buy a Harley, loose your job

[superdave013]

Well, that's what happens if you work here.
http://www.babbittssportscenter.com/contactus.htm
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When Tom Kekoni showed up for work at Babbitt's Sports Center on May 17, he had no idea it would be his last day.
That morning, a sales manager approached Kekoni, a 46-year-old certified mechanic, and asked him whether he had made a certain recent purchase.
The mechanic acknowledged he had, and the sales manager informed him that he didn't need to punch in for work.
Kekoni thought the guy was teasing him.
"Too late, I already did," Kekoni responded.
A little later, the sales manager again approached Kekoni, asking if he believed him.
Kekoni said he did, but he wanted to "hear it from the horse's mouth," referring to his boss, Eddie Babbitt.
Babbitt then fired Kekoni.
The reason?
Kekoni had just bought a 2005 Harley-Davidson Superglide motorcycle. Babbitt's sells products that compete with Harley, such as Yamaha and Polaris.
"How would it look if my mechanic drives in on a competitor's product?" Babbitt said.
Both Kekoni and Babbitt admit to the firing, which broke no laws.
According to Jack Finn, an administrator with the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth, Babbitt did nothing illegal.
"Michigan employment is termed 'at will', and as a result an employer can terminate an employee without cause," Finn said.
Kekoni and Babbitt sharply disagree over whether a policy existed against owning competitors' products.
Kekoni, 47, alleges no such thing existed. "There was no policy," he said.
Babbitt, meanwhile, claims the policy always has existed. "It's been a standing policy here forever," he said.
Babbitt added that Kekoni should have been tipped off to the policy by two incidents prior to his firing.
The first was a firing about a month before Kekoni's. Babbitt terminated another employee for buying a Honda off-road motorcycle from a different vendor.
Before that, Kekoni said he approached a sales manager concerning some used Harley bikes in Babbitt's showroom. After Kekoni inquired about purchasing them, he said the sales manager told him, "You don't want to do that."
Kekoni said it wasn't clear to him why the sales manager responded the way he did.
He would later end up buying the bike through Sandy's Harley-Davidson in Fremont, and it already had been shipped when the other employee was fired.
Shortly after letting Kekoni go, Babbitt said his business came under fire from Harley sympathizers and owners.
"I've been blasted online ... it's not easy being the boss," he said.
Kekoni said he learned nothing can be done legally. He remains upset about the reasoning behind his firing.
"Everybody in my opinion has the right to own and buy what they feel they want to have," he said. "It shouldn't be dictated to you by your boss."
Kekoni said he plans to keep the bike.
"It's a helluva thing to get fired over."

[CandyA$$]

http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/1/1_4_113.gif ('http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb008_ZN')
WTF!
That is just childish, they could of said never bring it to work, Sheesh

[Liberator TJ1984]

Shouda given the boss a GOOD Reason for firing him :devil: like a monkey wrench to the side of his head and a boot in his ass :coffeycup

[Jbb]

If he is a qualified tech...he should have no problem finding plenty of work...

[Miss Perfect]

If he is a qualified tech...he should have no problem finding plenty of work...
That is exactly what I was thinking. Who would want to work for a guy like that anyways!

[CrazyHippy]

If he is a qualified tech...he should have no problem finding plenty of work...
Especially on Hardlies... damn things vibrate the mirrors off.... :hammerhea
Better not show up to work on a Yamaha though :wink:
BJH

[SummitKarl]

I would take that new harley
back it up to the windows of the Babbit's store and REV SHOT!!!!!!!!!
bye, bye windows,
and repeat as replaced
then call the ACLU, as Babbit did in fact break the American Civil Liberty's act
that say's a employer cannot force his own personel opinions/beliefs on a employee.

[superdave013]

Especially on Hardlies... damn things vibrate the mirrors off.... :hammerhea
Better not show up to work on a Yamaha though :wink:
BJH
haha, I was thinking the same thing. He's got a new Harley so he should have plenty to work on. lol
j/k harley guys

[HCS]

Go to work for Harley.
That would be like my work telling me I have to drive a Nissan. Don't think so.

[Chris Winn]

Go to work for Harley.
That would be like my work telling me I have to drive a Nissan. Don't think so.
i was thinking the same thing, there has to be soem form of law broken here, such as that policy shoudl have been in writing. but, i think that if they are that simple minded as to fire someone for that, then he was better off int he long run working elsewhere.
i think that teh harley dealer shoudl built themselves some killer PR and hire him in a very public manner and take the ponential buisness from that dealer.
i would not buy from that dealer after learning of that policy........

[superdave013]

Go to work for Harley.
That would be like my work telling me I have to drive a Nissan. Don't think so.
In my home town of Anderson, Indiana if you worked for Delco or Guide Lamp they would frown on your Nissan in their parking lot. They prolly would not fire you but your co workers would prolly kick your ass.
I don't know if it's still that way but it sure used to be.

