Chance Meeting

I used to work for a major credit card company, MBNA. It was supposed to have been a great a job with a great career track and wonderful benefits. Then, a another, even more major bank, the ever evil giant business Bank of America, another one of those companies notorious for outsourcing jobs out of the US, bought the MBNA and screwed everyone who worked for the there. I quit about two months after the takeover because of managerial lying and increasing difficulty, to the point of impossibility, of reaching one's incentive, which was monthly bonus pay based on how much product we sold, how many late fees we preserved, etc. etc. etc.

I bring this up because as I was leaving the supermarket today, I bumped into an ex-coworker or mine. He's a great guy, and we were pretty friendly when we were there. I hadn't seen him since I left early in 2006. He told me he had quit as well, over a year ago, for the same reasons I did (he lasted about six months longer than I did). He said reaching incentive got even harder after I left, people, including himself, were being forced out of their jobs, and the environment all around just became pretty toxic. Our location had four building. Everyone's been stuffed into two. Originally, there were about three thousand people working there. Now there are about 1500. Apparently, BofA is not planning to renew the lease on its two remaining buildings, which means the rest will soon be out of work as well, which will be a huge, negative economic hit to an already economically depressed city and region. Even the head of my (former) department, who, when the takeover happened, received a promotion and was to run not only our local department, but the same department in another region, has finally been forced out.

I based my decision to leave on many things. First, I really couldn't afford to work there and support a family. It just wasn't paying enough. Second, it was really starting to depress me. Third, as I mentioned, managerial lying really pisses me off! When my six month review came around and I did really well on it, I asked about a promotion. My manager, a consumate liar as it was, lied to me and told me there was a freeze on promotions. Funny thing was, about two weeks later, at a department-wide floor meeting, one of my teammates, who started the same day I did and didn't perform anywhere near as well as I did, especially when it came to selling products, got a promotion! Which brings me to fourth: selling product. Most of the crap a credit card company tries to sell you is just that: CRAP! Don't ever buy credit protection, or privacy protection, or anything else a credit card company tries to sell you when you call them. And be adamant about getting rid of a late fee if you feel your reasons are valid (btw, sending in your payment on the due date is NOT a valid reason...). Fifth, which is related to the previous reason, I was starting to have moral and Halachic issues working there and screwing customers, be it with late fees or finance charges or anything else. Sixth, as I mentioned, the environment was beginning to be toxic. Finally, I was working for Bank of America, which is anything but! They are an evil, awful company, and I can state this with a high degree of certainty both as a former customer and later as a former employee. They really stink.

Core issue? IT'S BIG BUSINESS, whose only concern is the bottom line and how much they can make in the short run. This is what they do. Big business has no loyalty to its country, and will even move its base out of the country if the country starts to sanction it. It's only loyalty is is to the Almighty Dollar, the GOD of Big Business.

Don't get me wrong. I understand businesses are in business to make money. That's why I'm in business. But I'm also in business to make sure my customers are satisfied and happy with their product (by the way, I sell medical imaging, from the smallest ultrasound to large MRI systems and everything in between!). But a business should take care of its employees and show loyalty to its base country.

I highly recommend reading Senator Byron Dorgan's book, Take This Job and Ship It! It's well worth your time to see what Big Business does to people and how people are being screwed every day by Big Business. And it's not just its employees... There are a few other books worth looking at as well... Don't believe what the Republican, Big Goverment, pro Big Business party and its patsies tell you. Need proof? Look outside your window. Check out the economic scene of the country, not based on what the Fed or government is telling you (remember, Bush would have you believe the war in Iraq is going just GREAT!!). Do some actual research and find out for yourself.