So when a customer wishes her a Merry Christmas, they want their employee to be rude and offend that customer by not responding in kind! At this point, it’s bigotry out in the open.
If that’s the customer service desired of employees of The Christmas Tree Shop, I think I’ll skip it and go shop at the Festivus Pole Store.
LOL. Over the last few days, I have had numerous clerks and such wish me a Merry Christmas and I cheerily return the sentiment. No presents for that Grinch.
The Christmas Tree Shop is just a chain that sells all kinds of stuff cheap... It’s not a cute shop that sells nice Christmas things year-round. Its name is misleading.
http://www.christmastreeshops.com
Next time someone wished her a Merry Christmas she should have explained the store’s policy and let the manager explain to the head office why everyone in the Christmas Tree Shop walked out without buying a thing. Bah hum bug!
I did tell her it was supposedly in their newly opened Binghamton store but she still knew nothing and insisted it was not the policy of the chain. So, we may need to research this story further.
Do they sell Eid shrubs?
Check it out at the source, Stand Firm (In Faith).
The story sounds urban legend-y to me. Whenever there is a “punchline” in stories it’s often not true.
If someone is offended by the word Christmas why would they shop in a store with the word Christmas emblazoned above the door?
Can’t say Merry Christmas at The Christmas Tree Shop! Bet they want you to shop there. Shame on them.
Merry Christmas to all! ~Pandora~
gnip
bump...
I tend to agree. I’m keeping an open mind until it’s confirmed by the store itself. Even if it was true, it may have been one individual’s choice, and not the chain’s policy.
After this story gets around, if it IS true, I’m thinking heads are gonna roll.
Our ASDA in Ashford which is owned by Walmart
I would think if true it probably is a local manager who does not like Happy Christmas
I don’t know if this story is true or not, but PC has become so bad that there’s a good possibility it actually is true. The fact that it MIGHT be true is scary in itself.
But I'd say "Merry Christmas" when I came in for my severance check. heh heh heh
Ooh. Wish I’d said that....
INTREP
Anne Kennedy's husband is a FReeper (or at least has visited us from time over the past few years), as well as one of the main contributors to the site Stand Firm in Faith, which I followed for years (until Lent this year) as one of the best sources of news and analysis of the events in the Anglican world. From my knowledge of the players I quite believe it.
The Christmas Tree Shop in Paramus, New Jersey, was a crap emporium that made the dollar store look like Neiman Marcus.
What surprises me is that they’re still in business.
If it IS true, that is one very sad pathetic person. We need to return their hate with love and kindness, even if they don’t deserve it.
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