[CrazyHippy]

*snip* They prolly would not fire you but your co workers would prolly kick your ass.
I don't know if it's still that way but it sure used to be.
That's fine. Kinda like community policing :D
The other techs should have just sat back and laughed at all the problems the bike ended up w/
BJH

[UnionJack]

people get fired over stupid things

[CandyA$$]

Not in an "at will" work state. You can be terminated because they don't like the color of your eyes.
Oh I don't like that you have blue eyes, http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/3/3_7_10v.gif ('http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb008_ZN')!

[wildbillg]

so this is what an ass looks like
http://babbittssportscenter.com/siteImages/staff/eddie.JPG
Eddie Babbit Jr.
ebabbitt@babbittsonline.com
BABBITT'S SPORTS CENTER LLC
3712 AIRLINE RD
MUSKEGON, MI 49444-3907
Phone: (231) 737-9241
Toll Free: (800) 824-3308
Fax: (231) 773-5700
Email: info@babbittsonline.com
wonder if they need a flood of emails???
or a flood of calls on their 800 #
WHAT A DICK HEAD! ! ! ! :burningm: :lightsabe

[CandyA$$]

so this is what an ass looks like
http://babbittssportscenter.com/siteImages/staff/eddie.JPG
Eddie Babbit Jr.
ebabbitt@babbittsonline.com
BABBITT'S SPORTS CENTER LLC
3712 AIRLINE RD
MUSKEGON, MI 49444-3907
Phone: (231) 737-9241
Toll Free: (800) 824-3308
Fax: (231) 773-5700
Email: info@babbittsonline.com
wonder if they need a flood of emails???
or a flood of calls on their 800 #
WHAT A DICK HEAD! ! ! ! :burningm: :lightsabe
Are you suggesting something? Mmmmm

[Sleek-Jet]

I think everyone that owns a Harley should be fired.... :D :notam:
Sounds like the guy is probably better off anyway...

[piper]

Are you suggesting something? Mmmmm
Yeah, stop posting so much and start e-mailing Babbit instead.

[Kilrtoy]

I would take that new harley
back it up to the windows of the Babbit's store and REV SHOT!!!!!!!!!
bye, bye windows,
It will break down before he can get back to the shop to do this.....
its a harley

[Kilrtoy]

Easy there Kilr. Some of us can't afford all your nice toys. :supp:
What are you talking about....
Im still waiting for a ride in your NEW beast.... :smile:

[burtandnancy]

Superdave, I just bought a Harley last week, is my career over?

[CA Stu]

Superdave, I just bought a Harley last week, do you like my hair implants?
Fixed :D

[In2Deep]

Sure, no laws broken.
But....
Would you drink Pepsi at work if you worked for Coke? I know for a fact that will get you fired.
Would you drive up in a new Mercedes if you worked in sales for a Lexus dealership? Probably not a good thing.
In today's business climate, with competition the way it is, it's remarkable to me that employees of companies-- especially companies that might be classified as "small businesses"...and where every penny counts not only to the bottom-line, but towards an employee's paycheck-- don't think clearly about how it looks to the boss to consume a competitor's product (or something related to it).
It all boils down to having good judgment. By all means, take "risks", but be prepared for the consequences -- especially if working for a sole proprietor.
I2D

[CrazyHippy]

It sounds like he tried to keep his money in house and was turned away... granted it's a used Harley, but the $ stays, as opposed to leaving.
Where's the (cough)honerable(cough) Jesse Jackson on this one? Oh wait, this guy is probably white... :supp:
BJH

[superdave013]

Superdave, I just bought a Harley last week, is my career over?
I'm sure Rick will let you hang around! :cool:

[mickeyfinn]

If it is a hire/fire at will state they are within their rights to terminate him for this. Not saying that I agree with the decision, I do agree they should have the right. Like the above poster said, if you work for Coke/Pepsi and bring the others products in that will get you fired (or at least get you an ass whooping). The guy will probably wind up better off and his employer lost a good tech.

[meaniam]

Well, that's what happens if you work here.
http://www.babbittssportscenter.com/contactus.htm
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When Tom Kekoni showed up for work at Babbitt's Sports Center on May 17, he had no idea it would be his last day.
That morning, a sales manager approached Kekoni, a 46-year-old certified mechanic, and asked him whether he had made a certain recent purchase.
The mechanic acknowledged he had, and the sales manager informed him that he didn't need to punch in for work.
Kekoni thought the guy was teasing him.
"Too late, I already did," Kekoni responded.
A little later, the sales manager again approached Kekoni, asking if he believed him.
Kekoni said he did, but he wanted to "hear it from the horse's mouth," referring to his boss, Eddie Babbitt.
Babbitt then fired Kekoni.
The reason?
Kekoni had just bought a 2005 Harley-Davidson Superglide motorcycle. Babbitt's sells products that compete with Harley, such as Yamaha and Polaris.
"How would it look if my mechanic drives in on a competitor's product?" Babbitt said.
Both Kekoni and Babbitt admit to the firing, which broke no laws.
According to Jack Finn, an administrator with the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth, Babbitt did nothing illegal.
"Michigan employment is termed 'at will', and as a result an employer can terminate an employee without cause," Finn said.
Kekoni and Babbitt sharply disagree over whether a policy existed against owning competitors' products.
Kekoni, 47, alleges no such thing existed. "There was no policy," he said.
Babbitt, meanwhile, claims the policy always has existed. "It's been a standing policy here forever," he said.
Babbitt added that Kekoni should have been tipped off to the policy by two incidents prior to his firing.
The first was a firing about a month before Kekoni's. Babbitt terminated another employee for buying a Honda off-road motorcycle from a different vendor.
Before that, Kekoni said he approached a sales manager concerning some used Harley bikes in Babbitt's showroom. After Kekoni inquired about purchasing them, he said the sales manager told him, "You don't want to do that."
Kekoni said it wasn't clear to him why the sales manager responded the way he did.
He would later end up buying the bike through Sandy's Harley-Davidson in Fremont, and it already had been shipped when the other employee was fired.
Shortly after letting Kekoni go, Babbitt said his business came under fire from Harley sympathizers and owners.
"I've been blasted online ... it's not easy being the boss," he said.
Kekoni said he learned nothing can be done legally. He remains upset about the reasoning behind his firing.
"Everybody in my opinion has the right to own and buy what they feel they want to have," he said. "It shouldn't be dictated to you by your boss."
Kekoni said he plans to keep the bike.
"It's a helluva thing to get fired over."
the same thing happens in car sales in ca. i worked for one dealer that couldnt make a fair offering on a car. so i left to go buy another, well i was told the managment wouldnt allow another dealers car on the lot, for parking. i said tuff shit. went and bought a chevy. they wanted me to take the dealers plates from where i bought it and put there on. i wouldnt. but they knew that before they said it. we play the game all the time. if pushed to hard i leave for a couple of days. without saying anything. gets them pissed. joke was when paycheck was there. id be gone for a week. which wasnt the case. but i let people know. my next job is 2 mins away. and ill use your phone for the interview

[Ultrafied]

I'm having a hard time seeing what the problem is. The employer did not like what the employee did and terminated his employment. This is the employer's right in "at will" state. End of story.

[Sane Asylum]

I'm having a hard time seeing what the problem is. The employer did not like what the employee did and terminated his employment. This is the employer's right in "at will" state. End of story.
Well said............It's Babbit's biz............HOWEVER, it was in Babbit's by-laws to seek approval from ***boat members before making business decisions concerning his employees.......
Therefore, he(Babbit) is relagated to a one hour live chat with Kim Hanson concerning Kim's use of Gerbils during bed time........
I'm in Houston right now........I was having ***boat posting withdrawals......
Night all.....

[HCS]

I'm going to work for Trident and buy a Bayliner. :D

[Ultrafied]

Well said............It's Babbit's biz............HOWEVER, it was in Babbit's by-laws to seek approval from ***boat members before making business decisions concerning his employees.......
Therefore, he(Babbit) is relagated to a one hour live chat with Kim Hanson concerning Kim's use of Gerbils during bed time........
I'm in Houston right now........I was having ***boat posting withdrawals......
Night all.....
LOL . dang by-laws ... always forget about them! :cool:

[rivergoer]

yeah that is some bull shiat..well i would rather have american made then not american made..

[Forkin' Crazy]

It sounds like he tried to keep his money in house and was turned away... granted it's a used Harley, but the $ stays, as opposed to leaving.
Where's the (cough)honerable(cough) Jesse Jackson on this one? Oh wait, this guy is probably white... :supp:
BJH
"White male", you're damn right on that one!!! He is definitly not a minority, or all hell would be breaking loose!!! :hammerhea

[CrazyHippy]

"White male", you're damn right on that one!!! He is definitly not a minority, or all hell would be breaking loose!!! :hammerhea
If he was a white male in So-Cal he would be the minority, and still nothing would happen :hammerhea :hammerhea
Aren't we supposed to be laughing at this guy, and not turning this thread into an immigration issue...
The dumbass bought a Harley for Christ-sake :2purples:
Hopefully he still has enough money to buy a van so he can go live down by the river :hammer2:
BJH

[spectratoad]

Well, that's what happens if you work here.
http://www.babbittssportscenter.com/contactus.htm
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Before that, Kekoni said he approached a sales manager concerning some used Harley bikes in Babbitt's showroom. After Kekoni inquired about purchasing them, he said the sales manager told him, "You don't want to do that."
This part of the story has me wondering. He can sell the competition but employees aren't allowed to use the competition. :hammerhea

[ROZ]

This part of the story has me wondering. He can sell the competition but employees aren't allowed to use the competition. :hammerhea
I thought the same thing... For all the customer knows, he could have bought the bike second hand from the dealer he worked at.... Maybe a solution could have been to put Babbits dealer plate frame around it???

[Froggystyle]

I'm going to work for Trident and buy a Bayliner. :D
We heavily encourage anything that will get a different manufacturers boat on the lot.
I love being able to use actual boats instead of anecdotes to illustrate superiority... ;)